Short answer: The processing route decides how your coil becomes usable material. Cut-to-length (开平) levels the coil and shears flat sheets for panels and blanks; slitting (纵剪) cuts the coil into multiple narrow strips for roll-to-roll feeding. Full-width coil leaves the cutting to you. Match the route to how your line actually consumes material, because yield, tolerance and cost all change with it.
For 2 mm and thinner cold rolled stainless steel, the decision is about downstream use: architectural panels and stamped blanks want flat sheets or sheets, while cookware, stamping and forming lines want narrow slit strip in consistent coil form. This guide lays out the three routes and what each confirms.
Quick Comparison
| Route | Output | Best for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-width coil | Coil, unprocessed | High-volume shearing/stamping in-house | You own cutting, yield and stock |
| Cut-to-length (开平) | Flat sheets / blanks | Panels, blanks, cut parts | Leveling + shearing conversion cost |
| Slitting (纵剪) | Narrow strip coils | Roll-to-roll forming / stamping | Width tolerance and edge/burr control |
Pick by consumption pattern: continuous narrow feeding favors slitting, discrete panels or blanks favor cut-to-length, and a heavy in-house shear line favors full-width coil.
What Buyers Should Evaluate
- Slitting: confirm width tolerance, burr, camber and coil set, since these control feeding and stamping downstream.
- Cut-to-length: confirm squareness, length and length tolerance, and flatness after leveling.
- Full-width coil: confirm gauge profile across the width and packing so you recover yield when you shear.
Before ordering processed sizes, see how coil, sheet, plate and strip relate, and check the slitting tolerances for burr and camber that apply to your strip widths.
Common Purchasing Mistakes
- Ordering full-width coil for a line that really feeds narrow strip, then buying extra slitting anyway.
- Buying “sheets” without stating cut-to-length squareness and tolerance, then re-shearing every panel.
- Ignoring burr and camber on slit strip, then chasing stamping defects in the die.
State the consumption pattern (panels, blanks, or narrow roll feed) and let the supplier propose the coil width and route that minimize total cost per good part.
Recommended RFQ Wording
State grade, surface (2B/BA), gauge with tolerance, and the route — full-width coil, cut-to-length flat sheets (width × length, squareness and tolerance), or slit strip (widths, counts per coil, burr/camber limits) — quantity, certificate type (EN 10204 3.1), and destination.
If you need both sheets and slit strips, ask the supplier to balance the base coil width so trim loss is minimized across the combined order.
How Still Steel Supports the Project
Still Steel supplies cold rolled stainless steel coil up to 2 mm and provides cut-to-length (开平), slitting and surface finishing, so you receive flat sheets and slit widths sized, leveled and trimmed from one source. Share your sizes and how your line feeds with vip@still-steel.com, or discuss by WhatsApp.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between cut-to-length and slitting?
Cut-to-length (开平) feeds a coil through a leveler and shears it into flat sheets of a set length and width. Slitting (纵剪) cuts a full-width coil into several narrower strips of the same length as the coil. Choose cut-to-length for panels and blanks, and slitting when you need many narrow roll-to-roll widths.
When should I buy full-width coil instead of processed sizes?
Full-width coil suits buyers who shear or stamp thousands of parts themselves at high volume, so they control the cutting. It is usually the most efficient per tonne, but it moves shearing, yield and inventory responsibility to your operation.
Does the processing route change the price per tonne?
Yes. Full-width coil is usually cheapest per tonne; cut-to-length and slitting add leveling, shearing and yield losses as a conversion cost. Buying processed sizes saves your own machinery and scrap, which often offsets the conversion premium.
Technical References
- EN 10088-2 flat products: dimensional and shape tolerances
- Eurofer and coil processing best practice guidance
Reference documents support general processing principles. The final processing route must follow the applicable contract, standard and engineering review for the specific product.