Flat steels are sheets and plates obtained by rolling semi-finished steel products called slabs.
According to the production process, flat steels can be roughly divided into three types:
- Hot Rolled Steel
- Cold Rolled Steel
- Coated Steel
1. Hot Rolled Steel
The rolling process begins by flattening slabs with rollers. This process is called Hot Rolling, and the product obtained is called Hot Rolled Coil (HRC) or simply Hot Rolled Steel. In the market, it is also frequently referred to as Black Steel.
When the scale layer on hot rolled coils is removed using acid, the resulting product is called Pickled Steel. Other terms include DKP, HRP, Acid Steel, or Pickled Steel. HRP stands for Hot Rolled Pickled.
Hot rolled steel is widely used in pipe and profile production.
2. Cold Rolled Steel
Hot rolled steel is generally produced at thicknesses of 2.0 mm or higher. For thinner sheets, hot rolled coils are processed via Cold Rolling, where the steel is passed through rollers at room temperature to reach the desired thickness.
The resulting product is called Cold Rolled Coil (CRC) or Cold Rolled Steel, often also referred to as Bright Steel. Cold rolled steel is widely used in the production of industrial pipes.
3. Coated Steel
Cold rolled steel can be coated for corrosion resistance. Common coatings include zinc (galvanized) or aluminum.
- Galvanized Steel: Coated using the hot-dip method, also called HDG Coil (Hot Dipped Galvanized). Technical specifications are often indicated with codes like DX51D+Z100, where “Z” indicates zinc coating and the number indicates the coating weight in grams per square meter per side.
- Aluminum-Coated Steel: Known in the market as Aluzinc (aluminum-zinc mix) or Alusi (aluminum-silicon mix). Codes like DX51D+AZ100 or DX52D+AS120 indicate the coating type and weight.
Coated steels are corrosion resistant and commonly used in the automotive industry, for example in exhaust pipes and automotive tubes.
