As discussed in previous blogs The Steel Supply Company uses several methods of making slotted steel shims. These are confined into two main groups; hard tooling and soft tooling. Click here to view that discussion.

To suit their purpose, Slotted Steel Shims need to be produced as flat as possible. The Steel Supply Company can manufacture perfectly flat shims with literally zero practical deflection by cutting the shims from plate stock on a laser table. The problem with this method is higher costs, which escalate even further as the shim thickness increases.

The Steel Supply Company uses a variety of processes when manufacturing Slotted Steel Shims. For stock sizes Punch and Die Stamping is the most effective. For made to order sizes or multiple slot shims laser cutting produces very accurate results. Heavier material like 1/2” thick or thicker tends to be more economical using a High Definition Plasma table. Regardless of the process our customer, the steel fabricator and erector, requires the same thing, i.e. accurate, flat shims that can be installed with no hesitation or interruption and that provide 100% surface contact.  

Slotted Steel Shims, as discussed in previous blogs, are simple items but there are many pains in the manufacturing process that can affect the finished product. This article deals with the problems inherent in Hot Dip Galvanizing the steel shim.

Hillside Washers can function in the basic form shown in Figure 1. All the necessary features are in place, along with the load strength to ensure durable performance.

Masonry Anchors to a steel fabricator commonly mean Slotted Channel or Rod Anchor. Note: Slotted Channel is sometimes known as a Gripstay® Anchor or Channel Slot Anchor. Rod Anchor, is sometimes known as a Wire Tie, or a Weld-On Wire Tie. These are the two most prevalent systems for securing Block or Brick to structural steel.

When designing a Teflon® or Fluorogold® Slide Bearing, one of the factors that sometimes gets overlooked is the maximum operating temperature the bearing assembly will function at. Standard Structural Steel expansion type joints don’t develop the heat required for temperature to be a concern, but many specialized applications do. Steam Lines, Furnaces, Ovens, etc. all present environments that can compromise a standard FC-1010-CS slide bearing.

Often, we get inquiries from customers asking us to quote on a quantity or series of items. Slide bearings, slotted steel shims, masonry anchors turnbuckle assemblies, etc. While we are always happy to do so, and appreciate the opportunity, it is sometimes difficult to get the customer to focus on the product as well as the cost.

The Steel Supply Company began in 1898 as a manufacturer of paint and specialized in steel coatings. Over the years, the company has learned some things about coatings, steel, rust inhibition, and protecting steel from the elements. So, when a situation arose in the field regarding coatings, there were no better people to consult with. Sandy Liedeker, grandson of the founder Abraham Liedeker, began his career in 1952, eventually becoming a paint chemist. Whenever we reached out to him for help or information regarding a coating issue his most common response was, and still is, “surface preparation.”

There are an unlimited number of brands and types of Shop Coat Primer for the Steel Fabricator to choose from. Levels of quality vary greatly and different systems can be called out on shop drawings. They will range from the basic Red Oxide or Gray shop coat, with no additional requirements to the more complex and much more expensive 2-part systems, High Solids Rust Inhibitives and Universal Primers.