Q2. What is rolling and recrystallization temperature.

Explain the methods of

rolling steel and highlight the major differences
Rolling, in technology, the principal method of forming molte metals, glass, or other substances
into shapes that are small in cross-section in comparison with their length, such as bars, sheets,
rods, rails, girders, and wires. Rolling is the most widely used method of shaping metals and is
particularly important in the manufacture of steel for use in construction and other industries.
Rolling may be done while the steel is hot (hot-rolling) or cold (cold-rolling). The process
consists of passing the metal between pairs of rollers revolving at the same speed but in
opposite directions and spaced so that the distance between them is slightly less than the
thickness of the metal. The degree of change that can be made in the thickness of the steel
depends on its temperature, with higher heat increasing the plasticity of the steel. Cold-rolling,
in which unheated bars, sheets, or strips of steel are sent through the rollers, usually requires
several rollings to achieve the desired shape. Cold-rolling often follows hot-rolling and is done
to gain better mechanical properties, better machinability, special size, a bright surface, or a
thinner gauge than hot-rolling can.

Recrystallization temperature
Recrystallization temperature is a particular temperature point below the melting point of a
metal (or material). Usually, metals, in microscopic scale are made up of grain like particles. At
recrystallization temperature, if you impart enough force, you can easily succeed to change the
size and shape of these grains and this might make the metal more ductile and more stress-
relieved. This is because the grains at this temperature, make the metal behave in plastic
manner, allowing them to deform greatly for very less force application.

The recrystallization temperature does not refer to a definite temperature below which
recrystallization will not occur but refers to the approximate temperature at which a highly cold
worked material completely recrystalizes in 1 hour, very pure metals seems to have low
crystallization temperature as compared with impure metal and alloys. Increasing the annealing
time, decreases the time of RT. The recrystallization temperature is far more sensitive to
changes in temperature than to variation in time at constant temperature.

The recrystallization temperature is far more sensitive to changes in temperature than to

variation in time at constant temperature. Recrystallization is indicated by the sharp drop in
tensile strength. For equal amounts of the cold working, more strain hardening is introduced
into initially fine grained metal than coarse grained metal. Therefore, the finer the initial grain
size the lower the recrystallization temperature.
In metalworking, rolling is a metal forming process in which metal stock is passed through one
or more pairs of rolls to reduce the thickness and to make the thickness uniform. The concept is
similar to the rolling of dough. Rolling is classified according to the temperature of the metal
rolled. If the temperature of the metal is above its recrystallization temperature, then the
process is known as hot rolling. If the temperature of the metal is below its recrystallization
temperature, the process is known as cold rolling. In terms of usage, hot rolling processes more
tonnage than any other manufacturing process, and cold rolling processes the most tonnage
out of all cold working processes Roll stands holding pairs of rolls are grouped together
into rolling mills that can quickly process metal, typically steel, into products such as structural
steel (I-beams, angle stock, channel stock), bar stock, and rails. Most steel mills have rolling mill
divisions that convert the semi-finished casting products into finished products.

Following are the methods

Modern Rolling

Hot Rolling

Cold Rolling

Roll bending

Roll forming

Flat rolling

Ring rolling

Controlled rolling

Forge rolling

Principle of rolling steel

During rolling, steel work piece is subjected to high compressive stresses as a result of the
friction between the rolls and the surface of work piece being rolled. The work piece is
plastically deformed by the compressive forces between two constantly rotating rolls. These
forces act to reduce the thickness of the steel and affect its grain structure. The reduction in
thickness which is the difference in the thickness before and after the reduction is known as
draft. In addition to reducing the thickness, the rolls cause feeding of the material as they
rotate in the opposite direction to each other. Friction is therefore a necessary part of the
rolling process, but too much friction can be detrimental for a variety of the reasons. Since level
of friction is to be controlled in the rolling process, lubrication is an important factor during
rolling. For the work piece to enter the throat of the roll, the component of the friction force
must be equal to or greater than the horizontal component of the normal force.

During the rolling operation, the geometric shape of the work piece is changed but its volume
remains essentially the same. The roll zone is the area over which the rolls act on the material.
It is here the plastic deformation of the work piece takes place. An important factor in the
rolling process is that due to the conservation of the volume of the steel material with the
reduction of the thickness, the material coming out of the roll zone will be moving faster than
the steel material entering the roll zone. The rolls themselves rotate at a constant speed, hence
at some point in the roll zone the surface velocity of the rolls and that of the steel material are
exactly the same. This is termed as the no slip point. Before this point, the rolls are moving
faster than the material, and after this point the material is moving faster than the rolls.

Torque and power are the two important component of rolling. Torque is the measure of the
force applied to the rolls to produce rotational motion while power is applied to a rolling mill by
applying a torque to the rolls and by means of work piece tension. In a rolling mill the power is
spent principally in the following four ways.

 The energy needed to deform the steel.

 The energy needed to overcome the frictional force.

 The power lost in the pinions and power transmission system.

 Electrical losses in the various motors.

