Of the three general categories of electrical steels – motor lamination, grain oriented (GO) and non-grain oriented (NGO) – our initial focus was on the full spectrum of motor lamination steels. We have now turned our attention to non-grain-oriented silicon steels based on our temper mill’s capabilities of elongation up to 10% and our ability to produce chemistries with low and ultra-low carbon levels to improve magnetic properties. The construction of our mill already includes the infrastructure for additional equipment that will expand our electrical steel offerings to the most-demanding steels.
No generator, transformer or electric motor is operational without the steel grades needed to transform electrical power into usable energy. The challenge for manufacturers trying to keep their domestic production has been a lack of competition among U.S. mills able to make these niche steels. Until now. Serving the demanding material needs of the electrical market – a daunting proposition for most domestic mills – is one of the primary reasons we built our Flex Mill®.
Why are we so committed
to the electrical steel market?
In North America, increasing demand is placing added stress on an electrical grid that’s already in dire need of past-due replacements of aging infrastructure. Additional investment in more powerful generators and transformers is also needed to keep pace with demand. The rapid movement of the auto industry into electrical vehicles (EV) is also creating ever-increasing demands on infrastructure and manufacturing that only electrical steels can meet. With our entrepreneurial approach to the steel industry, Big River is nimble enough to meet these challenges. And innovative enough to be the best partner for those leading the way.