Hi and welcome to Metal Supermarkets, the Convenience Stores for Metal.
I'm Jason Jackson, Operations and Development Manager.
Do you know the difference between hot
rolled and cold rolled steel?
It's something we get asked a lot
so today we're going to look at some of the key differences.
Let's start with hot rolled steel.
Hot rolling is a mill process which involves
rolling the steel at high temperatures,
over 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit.
This makes it easier to shape and form the metal.
The steel is then cooled, which causes it to shrink.
This means there is less control over the size and shape of the finished product.
This is part of the reason hot rolled
steel is typically cheaper than cold rolled steel.
Hot rolled steel is used when precise
shapes and tolerances are not required.
The three ways to identify hot rolled
steel are a scaly surface finish,
rounded edges on bar stock,
and non-oily surface.
Typical applications of hot-rolled steel
our railroad tracks trailer parts and
other materials in the construction and welding trades.
Cold rolled steel is essentially hot rolled steel that has been processed further.
While hot rolled steel is heated then cooled,
cold rolled steel is heated, cooled at room temperature,
followed by annealing or tempers rolling.
These additional processes allow for a wider range of finishes, and closer dimensional tolerances.
The term cold rolled is mistakenly used on all products,
but the name actually refers to the rolling of flat rolled sheet and coil products.
The term cold finishing or cold drawn is
used when referring to bar products,
which usually consists of cold drawn
through a die to create the shape.
The three ways to identify cold rolled steel are
an oily or greasy finish,
a very smooth surface,
and very sharp edges on bar stock.
Cold rolled steel is commonly used for machine parts, axles,
automotive components and much more.
Hopefully this has helped you learn the difference between hot rolled and cold rolled steel
Metal Supermarkets is the world's largest supplier of small-quantity metals,
and carry over 8,000 types, shapes and grades of metal, including hot rolled and cold rolled steel, cut to size.
Visit one of our Metal Supermarkets locations or metalsupermarkets.com
to get any metal, any size, cut and ready fast!
