Min Jia- Your Professional Tin Plated Steel Supplier in China

Are you looking for a tin plated steel supplier in China? Will, perfect scrolling since Min Jia offered plenty tin plated steel selections. We will be your professional long-term partner.

Min Jia tin plated steel is widely used for lots of applications like making food cans, beverages cans, and even general cans in different shapes, and more. It is also applicable for making chemical cans in all types and sizes.

Min Jia tin plated steel is printable and accessible on various types of surfaces. There are types of finishes and coating of tin plated steel here in Min Jia which offered the lowest cost according to each type. You can always request your ideal tin plated steel to support your business.

Here in Min Jia, we professionally provide quality metal packaging which passed expert standards of EU and FDA. We supply tin plated steel since 2009 and focuses on exporting to many countries like South America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and more countries and regions around the world.

We have a great experience that makes us more expert and trusted by many clients in business. We will help you boost your brand and custom your tin plated steel ideas. You can send us your details and we will cooperate well.

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Tin Plated Steel: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

If you have any questions about tin plated steel, you will find the answer right here.

Because this guide explores all the fundamental aspects of tin plated steel you should know.

Let’s dive right in.

What is Tin Plated Steel?

Tin plated steel

Tin plated steel, also known as TPS, is steel coated with a thin layer of tin.

The product consists of a mild steel substrate that has been chemically purified. The steel substrate is then rolled into thin sheets of about 2mm gauge. Finally, the thin steel sheet is coated by dipping in a molten tin or via electrolytic deposition.

Unlike other tinplate products, tin plating steel does not merge the steel with the molten. It only deposits the tin onto the steel substrate to form a thin protective layer.

TPS is widely used as a packaging and structural material in both industrial and commercial applications. It has excellent resistance to wear and corrosion due to the high quality of its essential components. And it looks good too!

Why is Steel Tin Plated?

Steel is plated mainly to improve its corrosion and wear resistance.

The tin coat acts as a barrier that prevents water and air from corroding or damaging the steel substrate.

Note that the plating process involves either dipping steel sheets into a bath of molten tin or electronically depositing the tin on both sides of the metal. Either process results in a smooth tin coating on the steel surface.

Before plating, the steel sheets are chemically cleaned to remove impurities. Cleaning the steel substrate helps achieve a uniform tin coat that will not flake or chip off easily.

Apart from protection, the thin layer of tin is also for decorative purposes. It improves the appearance of steel for different applications. It also enhances its performance and durability.

Is Tin Plated Steel the same as Tinplate sheet?

No.

Tin plated steel is a tinplate product, just like a tinplate sheet.

The methods of production are a bit similar, but the end products vary. While tinplate sheet is purely steel and tin, TPS can feature steel and an alloy coating of tin and other metals such as copper, zinc, silver, etc.

Tin plating steel is mainly done for protection and decorative purposes. The coating is chosen depending on what you want to achieve. As in tin alloys, coating products are selected based on the steel properties you want to improve.

For instance, steel plated with tin-zinc alloy has a high melting point and superior fatigue strength. Steel plated with tin-silver alloy offers greater mechanical strength with improved service temperatures.

Please note that tin plated steel usually has very little tin, making it harder but more brittle and easily prone to chipping. Tinplate sheet has significant tin, giving it better protection against rust, corrosion, and other destructive elements.

Tinplate sheet is lighter than tin plated steel. It is mainly used for the packaging of canned foods and beverages. On the other hand, Tin plated steel is used in applications that require stronger material, such as in making automotive parts and in construction.

Note that a tinplate sheet is just that; a sheet, tin plated sheet can come in sheet or coil form.

What is Tin Plated Steel made of?

Tin-plated steel consists of three components: base metal, mild steel, tin coating, and a passivation layer.

Lacquering and/or oiling may also be applied to provide extra protection against corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement.

Is all Tin Plating the same?

No.

Tin plating is a kind of general term and refers to applying a tin layer on the steel. The process to be used is determined by the type, shape and size of the product. Direct tin plating for steel end products can be done in different ways:

• Barrel tin plating: The process uses a rotating metal drum (the barrel) into which the part to be coated is dipped. The drum rotates at high speeds (300–600 rpm). A conductive solution (electrolyte) flows around the object and over its surface as it rotates. An electric current is passed through the solution creating ions. The ions then adhere to the object’s surface and form a thin film of metal on it. It is a process that takes time, but it is the cheapest.
• Rack tin plating: This is a labor-intensive process that is done on bigger and delicate parts.

