Why Edge Rolling and Conditioning Matter

Nobody, and I mean nobody, wants to get caught on a raw or ragged edge of metal. For all of its uses and applications, metal requires care during handling. After it's cut or sheared, metal material can be left with sharp, uneven edges. These edges can easily scratch or cut handlers, and it can also be difficult to feed through machines for processing. Edge rolling and conditioning effectively eliminates these issues. 

You, like every other business out there, are trying to constantly gain efficiency and increase productivity. This is crucial in just about any industry, metal manufacturing included. By providing edge rolling and conditioning services, that's exactly what we do. Sheet metal edge rolling results in a cleaner edge, meaning you'll receive a more consistent product that moves through machines more efficiently. 

EDGE CONDITIONING SERVICES

Here at Mead Metals, stainless steel edge rolling and deburring is one of our value-added services. Our edge rolling capacity is 1/2" to 10" wide. For edge conditioning, here are the standard AISI edges:

No. 1 Round Edge: Approximate radius equal to 1/2 the metal product's thickness.

No. 2 Mill Edge: A naturally formed hot rolled or cold rolled edge.

No. 3 Slit Edge: Approximate square edge, slitting burr intact.

No. 4 Round-Cornered Edge: Rounded edge, slitting fracture may be visible.

No. 5 Deburred Edge: A safety edge - basically the No. 3 edge with the slitting burr rolled over.

No. 6 Square Edge: Square with radial corners, slitting fracture may be visible. 

Benefits of Metal Coil Edge Rolling

Edge rolling metal products have plenty of benefits. These include: 

• Removing sharp, dangerous burrs
• Creating consistent product
• Producing smooth edges
• Increasing safe handling
• Reducing liability

While manually removing the edge burr (using hand-held tools) was once a time-intensive process for many shops that resulted in uneven edges, edge conditioning machines make this process quick and consistent. 

How to Roll Sheet Metal Edges

Through a rolling process, sharp edges and imperfections along the edge of metal material are removed. These edges and imperfections oftentimes result from cutting and slitting. Although edge rolling was a manual process for many years, now there are machines capable of automating the process. The process produces a radiused edge that results in a safer, more uniform product. And a uniform product is much easier to fabricate. 

Why It Matters

Properly conditioned sheet metal keeps you safe during handling, produces fresh-looking metal products, and prepares them for smoother, more precise processing. For these reasons, edge rolled metal material is a cut above the rest.

Our Mead Metals staff is all about providing you with the best quality. We're here to help you order the correct edge conditioning for your metal product and project. 

Note: This post was originally published on December 14, 2018 and has been updated to contain additional relevant information.