A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF STEEL ROLLING MILL PROCESS

This write up explains the rolling mill processes for the production of Iron rods (Rebar) and Wire rod
(Wire coil). It is important to note that both products have a common process which involves assembling
the already cast billets on the Billet Chain Table from which they move to the Billet Roller Conveyor. The
billets are then conveyed to the furnace Charging Table using a Hydraulic Pusher. The Soaking and
Heating zones of the furnace ensures the billets are heated up to specific range of temperatures before
getting to the discharge area where they are pushed out of the furnace using a Discharging Device. The
heated billets are rolled unto the Roller Table using a Pinch Roller. At the roller table, they are either
received (rolled unto the Roughing Mill - RM stands (if there is no miss-roll i.e. everything is fine) or
rejected (pushed over to the Billet Rejection Table when there is a miss-roll, billet with an awkward
shape).

The rolling process starts at the RM where the billets are subjected to tensile stress depending on
the groove spacing for all seven (7) stands/passes. N.B: It is important to note at this point the physical
properties e.g. Ductility of the rolled-out products are improved upon depending on the quality to be
achieved by regulating temperature and the tensile stress as they pass through the stands. After the RM,
the new product moves through looper tables (A and B) over to a pinch roller which introduces it to a
Crop Shear whose purpose is to chop off the rough ends (Head and Tail) of the rolled-out product and
also for emergency cutting. The product moves over to the Intermediate Mill IM which has six (6)
stands and unto the Finishing Mill FM also having six (6) stands where it is further subjected to tensile
stress and regulated cooling which also further reduces its cross-section. At this point, two (2) products
are possible Wire rod or Rebar.

WIRE ROD.

The rod from the FM stands is rolled over to the wire rod line. The rod goes through a Rotary Shear
which cuts the rough head and tail, and then moves through a pinch roller to a Chopping Shear (cuts
only during emergency cutting) before getting to the Wire Rod Mill - WM which has two (2) stands and
further reduces the cross section. From the WM, the wire rod is rolled unto the Block Mill which has six
(6) passes arranged alternatively 45 degrees above and below the horizontal. The 90-degree relationship
between adjacent rolls eliminates twisting oval into round passes as conventional oval-to-round
sequence, a factor which results in less guide wear and simpler guide design. The wire rod then moves
through Water Box (final water cooling) to the coil layer section which transforms it to a wire coil, laying
it on the Wire Coil Cooling Conveyor. The conveyor fans further reduce the temperature as the wire coil
moves through to the Binding section where the coils are vibrated by a Coil Vibration Motor for uniform
arrangement, compacted by a Coil Hydraulic Compactor and then banded all in one piece taken for
storage.

IRON ROD OR REBAR.

For the production of rebar, the rod from the FM stands is guided to the rebar line. N.B: there are
different standard sizes of the Iron rods (32mm, 25mm), a combination of different IM and FM
stands/passes determine the sizes to be produced. At the rebar line, the rod is first moved unto the
Flying Shears (A and B) through a pinch roller. The flying shear cuts the rod according to specified or
programmed length. The cut-length goes through vertically assembled pinch rollers unto the Cooling Bed
Run-in Table or Roller Table depending on the rod size and transferred unto the Cooling Bed. From the
cooling bed, the iron rod is moved over to the Cold Shear Roller Table where the rods are aligned and
cut using a Cold Shear machine into commercial length. The Iron rod is then transferred over to the
Packing Transfer Table from which they are moved to the Front and Back Binding Roller Conveyor which
gathers the rods, conveys them to the Bundling Machine for them to be band. The bundle is then moved
over to the Packing Bed from where it is transferred for storage.