What are the main characteristics of compact rolling mills?
Compact hot rolling mills are known for their high rolling reduction. Their main characteristics are as follows:
- The spacing between mill stands is small. The preceding mill pushes the workpiece into the subsequent one, achieving forced nibbling and enabling large rolling reduction.
- A typical mill train consists of 4, 5, or 6 stands arranged in an H/V (horizontal/vertical) alternating configuration.
- Each roll barrel is designed for a single pass pattern (or flat roll single-pass rolling).
- Due to the application of a large press-down force, this type of mill can save one or two mill stands compared to conventional two-roll mills under the same rolling conditions.
- The mill stands use a short-stress-line structure or a cantilever roll design.
- Because of the large reduction per pass, improper adjustment can easily lead to steel pile-up between stands, making this type of mill less convenient for adjustment and accident handling.
- Each mill stand is driven independently and uses high-precision transmission control. The rolling process involves no twisting and requires no loopers.
