There are plenty of other metals (besides steel) that are used for roll forming and other metal forming processes. Some of the most commonly used metals include:
A great engineering project always starts with the right metals -- so it’s wise to educate yourself on the pros and cons of each.
Get it wrong, and you’re left with a needlessly expensive or low-quality product. It’s crucial to start your vendor on the right path instead!
Let’s talk about the most important metals, then break them down into easy-to-follow categories of characteristics.
(Don’t forget to scroll to the blue button below to download a full-sized PDF of all the key metals!)
WHAT WE’LL COVER: ROLL FORMED STEEL & MUCH MORE
Here are the metals we’ll cover in this chart:
- 1018 cold rolled steel
- Hot dipped G60 galvanized steel
- Hot dipped G90 galvanized steel
- A40 galvannealed steel
- A60 galvannealed steel
- 304 stainless steel
- 316 stainless steel
- 430 stainless steel
- UR52N “duplex” stainless steel
- C360 (“free cutting”) brass
- C93200 tin bronze (aka SAE 660 or “bearing bronze”)
- UNS C11000 (electrolytic tough pitch, or ETP) copper
We’ll judge these roll forming metals by:
- Surface finish
- Hardness
- Formability
- Minimum bend radius
- Corrosion resistance
- Cost
Not sure what each of these physical properties mean? Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Surface finish: The exterior’s roughness, waviness, and lay.
- Hardness: How impervious is the metal to scratching and denting?
- Formability: The ability of a workpiece to be manipulated by the roll forming machine without sustaining damage.
- Minimum bend radius: The minimum radius you can bend a channel without damaging it.
- Corrosion resistance: How well can the metal stand up to harsh environments without rusting or otherwise corroding?
Table of Mechanical & Other Material Properties
This handy chart shows the most important characteristics of popular and trendy material choices. You can 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) |
An Explanation of the Categories
A quick guide to what each category means:
- Surface finish: The exterior’s roughness, waviness, and lay.
- Hardness: How impervious is the metal to scratching and denting?
- Formability: The ability of a workpiece to be manipulated without sustaining damage.
- Minimum bend radius: The minimum radius you can bend a channel, etc. without damaging it.
- Corrosion resistance: How well can the metal stand up to harsh environments without corroding or rusting?
Roll Forming Materials in Application
You can see that different metals and grades are able to play different roles in roll forming. Always make sure your material choice meshes well with your application -- whether it’s infrastructural, solar, transportation-based, or another type.
Need more general help in understanding which types of materials partner best with roll forming? Check out this article.
(Editor's Note: This article was originally published in May 2018 and was recently updated.)
Topics: OEM Roll Forming, Materials, Pros and Cons
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