Hot Rolled Steel Vs. Cold Rolled Steel
Cold rolling or hot rolling steel is one of the final processes in steel fabrication. The steel is fed through a series of rollers, or forms, that apply pressure to the steel until it reaches its final configuration.
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Hot rolled steel
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Hot-rolled steel is put through the rolling process to make its final dimensions at temperatures above 1000 degrees.
Cold rolled steel
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The rolling process for cold-rolled steel is done at temperatures close to room temperature. This procedure makes the material stronger and harder.
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Finish
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The two processes leave the metal with different colors and finishes. Cold-rolled is smooth and gray. Hot-rolled has a rougher, blue-gray finish.
Tolerances
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Hot-rolled finished material will have looser tolerances applied to it because it reconfigures itself during the cooling process.
Cold rolling allows a more precise dimensional finished product because it has already gone through the cooling process and it is closer to the finished dimension.
Finished products
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When steel is heated to the point it is malleable, it is possible to force it through a variety of shapes. This allows manufacture of I beams and other structural components. Cold steel is limited to few shapes, mostly flat, round, square and variations of those. It is straighter, has a better finish and tighter tolerances.
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