Rolling: the route, the tolerances it holds, materials and design tips, with an indicative cost. One of 56 processes in the free finder.
Bulk formingFamily
+/-0.5mmTypical tol.
5Route steps
65Parts in finder
Rolling squeezes metal between rotating rolls to reduce thickness and set a profile, hot for heavy reduction or cold for finish and strength.
At a glance
When to use it, and when not
Best for
Sheet, plate, bar and structural sections in large volume.
Watch for
Only constant profiles; part features are added later by other processes.
Step by step
The typical route
Raw material to finished part. Steps vary with material, volume and tolerance; this is the free route from the finder.
Reheat
Heat the billet/slab to rolling temperature.
Tooling Furnace Tolerance - Lead -
Roll
Pass through rolls to reduce section or form the profile.
Tooling Mill Tolerance - Lead -
Cut & level
Cut to length and level/straighten.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Temper/finish
Cold-finish or temper as the grade needs.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Inspect
Check gauge, flatness, and cert.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Precision
Tolerances it can hold
TYPICAL TOLERANCE IT CAN HOLD
Where this process typically lands. Tighter is possible with extra operations like grinding, at higher cost.
Materials
Materials it suits
Grade
Why it suits this
Hot-rolled carbon steel
Cheap structural stock
Cold-rolled steel
Better finish/tolerance
Aluminium sheet 5052/6061
Light, corrosion
Design
Design tips
A few general pointers for Rolling. The full, part-specific DFM list is in the dossier.
Non-standard gauge.Design to standard sheet gauges.
Grain direction ignored on bends.Orient bends across grain.
Cost
What it costs
Rolling makes sheet, plate, bar and structural shapes; bought as stock by weight or length, not tooled per part.
PER-PART COST vs VOLUME
Per-part cost drops as volume spreads tooling and setup over more parts. The exact figures for your part at your volume, in your currency, are in the dossier.
MODEL EST.
$1.3 to 3.1per part at 100 off
A rough ballpark only. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency, with the full breakdown.
GET THE FULL DOSSIER
Everything you need to quote and source it
The free route above is yours. To actually put a number on this process and buy it well:
Should-cost at your exact volume in 12 currencies, with the material, processing, tooling and overhead breakdown
Who to source from, typical MOQ and lead time, and the exact RFQ checklist to send
A quote checker that tells you if a supplier quote is fair, and the red flags to watch
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Rolling squeezes metal between rotating rolls to reduce thickness and set a profile, hot for heavy reduction or cold for finish and strength. The typical route is: Reheat; Roll; Cut & level; Temper/finish; Inspect. Sheet, plate, bar and structural sections in large volume.
What does Rolling cost per part?
It depends on size, tolerance and volume. As a rough ballpark it starts around $1.3 to 3.1 per part at low volume and falls with quantity. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency. Model estimates, not quotes.
What tolerance can Rolling hold?
Typically about +/-0.5 mm, tighter with extra finishing operations at higher cost.
What materials suit Rolling?
Common choices are Hot-rolled carbon steel (Cheap structural stock); Cold-rolled steel (Better finish/tolerance); Aluminium sheet 5052/6061 (Light, corrosion).
See the exact route and should-cost for your part
The free finder maps your part to its process and full route. Pro adds should-cost at your volume, sourcing and an RFQ draft.
