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(11/10/04) - McLeod Health has partnered with local steel manufacturer, Nucor, to produce the steel that will be used in the construction of the seven story surgical tower addition to the McLeod Pavilion. Because of its commitment to support local businesses as well as the economy, McLeod Health has locally purchased 2,200 tons of steel that will be – more... used over the duration of the construction, totaling a purchasing price of $1,680,500. Located in Darlington, South Carolina, Nucor's Cold Finish Division is a major recycler of scrap metal, producing carbon and alloy cold drawn steel. Jerry McCall, Supervisor for Melting and Casting for Nucor, furthers the partnership between McLeod Health and Nucor. McCall became a member of the McLeod family when he recently had knee surgery at McLeod. The partnership came full circle when McCall worked hands-on in producing the steel for the McLeod construction. Employed at Nucor for nearly 16 years, McCall enthusiastically talked about the process of producing the steel used for the current construction at McLeod. "Nucor steel actually comes from scrap metal," said McCall. Eighty percent of the scrap that Nucor receives arrives on trains and is received from scrap dealers along the East Coast. "Scraps include old cars, refrigerators and anything else that is useless and made of metal," McCall said. "When they arrive by train, the scraps come shredded in the same way paper is shredded." Immediately after the scraps are received, they are placed on a conveyer belt which carries the material into a furnace to melt into a liquid form. When the furnace reaches to a temperature of 3,000 degrees, the scraps begin to melt down, usually requiring thirty minutes per 140 tons of steel. "The speed of the conveyer belt is crucial," said McCall. "If the conveyer belt, which carries the scraps to the furnace, is moving too fast, the scraps are too cold and the melting down process takes much longer." When the steel has been melted down to a liquid, the process is to "tap it out" or to pour the liquid steel into a ladle which holds 120 tons. A cart then carries the ladle to the Ladle Melt Furnace (LMF), where it takes many ingredients, or alloy, to create the customer's requested steel. Nucor produces more than 200 different grades of steel, all made differently and requiring different temperatures. "Each grade depends on the customer," said McCall. "The customer sends us the specifications and we produce the steel according to their needs." Once the appropriate alloy has been added to the liquid steel, it remains in the ladle and is lifted by a crane to the caster. The liquid steel is poured into a 7 x 7 inch mold and then enters the caster where the steel transforms to a solid. From the caster, the steel is taken in its solid form to the pit, where it is cut by a gas torch into the customer's requested length. From the pit, the steel moves to the billet yard, where it is stored until it is time for it to go to the roller mill. The roller mill is where the steel is shaped. Nucor produces rounds, hexagons, flats and squares in carbon and alloy steels. These bars, in turn, are purchased by several industries, including automotive, farm machinery, hydraulic, appliance, electric motor and service centers. McCall is responsible for 17 workers who collectively transform the steel from scrap metal to molded and sliced steel, ready for storing. "It is truly amazing to take old scrap and turn it into a useable, safe product," said McCall. "That's what I love about working at Nucor." McCall enjoys both his coworkers and what he does. "I have wonderful leadership above and below me. I believe Nucor is one of the best places to work in this area," said McCall. The partnership also includes McCall's wife, Marcella, who works in the McLeod Operating Room and was also a McLeod patient in 2004. In addition, their son, Devon, age nine, will be a patient at McLeod to undergo minor surgery before the end of the year. At McLeod, the preparation has been made for what will be hours of intensive work to erect the steel framing. The full erection of steel framework to support the McLeod Pavilion Expansion into a 12 story surgical tower is expected to be completed in April of 2005. The information on this site is intended to increase your awareness and understanding of specific health issues and services at McLeod Health. It should not be used for diagnosis or as a substitute for health care by your physician. To report technical issues, please contact us. Public Access to Information or To Report a Concern. – less – More from ZoomInfo »