Why Cold Rolled Steel Building Components Are The Superior Option For Customers
Raw steel can be shaped using two broad processes, either hot rolling or cold rolling. Sometimes called hot working and cold working, these processes identify how steel is transformed into useful products.
One such category of products made from steel is pre-fabricated building components. These steel components are assembled on site to quickly construct buildings for a number of commercial and industrial applications. As a result, pre-fabricated building components have revolutionized how building erection is conducted and increased the availability of these structures to a wide variety of customers.
During the manufacturing phase, pre-fabricated building components are often cold worked, and for good reason. Below are several advantages realized by using cold rolling processes to manufacture pre-fabricated steel components.
Strong Yet Light
One of the chief advantages of using cold rolling to fabricate steel building components is its strength. This advantage becomes even more remarkable considering the relative light weight of cold rolled steel compared to hot rolled products.
Cold rolling pulls raw, room-temperature steel through a die or set of dies, which then shapes the steel into a particular shape as determined by the die. The cold rolling process actually strengthens the steel, even though it is thinner in cross-section than hot rolled products.
As a result, a stronger but lightweight building will be easier to erect due to less extensive material handling needs. Most building components can even be carried by hand, but when erected, the structure is remarkably strong. The combination of strength and weight is impossible to surpass when using cold rolled steel products.
Ready to Assemble
Another advantage of using cold rolled building products is they are ready-to-assemble upon delivery. At the cold rolling mill, building products are shaped and fabricated further to make on-the-spot assembly an easy job. The rolling process itself is also advantageous, as cold rolled steel products are usually straighter and fit closer tolerances than hot rolled products. That means much less material working needs to be performed by customers.
In addition, unlike hot rolled products, cold rolled building products can be drilled, welded, cut, and otherwise fabricated in numerous ways before even leaving the rolling line. That is a cost and time savings advantage for the customer who won't need to worry about extensive fabrication upon delivery.
Attractive Finish
Cold rolled steel building products also win out over hot rolled products in a contest involving looks. When steel goes through a hot rolling mill, the surface is heated well past 1,000 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, the process of heating up raw steel can generate scaling (scarring) of its exterior.
Such scale is unattractive and leaves the hot rolled steel in a state where additional finishing with shot or sand blasting or pickling will be necessary.
In contrast, that makes cold rolled steel building components much more appealing, since they will exit the process with a smooth, uniform surface. Cold rolled steel building components are ready to erect without the need to extensively finish the surface, thus saving time and money.
Environmentally Responsible
For companies that are becoming more and more attuned to environmental concerns, they can rest assured that cold rolled steel building products are an "Earth-friendly" option. In the first place, cold rolled steel isn't heated during fabrication, and this saves a tremendous amount of energy, thus reducing emissions and potential environmental contamination.
Cold rolled steel also saves on product waste by its fabrication method. Raw steel is fed continuously into dies, thus keeping the manufacture process steady and uninterrupted. Finally, cold rolled steel is completely recyclable, thus ensuring it can be reused once the product's useful lifespan has come to an end.
For more information about the cold rolling process or other options for fabricating steel, contact a metal fabrication company, such as A & C Metals - Sawing.
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