The objects immersed in the solution hang from a rack. You have more control of the thickness of plates with rack plating. It takes more time to achieve the desired results, and it’s a more expensive process than barrel plating.

• Vibratory tin plating: This method uses a generator to offer vibration.

Substrates are placed in a basket filled with metal buttons and a plating solution. The substrate makes contact with the metal buttons through vibrations from the generator. Substrates are then dried using a unique process.

The disadvantage to this method is that it is expensive, and parts tend to bend during the drying process.

Why is Tin such a popular choice in the Electroplating Process?

Tin coatings are primarily used for functional purposes such as improving protection or corrosion resistance to steel and other metal substrates.

As an electrodeposit, tin offers the following advantages:

• Cost-effective – tin is readily available is less pricey than other plating options such as gold, copper and silver.
• Offer a variety of clean finishes –tin coats steel surfaces evenly, creating a smooth and glossy coating free of roughness and spots. It can also produce a dull/matte finish depending on your requirements.
• Excellent conductivity – The electrical industry uses tin to make various electronic components for its excellent conductivity abilities.
• Non-toxic – the FDA approves tin as safe to use for food contact applications.
• Easy to clean- unlike other coatings that are difficult to remove (like paint or adhesive tape), tin can be cleaned with simple soapy water.
• Highly adhesive – Tin deposits on steel are suitable for adhesion purposes.

How is Tin Plated Steel made?

As you already know, tin plated steel is made by electrodeposition of tin onto a steel surface or dipping a steel substrate into a bath of molten tin.

Either way, the production process of this TPS follows the following steps:

Step 1: Cleaning

Before production, the steel substrate is first cleaned to remove grease, oil, and any other type of dirt.

Impurities and dirt on the surface to be coated may affect the tin plating process making the end product ineffective.

Depending on the type of substrate and how ‘dirty’ it is, different types of cleaning can be done:

• Grit blasting: There is where rough material like crushed glass, silicon carbide, or other such material is used in pressurized air to clean the surface of the substrate.
• Boiling: In case the substrate is oily or greasy, the boiling method is used effectively.
• Electrolytic degreasing: If the substrate is cracked or has cracked areas where boiling cannot remove grease or oil, the substrate is immersed in an electrolytic solution.

This effectively removes all grease from cracks and crevices.

• Rinsing: The substrate is rinsed in clean water to rinse off any dirt or chemical left after electrolytic degradation.

Step 2: Plating Bath Preparation

An electrolytic solution is made of methyl acid and tin. This solution is used during electrodeposition as the conductive form. This includes tin that has been dissolved to form positively charged ions together with other chemicals.

Acid baths are pretty popular in the tin plating industry because they offer a higher deposition rate. They provide a uniform coating to steel, but you must ensure that the substrate is smooth and clean, as earlier stated. Otherwise, the coat may not get to folds, creases, holes, or other surfaces on the substrate that are not smooth.

Step 3: Electrodeposition

Here, the substrate is placed in a tank containing electrolytic solution.

The substrate will act as the cathode (negatively charged) and positively charged electrodes placed at the end of the plating tank.

A low voltage is introduced into the bath (plating). AC power is then converted to DC power. Charged ions then flow via the bath (plating) to the substrate, which is negatively charged. The circuit is completed by currents flowing back.

Step 4: Post Electroplating Process

As the tin plating process ends, a light corrosion protective coating is applied to the tin plate. This process is known as passivation, and it improves the durability, protection and corrosion resistance of the tin plated steel.

What are some Common Tin Plating Issues?

Several issues can occur during the tin plating process. These issues can negatively impact the final tin plated steel product.

They include:

Whiskers

Whiskers are a kind of growth that forms on the surface of TPS after the tin plating process.

They are minute protrusions that you can barely see with the naked eye and damage the TPS.

Note that whiskers are electrically conductive. As such, they can cause short circuits when used to make electronic components.

Please note that the causes of tin whisker are not known.  However, industry players have found limited success in dealing with this issue when making tin plated steel.

