Boom in Billboard Designing

There is an article about architecture that turned a billboards along the road into homes for homeless people in our blog. (read here). An interesting concept that can solve the problem of homelessness in the world. This time Zaha Hadid, well-known architect, rethought roadside advertising with a new billboard design.

Outdoor advertising company JCDeaux asked Zaha Hadid to create a “curved and flowing” billboard for south side of West Cromwell Road that is the main route from Heathrow airport in London. The billboard is housed within twisting bands of thick sheet metal. It is supposed to reduce vehicle headlights and glare from the sunlight. The idea is make steel structure and facade panels integrate into one shell.

A strip of lightning across the curved back of the structure illuminates the pavement. They chose metals as a material for building this structure because it can be pre-fabricated off site in large sections. The screen of this billboard will be available for safety messages, travel updates, also it will show work of local artists, architects and designers. (via Dezeen)

via dezeen

via dezeen

Metals can be used in various applications, architecture, design, automotive industry and many others. Shanghai Metal Corporation is one of the leading manufacturer. We provide and supply high carbon special steel and steel pipes and tubes. For more information visit our website or send us inquiry. English speaking staff will guide you further. Download our new application by scanning QR code below and follow us on Social Media platforms.

    

Silvia M.//SMC Editor

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Credits : dezeen.com, googleimages, wikipedia.org

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Some Facts About Sweets

Most of people love eating sweets, candies, chocolates, chocolate bars at least from time to time. Here are few facts about sweets that you might find interesting.

The Snickers bar was named after horse

The creator of this famous bar loved his horse (apparently called Snickers) so much that he honored him by naming a chocolate bar after him. In UK, this chocolate bar was famous under the name “Marathon” till 1990. Mars, Inc. is still a family-owned business that produces other popular candies as Skittles, Twix and others.

Germans eat more chocolate than Americans

According to data from the International Cocoa Organisation and the European union Association of the Chocolate, the average German eats 114 chocolate bars per year, American eats 51.

Cotton candy was co-invented by dentist

A dentist from Nashville, William James Morrison, became a President of the Tennessee State Dental Association in 1894 and wrote several books for kids. Who would have said that he had invented a cotton candy? Together with a Nashville candy maker named John C. Wharton invented an “electric candy machine” that produced cotton candy. The product became a huge success when it was brought to the public in 1904.

 

Shanghai Metal Corporation sells food machinery for packing and producing candies such as automatic hard candy depositing machine, hard candy die-forming machine, double twist packing machine, candy packaging machine. For more information visit our website or send us inquiry. English speaking staff will help you find the most suitable products for you. Download a new application by scanning QR code below or follow us on Social Media.

    

Silvia M.//SMC Editor

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Credits : clickreadshare.com, omgfacts.com

Garden Bridge

Heatherwick Studio and actor, campaigner Joanna Lumley came up with an idea for a new pedestrian bridge across the River Thames – Garden Bridge, the scheme that will connect North and South London with a garden. For one of the greenest cities in the world it will be a another precious piece of landscape and support many indigenous river edge plant species.

The proposed 367-meter bridge project got approval from local councils. According to words of Thomas Heatherwick, the bridge will be a very special place either for crossing, relaxing in or looking back at the rest of the city’s sights.

The bridge will cost not small amount of money – £175 million. It raised a lot of questions and criticism and they had to defend why their project deserves it more than the others. Heatherwick said : “This project creates a new and extraordinary views of London framed by nature.” The Garden Bridge is expected to begin construction next year. (via dezeen.com)

Shanghai Metal Corporation supplies many steel bridges projects with high-quality steel and takes part in these projects. For more information visit our main website or send us inquiry. English speaking staff will guide you further. Download a new application by scanning QR code below or follow us on Social Media.

