When the hot rolled metal cools it will reconfigure making the finished product with a looser tolerance when compared to the cold rolled metal.
Cold rolled vs hot rolled steel sheet.
Hot rolling is mainly used to produce simple cross sections or sheet metal.
Cold rolled has sharper corners and more precise dimensions than hot rolled.
When to use hot rolled steel the pros and cons of hot rolled steel come down to strength versus price.
Whereas cold rolled steel is processed in cold reduction mills followed by annealing and tempering.
Hot rolled is manufactured in a single or two step process heating pre rolled steel beam blanks to such a high temperature that it allows it to be easily shaped and formed into sheet pile.
This looser tolerance makes it easier to force the metal into a variety of different shapes.
Hot rolling and cold rolling are two methods of shaping steel.
Hot rolled steel has rounded edges a rough surface texture and no grease on its finish.
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.
Cold formed is manufactured in two steps.
Alternatively cold rolled steel has sharp edges a very smooth surface texture and an oily or greasy feel to it.
There are some fundamental differences between these two types of metal.
Hot rolled steel involves rolling the steel at high temperatures where cold rolled steel is processed further in cold reduction mills where the material is cooled followed by annealing and or tempers rolling.
Hot rolled steel is rolled or shaped at a high temperature while cold rolled steel is rolled at room temperature.
Basic difference between hot rolled and cold rolled steel is the way they are processed.
Cold rolled has a smooth and shiny finish while hot rolled has a grey and scaly finish.
The differences between hot rolled steel and cold rolled steel relates to the way these metals are processed at the mill and not the product specification or grade.