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S beam?

S beam?

(OP)
I have a customer requesting some S4X7 beams made from 1045 or 1050 steel.  My question is it even possible to find s beams from this type of steel?

RE: S beam?

He's off his rocker, both are unsuited for structural beams. We don't like high carbon, heat treated steel beams at all. I am sure they don't roll them.

Michael.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

RE: S beam?

(OP)
It's used for overhead conveyor track.  I found a company that makes it, but I'm not sure if I can use an A709 S beam since it would be easier to find with similar mechanical properties.

RE: S beam?

It's generally easier to do the structural design and fabrication if you use the more common grades of steel, and they are much easier to procure.  Then you apply were surfaces or track bars to that structure, of 1045 or 1050 material for the wear and running surfaces.  There can be replaced from time to time without redoing the whole structure.  I'm with Paddington, I would expect specific rolled shapes to be very hard to come by in 1045 or 1050 material, although bars and rounds are commonly available.

RE: S beam?

(OP)
Long story short, this is for GM and will replace some of the existing track, so welding wear bars onto the inside flange is not a possibility.  I am trying to find other options because 1045 S beams are hard to come by and cost much more.

RE: S beam?

You're beating your head against a brick wall and hoping for a different outcome if you only let a little more blood and flesh.

Are you replacing intermittent sections or long sections so you have to match beam geometry and track slope and elevation, at many locations or only a few, btwn. existing track and new sections?  Is there any adjustability above the beam, in the hanger system, so you only have to match things up at the track slope and elevation?  I assume you are going to use the existing trolleys and run on the top surface of the bottom flanges of the beams, and that that constant and smooth running surface is the important thing to match.  Are the trolley wheels made to run on the sloped top surfaces of the std. beam bot. flg.?   1045 or 1050 materials are almost impossible to weld successfully, they can be punched, drilled and machined, and then bolted to the primary structural beams.

Unless GM has some leftover supply of this track material or access to their original supplier, and some pull with them, so you can get them to roll some of this stuff, I'll bet you're out of luck.  You will more than likely end up fabricating the track beams and applying wear pls., and paying particular attention to only the critical mating surfaces and geometry.  You might end up taking a deeper std. beam, cutting the bot. flg. down in width, and applying (bolting) the wear pls. on the top of the bot. flg. surfaces.  You might do this to a std. S 4x7.7 and allowing its top flg. to be lower than those on the existing track beams.  You might rip a std. S 4x7.7 down the middle of its web, longitudinally, making two lower track portions.  Then making a continuous web welds back to another actual spanning member.  These, and then the interconnections btwn. new and existing sections, and mating with the hanger system will be the design challenge here.  Several of the underhung crane manuf'rs. do have proprietary running track sections which look like a WT and are welded back to an upper beam portion.  These undoubtedly have improved wearing surfaces, but may not match your geometry.  Google a few of them to see what options they offer, but I wouldn't be afraid to fabricated my own track sections.

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