New York to London in just over 3 hours!

Sir Richard Branson, one of the most famous entrepreneurs to come out of the United Kingdom to date, is the founder of the Virgin Group which controls more than 400 companies. However, if and when his latest revelation comes to fruition, then this could well be the thing that he’s remembered for in years to come.

Virgin Galactic and Boom (a start-up company creating supersonic transport), have unveiled a prototype of what they are expecting to be the first post-Concorde airline to be used for supersonic commercial travel. The jet is designed to be 10% faster than the Concorde, which offered supersonic commercial service until it was retired in 2003. A crash in 2000 killed 113 people. “Concorde’s designers didn’t have the technology for affordable supersonic travel, but now we do,” said Blake Scholl, Boom’s founder and chief executive officer.

The new aircraft has a cruising speed of Mach 2.2 or 1,451mph, which is 10 per cent faster than Concorde’s speed of Mach 2 (the speed of sound is measured as Mach 1) and 2.6 times faster than other airliners. The new planes are set to carry 40 passengers at a time. The airline is expected to come into operation in 2023 and will cost passengers £2’500, currently the jet will only be able to seat around 40 passengers. Its name is officially going to be XB-1, but it has already established the popular nickname of ‘baby boom’.

You will be able to travel between New York and London quicker than it takes you to drive from London to Manchester.

 

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THE PARADISIAC HIGHWAY FOR METAL SCULPTURES LOVERS

The Enchanted Highway, thirty miles south of the nearest major highway, the town of Regent was dying, and Gary Greff decided someone had to do something about it.

A metal sculptor and retired school teacher, Gary started the work in 1990. His master plan was to create ten giant sculptures, one every few miles along Regency-Gladstone Road, paired with picnic areas and playground equipment. All the sculptures face north, toward the oncoming traffic from the interstate. Seven have been completed.

But there’s one sculpture that came over all the other ones, we are talking of “Geese in Flight”. This sculpture was finished in 2001, next to the Gladstone exit, and it is claimed to be the World’s Largest Outdoor Sculpture. It stands 110 ft (33.5m) tall, is 154 ft (46.9m) wide and weighs 157,659 lb (71,512.91 kg).

Other big sculptures that we can find is “The GrassHopper” who have the Record Guinness for being the largest grasshopper on the earth. Also have “Tin Family”,”Deer Crossing” and “A Covey of Pheasants” where the rooster is 60 feet long, the hen 50 feet and three 12-foot high chicks complete the scene.

The Enchanted Highway project has continued to grow, with the addition of a giant spider web crawling with metal arachnids, and a simulated pond with fish.

It is interesting how a scrap or trashy metal products can be beautiful artworks, right? Shanghai Metal Corporation as one of the representatives of the metal industry can help you actualize the beauty of stainless metal art!

As a representative of the metal industry, Shanghai Metal Corporation is one of the leading businesses in the manufacturing of metal products in the global field. We can produce aluminum, stainless steel, copper, shipping containers and other metal products and service. We prioritize the efficient of manufacturing and environmental sustainability.

Want to know more about our company? Please visit our website and you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Feel free to download our new mobile application by scanning the QR code below.

Distribution Poles: From Wood to Hot Dip Galvanized Steel

With the increasing demand of eco-friendly ans sustainable products from both the public and private sector, the main sector to improve is the energy sector itself.
Distribution pole are the main vectors of electricity and have become over the century a common view of our roads and fields. 

wood distribution pole

Steel poles are becoming increasingly popular among utility companies for building  distribution lines or for replacing the traditional wood poles. Many reasons push these companies to use steel ans invest in the new distribution poles. In this article we will try to summarize the benefit of hot dip galvanized steel mainly reported from linemen who have worked with both wood and steel

distribution pole – source: wikipedia.org

Wood pole VS Steel pole

Lighter: 

For similar strengh, a steel pole is 30 to 60% lighter than a wood pole. This makes them easier to lift, load, install and  handle in general.

Cheaper: Thanks to continuous improvement of quality and manufacturing process of steel poles the cost of steel poles come down to a point where they became competitive with wood. 

Flexible:  

Unlike wood poles which can only have a certain maximum size determined by the size of the tree taken from,  the size of wood poles can be determined freely according to the need. Steel poles can be made to handle virtually any load and in any length and can also be made as single piece poles or in sections if that would help handling them in the field.

More Sustainable: 

Galvanized steel poles were a response deforestation issues steel is one of the most recyclable materials around so there is never any environmental concern over disposing steel. an old pole will be recycled to make a multitude of other products. Also , the protective system that is required to cover steel poles is made of zinc which is also an environmentally friendly material and virtually 100 percent recyclable. In addition. The coating systems have been improved so much over the years that it has reduced  the maintenance needed and improved their life expectancy of the poles.

Safer:  

The steel structures do not require a full-length copper grounding wire. They are already self conducting for grounding purposes. As a result, no installation of a ground wire is required.

lineman on distribution pole source: wikipedia.org

source: steel.org,  smdisteel.org

Shanghai Metal Corporation manufactures hot dip galvanized steel products because it believes in its potential and encourages its use for a more sustainable industry and a clean environment.
For more information, you can visit the company’s website or contact us for any inquiry.

