There is a large misconception in the market and across all industries in South Africa regarding the terms cold and hot rolled and cold and hot formed. The difference in the terms is simple yet confusing.
Cold Rolled and Hot Rolled Products refers to the type of steel used during the manufacturing process. The difference between the two lies in the material that the steel tube or profile was manufactured or rolled from. Hot Rolled material is material that is formed when the steel is above its recrystallization temperature while Cold Rolled material is formed when the temperature of the steel is below its recrystallization temperature. Steel tubes and profiles can be manufactured from a variety of materials including Cold Rolled Mild Steel, Hot Rolled Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, Pre Galvanized Steel etc.
Cold Formed Steel and Hot Formed Steel refers to the process that the end product, steel tube or profile, underwent to be formed. This can also be referred to as Hot- or Cold Worked Steel Tubes.
For example: Tubecon can cold-form customized open profiles and steel tubes from Hot- or Cold Rolled material, depending on the customer’s requirement.
At Tubecon we make use of a cold forming process. Our customers are able to choose the type of material, Hot or Cold Rolled, which ever on is best suited for their application. Tubecon then cold roll-forms the steel tube or profile from a flat sheet into the desired end product for the customer.
