On heels of the Commerce Departments Section 232 Report, the Trump Administration indicated they will impose aluminum and steel tariffs on those imported materials: 25% on Steel and 10% on aluminum. 

The expected rise in steel prices does not necessarily mean the rise of total costs.  In the HVAC industry, one way to offset increased steel prices is to reduce the cost of labor to make ducts and fittings by being more efficient.  How do we do this?  Machine automation.

Trump’s campaign includes a protectionist position on imported steel in order to increase business for domestic steelmakers. 

Sheet Metal gauge, or more formally, Manufacturer’s Standard Gage for Sheet Steel, is derived from the United States Standard Gage established by Congress in 1893. (Machinery’s Handbook, 29th Ed., Industrial Press 2012, p.2608)

In October, we gave a gentle reminder to our sheet metal business readers about the year-end deadline for meeting the requirements to benefit from the Section 179 tax deduction.  With December fast approaching, we’d feel guilty if we didn’t issue a reminder again, just in case any of you are running late!  There is still sufficient time, in fact, if you don’t delay further.

When studying the anatomy of an HVAC sheet metal duct system, a natural instinct is to draw a comparison with the human anatomy.