Stainless steel appears to be an everyday part of life. Whether we’re eating dinner, going to the doctor, or driving in our car, stainless steel makes a lot of our daily activities possible (or at least safer and more convenient). Many people are unaware that one of the most important factors that contribute to stainless steel wire versatility is its ability to be cold-worked.
For millennia, steel has been used in human industry. Stainless steel, with its exceptional corrosion resistance, is a more recent development, having only become commercially available in the early twentieth century. It quickly became popular, transforming a variety of industries such as architecture, engineering, food and beverage, transportation, and others.
Only a truly versatile material could have such a wide range of effects on our lives. As a result, manufacturers and designers are increasingly turning to stainless steel for a variety of applications. Because of their cold-forming properties, stainless steel alloys are less expensive to work with than you might think.
What is cold forming?
Many factors must be considered when deciding on the best shaping method for your application. In general, you want to use the cheapest and most convenient method that is also reliable. Many of these boxes are checked by cold forming for manufacturers.
Cold forming has several advantages, one of which is that it does not require heating. The advantages of avoiding high temperatures are obvious. When working with metals such as stainless steel, hot working techniques can pose a significant safety risk to workers, not to mention the associated energy costs. The ability to work a metal effectively at room temperature is able.
While many people believe that heat treatment is required to strengthen a piece of metal, modern cold working methods can match the properties of thermal processing.
When working with metal, it is necessary to shape the metal to the desired shape. If you want to commercialize an application on an industrial scale, whatever manufacturing method you use must be replicated consistently. Cold forming is one method of shaping metal.
This method, also known as cold working stainless steel, is a metalworking process in which shaping occurs below the recrystallization temperature. While the process of recrystallization is difficult to explain, it involves heating a material to form a new grain structure. Cold work, as the name implies, takes place at a lower temperature, typically at room temperature.
Cold-forming metal distorts the crystal grains and inclusions, resulting in a harder, stiffer, and stronger material. The disadvantage is that the metal loses its elasticity and cracking may occur. There are numerous methods for cold working metal, and it is possible to create a wide range of complex shapes. The processes involved are typically simpler and less expensive to carry out than hot working methods.
Cold forming techniques include rolling, extruding, forging, swaging, heading, thread rolling, coining, bending, flanging, drawing, perforating, stretch forming, and flattening.
What are the benefits of cold formation?
In fact, in some cases, cold working a less expensive metal may be more cost-effective than heat treating a more expensive grade.
Cold forming also provides a better surface finish, superior dimension control, and less contamination. Cold forming techniques are easier and less expensive to replicate at scale. There is also less waste produced and production cycles are shorter. When all of the cost savings associated with cold working are added up, the savings can be significant, especially with large production runs.
Of course, there are some drawbacks. Working with metal at room temperature makes the workpiece tougher, necessitating greater forces and heavier machinery. The metal is also less malleable than when it has been heated, limiting its ability to be shaped. This means that some dimensional requirements can only be met at higher temperatures.
What are the best alloys for cold forming?
It is critical to carefully select the alloy for any application. Each grade of stainless steel has its own set of properties, and each will react differently to work hardening stresses. Because cold working is a form of stress, you must understand how your alloy will react when pressure is applied and how to maximize the strength of your workpiece.
Austenitic stainless steels are probably your best bet for hardening. This stainless steel family, which includes grades in the 200 and 300 series, is nonmagnetic and known for being formable and corrosion resistant. These alloys are known for their fast hardening rate, making them ideal for applications requiring high strength and corrosion resistance.
Duplex stainless steel, which combines the properties of austenitic and ferritic stainless steel, is another viable option. These alloys also react well to cold forming. It’s also worth noting that austenitic stainless steels cannot be heat treated, so cold forming may be your only option.
