Why Manufacturers Rely on Stretcher-Leveled Steel (2024)

In precision manufacturing, where exacting standards and uniformity are paramount, Stretcher Leveling creates symmetry between art and science.

Stretcher Leveling is a process that stretches material sufficiently to exceed the yield point in all its fibers, equalizing internal trapped stresses and ensuring flatness and dimensional control.

This blog by Alliance Steel examines the distinct advantages of Stretcher Leveled steel and explains why it is paramount in advanced manufacturing.

What is Stretcher Leveled Steel?

Stretcher Leveling is a process that stretches material sufficiently to exceed the yield point in all its fibers, equalizing internal trapped stresses. This activity produces flat material even after laser cutting, notching, punching, or subsequent shearing operations. Eliminating post-cutting stress spring back can make additional processes like welding and forming easier. Stretcher Leveling uses a series of E-Drive Levelers to flatten and reduce the crossbow (curvature) before it continues to the stretcher. At the stretcher, clamps grab 40 feet of material and apply 2 million pounds of force, uniformly stretching the material past its yield point. Stretcher Leveling can remove all internal stress, eliminating the risk of post-cutting spring back.

Challenges & Limitations of Using Non-Stretcher-Leveled Steel

Stretcher Leveling is used to flatten steel sheets, ensuring uniform flatness across the material. Not using Stretcher Leveling can lead to several challenges and limitations:

• Inconsistent Flatness: Without Stretcher Leveling, steel sheets may have uneven surfaces or waves, which can pose challenges during fabrication processes such as welding or machining.
• Quality Control Issues: Flatness: Variations can affect the final product's quality and integrity. It may result in rejections or rework, increasing costs and production time.
• Dimensional Inaccuracy:Lack of flatness can also cause dimensional inaccuracies in the finished parts or products, affecting their fit, function, and overall performance.
• Compatibility Issues:In industries where precision is crucial, such as automotive or aerospace, components made from non-stretcher- leveled steel may need to meet required standards or specifications, limiting their applicability.

Can Uneven or Distorted Steel Adversely Impact the Manufacturing Process and End-product Quality?

Uneven or distorted steel can have significant adverse effects on the manufacturing process and the quality of end products in several ways:

• Machining Challenges: Inconsistent flatness can make it difficult to machine steel parts accurately to the required dimensions. This can lead to difficulties in achieving precise tolerances, resulting in parts needing to fit together correctly or perform as intended.
• Welding Issues:Welding requires precise alignment of the steel components. Uneven or distorted steel can result in poor weld quality, including weld defects such as undercutting, lack of fusion, or weld metal porosity. This compromises the structural integrity of welded assemblies and can lead to premature failure.
• Assembly Challenges: Components made from uneven steel may not fit together correctly during assembly, leading to difficulties in alignment and increased assembly time. This can result in higher labor costs and delays in production schedules.
• Dimensional Accuracy: Distorted steel can result in dimensional inaccuracies in parts, impacting the overall functionality and performance of the product. Components may need to meet design specifications, leading to poor fit, interference, or improper function.
• Quality Control Challenges: Ensuring consistent quality becomes challenging when working with uneven steel. Manufacturers may need to implement additional inspection and quality control measures to detect and rectify defects, increasing production costs and cycle times.

The Knowledge Advantage

Stretcher Leveling is a highly technical process that combines precision machinery, advanced control systems, and skilled operators to achieve superior flatness and uniformity in steel materials. Expertise and attention to detail ensure that the leveled steel meets the stringent requirements of modern manufacturing applications.

We have the capability to perform stretcher leveling onhot rolled steel,hot rolled pickled and oiled steel, hot rolledpickled dry steel,cold rolled steel, and coated steel products likehot dipped galvanized,electrogalvanized,galvannealedandgalvalume.

Alliance Steel is an ISO 9001:2015 company implementing stringent quality control measures and unwavering adherence to industry standards.

Selling Points of Stretcher Leveled Steel

Stretcher Leveling offers several unique selling points, making it an attractive choice for customers looking for high-quality, flat steel sheets.

Firstly, it ensures exceptional flatness across the entire steel surface, eliminating waves and imperfections, which is ideal for precision machining, welding, and surface finishing. Stretcher Leveling helps achieve uniform thickness throughout the material; this is crucial for precise dimensional control, ensuring accurate part fit and performance. By relieving internal stresses and strains, stretcher leveling minimizes the risk of distortion during subsequent processing or use, maintaining shape and integrity even under demanding conditions. Flat and uniform steel materials produced through Stretcher Leveling are easier to work with during fabrication, leading to higher productivity and lower scrap rates. Tight tolerances achieved by Stretcher Leveling allows customers to meet demanding industry specifications and quality standards. Lastly, components made from stretcher-level steel exhibit superior performance characteristics, translating to longer service life, improved reliability, and reduced end-user maintenance requirements.

About Alliance Steel

For over 25 years, Alliance has established itself as a trusted supplier, coil processor, fabricator, and manufacturing material distributor catering to the diverse manufacturing needs of various industrial sectors. With a reputation built on excellence, Alliance is committed to delivering top-quality solutions to its customers.

Headquartered in Northwest Indiana, Alliance has expanded its operations to include additional locations in Atlanta and Memphis.

The company's state-of-the-art facility spans an impressive 500,000 square feet, featuring temperature control for optimal performance. Equipped with full rail service, the facility boasts a range of advanced coil processing technology, including multiple slitters, a heavy-gauge line, cutting-edge technologies like multi-blanking, cut-to-length, stretcher leveling, metallurgical capabilities, fiber lasers, press brakes, robotic welding, and structural tubing.

To address the unique needs of the physical market, Alliance is dedicated to offering custom solutions, including futures hedging, index pricing, and spot buys. With an extensive inventory of flat-rolled sheet and coil products, Alliance ensures customers can access a wide range of options, including hot-rolled steel, hot-rolled pickled and oiled, hot-rolled pickled dry, cold-rolled steel, and coated steel products.

For more information, please visit alliancesteel.net or contact 219.427.5400