Roll forming – what is that?
Roll forming is a relatively simple process, the purpose of which is to produce standard and special steel sections. Custom roll forming is the ideal technique for producing even the most complex of engineered shapes with very tight tolerances and additional in-line processing. It is a reliable and efficient process that guarantees accurate tolerances for complex custom steel profiles. The roll forming process starts with a sheet of metal. This sheet is then bent by a successive series of rolls. Each series of rolls along the production line gradually bends the steel into the required profile shape. The number of rolls and consequently the length of the production line depends on the complexity of the steel profile required and the thickness of the material. Roll forming involves drawing steel through these rolls at room temperature. The process does not require any heat to shape the metal. It is for this reason that the process is also known as cold rolling or cold-roll forming.
A major advantage of roll forming is its ability to integrate secondary operations (in-line processes) such as punching, laser welding, drilling and various cutting operations, including precision laser cutting, to produce high value-added profiles straight off the production line. This saves countless labour hours, thereby reducing the cost of additional handling and equipment.
Roll forming – a few specifications
- We have 35 high-tech profiling or roll forming lines
- We have machines with 12 to 68 stations
- We use strips ranging from 20 mm to 1100 mm in width and 0.5 mm to 11 mm in thickness
- We have a roll forming line that produces profiles with a diameter of 305 mm
- We can produce open or welded sections, pre or post perforated
- For the automotive industry, we can supply cab components for ROPS and FOPS in grades of up to 7 mm
- Find out more in our brochure Large Profile Solutions PDF389.93 KBeng-GB
The advantages of roll forming steel sections
What are the advantages of roll forming over other metal-forming processes?
- Extremely precise processing with very tight tolerances, excellent product uniformity and superior surface finish
- High volume capacity. Roll forming is the ideal way of producing large volumes of steel profiles precisely. We produce from 1000 metres onwards
- Processed steel for higher strength without breaking or cracking
- More flexible and responsive than pressing or extruding
- Additional operations such as cutting, perforating, embossing, etc can be performed on a single production line
- Suitable for metals with varying surface coatings, flexibility and dimensions
- Produces stronger and lighter structural components using less steel. This is especially important for large engineering structures
- Roll forming is suitable for virtually any metal
Roll forming applications
These many benefits mean it will come as no surprise that roll forming has applications in a great many industries, including automotive, appliances and engineering, construction, agriculture, solar power, etc.
voestalpine Sadef – Roll forming specialist
If you are looking for a reliable supplier of steel profiles for conveyors, high-bay warehouses, machine construction, HVAC applications, crane and lifting systems, construction applications and much more, then look no further than voestalpine Sadef.
With our 35 profiling lines we produce cold-rolled steel solutions for a wide range of industries, and we supply custom steel profiles that are light, easy to assemble and powder-coated if desired.
Continual investments and adjustments have made our production site an industry leader; always one step ahead. Our in-house team of experts uses a co-engineering approach to ensure each customer can complete their project using an optimised steel profile. This makes us a true profile solutions provider for your business.
Please feel free to contact us without obligation
If you are interested in our steel profiles, then contact our sales team directly by using the contact/sales team link in the menu bar above or via the button below.
