Hot rolled steel is the most basic form of carbon steel product produced by the steel mill and is applied to applications where surface finish is not critical.

The process to create hot rolled steel begins with heating slabs of steel to a high temperature. When the hot material is transferred from the furnace it reacts with the oxygen in the air. The reaction forms a iron oxide scale. This scale can affect the overall surface quality of the hot rolled steel if left alone. To remove the scale the material is sent through a mill scale cleanse.

The product then goes through rolling mills to decrease it to the desired thickness.

Hot rolled steel coils are then shipped to service centers, like Metalwest, to process and distribute to our customers. However, hot rolled steel can be sent through other processes, including pickle and oiling, cold rolling, and many more to create other forms of steel.

Download our line cards to find out which of our locations process and stocks hot rolled steel. To learn more about how hot rolled steel is made visit the Beyond Metal Buzz.