unitcargo world no. 6/2021

s,
or
UNITCARGO BUSINESS
The 3,500 grades
of steel
Steel plays a very important role in almost all areas
of everyday life. Whether in construction, infrastructure,
tools and machines or transport, it is impossible
to imagine our lives and civilisation without
steel. It is an essential factor in our prosperity.
As a durable material that can be recycled again
and again without losing its properties, steel is ideally
suited for the circular economy. This saves resources
and protects the environment and climate.
Steel is ideally suited
for the circular economy
In 2019, more than five times as much steel was
produced worldwide than plastic: a total of 1869
WHAT
MAKES
UP OUR
STEEP USE
Source: worldsteel.org
BUILDING &
INFRASTRUCTURE
ES
52%
L2%
T
3%
A healthy economy needs
a healthy steel industry
Steel is essential to our society. As a permanent material
which can be recycled over and over again without losing
its properties, steel is also fundamental to a successful
circular economy. From transport systems, infrastructure
and housing, to manufacturing, agriculture or energy, the
industry is continuing to expand its offer of advanced highstrength
steels which reduce the weight of applications and
encourage circular economy practices.
For society, the benefits include durable products, local jobs,
reduced emissions and the conservation of raw materials for
future generations.
A healthy economy needs
million A healthy
What tonnes. economy
makes Around up half needs
A a healthy steel economy industry needs our of this steel is produced use by
China a healthy and 8.5 steel % by the industry
a healthy steel industry European Union. With steel
consumption at 159 million tonnes (2019), the sturdy
ferrous alloy is one of the most important economic
goods in the EU, needed in many places in
10%
the Union.
However, not all steel is the same. Depending on
the chemical composition and the stage in the
value chain, there can be differences in hardness,
metallurgical quality or mechanical strength. There
are more than 3,500 grades of steel, three quarters
of which have only been developed in the last
20 years.
Despite the „diversity of steel“, one common denominator
What makes can be up up found our steel with regard use
to its
What makes up our steel use
trans-
Steel is essential to our society. As a permanent material
Steel
which
is essential
can be recycled
to our
over
society.
and
As
over
a permanent
again without
material
Steel is essential to our society. As a permanent material losing
which its properties, can be recycled steel is over also fundamental and over again to without a successful losing
which can be recycled over and over again without losing
its circular properties, economy. steel From is also transport fundamental systems, to a infrastructure
successful
its properties, steel is also fundamental to successful
circular and housing, economy. to manufacturing, From transport agriculture systems, infrastructure
circular economy. From transport systems, infrastructure
or energy, the
and industry housing, is continuing to manufacturing,
and housing, to manufacturing, to expand agriculture
agriculture its offer of or
or advanced energy, the
energy, the highstrength
is industry
industry is steels continuing
continuing which to reduce expand
to expand the its
its weight offer of
offer of applications advanced highstrength
advanced highstrength
encourage steels
and
steels circular which
which economy reduce the
reduce practices. weight of applications and
the weight of applications and
encourage circular economy practices.
encourage circular economy practices.
For society, the benefits include durable products, local jobs,
For
For reduced society,
society, emissions the
the
benefits
benefits and include the include conservation durable
durable
products,
products, of raw materials local
local
jobs,
jobs, for
reduced
reduced future generations.
emissions
emissions
and
and
the
the
conservation
conservation
of
of
raw
raw
materials
materials
for
for
future
future
generations.
generations.
METAL
PRODUCTS
10%
METAL METAL
PRODUCTS
PRODUCTS
MECHANICAL
EQUIPMENT
OTHER OTHER
TRANSPORT
OTHER
TRANSPORT
5%
5%
5%
16%
BUILDING &
INFRASTRUCTURE
DOMESTIC
APPLIANCES
BUILDING & &
INFRASTRUCTURE
AUTOMOTIVE
2%
ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT
3%
12% 3%
4 5
2% 3%
MECHANICAL
MECHANICAL
EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
16%
10 4
4 5
5
11
DOMESTIC
APPLIANCES
AUTOMOTIVE
52%
port process: The loading and unloading process
is usually carried out with appropriate industrial
trucks and handling equipment, whereby product-specific
load securing is of great importance
here. In line with the uniform industry standard, the
UnitCargo Group also carries out a large proportion
of its steel transports with semi-trailers with
and without coil trough, whereby globally there
is a balance in terms of transport demand in both
the FTL (Full Truck Load) and LTL (Less Than Truckload)
sectors.
DOMESTIC
APPLIANCES
2% 2%
52%
UnitCargo mainly uses
semi-trailers with and
without coil trough
However, before the aforementioned goods transports
can take place, the material steel goes
through a complex production cycle. The production
of steel can be divided into several stages,
whereby the first step is the formation of pure pig
iron. Subsequently, the molten iron is converted
into pure steel, which is then refined by machine.
ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT
ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT
3%
ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT
12%
4 5
UNITCARGO BUSINESS
By adding certain chemicals, the desired properties
of the steel product can now be created. In a
final production process, the steel is cast and the
manufacturing process of „rolling“ is used. This
ultimately gives the steel product its final shape
(long product, wide product, flat product, etc.).
In the context of global value creation, products
are delivered by first-tier suppliers to manufacturing
or processing companies. In this segment, the
UnitCargo Group specialises above all in crossborder
steel transports of the Scandinavian market
and the Benelux and DACH regions.
As the travelling cleric Freidank (12th century) already
remarked, rust eats steel and before that
happens, we prefer to transport it.
UnitCargo specialises above
all in cross-border steel
transports of the Scandinavian
market and the Benelux and
DACH regions
Steel coils ready for transport