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Houria // SMC Editor

Get Bent: Apple

All the buzz around Apple’s newest iPhone6 may not be that of a success. Not even its 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models sold in three days after the phones went on sale. Rather, it seems like the new ‘bendable’ iPhone6 is even a hotter hit, going viral on social media as hashtag #BendGate.

Not only a rumor but proved by a number of pictures published on the world web, the new iPhone6 and iPhone6 Plus easily bend when carried in owners’ pockets for long periods of time. Others claimed the flexibility of the new phone while having more active lifestyle and dancing.

The question whether this affects all the devices or if it is limited to a small number of phones is still unclear, and Apple has not yet pronounced. Last year there were similar cases involving iPhone 5, the Samsung Galaxy S4, the HTC EVO, and many others, but this is actually the first time the bending issue has become an “epidemic”.

Ironically, the reports claiming the issue came out the same day that smartphone warranty provider SquareTrade called the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus the “most durable smartphones ever”. Significantly larger and thinner than the traditional iPhone, the iPhone6 and iPhone6 Plus are encased by aluminum enclosure, which is a naturally flexible material.

CNNMoney received a test model and several staffers tried and failed to change its shape using brute force. What this will mean for the future of iPhones? Well, earlier this year the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently published Apple’s patent application which describes a new technology to be integrated with bendable displays. It talks about a new method on how to use tiny metal components in a way that prevents them from breaking when the display is bent. It might be it?

For now, what remains for iPhone6 owners is to remove their iPhones from their pockets before sitting, placing them in a less tight pocket, or choose for a more resistant case that could protect the device from bending and flexing. And if you still think of acquiring an iPhone6 or iPhone6 Plus, it is available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and the UK and it will go on sale in 20 more countries on September 26^th and others by the end of the year.

Shanghai Metal Corporation is a world leader in producing and supplying the best quality in aluminum that could prevent devices such as the iPhone6 and iPhone6 to easily bend. To find out more, please visit our Website or send your inquiry here. Our English speaking personnel will be more than pleased to help you. Follow us on  LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

Story credit: Dominick F.//SMC Sales Specialist

Source and photo credit: foxnews.com, money.cnn.com, macrumors.com, newser.com, gadgetlove.com

Camilla G.//SMC Editor

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Copper Was a Symbol of Eternal Life for the Egyptians; Nowadays it is a Symbol of Eternal Freedom When Cooper is on a Chopper!

Copper was once believed by the Egyptians to be a symbol of eternal life; however copper on the hands of a biker builder such as Paul Yaffe becomes a symbol of eternal freedom. This freedom is only earned by those who ride without a destination; and only when you are on the saddle of your chopper, cruiser or bobber, opening the throttle towards the sunset will understand what FREEDOM is all about!

Americans and all motorbike enthusiasts around the globe love the open road because it symbolizes the freedoms that it provides. This sense of exploration has helped build America’s nation; and the vast interstate network of asphalt and pavement for decades has facilitated people’s travel to places near and far for commerce or just a ride to nowhere!

The “Copper Chopper” built by Arizona native Paul Yaffe to mark Arizona’s 100th anniversary was unveiled by Governor Jan Brewer on Saturday, Oct. 23rd 2010 during the  Arizona State Fair. The unveiling of the Arizona Centennial Chopper was part of a Safety Day that included a bike show and a Bret Michael’s Concert at the fairgrounds in Phoenix, AZ. The Arizona Centennial Chopper traveled the open road for 17 months, promoting events and projects celebrating Arizona’s 100th anniversary.

Motorcycle riding gives you a sense of freedom which you don’t get in a car. Your senses take on a different significant.

As an international manufacturer and supplier for copper sheet and bronze sheet, Shanghai Metal Corporation produces slitting, edging, and oscillates winding to fit your specific copper requirements.To find out more, please visit our Website or send your inquiry here. Our English speaking personnel will be more than pleased to help you. Follow us on  LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

Source and photo credit: bikeweeknews.blogspot.com, pinterest.com, yakman*9

William P.//SMC Editor

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Dream Home Furnishing With IKEA’s Very Affordable Little Helper

If you ask any present college student or graduate where they bought their furniture while at school, odds are IKEA is high up on that list. As of January 2008, IKEA became the world’s largest furniture retailer thanks to their product management, placement and quality given to their customers. IKEA’s product lines range from your everyday table spoon and doorknobs to larger media furniture, sofas, and full furnished kitchens. With style and functionality at it’s forth front, IKEA needed a material that would both look aesthetically pleasing with their items and durable-stainless steel was the answer.

Using China as the main example; out of their 2615 products on sale, 544 have in one way shape or form stainless steel. With over 20% of their products in China containing stainless steel, it’s a great thing that most of IKEA’s stainless steel articles are sourced from Asia, including China at 90%, Taiwan and Korea with the final 10%. The ability to adapt stainless steel on their existing products gave them that hint of style they needed.

