C1018 Cold Drawn Steel

C1018 has low carbon content and relatively high manganese content, while also consisting of trace amounts of iron, phosphorous, and sulfur. The low carbon content makes 1018 a soft steel, but the manganese content, not present in other soft steels like C1020, gives it a harder and more uniform casing. Nevertheless, the low carbon content makes C1018 ideal for machining purposes, especially once it has been cold drawn.

Raw pieces of steel are typically shaped into rods or sheets in preparation for using them in manufacturing. To do this, the steel is first cleaned of all iron oxide, or scale, that has coated the surface. The steel rods, while still hot, are passed through a die – a narrow aperture through which the steel is pulled – resulting in bars that are the same diameter as the opening of the die. The whole process is conducted at room temperature, leading to the moniker “cold drawn.” This process results in varying sizes and shapes of steel, from round or square to customized rods or sheets.

Cold drawing is a method used to increase yield, tensile, and hardness of metal. It also increases the surface hardness of the steel, as well as its resistance to wear and tear. The downside to cold drawing is that it reduces the ductility of the steel, making it somewhat more difficult to work. Fortunately, C1018 has such high workability to begin with that this does not have significant negative effects.

Because of the hardness that the manganese gives to the finished steel and the workability resulting from the low carbon content, C1018 cold drawn steel is most commonly used to make carburized parts. These range in size and type, from gears and ratchets to pins, dowels, and machine parts. Any application requiring steel of no great strength can be handled by C1018, and parts that need threading, drilling, punching, or similar forms of machining are often made from this material.

The high workability of C1018 also means it is easy to weld and cut. It can be welded by most known welding processes and produces very high quality welds and joints. For carburized pieces, it must be specifically heated so the core remains relatively soft while the case is hard. The high levels of manganese make this process easier for 1018 cold drawn steel, hardening the case more than the low carbon content would allow on its own.

Bergsen Metals offers C1018 in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, and we are capable of shipping it anywhere in the U.S. We carry 1018 in stock, saving time on shipping and getting the steel to you as quickly as possible.

C1018 Round Cold Drawn Carbon Steel
C1018 Square Cold Drawn Carbon Steel
C1018 Cold Drawn Carbon Steel Flats
C1018 Cold Drawn Carbon Steel Hex