Copper Manufacturing and Its Benefits in Various Application Areas
How precious is copper? There once was a time when copper comprised the bulk of a United States cent piece (now it is mostly zinc composition), and recently news of copper thefts have brought awareness to its value. Thieves are willing to take copper from telephone wires and electric substations, often at great personal risk, to sell for scrap. Even in a progressively wireless global community, copper plays an important role in the way we work and live. As an excellent conductor of electricity and heat, this precious metal remains relevant and in high demand.
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Quick Facts About the Global Copper Industry
The average US household uses about four hundred pounds of copper for various purposes - wiring, cooking, and even for automobile parts. (Source: Arizona Mining Association). Copper is one of the world's most versatile elements. It is recyclable and malleable, and is used in the creation of brass and bronze. The Statue of Liberty is perhaps the best example of a structure that uses a great amount of copper. Nearly eighty tons were used to build it.
According to Geology.com, there could be as much as 300 million tons of copper not yet discovered in the United States alone. On average, about 85 million metric tons may be mined annually around the world.
Top Countries in Copper Production
Copper Investing News, from their most recent records, reports the following nations lead the copper industry:
Chile - These days, people may associate Chile's mining industry with the 2010 accident that had the world watching a dramatic rescue of thirty-three trapped miners. Before this occurred, Chile was producing more than five million tons of copper a year, and remains a world leader in the industry. Copper exports account for a third of the nation's income.
 Freeport's Coppper Export Quota Triples to 700,000 Tons | |
Peru - Peru is currently the second larger copper producer in the world behind Chile. The country is also home to one of the largest such mines in the world. (Source: USGS)
China - Though averaging less than a million tons a year in production, China is a larger consumer of copper and has even looked elsewhere to supplement their reserves. Very recently, a Chinese businessman bid to takeover a mine in Botswana. (Source: CBS)
The Future of the Copper Industry
With the versatility of copper comes the growth in opportunity for its use. Copper is used in everything from minting currency to building cargo ships. Telephone lines may one day come down, but the copper used in them can be repurposed for other necessities. Tapping into reserve mines in the US and a growth in recycling is sure to keep copper a valuable metal anywhere in the world
Copper Strip Manufacturing has grown immensely due to its huge demand in the various industrial sectors. And accordingly, technological advancement in the production of copper in its different forms has reached the zenith today like never before. Today you would strips to fulfill even your special needs.
Copper strip varieties come in both bare and covered forms. Like all copper varieties, this product of copper too has high conductivity and superior dimensional control which make them ideal for diverse industrial, commercial and residential applications. They have superior mechanical properties, malleability and flexibility. Additionally, it is to be mentioned that they can be easily fabricated, welded or soldered.
The copper strip is renowned for its ability to function with utmost precision and for minimizing costs in various mechanical systems. Among the many benefits of copper strips in general are their carrying capacity, and excellent dimensional control for superior contacts. Others include higher conductivity, durability, ability to perform even in harsh weather conditions and corrosion resistance. Wide range of sizes and almost zero maintenance make them favorite option for one and all.
So, now that you are aware about the many benefits of the copper strip, you can also know where you can use them as per your industry requirements be it mechanical or engineering domain. Among the various industries where these are used range from electrical industries, motors, electroplating plants, power transformers, generators, automatic machines, water heater exchanger unit and almost all kinds of household electrical appliances. Accordingly you would find them widely in bus duct manufacturing, switch gears, railway electrification, panel boards, automotive manufacturers and connectors.
The bare copper strip is also used as raw material in varied industries and is especially suitable for soil that has high salt content. These high tensile strength copper forms go a long way to enhance production and to reduce wastage. These varieties come in myriad dimensions and can be customized as per your specifications and industry requirements just like the copper bar.
The covered copper strip on the other hand is usually enclosed with paper. These varieties of copper strips too can be customized as per the needs on individual industry requirement. They can be both fine and ordinary variations to suit special industrial areas. You would find this type in oil-filled transformers and switchgears. It is to be mentioned here that the mechanical, chemical as well as thermal properties of the paper types help in analyzing the behavior of the conductor. This form is widely used in mints for coinage.
I have wrote many articles. But my field of interest is to write for the practical application practiced in industries for manufacturing products. I also like to write on the unique products manufactured by many merging industries.