Hot-rolled sheets

What hot-rolled sheets are

Hot-rolled steel is produced by rolling above the material’s recrystallisation temperature. This makes it easier to form and allows greater thicknesses to be achieved in a single pass than cold rolling.

The material arrives from the steel mill as a coil. On our cut-to-length line, we uncoil, level and cut it into sheets in the dimensions you need. You receive sheets prepared for your production rather than a fixed stock format.

It is the most widely used type of structural steel, offering good weldability, good formability and a favourable strength-to-cost ratio.

Properties and surface

In its untreated state, the surface of hot-rolled sheet is covered in mill scale, a thin oxide layer formed during rolling. This is acceptable for structural applications but can interfere with painting, galvanising or bonding.

We can therefore brush the sheets on request. Rotary brushes remove mill scale, surface oxidation and fine burrs, leaving a clean, uniform surface.

We supply levelled material with reduced residual stress. This is particularly important if you will laser-cut parts from the sheet: the sheet stays flat during cutting and the part retains its shape afterwards.

Grades we supply

Structural grades S235 and S355 are the most common choice for welded structures and engineering components. The DD11 to DD14 range is designed for cold forming, making it suitable for sheets that will be bent or pressed. High-strength grades S420MC to S700MC allow thinner, lighter sheets to be used for the same load-bearing capacity.

Material in this category is generally supplied to EN 10025-2 (structural grades), EN 10111 (grades for cold forming) and EN 10149-2 (high-strength grades). EN 10051 covers dimensional and shape tolerances for sheets cut from wide strip. We include a mill test certificate with every delivery.

Dimensions we supply

We cut material from 2 to 15 mm thick. The incoming coil can be up to 2,000 mm wide, and sheet length can be up to 12,000 mm. Our largest finished format is therefore 2,000 × 12,000 mm.

You choose the length. The length tolerance when cutting from coils is ±1 mm.

For thicknesses above 15 mm, we supply quarto plates from 15 to 300 mm thick. These are supplied without further cutting, in the dimensions received from the steel mill. You can find them among our other products.

How we process sheets before delivery

Hot-rolled sheets are the only material in our range that we process in full, from coil to finished sheet.

• Cut-to-length of coils We uncoil the material and cut it into sheets to the exact length you need. More about cut-to-length
• LaserShear levelling We remove residual stress so the sheet retains its shape after cutting. More about levelling
• Cutting sheets to size We shear finished sheets into smaller formats to your specification. More about cutting to size

Surface treatment and packaging

• Surface brushing Rotary brushes remove mill scale, surface oxidation, fine burrs and dust. The sheet is better prepared for cutting, welding and painting.
• VCI film wrapping Anti-corrosion film protects the material during storage and transport, without oil or wax.
• Transport Our site has a railway siding and lorry access. We deliver across Slovakia and to neighbouring countries.

Where hot-rolled sheets are used

This is the most versatile structural material. Its most common uses include:

• welded steel structures and load-bearing frames,
• engineering components and welded assemblies,
• tanks, hoppers and pressure vessels,
• automotive components,
• industrial racking and storage systems,
• bent sections and tubes.

If you laser-cut parts from the sheets, let us know. We will recommend an appropriate levelling option to help you avoid time spent calibrating your machine.