Steel is made from iron ore, a combination of iron, oxygen and other minerals.

There are four main types of steel commonly available. The first is carbon steel. It looks dull, matte-like, and is exceptionally strong. It is also the most common type of steel used accounting for around 90% of steel production. Carbon steel is broken into three main sub categories, low carbon steel (also known as mild steel), medium carbon steel, and high carbon steel.The second is alloy steel, which is made by combining steel with additional alloying elements such as nickel, copper, chromium and/or aluminum. This process improves the strength, ductility, corrosion resistance and machinability of the steel. The third is stainless steel, which is easily identified by it’s sheen. It is commonly used in the food, medical and architectural sectors. The fourth and final type of steel is tool steel. This is commonly used for cutting and drilling equipment due to the higher heat resistance and hardness they get from the alloys they have in them.

Metal folding (or forming as it is sometimes known) is the process of applying one or more bends to a sheet of metal by securing the sheet at a certain point and applying enough pressure to fold the metal. A machine is used to bend or fold the metal in order for it to reach the intended form. There are a number of different folding techniques including air bending, bottoming, coining and folding. To learn more about metal folding click here.