Hot Rolled Steel v/s Cold Rolled Steel

As per the list put forth by the World Steel Association there are about 3500 varied grades of steel with each of them having distinct characteristics of their own. Steel is therefore used in a multitude of applications ranging from infrastructure, transport, wind turbines, appliances and many other commercial and industrial applications. , , , and others form important players in the industry.

The steel products differ in their attributes depending upon the manufacturing process they have undergone. One such steel variety that is differentiated because of a change in its manufacturing process is hot rolled steel and cold rolled steel. The main point of difference between 'hot rolled' steel and 'cold rolled steel' is that heat is involved in the processing of the earlier variety while the latter variety is processed at or close to room temperature. These processes are not dependent on the grades and specifications of steel and therefore any of them can be cold rolled or hot rolled. However, once you know the difference between the two it becomes easier to decide which is preferable over the other for specific applications.

The processing in case of hot rolled steel comprises high temperature roll pressing of steel with the temperatures exceeding 1700 degree F. The first step involves using steel billet which is exposed to heat and flattened into a big roll under the pre-processing stage. Maintaining them at high temperatures they are moved through a number of rollers at high speeds to obtain the final dimensions. This is cooled after the completion of processing and the cooling process leads to some amount of shrinkage in steel. Therefore, this type of hot rolled steel is used largely for construction projects or making of structural components where precise dimensions are not critical. Hot rolled steel is rougher to touch as compared to cold rolled steel and this is because it does not undergo further processing on cooling.

Cold rolled steel on the other hand undergoes additional processing. After the cooling of the hot rolled steel, it is re-rolled to obtain precise dimensions and superior surface finish; all this is done at room temperature. The term 'cold rolled' steel applies to steel products such as sheets which are compressed between rollers. Other processes that come under cold rolling include grinding, polishing and turning wherein the hot rolled steel stock is modified into better finished products. The end products here have a superior surface finish and closer tolerances, well-defined corners and edges, better straightness and concentric uniformity depending upon the type of the product. Cold rolled steel is normally tougher and more resilient than hot rolled varieties. This metal can be easily formed for moderate draw uses and is ideal for applications which require precision. Metal furniture, home appliances, construction of steel sheds, garages or industrial buildings are just to name some of its applications.

Different materials have different features and it is up to you to decide which suits your application the best. The varied sources to obtain your steel products include the likes of steel beam suppliers, steel angle suppliers, hot rolled steel dealers, mild steel channel suppliers etc.