Metal billets, slabs and blooms are large, massive blocks or rounds that are produced from a primary metal or during a recycling process. They are used as raw materials or feedstock in extrusion, forging, rolling, and other metal-processing operations. Metal billets are round, rectangular, or hexagonal ingots or cast, semi-finished stock with a cross-section that is suitable for secondary processing. Billets are sometimes called bar stock, and are sold as cut-lengths or coil. Metal slabs are flat, semi-finished, rolled ingots with a specific width and cross-dimensional section. They can be produced as ingots or through continuous-casting, a process that eliminates the need for primary mills and water-cooled moulds. Metal blooms are large, square sections that represent an intermediate step in the rolling process. Rolling passes metal billets, slabs and blooms between rolls that revolve at the same peripheral speed and in opposite directions.