1018 Cold Finished Carbon Steel Bar
Chemical Composition
Carbon .15/.20
Manganese .60/.90
Phosphorus .04 (max.)
Sulfur .05 (max.)
Silicon .15/.35
Properties

1018 carbon steel is typically bought to meet chemistry requirements rather than physical requirements. For that reason, physical properties are generally not provided unless requested prior to production. Any material can be sent to a third party after production to be tested for physical properties.

Overall, cold-finished steel bars tend to have higher tensile and yield strength, tighter size tolerances and improves smoothness when compared to hot-finished steel.
 

General Characteristics of 1018 Cold Finished Bar

  • Easy to form, weld, machine, and fabricate
  • Can be welded without pre-heating or post-heating
  • Suitable for cold-forming
Typical Uses

Because of its high workability, machinability, and combination of most steel traits, 1018 steel is useful for creating a number of high volume machine parts, including:

  • Fasteners
  • Anchor bolts
  • Pins
  • Rods
  • Structural parts
  • Gears
  • Ratchets
  • Tool Holders

1018 CF Steel Bars

Alro stocks cold-finished 1018 carbon steel bars in flat, round, square, and hexagon shapes, making it one of the most commonly available grades in the world. Cold-finished bars (often abbreviated to CF) are produced from special hot rolled bars by providing cold drawing, turning, grinding, polishing, or by a combination of these methods

Overall, cold-finished steel bars tend to have higher tensile and yield strength, tighter size tolerances, and improved smoothness when compared to hot-finished steel. Request a quote, or call us at 888-888-2576, and we will help you find the 1018 cold finished bar that meets your project specifications.

1018 Cold Finished Bar Shape Options

Alro stocks 1018 CF carbon steel bars that are easily formed, machined, fabricated, and welded. Welding 1018 steel can be done with any standard method without pre-heating or post-heating. 1018 CF steel bars in various shapes to meet your application needs. Available 1018 CFS bar shapes include:
  • Flat
  • Round
  • Square
  • Hexagon

1018 CFS Bar Advantages

1018 cold-finished steel is a general-purpose, low-carbon steel with good case hardening qualities. It is especially suited to cold forming and bending operations. 1018 is suitable for parts that require cold forming (such as crimping, swaging, or bending). For severe bends, stress relieving may be necessary to prevent cracking. Beneficial characteristics of 1018 CF steel bars include:
  • Easy to form, weld, machine, and fabricate
  • Increased yield and tensile strength
  • Can be welded without pre-heating or post-heating
  • Suitable for cold-forming
  • No surface imperfections
  • Enhanced smoothness

What’s the Cold Finishing Process?

Cold drawing increases a bar’s yield strength and tensile strength, turning improves surface quality, grinding produces more precise tolerance ranges, and polishing further creates a smooth and attractive surface. Overall, cold finishing reduces the cross-sectional area of the hot rolled bar. CF steel bars may be harder to work with than their hot-rolled equivalents, but they make up for it with more accurate sizes, smooth surfaces, increased mechanical properties, and machinability.
Cold-finished steel bars are often mistakenly called cold-rolled steel. However, “cold rolled” only refers to actual rolled steel sheets or coils, while the same process results in cold finished bars. Cold finishing may incorporate one or more of the following processes:
  • Cold drawing
  • Grinding
  • Polishing
  • Cold rolling