Beyond Steel: Mastering Metal Properties for Your Roll Forming Project

5 min read

Nov 30, 2023 3:54:00 PM

iStock-826308230-1

A deep understanding of metal properties is your secret weapon in roll forming. It gives you the confidence to make the right material choices, ensuring your projects meet quality standards, budget constraints, and production timelines. With the right knowledge, you can create high-quality, cost-effective products that truly shine.

While steel is the king of roll forming, it's far from the only option. This versatile process can transform various metals—from aluminum to brass and even pre-painted or perforated options. Each boasts unique qualities that influence its performance and suitability for different applications.

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:

Aluminum
Coated carbon steels
Copper
Bronze
Brass
Pre-painted coil steels
Perforated metals

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 discuss the most important metals and then break them down into easy-to-follow categories of characteristics.

More Than Steel: Roll Forming, Design & Fabrication

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: 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 corroding?
Cost

Beyond The Basics: The Main Properties of Metals

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)

Roll With It: Material Applications

Choosing the right metal is necessary for any roll forming or metal fabrication project. Whether you're working on infrastructure, solar panels, vehicles, or something else, your material choice will impact the success of your application.

Need help deciding which metal is best for your roll-forming needs?

This article has you covered

Roll Forming Questions? We Have Answers!

What is the most common metal used in roll forming?
Steel is the most common metal used in roll forming due to its versatility, strength, and affordability. However, there are other metals like aluminum, copper, and brass are also used depending on the specific needs of the project.

Why are the properties of metals important for roll forming?
Metal properties like strength, formability, and corrosion resistance directly impact the success of a roll-forming project. Understanding these properties ensures that the right material is chosen for the desired outcome.

What are some key properties of metals to consider for roll forming?
You should be aware of various details about metal properties for your next project. Some necessary properties include surface finish, hardness, flexibility, minimum bend radius, corrosion resistance, and cost.