Rolling Process

The best part of manufacturing processes is that they are named very accurately. Once you witness a process taking place on the floor, you need no further explanation.

So as the name suggests, rolling is metal-working process of passing a metal stock through two or more rollers to reduce its thickness and make it uniform so that it can be used in the industry.

The applications of the metal rolling process includes I Beams, H Beams, T Sections, etc., apart from the thin sheets used in the sheet metal industry.

 Coming to the types of rolling process, it is of two types, viz.:

• Hot Rolling 
• Cold Rolling

Hot Rolling:

For the metal stock to pass through the rollers, it is heated first. In case of hot rolling, it is heated above the crystallization temperature of the metal for the recrystallization of the grains and an improved structure. It also helps for efficient rolling. On the same time, it is very important to make sure that after the process, the metal cools uniformly else residual stresses develop in the metal.
The applications of hot rolled steels includes those where high precision is not required.

Cold Rolling:

Cold rolling is the same process as hot rolling with the only difference of the metal being heated at a temperature below its crystallization temperature. The advantage of doing so is that there are no or lesser stresses in the metal after the rolling process and the material has a better grain structure and finish as compared to hot rolled steel, and hence is comparatively expensive.

Therefore the application where a high precision is required, cold rolled steel is preferred over hot rolled steel.