With IKEA’s popularity at a world’s recognition, they have attracted new and modern designers. The ability for these designers to use stainless steel in their products has helped promote IKEA product as not just functional but stylish, as well as potentially raise their revenue. With some products, consumers have a choice of whether or not to include stainless steel in their product. For example, you could buy a bed frame and keep the wooden legs that it comes with, or opt to spend $20 more on those stainless steel legs which makes your bed look better. At the end of the day more people choose to spend just a little bit more to make their bed look sleeker and better looking.

The example of the bed legs is just one small one, but it shows the significance a small change can make. Stainless steel has absolutely helped IKEA pave the way to different markets with their high quality and affordable products.

It is this same idea of affordability and quality that we here at Shanghai Metal Corporation bring to the table with your stainless steel needs. To find out more, please visit our Website or send your inquiry here. Our English speaking personnel will be more than pleased to help you. Follow us on  LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

Sources: Ikea, Stainless Steel Report  SMC stainless steel pipe

Mario B.//SMC Editor

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Meet Solar Farm: The Future in City Light & Power

Resembling something out of a movie, the Ivanpah Solar Thermal is the world’s largest solar power plant located in Ivanpah Dry Lake,
California’s Mojave Desert. Occupying approximately 3,500 acres (14.2km2) and grounded on BrightSource’s solar tower technology, the thermal complex produces gross total of 392 MW of solar power.

Over 300,000 garage-door-size mirrors are used to attract the power of the sun in two dimensions and reflect the sunlight to boilers that sit atop three 459 foot tall power towers. A center of earth location in relation to the sun is used so that each mirror in its solar generating system is precisely aligned.

Atop one of the three 459 foot tall power towers

What is so special about Ivanpah Solar Thermal? Economic, social and environmental benefits are many. With the thermal’s construction 2,636 new local jobs were created, generating about $350 mi in local and state taxes. Clean, sustainable and reliable solar electricity serves 140,000 homes on average in California, while 400,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emission per year is reduced, which equals to removing 72,000 vehicles off the road.

Not only that, the construction of this iconic project was a breakthrough as it kept the majority of the natural landscape untouched unlike other mega constructions. When BrightSource’s 173,000 heliostat pylons were installed, grading and concrete foundations were limited to the maximum, allowing the vegetation to co-exist within the solar field below the mirrors. The project also accounted with an innovative and customized design; excavators operated in the 130-foot wide no-drive zones, traveling in the same tracks through the solar field and installing between 75 and 125 pylons per day, per machine.

Low environment impact heliostat pylon design

The innovative technology uses the same principal of electricity production i.e. high-temperature steam which turns a conventional turbine, where electricity is produced and transmitted to homes and businesses. The big difference is that at Ivanpah, the concentrated sunlight (and not fossil fuel) strikes the boiler’s pipes and heats the water to create superheated steam. Besides, the technology uses 95 percent less water than competing wet cooled solar thermal plants by employing a dry-cooling process, which uses air instead of water to condense steam. All water used by the steam production cycle is recycled back into the system, or consumed to clean the mirrors, highlights BrightSource.

The Ivanpah Solar Thermal System is “critical to establishing America’s leadership in large-scale, clean-energy technology that will keep our economy globally competitive over the next several decades,” says Tom Doyle, president at NRG Solar. This is the future and the Ivanpah has, for sure, started changing the way we produce and consume energy.

Shanghai Metal Corporation is proud to follow on news that represent massive step forward for renewable energy as previously reported here. SMC manufactures a wide range of Solar panel aluminum extrusion widely used in solar panels and tin coated/plated copper strip used in solar panel batteries. To find out more, please visit our Website or send your inquiry here. Our English speaking personnel will be more than pleased to help you. Follow us on  LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

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Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com, dailyfusion.net, energy.ca.gov, blog.nrgsolar.com, infrastructurenews.co.nz, brightsourceenergy.com, forconstructionpros.com

Picture:flickr.com/photos/brightsourceenergy/sets/72157633434942709/show

Camilla G.//SMC Editor

Alien Machinery Found In Russia

300 million year old machinery has been found in Russia – experts say the steel gear is not the result of natural forces, and may be extraterrestrial.

According to Yulia Zamanskaya, when a resident of Vladivostok was lighting the fire during a cold winter evening, he found a rail-shaped metal detail which was pressed in one of the pieces of coal that the man used to heat his home.

Mesmerized by his discovery, the responsible citizen decided to seek help from the scientists of Primorye region. After the metal object was studied by the leading experts, the man was shocked to learn about the assumed age of his discovery. The metal detail was supposedly 300 million years old, and yet the scientists suggest that it was not created by nature but was rather manufactured by someone. The question of who might have made an aluminum gear in the dawn of time remains unanswered.

Shanghai Metal produces our current terrestrial supply of value added carbon steel products. As an ISO 14001 (International Quality Management System) Company and recipient of the “Star Enterprise Award,” Shanghai Metal Corporation prides itself on exceeding international standards of quality and reliability. We guarantee the best prices, quality support, and fast delivery. To find out more, please visit our Website or send your inquiry here. Follow us on  LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

Sources: Before Its News

Siobhan R.// SMC Editor

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