Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing
Description
Facilities engaged in the production of rolled steel shapes play a vital role in the United States manufacturing landscape by transforming raw iron ore or scrap steel into essential structural materials. These establishments primarily focus on rolling or drawing shapes such as plate, sheet, strip, rod, and bar from purchased steel rather than producing the steel itself. The process typically involves heating, heating, and passing the material through rollers to achieve specific dimensions required for construction, automotive, and machinery sectors. Typical business activities center around continuous casting, heating, rolling, and finishing operations, with many plants offering customization services to meet varied customer specifications. Operators range from large integrated steel mills that handle massive volumes of raw materials to smaller, highly specialized shops producing niche products. While some large corporations own multiple mills globally, many independent operators function on a smaller scale, focusing on regional distribution and quick turnaround for specific projects. The industry encompasses a wide scope of operations, from producing wide flange beams used in skyscraper construction to manufacturing thin sheets for automotive body panels. Understanding the capabilities of these manufacturers is crucial for industries relying heavily on structural steel for infrastructure development and industrial growth.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 331 | Primary Metal Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Primary Metal Manufacturing subsector smelt and/or refine ferrous and nonferrous metals from ore, pig, or scrap, using electrometallurgical and other process metallurgical techniques. Establishments in this subsector also manufacture metal alloys and superalloys by introducing other chemical elements to pure metals. The output of smelting and refining, usually in ingot form, is used in rolling, drawing, and extruding operations to make sheet, strip, bar, rod, or wire, and in molten form to make castings and other basic metal products. Primary manufacturing of ferrous and nonferrous metals begins with ore or concentrate as the primary input. Establishments manufacturing primary metals from ore and/or concentrate remain classified in the primary smelting, primary refining, or iron and steel mill industries regardless of the form of their output. Establishments primarily engaged in secondary smelting and/or secondary refining recover ferrous and nonferrous metals from scrap and/or dross. The output of the secondary smelting and/or secondary refining industries is limited to shapes such as ingot or billet that will be further processed. Recovery of metals from scrap often occurs in establishments that are primarily engaged in activities, such as rolling, drawing, extruding, or similar processes. Excluded from the Primary Metal Manufacturing subsector are establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing ferrous and nonferrous forgings (except ferrous forgings made in steel mills) and stampings. Although forging, stamping, and casting are all methods used to make metal shapes, forging and stamping do not use molten metals and are included in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Establishments primarily engaged in operating coke ovens are classified in Industry 32419, Other Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing. |
| 3312 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing iron and steel tube and pipe, drawing steel wire, and rolling or drawing shapes from purchased iron or steel. |
| 33122 | Rolling and Drawing of Purchased Steel 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in rolling and/or drawing steel shapes, such as plate, sheet, strip, rod, and bar, from purchased steel. |
| 331221 | Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | Facilities engaged in the production of rolled steel shapes play a vital role in the United States manufacturing landscape by transforming raw iron ore or scrap steel into essential structural materials. These establishments primarily focus on rolling or drawing shapes such as plate, sheet, strip, rod, and bar from purchased steel rather than producing the steel itself. The process typically involves heating, heating, and passing the material through rollers to achieve specific dimensions required for construction, automotive, and machinery sectors. Typical business activities center around continuous casting, heating, rolling, and finishing operations, with many plants offering customization services to meet varied customer specifications. Operators range from large integrated steel mills that handle massive volumes of raw materials to smaller, highly specialized shops producing niche products. While some large corporations own multiple mills globally, many independent operators function on a smaller scale, focusing on regional distribution and quick turnaround for specific projects. The industry encompasses a wide scope of operations, from producing wide flange beams used in skyscraper construction to manufacturing thin sheets for automotive body panels. Understanding the capabilities of these manufacturers is crucial for industries relying heavily on structural steel for infrastructure development and industrial growth. |
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Classification References
- 01Making steel and rolling or drawing steel shapes, or manufacturing concrete reinforcing bars in an iron and steel mill--are classified in Industry 331110, Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing;
- 02Drawing wire from purchased steel--are classified in U.S. Industry 331222, Steel Wire Drawing; and
- 03Manufacturing fabricated structural metal products from concrete reinforcing bars and fabricated bar joists--are classified in U.S. Industry 332312, Fabricated Structural Metal Manufacturing.
Index Items
Bars, concrete reinforcing (rebar), made from purchased steel in steel rolling mills
Bars, steel, made from purchased steel in cold rolling mills
Cold rolling steel shapes (e.g., bar, plate, rod, sheet, strip) made from purchased steel
Concrete reinforcing bar (rebar), made from purchased steel in cold rolling mills
Concrete reinforcing bar (rebar), made from purchased steel in steel rolling mills
Corrugating iron or steel in cold rolling mills made from purchased iron or steel
Ferrous metal powder, paste, and flake made from purchased iron or steel
Flakes made from purchased iron or steel
Flat bright steel strip made in cold rolling mills made from purchased steel
Hot-rolling purchased steel
Metal powder and flake made from purchased iron or steel
Nut rods, iron or steel, made in cold rolling mills
Paste made from purchased iron or steel
Powder made from purchased iron or steel
Razor blade strip steel made in cold rolling mills
Wire, flat, rolled strip, made in cold rolling mills
How Item Can Help
The Warehouse Management System optimizes storage of raw steel coils and finished shapes by providing real-time inventory tracking, which is critical for managing highly heterogeneous materials in a high-volume production environment.
The Order Management System streamlines complex B2B steel sales by integrating order-to-delivery processes, allowing manufacturers to handle diverse product specifications and priority-based scheduling efficiently.
The Transportation Management System reduces costs and delivery times by optimizing last-mile logistics for bulky finished shapes, ensuring just-in-time delivery to construction and manufacturing clients.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 331221.
National Association of Steel Trade Associations
A primary trade association representing steel manufacturers, including rolled shape producers, across the United States.
National Association of Corrosion Engineers
Provides industry resources, data, and news specifically relevant to the corrosion management of rolled steel shapes.
U.S. Census Bureau
Offers official government data and statistics regarding the rolled steel shapes manufacturing sector.
