Cold working is the materials engineering technique of deforming a metal below its recrystallization temperature, typically at or near room temperature, by processes such as rolling, drawing, bending or forging, to change its shape while also increasing its strength and hardness through a mechanism called strain hardening. Because the metal is not heated to the point where its grain structure recrystallizes, cold working leaves the material harder and less ductile than the same process performed hot, and it also produces a smoother surface finish and tighter dimensional tolerances. Cold-rolled steel sheet and cold-drawn wire are common products of the technique.
Facts
Core PrincipleCold working shapes a metal by deforming it below its recrystallization temperature, usually near room temperature, which changes its form while also raising its strength. 1 FAQs
Why does cold working make a metal stronger?
Deformation fills the crystal lattice with dislocations, which resist further atomic movement.
Plastic deformation introduces a high number of dislocations within the crystal lattice of the metal. These dislocations restrict further atomic movement when more force is applied, so the material offers greater resistance to deformation. The result is increased yield strength and improved mechanical performance.
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Sources
1. Cold Working (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationLead section
In metallurgy, cold forming or cold working is any metalworking process in which metal is shaped below its recrystallization temperature, usually at the ambient temperature at or near room temperature.
In Field: Materials Engineering, Introduction
In metallurgy, cold forming or cold working is any metalworking process in which metal is shaped below its recrystallization temperature, usually at the ambient temperature at or near room temperature.
In Group: Metal Heat Treatment and Powder Methods, Introduction
In metallurgy, cold forming or cold working is any metalworking process in which metal is shaped below its recrystallization temperature, usually at the ambient temperature at or near room temperature.
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