Cold rolling is a process used to change the thickness of metals or glass. Steel is fed through a series of rollers that press it into a pre-ordered gauge. Cold rolling complements hot rolling, refining the metal and improving the surface. The process strengthens the steel and eliminates cracks or variable patches. Steel companies use long buildings to house their mills or machinery. The process allows for the creation of production-ready steel for manufacturing in various industries.
Cold rolling is a process used in manufacturing and finishing environments to change the thickness, or gauge, of metals or glass. Used primarily in steel mills, cold rolling involves threading flattened steel in a machine that feeds the material through a series of rolls. These rollers rotate in opposite directions at a constant speed and are spaced so that their width is less than the width of the steel plate they pass through. As the steel goes through the cold rolling process, it is pressed into a pre-ordered gauge for further finishing. Often, cold rolling operates in a continuous cycle, with multiple sets of rolls working the metal to the desired thickness or shape.
It’s probably more common to think of steelworking as a hot process, with sparks flying and bright orange embers burning around the metal. Much of what goes into cold rolling, however, complements the hot rolling process, which is a separate step for reducing the size of steel slabs, sheets, and bars. While heat treatments are more effective for manipulating the mass of steel, cold rolling refines the metal and works to improve the condition of the surface. Hot rolling makes steel malleable, while cold rolling makes it stronger.
What happens in this metal-to-metal process helps tighten and strengthen the properties of the steel itself. As the thickness of the steel decreases, most of the cracks or variable patches that occur in hot working are accumulated or annealed by cold rolling. A similar process occurs with glass making, although the properties of glass make it less able to withstand multiple processes.
Most steel companies have long buildings to house their mills or machinery. The laminating process can start with a conveyor belt at one end and a cutting blade at the other end. A coil of steel is threaded through the mill and an operator sets the desired gauge and length of the piece to be cold rolled. To obtain the correct gauge it is necessary to calculate the roller widths, the operating speed and the quantity of lubricant required, respecting the specifications of the order.
When a tape has completed its cycles through the mill, it is cut and moved to another conveyor system where the weight, gauge and identifying details are recorded. Further processing or shipment to the customer follows. Utilizing the cold rolling process allows for the creation of production-ready steel for manufacturing in a multitude of automotive, construction, and industrial environments.
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