HSS vulnerable to competition: exec

摘要

Commodity tubulars' price volatility could leave hollow structural sections (HSS) vulnerable to competition from wide-flange beams, where prices have been more stable, as distributors are cautious about stocking the product, according to distributors. Wide-flange beam tags look "extremely stable" when compared to HSS, Ian Rode, general manager of Infra-Metals Co.'s southern division in Baltimore, said Tuesday in a distribution panel discussion at AMM's first Mechanical & Structural Tube Conference in Chicago. That means beams can be a "more suitable choice" for some projects, particularly when there is a wide spread in product prices. "Certainly today, availability is not a problem."