Cold Rolled Steel Plates: Types and Applications

Have you ever thought about the seemingly ordinary and unremarkable cold rolled steel plates, which hide a myriad of uses and types? They are as strong as a rock and as flexible as silk, making them an indispensable material in modern industry. So, what are the various uses and types of these Cold Rolled Steel Plates? Let’s explore the mysterious veil of this exciting world together!

What’s Cold Rolled Steel Plates?

Cold Rolled Steel Plates are made from hot-rolled steel plates as raw materials and are rolled at room temperature and below the recrystallization temperature. Cold-rolled steel plates are steel plates produced through the cold-rolling process, referred to as cold plates. The thickness of cold-rolled plates is generally between 0.1–8.0mm. The thickness of Cold Rolled Steel Plates produced by most factories is less than 4.5mm. The thickness and width of cold-rolled plates are determined according to the equipment capabilities of each factory and market demand.

Cold Rolled Steel Plates are steel plates that are further thinned to a target thickness at room temperature and below the recrystallization temperature. Compared with hot-rolled steel plates, the thickness of cold-rolled steel plates is more accurate and the surface is smooth and beautiful.

Applications and Types of Cold Rolled Steel Plates:

Cold Rolled Steel Plates are widely used, such as automobile manufacturing, electrical products, rolling stock, aviation, precision instruments, food canning, etc.

Cold-rolled thin steel plates are a type of cold-rolled steel produced from hot-rolled steel strips. These plates are produced by rolling the hot-rolled steel strips under room temperature conditions to achieve a thickness of less than 4mm. Because rolling is performed at room temperature without the formation of oxide scales, cold-rolled steel plates have good surface quality, high dimensional accuracy, and superior mechanical and processing properties compared to hot-rolled thin steel plates. In many applications, especially in the home appliance manufacturing industry, cold-rolled steel plates are gradually replacing hot-rolled steel plates.

Cold-rolled ordinary thin steel plate: It is produced by cold-rolling ordinary carbon structural steel or low-alloy structural steel. Cold-rolled steel plates have good surface quality and are suitable for punching. Requirements include ensuring that cold bending and cup testing are qualified, and they are commonly used in the automotive and other industries as raw materials for coated sheets.

Cold-rolled high-quality thin steel plate: This category includes various high-quality cold-rolled steel plates made from low-carbon high-quality steel 08Al. These plates are rolled into thin sheets using cold rolling technology. The plates are divided into three surface quality groups: Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III, indicating different levels of finishes. They are further classified based on drawing grades into ZF, HF, and F grades (used for complex, very complex, and complex parts), and are also divided into Grade A and Grade B based on thickness tolerances. These plates are widely used in the automotive and tractor industries.

Cold-rolled steel sheets have a smooth and shiny surface, and excellent processing properties, and are used in various applications such as automobiles, refrigerators, washing machines, and various industrial equipment and building materials. With the development of the economy, cold-rolled steel sheets have become essential materials in modern society. Cold-rolled products are classified into various categories such as hot-dipped pickled, rolled hardened, ordinary cold-rolled, galvanized (electro-galvanized, fingerprint-resistant, hot-dipped galvanized), aluminum-zinc galvanized, electroplated tin, painted coated steel (silicon steel), etc.

How to Distinguish between Cold Rolled Steel Plates and Hot Rolled Steel Plates:

1. Carbon content: Cold Rolled Steel Plates have a slightly lower carbon content compared to hot-rolled steel plates. The density is the same when the composition is not significantly different. However, if the composition difference is significant, such as stainless steel, the specific composition needs to be considered. The hot-rolled steel plate has better ductility and the steel also receives pressure.
2. Density: Hot-rolled steel plate is divided into structural steel, low-carbon steel, and welded bottle steel, and then find the specific steel you need based on the various steels’ density and composition. The hot-rolled steel plate has a lower hardness, easier processing, and good ductility. The surface quality of the hot-rolled steel plate is relatively poor (with low oxidation and low finish), but it has good plasticity. It is generally used as a medium or thick plate. The cold-rolled steel plate has high hardness, and more difficult processing, but less deformation and high strength. The surface quality and finish of cold-rolled steel plates are higher, and they are generally used as thin plates for stamping.
3. Production process: The production processes of cold-rolled steel plates and hot-rolled steel plates are different. Cold Rolled Steel Plates are produced at room temperature by rolling. Hot-rolled steel plate is produced by rolling at high temperatures. Generally speaking, cold-rolled steel plate has better strength, while hot-rolled steel plate has better ductility. The thickness of cold-rolled steel plates is generally smaller, while hot-rolling can achieve a larger thickness. Cold-rolled steel plates have better surface quality, appearance, and dimensional accuracy than hot-rolled plates. Their product thickness can be rolled to about 0.18mm, making them more popular. For product acceptance, professionals can be consulted.
   The hot-rolled steel plate has mechanical properties inferior to cold processing and forging processing, but it has good toughness and ductility. The cold rolled steel plate has a certain degree of work hardening, resulting in low toughness but a good yield ratio. It is used to bend spring parts and other components by cold bending, but due to the yield point being close to the tensile strength, there is no awareness of danger in the use process. Accidents may occur when the load exceeds the allowable load limit.

The Differences between Cold Rolled Steel Plates and Hot Rolled Steel Plates:

1. Cold rolling: Cold rolling uses cold rolling technology, resulting in a surface without oxides and a better quality. Hot rolling uses hot rolling technology, resulting in a surface with oxides and thickness variations.
2. Mechanical properties: Hot rolling has a lower toughness and surface flatness compared to cold rolling. The price of a hot-rolled steel plate is lower, while the price of a cold-rolled steel plate is higher due to its good ductility and toughness.
3. Temperature: The distinction between hot rolling and cold rolling is based on the re-crystallization temperature.
4. Application: Cold rolling is typically used to produce strip materials with high rolling speeds.
5. Appearance: Hot-rolled steel plate (without plating) has a dark brown surface, while the cold-rolled steel plate (without plating) has a gray surface. After plating, the smoothness of the surface can be distinguished, with cold-rolled steel plate having a smoother finish than hot-rolled steel plate.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading our article and we hope it can help you to have a better understanding of the types and applications of Cold Rolled Steel Plates. If you want to find more information about Cold Rolled Steel Plates, we’d advise you to visit Sino Stainless Steel for more information.

As a leading supplier of stainless steel products across the whole world, Sino Stainless Steel provides customers with high-quality stainless steel products such as Hot-rolled Stainless Coils, Cold-rolled Stainless Steel Coils, Polished Stainless Steel Coils, Stainless Steel Wires, Stainless Steel Tubes, and Precision Stainless Steel Sheets at a very competitive price.