For example, manufacturers try to limit excessive modification of the tin coating structure. Albeit not foolproof, this technique has helped limit the formation of whisker on TPS surfaces after plating.

Un-uniform Thickness

The other common tin plating issue is the lack of uniform thickness.  Either too thin or too thick in some areas, thus not providing a consistent surface for the solder to adhere to and resulting in cold solder joints.

A lack of uniform thickness can be caused by many factors. The chemical composition of the steel, the temperature, and immersion time into the bath are some of the common causes of this issue.

Perishable Solderability

Tin plated steel is known for its excellent weldability and solderability. Unfortunately, this property tends to lessen over time.

Manufacturers employ the following tips to ensure extended solderability: proper tin coat specification, proper preparation of the steel substrate and proper packaging of the final TPS products.

Another trick that has been known to improve the solderability life of TPS is sealing the final product. Sealing the products in nitrogen-filled bags has proven to increase solderability life by multiple folds.

What is Tin Plated Steel Sheet vs Tin Plated Steel Coil?

Tin plated steel sheet can come in many forms. The material is available in coil or sheet form, depending on your requirements/preference.

Tin plated steel sheet

TPS sheet is produced in flat pieces in either rectangular, square or other shapes. The surface can be smooth or with Printing.

Tin plated steel coil

Tin plated steel coil continuous steel sheet that is rolled into coils. This comes in two types of coating that is equal coating mass or differentia coating mass.

Note that the thickness of the TPS coil is about 0.01mm to 0.3mm, and the thickness of the TPS sheet is about 0.05mm to 1.0mm. These are made for different uses and applications.

Which is better, Tin Plating Steel or Chrome Plating Steel?

Tin plating is a chemical process that involves the adhesion of tin to a base metal. Chrome plating is the electroplating process used to coat steel with a layer of hard chromium (CR) or chromium oxide.

Chromium plating has a better eye appeal (high reflectivity) than tin plating. However, tin plating offers better resistance to abrasion and corrosion than chrome.

To achieve the protection that a single layer of tin plating can offer, you have to do multiple layers of chrome. Tin is, however, not as hard as chromium, so it can be scratched quite easily by harder objects.

For most applications, choose tin plating over chrome plating for maximum longevity in low-impact environments.

Can you Tin Plate all kinds of Steel?

Yes, but the outcome is dependent on the steel grade.

In the tin plating process, steel grades have a direct relationship with the quality of tin plating. There are different grades.

• L (Low Carbon Steel) is low in metalloids and residual elements. It is mainly used in applications that require improved international corrosion resistance, such as in food packaging.
• MR (Mild Steel) is the most commonly used for Tin pated steel applications. It is a bit similar to type L steel but with less restrictive residual elements.
• D (Ductile Iron, Iron alloys) steel is free of aluminum. It is sometimes used for severe drawing applications or to minimize severe fluting and stretcher strain hazards.

Type MR Steel is the best choice for tin plated steel. It has an excellent cold forming and hot forming properties and has a long life span. It’s used for powdered milk cans, coffee cans, beer kegs, and other tinplate products whose wall thickness requires mild steel.

Remember, the choice of steel grade will affect the cost and quality of the finish. It is essential to know the type of steel you wish to coat and the desired finish before deciding on a grade.

Best steel grades will give you a better quality tin plate steel product.

What are the Applications of Tin Plated Steel?

Tin plated steel applications

The best-known application of tin plated steel is the tin cans used for packaging food.

Tin plated steel also serves as a common material for making cooking pots, pans and other cookware. This tinplate product is also widely used in construction, such as roofing or siding. It also used to make electronic components and other parts in manufacturing.

Due to its excellent properties, TPS is also popular among industrial manufacturers as it provides several significant benefits.

Does Tin Plated Steel Rust?

Tin plating is an effective method of protecting steel from rust and corrosion.

It, however, does not provide 100% protection. When tin plated steel is damaged or scratched, the underlying steel is left exposed to elements that cause rusting and corrosion.

Know that tin is also a relatively soft material which makes it highly susceptible to damage.

To ensure the longevity of your tin plated steel products, you should request additional protection. Manufacturers can add another layer of protection through heat treatment and other techniques. This will enhance the performance and durability of the TPS.

How does Tin Plated Steel vs Stainless Steel compare?

