Sheet Steel Types

Types

Sheet steel can be classified by the process used to form the steel. These types include cold rolled and hot rolled steels. The simple difference between hot and cold rolled sheet steel types is that cold rolled sheet steel is formed at around room temperature, with hot rolled sheet steel formed at elevated temperatures. Cold formed steel provides a much thinner type of steel than is produced using hot rolled techniques. Cold rolled sheet steel must be treated to reduce the effects of oxidization through moisture in the air that can cause rusting of the material.

The different types of sheet steel are classified by gauge, a classification that incorporates both the weight and thickness of a piece of sheet steel. Gauge classifications are used for other forms of sheet metals, including stainless steel. For example, a piece of sheet steel classified as gauge 3 is 6.239 inches in thickness and weighs 10 pounds per square foot, Engineering Toolbox reports. The thinner and lighter gauges of sheet steel have higher gauge rating, with a Gauge 30 piece of steel weighing 0.5 pounds and measuring 0.012 inches in thickness per square foot.

Different types of sheet steel are formed from a coil of steel that is formed while at an elevated heat. A hot formed coil is chemically cleaned following its formation and cooled to allow it to be rolled by either hot or cold rolling depending on the desired end application, New Zealand Steel reports. The process of forming the steel coil into the required gauge using annealing process, meaning the steel is heated in a controlled environment. By annealing the steel extra, strength is provided. This process is often accompanied by the galvanizing of the sheet steel with a chemical such as zinc.

Along with the gauge of sheet steel, different types of the material are given different names to differentiate them. Those sheet steel products with a thin thickness are called a leaf or foil product, while those that are thicker in nature are known as plates. Sheet steel can be cut, rolled and shaped to produce products, including ductwork, airplane wings, refrigeration units and steel sheets.