Frequently Asked Questions

A roll former — also called a roll forming machine, and known colloquially as a rollformer, metal former, steel roller, or steel former — is the broad category of equipment that progressively shapes coiled flat steel through a series of paired rollers, using mechanical pressure alone and without the application of heat, to produce a continuous profile with a fixed cross-section. Roll formers are used across many industries and can be configured for an enormous variety of cold-formed products: light-gauge stud and track, standing seam roof panels, Z-purlins, resilient channels, composite floor deck, guttering, and many others. On their own, however, they typically just extrude the profile and cut it to a set length. The machine itself has no knowledge of where each piece will end up in a finished building.

A steel framing machine — sometimes called a steel framing roll former, a CFS roll former, or a light-gauge steel framing machine — is a subset of roll former, and represents the more advanced end of the category. It goes well beyond simply rolling out a shape: it integrates additional in-line tooling and fabricates each member with the full 3D assembly of a building in mind. Service and plumbing holes are pre-punched, screw locations are dimpled, members are notched and swaged, part numbers and orientation marks are embossed, and every element is cut to its exact engineered length and produced in the sequence required for assembly. This level of capability is only possible because the machine is tied to CNC controls and to computer-aided integrations of engineering, design, and detailing software for light-gauge steel framing — so the digital model of the building drives the machine directly, eliminating manual measuring, marking, and lay-out jigs.

Within Scottsdale’s range of machines, the Scotpanel and Scottruss platforms are widely considered industry-leading steel framing machines (or steel framing roll formers), purpose-built for panelised wall, floor, ceiling, roof, and truss production. The KFS Framemaker and KFD Framemaker can be configured and deployed either as full steel framing machines or as straightforward roll formers, depending on the operator’s business model. Notably — and unlike most equipment on the market — the KFD Framemaker, when deployed as a steel framing machine with Scottsdale’s software integrations, enables true panelisation of interior partitions and curtainwall framing, not just the bulk production of loose drywall stud and track. The KSE family sits firmly on the roll former side of the spectrum, covering auxiliary and specialty roll forming applications outside of conventional framing — including standing seam roof panel roll formers, resilient and furring channel roll formers, SSR panel seamers, and the FrameExtend24 (FE24) telescoping stud device, which swages one stud so it can be inserted into another to form a field-adjustable telescoping assembly or a box-section column.

In practice, the steel framing machine configuration is generally favoured by developers, homebuilders, general contractors, dedicated steel framing contractors, and increasingly by partition and curtainwall panelisers — operators whose end product is an assembled structure or assembly and who therefore benefit from design-driven, ready-to-assemble output. The plain roll former configuration is often acceptable to building material suppliers who sell loose stud and track in bulk, and to specialty contractors whose work is stick-built on site and doesn’t require the integrated fabrication intelligence of a true steel framing machine.

This video provides a brief overview of how steel-framing machine systems work.  This article provides insight into various machines enabling distinction between steel framing machines and traditional roll formers.

Cold-formed steel designates the type of building material, or more specifically framing and decking members, created by mechanically forming flat sheets or plates of metal into a finished member, such as an angle, tube, C-channel, U-channel, Z-purlin, composite deck, through-fastened roof panel, etc.  Cold-formed steel involves a wide array of industries and products that can reach up to 1 inch (25 mm) in thickness.

Light-gauge steel is a subset of cold-formed steel involving thinner material, typically of up to 12 Ga. (0.105 in., 2.7 mm) in thickness, used primarily in repetitive load-bearing and non-load bearing framing, such as panelized roofs, floors, truss assemblies, and other types of framing in residential and commercial construction.

• Low Capital Cost Equipment – therefore it’s financially easy to get into production
• Only one section profile for each profile width – so only one coil width is required. Even the truss coil width is the same as the 90mm coil width
• Our wall Panel machines are Single Phase, so only a normal clean power supply is required. The truss rollformers are 3-phase.
• The rollformer is easily transportable, extrude on site if required
• Single operator, no IT skills or steel rolling experience required
• ScotSteel design software is powerful and leading edge easy-to-use intuitive software, allowing freedom of design and architectural style is virtually unlimited
• Very few tools required
• No manual measuring, cutting, drilling or lay-out production jigs required
• All elements are extruded according to the design, production mistakes are virtually eliminated
• Low cost semi-skilled production and assembly labour – easy to train
• Very low wastage
• Flexibility – use the unique Scottsdale panel ceiling & roof solution or the Scottsdale trusses, whichever is better suited to the application and environment

With over 50 different advanced roll-forming platforms, Scottsdale offers solutions for the widest array of application in the industry, including:

• Residential single-family steel homes,
• Multi-family developments of up to 8 stories in height,
• Educational facilities including high-school and college buildings,
• Non-load bearing curtainwalls in commercial and residential framing,
• Stud and track supply,
• Fully engineered steel truss packages for roof and floor framing,
• Containerized on-site factories,
• Modular and panelized construction,
• Tiny homes,
• Agricultural facilities,
• Utility sheds,
• Factories, and much more.

Some of the common applications can be explored in our LGS Compendium.

• Service and plumbing holes are automatically pre-punched
• No “nail pops” in plasterboard cladding
• Steel framing is precise and square making insertion of Door and Windows frames easier. Door & window frames will not distort, eliminating jamming
• Packing of battens to obtain a flat ceiling is not required (using our unique panel ceiling and roof solution)

Typically, a 3-man team can erect all the frames, including wall, ceiling and roof panels in approximately 3 days.

• Compressor – typically a 15 CFM single phase compressor is sufficient
• Rivet gun/s
• Manual tin snips or electric/pneumatic nibblers
• Lip flattener (supplied)
• Erecting frames is easy, only a cordless screw gun/drill is required – frames are screwed together using self drilling Tek screws

• Unlike many systems, the Scottsdale system is not a “produce for stock” system. As the elements come out of the rollformer they are immediately assembled and riveted together.
• Our rollformers can produce elements faster than most fabrication teams can assemble them.
• In terms of raw line speed the panelised machines can run at 1000m plus per hour. Normal production speed is between 200-600 m per hour depending on what elements are being produced. However, the machine can run faster than a team of three to four men can assemble the frames

• Steel has the highest strength to weight ratio
• 100% Termite, rodent, borer and dry-rot proof
• No Splitting
• No Warping
• No Cracking
• No Rotting
• Dimensionally stable
• Stronger connection – no nails
• Straighter Walls, squarer cornersLighter than timber frames, less load on foundations and concrete slab
• No calls backs
• Steel is the most recycled material in the world
• Lower transport costs due to lightweight frames
• No lifting equipment required to erect ceiling and roof panels
• Completed panels are substantially lighter than timber, 1 man can easily carry a 3m x 2.4m high wall panel

• Steel frames will not bur
• Lightning will not affect a steel framed house more than a timber one, as steel creates a positive earth. Lightning energy is conducted straight to the ground
• No chemical treatments as is the case with timber frames
• Each structure is a fully engineered

Scottsdale is dedicated to providing the highest level of support to our customers. We provide comprehensive training & support and backup from initial production setup.  Our global internet-based Request For Service (RFS) platform allows customers to log both machine and software support enquiries 24 hours a day. We aim to turn around responses within 24 hours to ensure that assistance is available whenever needed and your production never halts.