Külmtöödeldud

Külmtöödeldud, meaning cold-worked in Estonian, refers to a process of deforming metal or other materials at or near room temperature. This contrasts with hot working, where the material is heated above its recrystallization temperature. Cold working is typically performed through processes such as rolling, drawing, forging, stamping, and extrusion.

The primary advantage of cold working is the significant improvement in the material's mechanical properties. It leads to increased tensile strength, yield strength, and hardness due to strain hardening. This also results in a smoother surface finish and tighter dimensional tolerances compared to hot-worked materials. However, cold working also reduces the material's ductility and can introduce residual stresses.

Common applications for cold-worked materials include fasteners, automotive parts, wires, sheets, and structural components where high strength and precision are required. The specific cold working process chosen depends on the material, desired shape, and the required properties. Examples include cold-drawn steel bars used for precision shafts and cold-rolled steel sheets for car bodies. While it enhances strength, it often necessitates annealing or other heat treatments to relieve internal stresses and restore some ductility if further forming is needed.