Stainless Steel in the News Headlines
With stainless steel being such a versatile and widely used material in a vast variety of industries all over the world, it isn't surprising to find that the alloy is a regular feature in high profile news stories. In this edition of the BS Stainless blog, we look at three recent examples of this phenomenon, all of which are just as diverse in their nature as stainless steel itself.
Vandalised Cybertrucks Quickly Restored
Just three days after Tesla leased an abandoned parking lot on which to store Cybertrucks, more than 50 of the vehicles were dramatically vandalised under cover of darkness. The perpetrators, none of whom have yet been identified, used spray paint to deface the Cybertrucks with obscene and insulting comments about Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Less than 24 hours after the incident occurred, photographs emerged on social media showing that all of the vandalised vehicles had been cleaned completely, bringing them back to pristine condition. It is clearly the fact that the Cybertruck's stainless steel body made such cleaning a quick and easy process, as the metal can easily withstand the application of strong chemicals to remove the offending paint without causing any damage to the structure of the vehicle.
The Reopening of 'Cloud Gate'
Cloud Gate is one of the world's largest stainless steel sculptures and, due to its distinctive shape, is almost always referred to by its affectionate nickname of 'The Bean'. Measuring an impressive 10 x 20 x 13 metres, the sculpture was designed by the artist Anish Kapoor, who was inspired by the appearance of liquid mercury. The Bean was built using 168 stainless steel panels which were welded together before being polished to such a mirror finish that no seams are visible.
Since it was unveiled in 2006, The Bean has grown to become one of Chicago's biggest tourist attractions but has been closed for over a year while renovations were carried out in the surrounding plaza. Public access was reinstated on Sunday 23rd June.
Successful Testing of 3D Printer in Space
On the 30th January this year, the Cygnus NG-20 mission was launched into space via a SpaceX Falcon rocket, with the International Space Station (ISS) as its destination. On board the craft was a 3D printer capable of printing objects using stainless steel.
The printer has proved to be a success, with the European Space Agency announcing that it had been used to create 'small S-shaped curve' using liquefied stainless steel. It is hoped that, in the future, the technology will make space travel more efficient and sustainable, as getting replacement parts to space from Earth is extremely expensive and results in high levels of carbon emission.
As is clear from these stories, stainless steel in all its forms is one of the most versatile materials on (and off!) the planet, with countless applications. We invite you to browse our website to find out more and to subscribe to our email newsletter for lots more news, updates and special features from the exciting and dynamic world of stainless steel.