- Commercial cold rolled steel is defined as Commercial Steel (CS) Type B. Automotive companies commonly use this steel in the manufacture of automotive parts requiring basic bending and uncomplicated forming. Normally, these metal parts are not exposed on the outer surfaces of vehicles due to the metal's susceptibility to denting. Examples include truck bed floors, floor pans, truck cab backs and other parts requiring simple forms. Companies manufacture CS steel with a low amount of carbon, so it is capable of being bent flat onto itself at room temperature. It is sensitive to aging, which can result in stretcher strains, which are abnormal markings that appear at the point where the steel is bent or formed. This type of steel is easily welded. CS grade steel can suffer from increased hardness and decreased ductility. Ductility is the steel's ability to be deformed without fracturing, which decreases as the metal ages.
- Cold rolled steel categorized as drawing steel is manufactured with higher ductility compared to commercial steel. The drawing of steel is a process of forming parts from a sheet of metal by sending it through a die and a punch. This type of steel is designated as Drawing Steel (DS) Type B. Other classifications of drawing steel include Deep-Drawing and Extra Deep-Drawing Steel. These different types of steel provide greater amounts of ductility and are used in accordance with the drawing depth required to manufacture certain parts. Automotive companies often use a type of drawing steel to manufacture parts such as hoods, body sides and roofs.
- High-Strength, Low-Alloy steel (HSLA) is stronger than cold rolled steel commercial and drawing types. This allows companies to manufacture steel parts with less thickness, reducing the weight of a part while still maintaining its strength. HSLA steel is often manufactured with copper, silicon, phosphorus or other elements added to the metal to aid in corrosion protection. This type of steel is generally less expensive than cold rolled commercial and drawing steel. Common HSLA steel applications include automotive steering and suspension parts, bumpers and wheels. In addition, it is often used in the manufacture of construction vehicles, offshore oil and gas drilling rigs, railroad cars, ships and electrical transmission towers.
- In addition to metal sheets, cold rolled steel is manufactured in strips, plates, various structural shapes and special shapes and an array of bar-type shapes.
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