For many years, United Performance Metals has been dedicated to providing innovative and adaptable solutions for our customers. To further our commitment and ensure that we are a leading metal service center, UPM has recently made yet another significant advancement. In order to better serve our customers and provide a larger assortment of precision thin gauge materials and solutions, UPM moved its rerolling mill operations from Portland, Connecticut to Wallingford, Connecticut in the summer of 2024, expanding services and production capabilities. This relocation was led by Patrick Robb, United Performance Metals Thin Gauge General Manager.
Rerolling mills exist to provide products and services that the larger integrated mills won’t or have limitations in supplying. Reroll mills will take material and roll them down to thinner thicknesses. They have the ability to produce materials to more stricter customer requirements and develop processes to meet tighter dimensional tolerances and also restrictive material tensile properties. UPM’s Thin Gauge Mill will do all of these plus work with customers to provide unique supply chain solutions such as stocking programs, shorter lead times, and smaller order quantities. The rerolling process is comprised of three steps: cold rolling, annealing, and slitting. Once the material has reached its desired final form, it is packaged for shipping.
Cold Rolling: Cold rolling is a work hardening process that changes the structure of the metal. This process strengthens steel by changing its shape and/or thickness without using heat. The process also often improves the material’s corrosion resistance, surface finish, and dimensional tolerances. UPM has the ability to roll from .015” down to .0008” and can roll widths of 12.5” to 8”.
Annealing: Annealing is the process of heating a material to a critical temperature to restore its ductility. Annealing allows the material’s properties, such as tensile strength, yield strength, and hardness, to “reset.” UPM can anneal thicknesses ranging from .015” to .0005” and widths from 16” to 8”.
Slitting: Slitting is the process of separating a wide strip into narrow mults or strips. This is a shearing process that uses circular knives to weaken the material to the point of fracture, creating slit strips. UPM’s Wallingford facility can slit thicknesses ranging from .020” down to .0008” and widths ranging from 12.500” to .188”. Our coils come in 6”, 8”, 10”, 12”, and 16” for all of our customers needs.
United Performance Metals currently services stainless steel, nickel alloys, and cobalt for precision thin gauge strip. This material is used in a variety of applications and industries outlined below, with additional use cases continuing to arise:
Aerospace: Airfoils, Baffles, Bellows, Honeycomb, Sensors, Nacelles
Medical: Needles, Sheers, Surgical Grills and Grinders, Surgical Staplers and Anvils, Staples, Lances, Cardiovascular Clamps, Tissue Grabbers, Dental Matrix
Automotive: Air Bags, Fuel Components, Oxygen Sensors, Catalytic Converters, Seals
Electronics: Battery Cans, Shielding, Flexible Foil Heaters
Power Generation: Fuel Cells, Nuclear Fuel, Batteries, Solar
Industrial: Chimney Liners, Filters, Flexible Metal Hoses, Clamps, Diaphragms, Tool Wrap, Gaskets, Seals, Photo-Etch Applications
Posted February 24, 2025
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