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?
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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