     

Silvia M.//SMC Editor

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Credits : dezeen.com, archdaily.com, googleimages.com

Stand under my Air-brella

Umbrellas in history

Umbrellas, probably a converted branch of tree,  first appeared in ancient Egypt more than 3 000 years ago and were used mostly for protecting royalty from sunlight. The first waterproof umbrellas were discovered in 11th century BC in China and they were made of leather. Nowadays majority of modern umbrellas are made in China. One Chinese city, Shangyu, has more than 1 000 factories for producing umbrellas! People at that time would be very surprised to see that the invisible air umbrella concept was created. Will it be more useful than the “normal” umbrellas?

This concept uses forced air to repel falling water. It was created by UK industrial design student Quentin DeBaene and a research team in China claims it could create this umbrella by 2015.

How does it work?

The air umbrella uses high-powered jets to emit forced air to repel falling raindrops away from your body, before they can even hit your body. As this umbrella uses ultra high speed fan, the research team has found the way how to charge the batter only for 30 minutes, so this umbrella won’t be useful for a long walk. The retail price is expected to be around $200. I would maybe buy 20 umbrellas instead of this one, half an hour working umbrella. But who knows, it can be changed in the future. See the video here and judge the creation. (via inhabitat, core77)

Shanghai Metal Corporation is still loyal to classic umbrellas and offers phosphorized steel wire, that is widely used for producing umbrellas, and other steel products. For more information visit the main website or send us inquiry. English speaking staff will guide you further. Download a new application by scanning QR code below or follow us on Social media.

    

Silvia M.//SMC Editor

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Credits : inhabitat.com, core77.com, umbrellahistory.net, googleimages

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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Do You Know How The UK Coins Are Made And What Are They Made of?

The processes involved in producing a coin can be broken down into three different sections: making the blanks, making the dies and striking the coins.

Making the blanks

Depending on the alloy required, the appropriate metals are melted in the necessary proportions in a furnace. The metal is then extracted from the furnace in the form of a continuous strip, which is cut to produce coils weighing up to 2.8 tonnes. The strip is passed through powerful rolling mills to reduce it to the thickness of a coin. Blank discs of metal are then punched from the strip in a blanking press at a rate of up to 10,000 a minute. Rolling metal under great pressure makes it hard so the blanks have to be softened, something which is achieved by heating them in an annealing furnace at up to 950°C.

Making the dies

Once a design has been approved, a plaster model is prepared at several times the diameter of the intended coin. The plaster model is scanned by a ruby-tipped probe which records the design as a digital file on a computer. Guided by this digital file, an engraving machine cuts the design into a piece of steel at the correct size of the coin. Known as a reduction punch, this piece of steel is then used to make the dies which will actually strike the coins.

Striking the coins

For the final stage of the process, the blanks are fed into a coining press containing a pair of dies. Applying a pressure of around 60 tonnes, the dies strike the blanks and turn them into coins at speeds of up to 850 a minute.

= 1 penny coin =

First Issued February 15, 1971

Diameter 20.3mm

Weight 3.56g

Thickness Bronze: 1.52mm. Copper-plated steel: 1.65mm

Composition Bronze (97pc copper, 2.5pc zinc, 0.5pc tin)

= 2 pence coin =

First Issued February 15, 1971

Diameter 25.9mm

Weight 7.12g

Thickness Bronze: 1.85mm. Copper-plated steel: 2.03mm

Composition Bronze (97pc copper, 2.5pc zinc, 0.5pc tin)

= 5 pence coin =

First Issued Smaller version in June 1990.

Diameter 18.0mm

Weight 3.25g

Thickness 1.7mm

Composition Cupro-nickel (75pc copper, 25pc nickel)

= 10 pence coin =

First Issued Smaller version in September 1992.