Tin plated steel is a thin layer of tin over steel to prevent rusting. This thin layer of tin can erode faster than stainless steel if not well-maintained.

Stainless steel is expensive than tin plated steel, which closely matches the look of solid brass or copper at a fraction of the cost.

When shopping for products that look like brass or copper, consider tinplated steel for applications such as hardware and decorative items. Tin plated steel is also lighter than stainless steel.

Tin-plated steel has the same strength as stainless steel but can be cut with a hacksaw and soldered with a torch.

This makes it an excellent choice for do-it-yourself projects since it is inexpensive and easy to work with. Tin-plated steel is not as strong as stainless steel, so this alloy should not be used in place of more expensive grades.

Additionally, TPS is excellent for general purpose applications, including cutlery, kitchen utensils, and mechanical components.

Stainless steel may react with acidic foods such as vinegar or lemon juice and can cause discoloration or staining.

Moreover, while stainless steel has a shiny surface that doesn’t need much polishing, TPS can be produced in various finishes. You can choose from bright, stone, matte and silver finishes to suit your application.

What is Tin Alloying, and how does it enhance the Tinplating Process?

Tin plating may be boosted by adding one or more metals to the tin. This is known as alloying.

If you need to improve certain characteristics of tin plated steel, you can consider alloys:

• Tin + lead + copper: this is an alloy of tin, lead and copper. It helps to reduce friction on engine bearings.
• Tin + lead: This combination offers improved rust resistance, solderability and helps prevent tin whiskers.
• Tin + zinc: This alloy is best in providing a melting point that’s high and strong to tinplate. However, it does not offer enough corrosion protection, and its weldability is low.
• Tin + copper: Tin copper alloy gives the coating strength. It does not offer good weldability and may be a catalyst to tinplate developing whiskers.
• Tin + silver: Silver is expensive, and this alloy may be expensive for most companies. Nonetheless, it helps to improve the mechanical strength of tin plated steel.
• Tin + bismuth: This alloy is excellent for plating applications at low temperature. It offers good wettability and prevents the formation of whicker on tinplate but is incompatible with lead objects.

Also, note that this alloy has a low melting point. As such, it is not suitable for applications that require high-temperature plating.

What differentiates Tin Plated Steel from Galvanized Steel Sheets?

There is an excellent difference between tin plated steel and galvanized tin sheets. Among the main characteristics that differentiate the two are:

• Cleanness: Tin Plated steel sheets have an immaculate finish without any marks or scratches.
• Weight: The weight of tin plates is more than galvanized sheets. The reason is that the galvanizing process adds some weight to the material, so it gets heavier after it has been galvanized.
• Workability: Tin plated sheets are resistant to impact, abrasions and withstand mechanical stress better than galvanized sheets.
• Weldability: Tin plated steel sheets are easier to weld than galvanized tin sheets. The reason for this that TPS can be worked at temperatures as high as 220 degrees Celsius and without any risk of cracking.
• Corrosion resistance: Tin plated steel is a more corrosion-resistant product than galvanized tin sheets and is commonly used in areas where it will be painted. Higher resistance to corrosion makes tin plated steel more suitable for use in high moist and humid applications.
• Surface: Tin plated steel has a much smoother surface than galvanized tin sheets, allowing for easier Printing, application of wallpaper or paint.

Why is the Quality of Tinning critical for Steel?

Tinning is the process of putting a very thin coating of tin on steel or other metal substrates. The tin layer helps protect the base metal, in this case, steel; provides rust resistance, impacts strength, and offers a good appearance for end products.

When done correctly, the finished piece will be corrosion resistant and have an even beautiful finish.

Low-quality tinning ends up with a low-quality finish with rusty areas, rough or uneven surfaces with pinholes.  This means the tin plated steel is defective and will not serve its purpose.

Tinplate products with low-quality steel or poor tinning would cause rust spots, pinholes, and burrs after a period of use. It is really a waste of money for your company. Inferior quality products can harm your reputation and affect your brand name as well.

That is why quality tinning for steel is critical.

How do you Test the Level of Adhesion when Tin Plating Steel?

Adhesion refers to the bond strength between two elements. In this case, it determines how well the tin coating is bonded to the underlying steel substrate.

