The following are some of the key differences in hot rolled vs cold rolled steel:

• Hot rolled steel is rolled or shaped at a high temperature while cold rolled steel is rolled at room temperature.
• Cold rolled has a smooth and shiny finish while hot rolled has a grey and scaly finish.
• Cold rolled has sharper corners and more precise dimensions than hot rolled.
• In general, cold rolled has better mechanical properties than hot rolled.
• Cold rolled is more expensive than hot rolled.

SAE steel grades
Carbon steels and alloy steels are designated a four digit number, whereby the first digit indicates the main alloying elements, the second digit indicates top grade elements, and the last two digits indicate the amount of carbon, in % of weight. For example, a 1060 steel is a plain-carbon steel containing 0.60 wt% C.