Diameter (since 1992) 24.5mm

Weight 6.5g

Thickness 1.85mm

Composition Cupro-nickel (75pc copper, 25pc nickel)

= 20 pence coin =

First Issued June 9, 1982

Diameter 21.4mm

Weight 5g

Thickness 1.7mm

Composition Cupro-nickel (84pc copper, 16c nickel)

= 50 pence coin =

First Issued Smaller version introduced in September 1997. Diameter (since 1997) 27.3mm

Weight 8.0g

Thickness 1.78mm

Composition Cupro-nickel (75pc copper, 25pc nickel)

= 1 pound coin =

Issue Date April 21, 1983

Diameter 22.5mm

Weight 9.5g

Thickness 3.15mm

Composition Nickel-Brass (70pc copper, 5.5pc nickel, 24.5pc zinc)

= 2 pound coin =

First Issued June 15, 1998

Diameter 28.4mm

Weight 12g

Thickness 2.5mm

Composition, Outer Nickel-Brass (76pc copper, 4pc nickel, 20pc zinc). Inner Cupro-nickel (75pc copper, 25pc nickel)

= 5 pound coin =

First Issued August 4, 1990. Previously crowns had a face value of 25p

Diameter 38.61mm

Weight 28.28g

Thickness 2.89mm

Composition Cupro-nickel (75pc copper, 25pc nickel)

Collector versions have been struck in precious metals

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.

Sources: Royal Mint, The Telegraph, museumvictoria.com.au

William P.//SMC Editor

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Forget Home Furnishings, IKEA Enters The E-Bike Market

IKEA has certainly surprised us with many clever home-furnishing solutions. Most importantly, IKEA, with its roots in the super “green” country of Sweden, could not leave its homecountry’s highly socially conscious citizens disappointed. When it comes to act environmetally friendly, IKEA comes right up in the top list worldwide as leader of clean technology. In fact, IKEA has big goals for 2020 that includes a plan to obtain 100% of the energy it consumes in its stores and buildings from clean energy and to grow more wood than it uses.

Plastic bags were far gone six years ago, CFLs and LEDs were introduced as replacement for high-energy consuming incandescent light bulbs back in 2010, affordable home solar panels were recently made available in the UK, a number of electric car stations were installed at stores across the world and now IKEA has entered the electric bike market.

Yes, e-bike FOLKVÄNLIG can be found in two IKEA’s retail stores located in Vienna, Austria. Still in its inception phase, the e-bike is expected to become viral and shortly reach out to many different stores. The electric bike’s design has already received various awards at the Taipei Cycle Show, Eurobike and the IF Design Award.

FOLKVÄNLIG in Swedish means ‘user- friendly’, which is probably what IKEA is trying to address here with its sleek e-bike that could take you anywhere within a distance of 60 to 70km, aided by a powerful electric motor of 250Watt that could get you a total pedal-assisted range up to 45mi/72km per charge.

The e-bike also features an easy rechargeable system to its removable in-frame lithium-ion battery pack that takes about five hours to recharge, as well as a Shimano transmission that provides six different driving modes.

Should it prove successful, IKEA’s FOLKVÄNLIG e-bike must also come in a foldable variant, which gives the market even more room for growth.

Shanghai Metal Corporation offers a wide range of metals such as aluminum, widely used in beer can manufacturing. 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: technologicvehicles.com, treehugger.com, greenoptimistic.com, ubergizmo.com, cleantechnica.com, flickr.com

Camilla G.//SMC Editor

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Can You Guess What’s Wrong In This Picture?

The photograph series “For What It’s Worth” by photographer and artist Dillon Marsh is at the very least surreal. By combining photographic precision and computer-generated imagery Marsh produces illogical images as an attempt to provide a graphic visualization of the quantity of copper extracted from the Blue Mine in Springbok, situated 550 km north of Cape Town.

Blue Mine, Springbok (1852 to 1912) 3,535 tonnes of copper extracted

The blue in ‘Blue Mine’ is in reference to the color of rocks in the mine as a result of copper coming into contact with oxygen in the air. Back to the mid-19th century copper was the primarily driving force behind the establishment of relatively remote area of the country such as Springbok, Okiep and Nababeep as formal towns. Following operations that began in 1852, the Blue Mine is recorded as the first commercial mining endeavour in South Africa. South Africa hasn’t been so commercial before, and with the discovery of copper deposits the town became a centre for mining prospectors with movement of people coming to Springbok also attracted by its near and steady supply of drinkable water.

