Cold rolled or Hot rolled Steel: What you should choose?

The process of rolling of steel in a manufacturing plant is well researched and planned according to the desired results. When you are choosing the raw materials for your constructions, it is important to understand such properties to ensure you are not wasting your resources for the wrong materials and choose the best suitable materials for your project. There are two major types of processing of Steel, Hot rolled and Cold rolled. Whether the steel was hot rolled or cold rolled for its production will affect the core physical and chemical properties and therefore is a key factor that decides the applications of the products.

Cold Rolled Steel:

Cold rolling is the process when Steel is rolled at room temperature, below the re-crystallization temperature. 

• The processing takes a long time and a lot of pressure is needed as is it not supplied with heat which helps in fastening the process.
• The products formed through Cold Rolling have smoother surfaces as compared to its Hot rolled counterparts.
• In this rolling process, there is no melting involved which gives the product its characteristic sharp square edges.
• Cold Rolling makes the product less malleable, restricting the number of shapes the product can take. 
• The most common applications of cold rolled steel can be seen as Flat Steel in automotive parts, in machines and for industries that are inclined towards more aesthetic value than other physical properties.

Hot Rolled Steel:

Hot rolling is the process when Steel is rolled at very high temperatures, above recrystallization temperature.

• The processing is fast-paced as the high temperatures allow the product to be formed faster, saving costs and production time.
• The products formed through Hot Rolling have rough scaly surfaces that are ideal for their applications in machining and metal work.
• The cooling process after the hot rolling ensures zero-stress as it does not include quenching and work-hardening processes.
• Hot rolling makes the product extremely malleable, therefore there are a range of shapes and sizes possible for the products.
• The most common applications of hot rolled steel can be seen as machining for auto parts, manufacturing and also for the building and construction industry as l-beams, steel bars, etc. 

This knowledge will give you the right direction when you are choosing the steel for your specific application purposes. Choosing the right steel for your application will not only save your time and investments but also ensure that your applications is durable and reliable.

At Agni Steels, we use the hot rolling process at our manufacturing plant to produce our signature TMT Steel Rods used by the construction industry.