Please note that to achieve a high level of adhesion, two things must happen:

1. The steel must be clean-the metal surface must be clean and free of contaminants. This includes grease, oil, oxides, inclusions, and any other foreign matter that can affect the integrity of the final product.
2. There must be adequate tin in the bath-the tin coating range from 0.3-0.5mm in thickness. A single pass through an electrodeposition bath produces only a very thin layer, usually less than 0.1 millimeters.

Adhesion level can be determined in the following ways:

Impact Test: This test uses a hammer to hit the coated part. If the area forms a blister, that shows improper adhesion.

Bend Test: This is done with the help of a mandrel. The mandrel should be at least four times the sample thickness. As you do this, you should also check if there is peeling or flaking of paint.

Heat-Quench Test: This test uses heat. The plated parts are heated and then submerged in water at room temperature. If you notice blisters or flaking, the result will indicate improper adhesion.

Chisel-Knife Test: Using a sharp chisel knife, pierce the metal coating. Improper adhesion is indicated by the chisel coming off with the coating.

Peel Test: this test involves soldering steel or brass onto the plated part. With a 90-degree angle, force the strip off; failure at the interface of metals indicates poor adhesion.

Burnishing Test: rub a part of the coated surface with a blunt tool for about fifteen minutes. If the adhesion is lacking, the coating will peel off or blister.

What Color is Tin Plated Steel?

Tin plated steel is matt or dull in color. This is because of the whitish-grey shade of tin plating. No layer of bright nickel (used in decorative coatings) is applied during tin plating.

The whitish-grey color is pretty accommodative. It allows the application of different surface finish to suit different needs and applications.

What Surface Finish options are there for Tin Plated Steel?

There are different surface finish options available for tin plated steel:

• Silver: When tin is reflowed on a dull finished plate, you get an eye-appealing luster. It can be lacquered or printed to an attractive surface finish. Silver finish is used to make high-end brands of cans and caps.
• Stone: this finish has faint grits lines. It resists scratching and is best used for can make.
• Super Stone: It’s an easy to handle kind of finish as it’s highly scratch resistant. The finish is best used for can ends.
• Bright: This is the natural electrolytic finish with a metallic gloss look.
• Matte: It’s a dull finish that has a unique silver-grey look on the tinplate. It is an excellent finish for printed cans and crown caps as it adheres to ink perfectly.

Can you Print Tin Plated Steel?

Printed Tin plated steel

Yes.

Tin plated steel product is quite simple to print and does not require any special print setting. The prints are a good choice for those who demand the highest quality for their 3D printing projects.

The material has minimal shrinkage during Printing and is very durable, withstanding extensive handling and repeated use.

Like any other metal, tin plated steel has many different qualities, affecting your design and printing needs.

Ensure that the tin plated steel you order is high purity and free of bubbles or impurities that could affect your finished product.

It is also essential to consider the quality of ink used to ensure an excellent print. There are two main options available; solvent-based inks and water-based inks.

Solvent-based inks are typically higher quality than water-based inks and produce a more vibrant and longer-lasting finish. However, solvent-based inks have a couple of drawbacks that can be overcome with the correct prepping and care.

Is Printing better than Lacquering for Tin Plated Steel?

Yes.

Printing on metal gives a much better result from an aesthetic point of view. It makes the image appear almost painted onto the product. Also, printed TPS can be buffed and polished to a high shine which isn’t possible with just a lacquer coat.

Printing on tinplated steel is the primary advantage because there is no post-curing required and has a fast turnaround time.

It is essential to understand what lacquering does to the tin coating when it is applied. The surface becomes slightly porous, meaning that moisture can get in and cause corrosion.

Lacquer may look more elegant, but the printing ink in tin plated steel provides a better level of protection. This is essential information to consider when choosing between tin plated steel and tin plated steel with lacquer.

How do you specify Tin Plated Steel?

Tin plated steel is specified according to the following:

Thickness

The thickness of tinplated steel sheets ranges from 0.005″ to 0.125″ thick. Depending on the thickness of the plate, it can be classified as either “thin”, “medium”, or “heavy”.

Temper

Depending on the temper of the product, there are two main types, soft temper TPS and hard temper TPS.

Surface Finish

Tin plated steel may be specified by the surface finish. It can come in matte tin plated sheet, bright silver tin plated steel sheet, or stone finish.