Nababeep South Mine, Nababeep (1882 to 2000) 302,791.65 tonnes of copper extracted

By 2007, however, most of these mines had run their course and production had stopped almost completely. As an attempted to represent the uncertain future for the towns and people of the region, Marsh placed impressive copper spheres in the arid scene of what once served as copper mine. “Whether they are active or long dormant, mines speak of a combination of sacrifice and gain”, describes Marsh. He also adds “their features are crude, unsightly scars on the landscape – unlikely feats of hard labor and specialized engineering, constructed to extract value from the earth but also exacting a price”.

Jubilee Mine, Concordia (1971 to 1973) 6,500 tonnes of copper extracted

Mash’s intention is “to create a kind of visualization of the merits and shortfalls of mining in South Africa, an industry that has shaped the history and economy of the country so radically”.  On the one hand, the development of the mines around Okiep contributed significantly to the demise of copper mining in south-west of England. On the other hand technology and skill were still transferred from these mines to other parts of the world. Unesco classifies the principle value of the copper mine site of Springbok an extension of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape in the UK, for instance, also sharing a close association with other mining landscape in Australia, Brazil, India and Mexico.

Tweefontein Mine, Concordia (1887 to 1904) 38,747.7 tonnes of copper extracted

Shanghai Metal Corporation offers a wide range of metals such as copper, widely used in varying artifacts. To find out more, please visit our Website, WordPress, LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook  and Instagram. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code. Moreover, we sell directly from Alibaba , EC21 ,Tradekey or directly at sales@shanghaimetal.com.

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Source and picture credit: springbokinfo.co.za, designboom.com, visualnews.com, ignant.de, whc.unesco.org, dillonmarsh.com

Camilla G.//SMC Editor

The Law of Finders Keepers

When amateur ‘land fishers’ (or metal detector users) make an archaeological discovery, who receives the proceeds? Should academics get automatic claim upon the find, the owner of the land, or should we follow the childish yet simple rule of finders keepers?

Economists have long claimed that property rights have incentivized innovation and discovery, so to motivate future finds the finders keepers rule should be maintained. However this infringes on the land owners and the much older monarchist rules where from example in ancient Rome, half went to the finder, half to Hadrian. So what have other countries decided?

In the UK, to encourage artifacts to be enjoyed by the public, the Treasure Act of 1996 stipulates if something of worth is discovered, museums or the government will bid or offer the fair market price for them. For example $5.3 million was paid by the successful bid from a British Museum, and split between Herbert and the owner of the Staffordshire field where the Anglo Saxon copper was found.

However in the US, various statues and precedents make the rules murky. For example, US treasure seekers in 1993 discovered the wreckage of a steamer containing millions of dollars worth of gold coins, but had to fight a court battle with both the government and the original insurers of the accident. They eventually won back most of the value, but these decisions are made by case by case and are very much subject to opinion,  and muddled by the American culture personified by the ‘no trespasser’ signs.

So which system should prevail? Ultimately, 90% of finds are by amateurs, so without incentivizing them, future discoveries will never see the light of day and be enjoyed for its academic value. But unfortunately as there is a lot of money involved it will inherently be plagued with conflict.

So like the recent Roman copper coin find in the UK, the value of copper can be quite pricey. At Shanghai Metal, we manufacture competitively priced value added copper 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: National Geographic, TIME, SF Gate

Siobhan R.// SMC Editor

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The Aftermath Of The BP Oil Spill

After the infamous Gulf of Mexico oil spill one year ago today, BP are still paying for it. Not as widely publicized are the 11 oil rig deaths – instead the public has focused on the environmental impact.

Through the end of July, the oil giant paid more than $13 billion to compensate people, businesses and communities affected. The company is disputing some of those claims in court battles that could drag on for years. They allegedly have even more claimants appearing they have yet to address or compensate.

This continues the theme of how BP has dealt with the crisis, where during the spill unlikely items such as golf balls, rubber balls and other garbage items in an effort to stop the flow.

There are other ways to deal with these types of accidents in the future. Shanghai Metal manufactures steel salvage tools for ocean oil drilling. 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.

Source: NPR

Siobhan R.// SMC Editor

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