Generally three different kinds of rolling processes are used. The old standard process is hot rolling at high final temperatures followed by heat treatment. More modern processes are normalising and thermomechanical rolling. All rolling processes require a uniformly heated slab when leaving the furnace.

The old fashioned process is hot rolling at high temperatures. The slab is rolled to the final dimension without any interruption. The deformation takes place in the recrystallisation range. The plates are cooled in still air after rolling.

This condition is called “as rolled” and characterised by a fairly coarse grain structure. The grain size is adjusted in a subsequent heat treatment, normalising or quenching and tempering.