Difference Between Cold Rolled vs Hot Rolled Steel Bars

02 Sep.,2024

 

Difference Between Cold Rolled vs Hot Rolled Steel Bars

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Know Your Grades of Steel and Uses

To know the difference between cold-rolled vs. hot-rolled steel bars, it is necessary to understand that steel has grades according to its component alloys. For example, there are carbon, nickel, chromium, chromium-vanadium, nickel-chromium, tungsten, molybdenum, silicon-manganese, and Nickel-chromium-molybdenum steel alloys in various types of steel.

Each steel type has specific properties that react to cold and heat. For example, stainless steel is a chromium-carbon alloy that allows for temperatures of deg. F. for 304 and 316 stainless designations and up to deg. F. for high temp stainless grade 309(S). The temperature range for 310(S) is up to deg. F.

Hot Rolled Steel Bar Grades:

  • ASTM A36 useful for general structural applications
  • HR Bars is a medium grade of carbon steel best to use when greater hardness and strength are a must.
  • HR Bars 11L17 useful for machining
  • HR Bars is useful for its hardness and strength for axles, bolts, machine parts, studs, shafts, and gears when flame and induction-type hardening is a must.
  • HR Bars has a uniform heat treatment response for machinability

Cold Rolled Steel Bar Grades:

  • CR Bars 12L14 &#; useful in high-end fast machining speeds such as screw machining. It has fine surface quality and flexibility.
  • CR Bars &#; Because of its low carbon and medium manganese content, this grade offers only fair use for machinability but can undergo welding and brazing. 

What is the Difference Between Cold Rolled vs. Hot Rolled Steel Bars?

In metal manufacturing, the difference between cold-rolled and hot-rolled steel is the process to create and form both. As their names indicate, ambient temperatures are helpful for cold-rolled steel and heat for hot-rolled steel.

The other difference between the two lies in cost. Hot-rolled steel is less expensive since it goes manufacturing quickly and without reheating. The construction and welding industries favor hot-rolled steel. Hot-rolled steel grades are not as significant as the manufacturing process.

Cold-rolled steel tends to shrink after it is created and formed, adding to the metal manufacturing time.

Hot Rolled Steel Bars

Hot-rolled steel bars are useful for I-beams, general fabrication projects, structural supports, walkways, ramps, and trailers.

A steel round bar is often seen in machined parts like axles, frameworks, supports, bolts, etc. A steel round bar is available in hot or cold-rolled steel.

In metal manufacturing, a round steel bar is measured in diameter. Cold-rolled round bars are cylindrical and commonly useful for rods, spindles, sprockets, and shafts.

Hot rolled round bars are formable, challenging, and preferred for welded steel materials. It is easily shaped and easy to drill.

How Metal Fabricators Choose Cold Rolled vs. Hot Rolled Steel

Whenever metal fabricators take on projects that require cold-rolled or hot-rolled steel, they must first decide on the need for precise dimensions and the quality of the steel surface.

When choosing a metal fabricator for a project, they should work closely with metal manufacturers in various industries and offer precision services for the hot-rolled or cold-rolled steel required. These services should include the following:

Metal fabricators use hot and cold rolled steel that requires precision grinding of a precision-ground bar to produce according to customer specifications. Working with hot and cold rolled steel to shape, form, bevel, and grind for various uses has become an industrial art form.

For example, the ratio of metal fabricators in the U.S. is under 25,000. This keeps a metal fabricator like Advance Grinding Services Inc. continuously busy when customers request the number of metal grinding projects has grown by overwhelming numbers.

For more information, please visit Xingtai Steel.

Advance Grinding is an Industry Leader

A critical feature of the skilled staff of Advance Grinding Services Inc. is that they are certified by ISO : standards. This symbolizes the excellent quality set by the Advanced Grinding Services team. In addition, Advanced Grinding Services takes pride in maintaining SOTA (state-of-the-art) technology.

This ensures customer satisfaction which is an Advanced Grinding Services priority. In addition to exceptional performance, the staff maintains timely service customers rely on to expedite their projects and needs.

Advance Grinding Services Inc. is ready to assist if your project requires a hot or cold rolled precision ground bar, centerless grinding, or other additional services. For more details or to request up to three quotes online, visit Advance today!

What are the Uses of Hot-Rolled Steel?

What are the uses of hot-rolled steel?

  1. Art and Architecture
  2. Automotive Engines and Parts
  3. Agricultural and Mining Equipment
  4. Bridges and Infrastructure Builds
  5. Material Handling
  6. Water Transmission

One of the crucial parts of any metal project is picking out the right materials for &#; but there are lots of different kinds of metal to choose from. Steel in particular comes in many specifications.

Optimizing your material choice for your application means you have to look closely at how your steel is formed &#; especially its manufacturing process. If you&#;ve been researching steel choices for a while, then you may have considered hot-rolled steel as an option. But what is it, and what are the uses of hot-rolled steel?

