Stephanie Anak Alex (BK18KA0023)

Hot-rolled Steel versus Cold-rolled Steel

HOT ROLLED STEEL

Hot rolled steel is a steel that was roll-pressed at very high temperatures which is
above the re-crystallization temperature for most steels. It makes the steel more formable and
resulting in items that are easier to use. Manufacturers initially begin processing hot rolled
steel with a wide, rectangular metal length, called a billet. The billet is heated and then
forwarded for pre-processing, where it is flattened into a large roll. It is held at a high
temperature from there and runs through a series of rollers to meet its finished length. At high
speeds, the white hot steel strands are forced through the rollers. Rolled steel is spun into
coils for sheet metal, and left to cool. Products are sectioned and packed in other ways, such
as bars or plates.

Steel shrinks slightly while it cools down. This is because hot rolled steel is cooled
after processing, its final shape is less controlled and thus less suitable for precision
applications. Hot rolled steel is often used in applications where it is not necessary for minute
precise measurements. Hot rolled steel is often used by railroad tracks and construction
projects.

Hot rolled steel can be often be marked with the following characteristics:

 A scaled surface – a residue of cooling from extreme temperatures.

 Slightly rounded edges and corners for bar and plates products (due to shrinkage and
less accurate finishing).
 Minor distortions, where cooling may result in slightly trapezoidal shapes, as
compared to perfectly square angles.

THE ADVANTAGES OF HOT ROLLED STEELS

Usually, hot rolled steel needs much less processing than cold rolled steel which
makes it much cheaper. Since hot rolled steel is permitted to cool at room temperature, it is
basically normalized which means that it is free of internal stresses that can result from
processes of quenching or work-hardening.

Hot rolled steel is suitable where dimensional tolerances are not as important as the
overall strength of the material and where surface quality is not an important concern. Where
surface finish is a problem, grinding, sand blasting or acid bath pickling will eliminate the
scaling. Once the scaling is removed, various brush or mirror finished can be added as well.
Descaled steel also provides better surface area of painting and coating.

COLD ROLLED STEELS

Cold rolled steel is essentially hot rolled steel which has been processed further. After
cooling hot rolled steel, it is then rerolled at room temperature to achieve more precise
measurements and improved surface quality.

Cold rolled steel is often used to describe a variety of finishing methods, but cold
rolled actually only refers to sheets that are compressed between rollers. Steel pulled shapes,
such as bars or lines, are drawn and not rolled. Certain spinning, grinding and polishing, each
of which is used to refinish existing hot roll stocks.

Cold rolled steel can be associated with the following characteristics:

 Stronger, more polished surfaces with finer tolerances.

 Smoother surfaces, often rough to the touch bars.
 Bars are true and square and often have well-defined edges and corners.

THE ADVANTAGES OF COLD ROLLED STEEL

With better surface characteristic than hot rolled steel, it is no surprise that cold rolled
steel is often used for more technical or important applications. Yet they come at a higher
price, due to the additional processing for cold finished products.

The cold rolled steels are usually tougher and heavier in terms of physical
characteristic than traditional hot rolled steels. As the metal is formed at lower temperatures,
the hardness of the steel, stress breaking resistance and deformation resistance are all
increased due to hardening of the work.
 Nevertheless, these supplementary treatments can also create internal tension within
the material. This can cause unexpected warping if the steel is not removed from tension
before being cut, grinded or welded.