Rolling of Metals

Mr. Jay Vora

Faculty,
School of Technology,
PDPU, Gandhinagar
Introduction
 Definition of Rolling : The
process of plastically deforming
metal by passing it between
rolls.
 Rolling is the most widely used
forming process, which
provides high production and
close control of final
product.
 The metal is subjected to high
compressive stresses as a
result of the friction between
the rolls and the Rolling
process metal surface.
Typical arrangement of rollers
Four-high mill
Two-high mill pullover Small-diameter rolls (less
The stock is returned to strength &
the entrance for further rigidity) are supported by
reduction. larger-diameter backup
rolls

Two-high mill reversing

The work can be passed
back and forth through the
rolls by reversing their Cluster mill or
direction of rotation. Sendzimir mill
Each of the work
rolls is supported
by two backing
Three-high mill rolls.
Consist of upper and
lower driven rolls and
a middle roll, which
rotates by friction.
Continuous Rolling
 Use a series of rolling mill and
each set is called a stand.
 The strip will be moving at
different velocities at each
stage in the mill.
 The uncoiler and windup reel
not only feed the stock into
the rolls and coiling up
 the final product but also
provide back tension and front
tension to the strip.
 Planetary Mill
 Consist of a pair of heavy backing rolls surrounded by a large
number of planetary rolls.
 Each planetary roll gives an almost constant reduction to the
slab as it sweeps out a circular path between the backing rolls
and the slab.
 As each pair of planetary rolls ceases to have contact with the
work piece, another pair of rolls makes contact and repeat that
reduction.
 The overall reduction is the summation of a series of small
reductions by each pair of rolls.
 The operation requires feed rolls to introduce the slab into the
mill, and a pair of planishing rolls on the exit to improve the
surface finish.
 Types of rolling
 Continuous rolling
 Transverse rolling
 Shaped rolling or section rolling
 Ring rolling

 On basis of temperature
 Hot Rolling
 Cold rolling
Conventional hot or cold-rolling
 The objective is to decrease the
thickness of the metal with an
increase in length and with little
increase in width.
 The material in the centre of the
sheet is constrained in the z
direction (across the width of the
sheet) and the constraints of
undeformed shoulders of material on
each side of the rolls prevent
extension of the sheet in the width
direction.
 This condition is known as plane
strain. The material therefore gets
longer and not wider.
 Otherwise we would need the width
of a football pitch to roll down a steel
ingot to make tin plate!
Transverse rolling
 Using circular wedge
rolls.
 Heated bar is cropped to
length and fed in
transversely between
rolls.
 Rolls are revolved in one
direction.
Shaped rolling or section rolling
 A special type of cold rolling in
which flat slap is progressively bent into
complex shapes by passing it through a
series of driven rolls.
 No appreciable change in the
 thickness of the metal during this
process.
 Suitable for producing moulded
sections such as irregular shaped
channels and trim.
 Ring Rolling
 The donut shape preform is placed between a free turning
inside roll and a driven outside roll.
 The ring mills make the section thinner while increasing the ring
Diameter.
 Hot Rolling
 Forming of metals at a temperature above the re-crystallization
temperature and below melting pint temperature.

 Uses the metal deformation property: their ability to flow

plastically in the solid-state without accompanying deterioration of
properties.

 Advantages:
 Porosity in metal is largely eliminated.
 Impurities in the form of inclusions are broken up and
distributed thought the metal.
 Coarse grains are refined; Physical properties improved.
 Energy required to change shape is less.
 Good Machinability and weldability; Ready to use products
 Rapid oxidation and scaling of the surface accompanying the
poor surface finish. (Disadvantage!)
 Hot Rolling
 Changes in the grain structure of cast or of large-grain wrought
metals during hot rolling. Hot rolling is an effective way to
reduce grain size in metals for improved strength and ductility.
Cast structures of ingots or continuous castings are converted
to a wrought structure by hot working
 Cold Rolling
 Working on metals at a temperature below the re-
crystallization temperature, usually at room temp.
 Distorts the grain and does little towards reducing
the size of material.
 Improves strength, machinability, dimensional
accuracy and surface finish of metals.
 Lesser oxidation and scaling cold working allows
thinner sheets to be worked accurately.
 Many processes and equipments are used for both
hot and cold work, but forces required are different.
 Much more Pressure is needed than hot working
and there is no recovery of the distortion (Residual
Stress).
 Deformation is brought by distortion of lattice about
slip planes.
 Cold rolling
Advantages and limitations:
 Many products are cold finished after hot working
to make them commercially acceptable, close to
tolerance and remove the scales and oxides.
 Strength and hardness increases, loss in ductility.
 Stresses are setup in metals that remains unless
removed by subsequent heat treatment.
 Distortion and fragmentation of grain structure is
created.
 Process is economical and rapidly produces parts
in mass productions.
 Pressure Distribution in Rolling

Pressure distribution as a
function of front and back
Pressure distribution in Pressure distribution in the tension in rolling. Note the
the roll gap as a roll gap as a function of shifting of the neutral point
function of the reduction in thickness. Note and the reduction in the
coefficient of friction. the increase in the area area under the curves
Note that as friction under the curves with (hence reduction in the roll
increases, the neutral increasing reduction, thus force) as tensions
point shifts toward the increasing the roll force. increase.
entry.
Fundamental concept of metal rolling
1) The arc of contact between the rolls and
the metal is a part of a circle.
2) The coefficient of friction, μ, is constant in
theory, but in reality μ varies along the arc
of contact.
3) The metal is considered to deform
plastically during rolling.
4) The volume of metal is constant before and
after rolling. In practical the volume might
decrease a little bit due to close-up of
pores.
5) The velocity of the rolls is assumed to be
constant.
6) The metal only extends in the rolling
direction and no extension in the width of
the material.
7) The cross sectional area normal to the
rolling direction is not distorted.
Product of Rolling