What is Hot-Rolled Steel?

Our customers often ask us what our hot-rolled steel products are. What you need to know is that the term &#;hot-rolled&#; isn&#;t exactly a grade or product specification of steel. Instead, it refers to how these metals were processed in the milling stage.

Hot-rolled steel is steel pieces that have been roll-pressed at extremely high temperatures. Most operations process these pieces at well over 900°C (or 1,700˚F), which is over the recrystallization temperature for most kinds of steel.

Heating and rolling these pieces at these temperatures makes the piece easier to form, which means that hot-rolled steel is much easier to work with.

How is Hot-Rolled Steel Different from Cold-Rolled Steel?

With hot-rolling, there is a manufacturing counterpart: cold-rolled steel, which you might have seen mentioned in your material selection research.

Cold-rolling is much like hot-rolling in that the processes are done at a specific temperature. In this case, it is done at or near room temperature. Steels of different grades, metallurgical composition, and performance ratings can be either hot-rolled or cold-rolled.

The difference between the two is the cost-effectiveness and applicability. Hot-rolling is the more common choice for manufacturers because it requires less force and energy to use, which means the process is more cost-effective for many applications. Hot-rolling is typically used in compressive forming methods like rolling, metal extrusion, forging, and the like.

However, hot-rolled steel does, of course, heat the piece significantly. What ends up happening is that when the piece cools off, it tends to shrink slightly. This means there is less control over the final size and shape of the hot-rolled steel piece, compared to cold-rolled steel.

What are the Properties of Hot-Rolled Steel?

The heating and rolling process used to make hot-rolled steel affects the metal&#;s properties. Heating it at temperatures beyond the recrystallization stage, and then cooling it at room temperature causes a change called &#;normalization.&#; In it, the steel&#;s microstructures shift, resulting in improved toughness and ductility. These changes are key to the metal&#;s easy forming characteristics.

Hot rolling can also affect the overall shape and size of the steel piece. Hot-rolled steel can be made much larger than cold-rolling. Hot-rolled steel pieces also tend to have an uneven surface, however, this is easily removed through grinding, sandblasting, or acid-bath pickling. Once the surface has been smoothed out, various finishes can be applied.

What are the Uses of Hot-Rolled Steel?

Thanks to its improved ductility and toughness, hot-rolled steel products can be easily shaped into nearly any form you can imagine. Hot-rolled steel is amongst the most diverse steel products in the industry.

However, hot-rolled steel is best used in applications where precise, complex geometries and strict tolerances are not needed, such as:

Art and Architecture

Hot-rolled steel, once it has been fully processed and its surface has been smoothed, can be finished with all kinds of different methods. Hot-rolled steel in general also presents a unique finish &#; it has varying colors along the surface, which gives this kind of steel a lot of character. Because of this, it is the ideal material for artistic applications and structures, such as metal sculptures.

Architects also favor hot-rolled steel for certain architectural designs. It is aesthetically appealing in industrial and modern settings. Hot-rolled steel can be used to make light poles, racking, shelving, railing, fences, and more.

Automotive Engines and Parts

Hot-rolled steel can be used in the automotive industry and is typically used to make vehicle frames (a.k.a. the chassis), engine components, and seat frames.

In these cases, hot-rolled steel needs further processing to withstand the corrosion and heat typical in automotive applications. This process is known as pickle and oiling (P&O), which is used to improve rust resistance and has the added benefit of allowing for painting.

Agricultural and Mining Equipment

This kind of steel is also used widely in agricultural and mining equipment, due to its improved strength and formability. This allows manufacturers to make anything from simple bends to complex draws using hot-rolled steel.

Generally, you can find hot-rolled steel being used in the manufacturing of equipment like harvesters and tractors. They are also commonly used to make engine components and grouser bars.

Bridges and Infrastructure Builds

 

Hot-rolled steel&#;s strength and capability to be formed in large format pieces make it a great option for projects concerning infrastructure builds, such as bridges. Hot-rolled steel is frequently used to make structural sections, as well as components like grid decking and expansion joints.

Material Handling

Manufacturers prefer to use hot-rolled steel for certain material handling applications, such as components for fork trucks, trams, cranes, and elevators. This type of steel is typically used to make frames, rails, joint bars, and more.

Water Transmission

Hot-rolled steel is also ideal for water transmission applications, such as making pipes and tubes. Hot-rolled steel can also be used for manufacturing additional components, like pipe couplings and spigot sections.

Key Takeaway

Depending on your metal project or application, the different types of steel will provide a different set of benefits and drawbacks. When it comes to hot-rolled steel and its uses, you can see that this material can be used as a building block for a wide variety of structural, industrial, and commercial applications.

For more information about hot-rolled steel, contact Regan Industrial Sales, Inc. today. We offer a wide variety of hot-rolled steel products, such as plates, sections, tubings, and more. Send us a message today to receive a quote, or for assistance with any steel custom project you have.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of hot rolled steel bar. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.