Coating Grades

Tin plate sheets can either be classified as equally coated or differentially coated. Equally coated is where the steel has been uniformly tin plated. Differentially coated refers to TPS that has a varying layer of tin on each side.

Is Packaging made from Tin Plated Steel food safe?

Yes.

Tin plated steel is widely used in food packaging all over the world.

This is because of its special dental, no rust, no corrosion, good toughness, and excellent radiation resistance properties.

Additionally, tinplated steel is universally accepted for use in contact with foods by the FDA. The material is proven to be non-toxic and free of heavy metal contamination.

Suppose you’re thinking of buying products made with tinplated steel. In that case, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has an intricate set of health and safety standards that manufacturers must follow.

What Quality Standards should Tin Plated Steel adhere to?

Manufacturers of tin plated steel are bound by national and international quality standard guidelines to ensure, among other things, consumer safety and health.

Standards to look out for include:

• LST EN ISO 14001:2015– (Lithuania) National quality standard for environmental protection
• ASTM 255-20A – Quality Standard specifying hardness of steel
• JIS 3111/2005 – Standard defining requirements for rerolled carbon steel
• JIS G7121/2000- Quality Standard for electrolytic tinplate –cold reduced
• ASTM E1687 – 19– Standard test method for oils used as a base in steel mills
• ASTM A917 – 08(2020) – Standard on general requirement coating by electrolytic method.
• ISO 14001-this is an International standard for environmental management systems. It ensures that the TPS produced is sustainable and environmentally friendly.

How sustainable is Tin Plated Steel?

Tin plated steel is a material determined to be a conscious choice for manufacturing and purchasing processes.

The production process of tin plated steel has many precautions to ensure that the environment is not damaged or negatively affected by its creation.

Among sustainable metals, it makes it one of the most sustainable metals globally due to its minimum impact and safe production processes.

Tin-plated steel is considered a sustainable, recyclable material that can last for decades and even centuries. It lasts long enough to be passed on to the next generation.

Is Tin Plated Steel Recyclable?

Yes

Tin plated steel is made up of at least 90% recycled steel. So, the tin plated steel continues to be recycled and re-used.

This means there are very few environmentally harmful byproducts.  Recycling saves energy. Again, the amount of energy being used to make new tin plated does not create much pollution.

Because of recycling and re-using materials, the preservation of our natural resources is achieved.

What is the Proper Packaging Method and Materials for Tin Plated Steel?

 Tin plated steel packing

Proper packaging materials for tin plated steel include:

Wooden pallets, cushioning material, double plastic bag, and fastening metal rods are the recommended packaging materials for TPS.

The paper or plastic film is meant to prevent the tin plated steel from rusting during transportation and storage.

During packaging, a tin plate steel sheet or coil is stuffed with cushioning material. This will shield it from getting damaged during transit. The sheets/coils are then covered with hardboard top protection and steel edge protection.

Finally, it is placed on a wooden case to protect it from folding or breaking during transportation. Then it is fastened with metal rods for safety.

Most of the tinplated steel coils are vacuum-sealed with air evacuated through a series of piping, such that the oxygen content is as low as possible.

What is Tin Plated Steel Price?

Tin plated steel is available as a hot-dip tin plate or an electroplate. The latter is more expensive but provides a thicker coating with less surface porosity.

It is also available in the form of sheets and coils.

The tin plated steel sheet price ranges from $700-$1100 per ton with an MOQ of 25 tons.

With an MOQ of 25 tons, the tin plated steel coil price range between $650 -$880 per ton.

How long can Tin Plated Steel Last?

The tin coating protects the surface from rust and corrosion. It is commonly used on steel to prevent impurities in the metal from forming a patina layer.

Tin plated steel is one of the durable metals. It can stay where it was initially made for a very long time, and it would still be in pristine condition.

If left unattended, tin plated steel being a reactive metal, will oxidize, rust, and become dull. A coating of tin, chrome (or other metals) protects the surface from these changes, but it’s not permanent.

The aging process creates a patina on the surface of the tinplate, which gives its vintage charm. Tin plated steel can be kept in good condition by polishing it with tin polish or metal polish to restore its shine.

With this information, you can definitely choose a suitable tin plated steel for your applications.

For any inquiries or questions, feel free to contact us now.