American Made and American Sourced

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Before adding fertilizer, look at what the field already has working in its favor. A cover crop may have left roots and residue behind, while composting may already be contributing organic matter. From there, you can use fertilizer to make up what the next crop still needs

The Backbone of Quality: Grade 50 Steel

Catawba Attachments uses Grade 50 steel plate in many of its builds because it gives the finished implement more strength than standard A36 steel. Grade 50 has a minimum yield strength of 50 ksi and a minimum tensile strength of 60 ksi, giving heavily worked parts more resistance to bending and permanent deformation when subjected to load.

Grade 50 steel gives Catawba more strength without simply adding more material. That extra strength helps parts resist bending and deformation when an attachment is pushed hard in the field.

A CNC laser machine cutting out parts of American Steel

The Pickled and Oiled Process: Ensuring Excellence

American steel is heated in preparation for pickling and oiling.

Catawba Attachments uses heat treated, "pickled" and "oiled" Steel A process that removes impurities and makes for a more uniform surface.

To further enhance the quality of the steel used, Catawba Attachments employs Grade 50 steel that has undergone the pickled-and-oiled process. This exact treatment entails multiple essential steps:

Hot Rolling: The process starts by heating the steel to roughly 1,700°F, where it becomes easier to shape and roll into plate.
Pickling: After rolling, the steel goes through a hydrochloric acid bath to strip away mill scale, rust, and other surface buildup, leaving a cleaner surface for the next step.
Oiling: After pickling, a thin layer of oil is applied to the steel’s surface to prevent oxidation and corrosion during storage and transportation.

This combination of processes yields steel with superior flatness, enhanced surface quality, and improved workability. For manufacturers like Catawba Attachments, the benefits are numerous:

Improved Paint Adhesion: The clean, oil-coated surface ensures better paint adhesion, resulting in a smoother, more durable finish.
Improved Corrosion Resistance: Removing impurities and applying oil greatly decreases the chance of corrosion. This lengthens the lifespan of the implements.
Better Formability and Weldability: Treated steel offers excellent formability and weldability, permitting more efficient manufacturing.

By selecting pickled and oiled Grade 50 steel, Catawba Attachments improves the durability and service life of their products. Our implements withstand the test of time.

An American Made Partnership: Catawba Attachments and BENCO Steel Inc.

The collaboration between Catawba Attachments and BENCO Steel Inc. is a shining example of American businesses supporting each other to achieve mutual success. Established in 1960, BENCO Steel is an independent, woman-owned regional steel service center that has been serving industries across North and South Carolina for decades. Their pledge to quality as well as customer satisfaction fits perfectly with Catawba Attachments’ mission to provide high-quality products to their clientele.

This long-standing business relationship provides several advantages:

Reliable Supply Chain: BENCO Steel keeps large quantities of plate on hand, helping Catawba avoid waiting for material when production is moving. In many cases, that inventory allows for next-day delivery and helps keep fabrication work on schedule.
Quality Assurance: For every steel plate purchased, BENCO provides mill certification papers. These documents verify the time and place of production. They also verify the material’s chemical composition, delivering honesty and certainty regarding the steel’s quality and origin.
Processing Options: BENCO Steel can handle sawing, burning, shearing, bending, punching, welding, and painting before delivery. That lets Catawba order steel that is already closer to the shape and finish needed for production.

Working with BENCO Steel gives Catawba a nearby source for the material it needs to keep production moving. It also keeps more of that work tied to U.S.-based suppliers and manufacturers.gth of domestic partnerships. Their shared values and goals lead to products that embody the best of American manufacturing.

The Broader Impact: Supporting American Industry

An example of supporting American industry through partnership

Catawba buys its steel through BENCO Steel instead of sending that business overseas. That matters in an industry that accounts for roughly 387,000 U.S. jobs and about $207 billion in economic output. Each order keeps part of Catawba’s material budget in the American steel market.

Some of the steel Catawba buys is made in electric arc furnaces, where recycled scrap is melted down and turned into new steel. That process normally has a smaller carbon footprint than traditional blast-furnace steelmaking, giving Catawba another practical reason to look closely at how and where it produces its steel.

Reinforcing National Infrastructure and Security

Using domestically produced steel also has a vital function in strengthening national infrastructure and security. Steel is fundamental to different sectors, including transportation, construction, energy, and communications. By supporting American steel producers, companies like Catawba Attachments help ensure the nation maintains a strong, self-sufficient industrial base that can meet both civilian and defense needs without excessive dependence on foreign sources. Catawba Attachments’ devotion to using American-made steel from BENCO Steel Inc. shows a serious devotion to quality, community, and country.