Cost Factors to Consider When Purchasing Rolled Products
Ryan Hernden
Discover the key cost factors for purchasing rolled metal products. Learn how to optimize your project costs with expert tips from MMC Roll Forming.
Discover the key cost factors for purchasing rolled metal products. Learn how to optimize your project costs with expert tips from MMC Roll Forming.
Rolling is one of the best forming processes for making complex, profiled metal parts like those used in store fixtures, trucks and trailers, solar panel installations, and electrical cabinets. The process involves putting a profile into a flat strip via a roll forming mill. Overall, the process offers many benefits, among them versatility, consistency, speed, and cost-effectiveness.
Like any manufacturing process, many people have questions about what influences cost. Although the process itself is cost-effective compared to other methods, there are certain factors that can increase or decrease cost. In this blog, we’ll explore what some of those factors are.
A significant cost factor for roll forming is the rolls (called tooling) used to create a specific geometry. These are turned from large steel billets, then ground and hardened.
The number of rolls needed depends on the bends and deformation required, plus the hardness of the strip material. Forming a more complex geometry requires more passes, meaning more pairs of rolls. Tools may also be needed to put holes or notches at the pre-punch station.
Tooling costs can be reduced by simplifying part geometry and using tools already available in inventory. However, this can lead to other finishing operations being needed, which will slow down the lead time, result in significant scrap rates, and potentially complicate final product assembly.
In short, tooling for custom roll forming is an investment, but it can be worth it depending on how many products you need.
In-line services include punching, notching, embossing/texturing, and even secondary bending or curving. It’s almost always cheaper and easier to do operations like these on the mill than as secondary or finishing operations.
Other value-added services like cutting to length and welding add some cost, mainly because they need more handling. When assessing whether these are worth asking for, consider what it will cost to perform them later.
Larger quantities need more material and mill time, which pushes up total costs. However, piece costs fall dramatically as tooling costs and set-up time are spread over more pieces. For these reasons, roll forming is best suited to larger quantity requirements.
Ferrous and non-ferrous materials are suitable for roll forming, although hardness, springback, and tendency to work harden are all factors to consider. Aluminum and steel are the most widely used, but before picking one of these, consider if selecting another material for roll forming would benefit the project.
Hard-to-form materials, like stainless steel, can require more passes, which will increase tooling costs. However, this can also avoid the cost of adding corrosion protection.
Material costs can be minimized by choosing an alloy that the rolling company already buys in bulk. Choosing a lesser-used alloy, like copper, for example, will be considerably more expensive, but this should be viewed in the context of product appearance and function.
The shortest lead time from RFQ to delivery is achieved by adapting the part’s design to use tooling already available. If a design needs custom tools, this initial lead time will be considerably longer.
Generally, standard delivery times can be improved if needed, but customers should anticipate paying a premium for the additional costs and disruption involved. To minimize delivery costs, discuss requirements with the chosen roll forming business before placing an order.
Other factors affecting lead time and delivery include adding protective coatings or packaging and breaking orders into smaller, more frequent shipments.
Additional inspection and quality checks can be performed as needed, but doing so will increase costs. A situation where this might be worthwhile is when appearance is a high priority, and it’s critical to avoid surface blemishes.
Tolerances applied to roll-formed products transfer to the tolerances needed on tooling: tighter product tolerances require tighter tolerances on these rolls, which inevitably increases cost.
MMC Roll Forming has over four decades of experience manufacturing custom metal roll-formed pieces for a wide range of applications. We specialize in handling extended lengths and providing high-quality finishes, and we even have an extensive inventory of tooling in various shapes that are accessible to our customers for free.
If you’re curious about how much your products will cost, the best way to find out is by requesting a free project analysis. We look forward to hearing from you!