How does the rolling industry work?

Rolling production is an integral part of the metallurgical industry, which creates a wide range of metal products, from sheets and bars to pipes and beams. This type of production is based on the rolling process, in which metal is compressed and thinned between the rotating rollers of rolling mills. In this article, we will look at the main stages of rolling, the features of rolling mills, and the importance of rolling in the metallurgical industry.

Features of rolling production

Rolling production has a number of features that make it important and in demand in the metallurgical industry:

1. High performance. Rolling equipment is capable of processing large volumes of metal in a short time, which makes it possible to quickly and efficiently produce various types of rolled products.
2. Efficient production. Rolling is a relatively cheap method of producing metal products compared to other methods such as casting or powder metallurgy.
3. A wide range of products. Rolling equipment can produce various types of metal products that differ in size, shape and characteristics, which makes it versatile and in demand on the market.
4. Production flexibility. Rolling equipment is easily configured to produce products of various types and sizes, which makes it possible to adapt the production process to the specific needs of the customer.
5. High quality products. Rolling equipment provides increased accuracy and quality of metal processing, which makes it possible to produce products with high strength and other characteristics.

Rolling is the most common method of forming metal under pressure. The amount of rolled metal products produced by metallurgical enterprises is one of the most important estimates of the level of development of the metallurgical industry in the country.

Rolling production process

The rolling process is the sequential compression and stretching of metal using rotating rollers. It takes place on special devices called rolling mills. The rolling scheme is shown in Figure 1, where:

• N is the initial thickness of the workpiece;
• h is the distance between the rollers, as well as the thickness of the workpiece after passing between the rollers of the rolling mill.

Figure 1 - Rolling scheme

Rolling process: main steps

The first stage: preparation 

At the initial stage, semi-finished metal products are fed between the rotating rollers of the mill. The workpiece can have different shapes and sizes, but during processing, its length increases and its height decreases.

The second stage: rolling

It is carried out by compressing the metal between rotating rollers. This results in a change in the size and shape of the workpiece. The degree of compression is determined by the formula (H-h) /H• 100%.

The third stage: product formation

As a result of the rolling process, the metal takes on a new shape and size. Depending on the configuration of the rolling mill and the process parameters, it is possible to obtain various types of rolled products: pipes, sheets, tapes, rods and others.

Types and features of rolling mills

A device in which metal is crushed and thinned by rolling it between rotating rollers is called a stand. The rolling mill consists of several stands that are equipped with specialized auxiliary devices and are interconnected.

Rolling mills differ in their design and purpose. The main types of rolling mills include:

• sheet rolling — designed for the production of sheet material;
• pipe-rolling plants — specialize in the production of pipes;
• rolled products — used for the production of bars, beams and strips;
• rail-dogs — designed for the manufacture of rails and beams;
• special — adapted for the production of specific types of products.

Depending on the condition in which the metal being processed is located, mills can be either hot or cold rolled.

Cold-rolled and hot-rolled steel

PZPS equipped with a unique hot-rolling strip mill with a capacity of up to 600 tons per month of hot-rolled strip with a width of 80 mm to 250 mm and a thickness of 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm. At the request of the customer, a hot-rolled strip with a thickness of up to 16 mm can be produced.

PZPS is also equipped with high-performance cold rolling mills with a capacity of up to 600 tons per month.

The thickness of the sheets distinguishes:

• thin sheet metal — up to 4 mm;
• thick — more than 4 mm.

PZPS can produce thin sheet metal in the thickness required by the customer. It is also possible production especially thin (micron) tape up to 5 microns thick. To order and purchase hot-rolled and cold-rolled strip and sheets of the required dimensions, please call +7 (812) 740-76—55 or leave requests on the site. Our staff will contact you and answer all your questions in detail.

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