Discovering the intricacies of metal properties unlocks valuable insights for roll form engineering projects.
This knowledge helps you make informed decisions when selecting materials and ensures that your project meets all quality standards.
Understanding metal properties also allows you to accurately estimate costs, plan production timelines, and identify potential risks associated with the process. With this information in hand, it's possible to create products that are both cost-effective and high-quality. A great project starts with the right metals — so it’s wise to educate yourself on the pros and cons of each.
While steel is the most common roll formed metal, there are plenty of other metals used for roll forming and other metal forming processes, including:
Knowing the key qualities of each material – such as strength, malleability, ductility, and corrosion resistance – is essential to choosing the right one for your next project. Let’s talk about the most important metals, then break them down into easy-to-follow categories of characteristics.
Here are the metals we’ll cover in this chart:
We’ll judge these roll forming metals by:
This handy chart shows the most important characteristics of material choices. Download the printer-friendly PDF version here:
|
GRADE |
FINISH |
STRENGTH & HARDNESS |
FORMABILITY |
TYPICAL MIN. INSIDE BEND RADIUS |
CORROSION RESISTANCE |
COST |
|
Hot Dipped G60 Galvanized Steel (CS-B) |
0.6 oz./sq. ft. zinc coating. Unique zinc spangling. |
Zinc coating soft. Base metal similar to cold rolled. |
Good |
1/2t (t=thickness) |
Good |
Low |
|
Hot Dipped G90 Galvanized Steel (CS-B) |
0.9 oz./sq. ft. zinc coating. Unique zinc spangling. |
Zinc coating soft. Base metal similar to cold rolled. |
Good |
1/2t |
Good. Thicker coating than G60 = better resistance. |
Low |
|
A40 Galvannealed Steel (CS-B) |
0.4 oz./sq. ft. zinc coating. Creates a uniform, matte finish. Usually painted. |
Surface slightly harder than galvanized steel. Base similar to/slightly softer than galvanized. |
Slightly better than galvanized due to annealing |
1/2t |
Good |
More than galvanized due to extra processing |
|
A60 Galvannealed Steel (CS-B) |
0.6 oz./sq. ft. zinc coating. Creates a uniform, matte finish. Usually painted. |
Surface slightly harder than galvanized steel. Base similar to/slightly softer than galvanized. |
Slightly better than galvanized due to annealing process. |
1/2t |
Thicker coating than A40 = better resistance. |
More than galvanized due to extra processing |
|
Aluminum (5052-H32) |
Can be anodized, painted, powder coated, etc. |
Soft. Not as strong as steel |
Good |
1t |
Moderate |
Low to Moderate |
|
304 Stainless Steel (annealed) |
Variety of brushed and polished mirror finishes | Excellent | Limited due to work hardening |
1/2t |
Excellent, but pitting corrosion possible in warm chloride areas |
Moderately high |
|
316 Stainless Steel (annealed) |
Variety of brushed and polished mirror finishes | Excellent | Limited due to work hardening | 1/2t |
Same as 304 stainless, but safer against pitting, especially in warm chloride areas |
Moderately high |
| 430 Stainless Steel | Variety of brushed and polished mirror finishes | Can’t be hardened by heat treatment | Low work hardening rate enables easy forming, but low ductility makes rigorous operations difficult |
1/2t |
Excellent; not as good as 304 or 316, a bit lower in 430F variety |
Moderately high, but less than 304 & 316 |
|
UR52N Stainless Steel (“Super Duplex”) |
Variety of brushed and polished mirror finishes |
High. Can’t be hardened by heat treatment |
Somewhat challenging. Low ductility. Avoid sharp bends. High springback. |
2t |
Better than all other stainless. Resistant to hot chlorides and sulfides. |
Moderately high, but less than stainless grades with high nickel |
|
Cold Rolled Carbon Commercial Steel Type B (CS-B) (similar to C1010) |
Not the most attractive. Can be blackened, oxidized, or painted. Process does create better finish than hot rolled steel. |
Typically HRB<70. Good, but can’t be increased by heat treatment. |
Good |
1/2t |
Low |
Low |
|
C260 ¼ hard brass (“cartridge brass 70/30”) |
Fixed finishes (clear-coat raw or antique it), or “live” finishes (change over time by forcing patina effect) |
Equivalent to stainless steel in resilience & form, but not as strong structurally. Lower than carbon steel. |
Good |
1/2t |
Excellent |
Very high (2x-3x cost of stainless) |
|
C220 ¼ hard bronze (“commercial bronze 90/10”) |
Fixed finishes (clear-coat raw or antique) or “live” finishes (Change over time by forcing patina effect.) |
Equivalent to stainless steel in resilience & form, but not as strong structurally. Higher than copper. |
Good |
1/2t |
Excellent |
Very high (2x-3x cost of stainless) |
|
UNS C11000 copper (annealed) (electrolytic tough pitch, or ETP) |
Fixed (clear-coat raw or antique it), or “live” finishes (change over time by initiating patina chemically) |
Equivalent to stainless steel in resilience & form, but not as strong structurally (available in various tempers) |
Great ductility means easy roll forming | 0t (At annealed temper. Higher tempers require larger radii.) | Excellent | Very high (2x-3x cost of stainless) |
Understanding metal properties should not be overlooked as an important part of any roll forming or other metal fabrication processes. Always make sure your material choice meshes well with your application — whether it’s infrastructural, solar, transportation-based, or another type. For more help in understanding which types of materials partner best with roll forming check out this article.
Download our Comprehensive Design Guide to Great Roll Formed Parts to get started on your next roll form project.
(Editor's Note: This article was originally published in May 2018 and was recently updated.)