Hot Rolled Vs Cold Rolled Sheet Metal

For example consumer electronics and telecom products metal furniture automobile industry etc.

Hot rolled vs cold rolled sheet metal.

Cold rolling is done when the metal is able to form new grains as the old ones are deformed by rolling and bending the metal. During cold rolling the steel is annealed or exposed to heat and allowed to cool which improves ductility. During this process the metal shrinks as it cools which can cause some slight warpage. As an example a hot rolled steel product may have a yield strength of 235 mpa.

During the hot rolling process steel is heated to its melting point while being worked changing the composition of the steel to make it more malleable. For example railway track automotive frames structural frames low accuracy sheet metal parts etc. Cold rolled steel is essentially hot rolled steel that has had further processing. In comparison a cold rolled steel product with the same chemical composition has a yield strength of 365 mpa.

Hot rolled products like hot rolled steel bars are used in the welding and construction trades to make railroad tracks and i beams for example. Hot rolling and cold rolling are two methods of shaping steel. Both hot rolled steel and cold rolled steel start out in essentially the same way and both can have the same grades and specifications. The rolls induce plastic deformation.

Whereas cold rolled steel sheets are used for precision and quality fabrication work. Hot rolled steel also tends to be cheaper than cold rolled steel because of the reduced tolerances and slightly lower strength. Thus the yield strength of cold rolled steel is higher than that of hot rolled steel. This is why the tolerance for hot roll steel is looser than cold rolled steel.

Each type of steel has its advantages and disadvantages and costs for the two types of steel are also different. But cold rolled steel undergoes additional processing steps resulting in improved properties that can be exploited for different applications. Cold rolled steel is essentially hot rolled steel that has been through further processing. The difference between hot rolled and cold rolled steel is this recrystallization point.

Hot rolled steel is used in situations where precise shapes and tolerances are not required.