There are thousands of steel grades, each defining the properties of the end product. You would want to come up with one that suits your project the most. However, steel processing techniques also contribute to how the metal behaves.
Steel manufacturers use two techniques to create sheet metal and steel coils – hot rolling and cold rolling. This time, you will learn what cold rolling is and why cold rolled steel coils will make the difference for your project.
What is Cold Rolling?
Steel brands produce metal sheets by hot rolling. In essence, they roll thick, glowing-hot square metal billets that turn into sheets in the process of flattening. Afterward, they’re left to cool down and normalize in the process (relieve internal stress).
Cold rolling is a processing technique applied to hot-rolled sheets. Once the sheets cool down, they get rolled at room temperature again to obtain the required dimensions.
Beneficial Cold-Rolled Steel Properties
As cold-rolled steel coils have more processing procedures behind them, they come at a bit higher price than regular hot-rolled steel. On the contrary, cold-rolled coils have some distinctive advantages over hot-rolled metal. Check them out below.
1. Smaller Tolerances
In the metal industry, tolerance refers to the thickness of metal. Cold-rolled steel coils preserve their mechanical and physical properties while being much thinner than hot-rolled metal products.
Thus, an equally hard cold-rolled coil can be 50% thinner than its hot-rolled counterpart.
It comes in handy for various projects where it’s crucial to preserve tight dimensions and achieve high durability at the same time. Besides, thinner metal has a smaller weight and requires fewer transportation costs.
2. Greater Durability
Cold rolling increases the tensile strength and yield strength of the metal. Such steel coils are 20% tougher than their hot-rolled counterparts, thanks to work hardening. Once cold metal undergoes sufficient plastic deformation, it becomes more durable. As a result, you can get stronger metal without heat treatment.
3. Aesthetic Finish
Steel coils obtain a shiny, smooth, and clean surface free of discernible imperfections once they get rolled multiple times. As a result, cold-rolled steel stock is already aesthetically pleasing. It will help you reduce processing costs.
4. Precise Dimensions
Cold-rolled steel coil suppliers achieve higher dimensional precision of their products. Once metal sheets get extra rolled, they become straighter. Furthermore, cold-rolled metal doesn’t shrink when formed, unlike the hot-rolled one. It allows businesses to use as-is cold-rolled coils in their projects.
How to Choose Cold Rolled Steel Grades?
Cold rolled steel comes in various grades with different chemical and physical properties. For instance, some steel types contain more carbon than others, determining how tough and durable the final product will be.
So it’s crucial to select steel grades that will match your requirements to the fullest. You can choose the best cold-rolled steel grades depending on desired chemical composition and other properties here.
What Is Cold Rolled Steel Used For?
The cold-rolled steel coil is an ideal choice for a myriad of products:
- Electrical appliances like washing machines, fridges, water boilers, etc.
- Cars. Cold-rolled steel makes 34% of a vehicle’s body structures.
- Metal containers like safes, PC cabinets, and locker cabinets.
- Locks.
- Metal furniture.
The Bottom Line
Cold rolling makes steel products 20% more durable and allows more precise dimensions and a shiny, smooth finish. Besides, equally durable cold-rolled steel coils can be 50% thinner and lighter than their hot-rolled counterparts.
Consequently, you don’t have to apply heat treatment and additional finishing procedures to use cold-rolled steel products for your projects. That’s why cold-rolled metal is an ideal choice for businesses that need to get high-quality as-is products and reduce metalworking costs at the same time.
