^ Langley Alloys’ new facility with an area in excess of 30,000 sq. ft., which is double the size of their previous facility.
Article by Joanne McIntyre and John Butterfield
New Houston facility
At the time that this article was finalised, Langley Alloys was in the process of fitting out its brand-new facility in Houston. Rodney Rice, the company’s Business Development Manager, takes up the story: “The new unit we have taken is >30,000 sq. ft., which is effectively double the size of our original facility there. It is on a par with our United Kingdom site. The building is large enough to manoeuvre cranes inside, and it’s fitted with high-density stocking that replicates the UK configuration. It may seem a bold move to commit to building a facility twice the size of the previous one, but we are confident that it will be a great springboard to grow our presence and sales in the US market.”
Further investment in nickel-based alloys, and beyond
“Our United Kingdom site stocks practically all grades of duplex, super duplex and nickel alloy bars,” explains Rodney. “We significantly increased our focus on nickel-based alloys in recent years, to broaden our relevance to customers. Our focus has traditionally been on the development and distribution of super duplex stainless steels. As these are used in the most demanding applications, it seems logical that our customers will require complementary alloys. While we have stocked nickel alloys for some time, our levels of investment in this stock has increased significantly in recent years.”
Special relationship with Sandvik
Langley Alloys is Sandvik Materials Technology’s preferred distribution partner for duplex and super duplex bars in the United States and the United Kingdom.
1st stage machining capability
Langley Alloys’ first-stage machining services have increased significantly in parallel with the expansion in the company’s range of nickel alloy offerings. “We looked to where we could add value to customers who were purchasing bar. We set ourselves up to handle medium to high numbers of relatively simple operations, and this has become more important for us. Three years ago, we had just one lathe; now the machining shop has had to relocate into a separate facility in order to house the growing fleet of CNC lathes, millers and a large deep hole borer. We recently took delivery of another machine that has extended our turning capability to beyond 2 m lengths, consistent with that of our deep hole borer,” relates Rodney Rice.
He further emphasises that the company is not taking on what its end-user customers do, i.e., super-precise and one-off components. “We are simply offering to carry out simple machining cost-effectively to simplify the supply chain for our customers. Instead of ordering sawn billets or bars, they can order rough machined items. It’s an ideal service for customers who have a reasonably predictable annual requirement. We can produce these machined items in large numbers and hold them in stock.”
Piping packages
Since 2019 Langley Alloys has offered it customers piping packages, also known as PFF (pipes, flanges, fittings) in the USA. It’s additive to their business as it utilises their existing capabilities such as in-house testing and inspection, first-stage machining, deciphering customer specifications, storage and processing, and of course their mill partnerships with the likes of Sandvik. Their business is known for super duplex, so it made sense to start supplying super duplex piping packages. The combination of pipes, flanges, fittings, plus bars and machined components is an attractive offer for many projects.
Once any additional customer requirements such as tests or inspections are completed in-house, the complete package is delivered directly to a project. “While we already had all the building blocks in our day-to-day business; a warehouse, good relationships with suppliers and extensive stock etc., we were missing expertise in this sector for the commercial side. This year we were able to rectify that with the addition of Richard Coates, who is very experienced in the piping packages sector. Richard is now Business Development Manager for that segment of our business,” explains Rodney Rice.
The direct delivery of piping packages offers clear advantages for the client who no longer needs to source components from many different suppliers. “We will deliver consignments containing every single piece required for their application. Our relationship with Sandvik brings further advantages because we can access their stock or running production for our package business.”
Unique factors
Several factors reinforce Langley Alloy’s unique position in the industry. They have a very clear focus on high-performance duplex, super duplex and nickel alloys. It is not just this focus that sets them apart; they carry a tremendous amount of these grades in stock, so the items customers require are always available.
Knowledge Hub
The Hub was added to their website mid-2020, and it’s proving to be a popular information resource. Similarly to their webchat service, it is a good way to engage with potential new customers, and it’s a way to demonstrate their in-house expertise. By investing the time in information and knowledge, it is akin to the investment in physical warehousing and stock. It provides reassurance and credibility to customers.