Sometimes during rolling of steel, tension (force) is applied to the work piece as it is being
rolled. The tension may be applied to the front (front tension), may be applied to the back
(back tension), or may be applied at both the ends. This technique helps the forces necessary
for rolling of the steel.
During process of rolling, the plastic deformation, which is causing the reduction in the
thickness of steel piece, also causes an increase in the width of the work piece. This
phenomenon is known as spreading. When the work piece being processed has a high width to
thickness ratio, then the spreading is not of much concern since it is relatively small. On the
other hand in case of low width to thickness ratio, the increase in width can be an issue. 
Vertical rolls (edge rolls) are used to control the spreading and for maintenance of constant
width during rolling.

Hot Rolled Steel

Hot rolling is a mill process which involves rolling the steel at high temperatures, over 1700
degrees Fahrenheit. This is part of the reason hot rolled steel is typically cheaper than cold
rolled steel. Hot rolled steel is used when precise shapes and tolerances are not required.
Rolling of steel is one of the most important manufacturing processes for steel. It is usually the
first step in the processing of steel after it is made and cast either in Ingot or continuous cast
product in a steel melting shop. The initial rolling of steel is done in a hot rolling mill where
blooms and slabs are rolled down to various rolled products such as plate, sheet, strip, coil,
billet, structures, rails, bars and rods. Cold rolling of steel is also carried out for some products.
Many of these rolled products such as rails and reinforcement bars etc. are directly used by the
consumers while the other rolled products are the starting raw materials for subsequent
manufacturing operations such as forging, sheet metal working, wire drawing, extrusion,
machining, and fabrication industry. Steel rolling can produce a wide range of products. The
width of a rolled product can vary from a few millimeters to several meters while the thickness
can vary from 0.1 mm to more than 200 mm. The rolled section can be square, rectangular,
round or shaped sections. Different rolling processes for steel are shown in Fig 1

During hot rolling of steels, the cast grain structure of steel achieved during the steelmaking
process (usually large grains grown in the direction of solidification) is converted into a wrought
grain steel structure. Cast structure has weak grain boundaries which makes the steel brittle.
Cast structures are also associated with many defects like porosity, shrinkage cavities and
inclusions. During hot rolling of steel which takes place above the recrystallization temperature,
the cast grain structure is broken. Old grain boundaries are destroyed and new tougher grain
boundaries are formed along with a more uniform grain structure. Rolling of steel also closes
the vacancies and shrinkage cavities within the steel and breaks the inclusions and distributes it
uniformly throughout the work piece. The distinctive mark of hot rolling is not only a
crystallized structure, but the simultaneous occurrence of dislocation propagation and
softening processes. Advantages of hot rolling are as follows.

 Since flow stresses are low, forces and power requirements are relatively lesser. Even
very large work pieces can be deformed with equipment of reasonable size.

 Since ductility is high, large deformation levels are possible.

 Complex shapes can be rolled’

Cold Rolling

Cold roling is done at room temperature, although the work of deformation can raise the
temperature of the work piecce to 100 -200 deg C. During cold rolling of steels, good surface
finishes and increased mechanical strength with close control of product dimensions can be
achieved. The advantages of cold rolling are given below.

 In the absence of cooling and oxidation, tighter tolerance and better surface finish can
be obtained..

 Thinner sections can be rolled.

 The final properties of the work piece can be closely controlled.  If desired the high
strength obtained during cold rolling can be retained. or if high ductility is needed, grain
size can be controlled before annealing.

 Lubrication is easier in general.

Controlled Rolling

Controlled rolling is a type of thermo mechanical processing which integrates controlled

deformation and heat treating. The heat which brings the work piece above the recrystallization
temperature is also used to perform the heat treatments so that any subsequent heat treating
is unnecessary. Types of heat treatments include the production of a fine grain structure;
controlling the nature, size, and distribution of various transformation products (such as ferrite,
austenite, pearlite, bainite and martensite in steel), inducing precipitation hardening, and
controlling the toughness. In order to achieve, the entire process must be closely monitored
and controlled. Common variables in controlled rolling include the starting material
composition and structure, deformation levels, temperatures at various stages, and cool-down
conditions. The benefits of controlled rolling include better mechanical properties and energy
savings.

Rolling process allows a high degree of closed loop automation and very high speeds, and is
thus capable of providing high quality, close tolerance starting material for various down
stream industries.

Other methods of compensating for roll deformation include continual varying crown (CVC),
pair cross rolling, and work roll bending. CVC involves grinding a third order polynomial curve
into the work rolls and then shifting the work rolls laterally, equally, and opposite to each other.
The effect is that the rolls will have a gap between them that is parabolic in shape, and will vary
with lateral shift, thus allowing for control of the crown of the rolls dynamically. Pair cross
rolling involves using either flat or parabolically crowned rolls, but shifting the ends at an angle
so that the gap between the edges of the rolls will increase or decrease, thus allowing for
dynamic crown control. Work roll bending involves using hydraulic cylinders at the ends of the
rolls to counteract roll deflection.

Another way to overcome deflection issues is by decreasing the load on the rolls, which can be
done by applying a longitudinal force; this is essentially drawing. Other method of decreasing
roll deflection includes increasing the elastic modulus of the roll material and adding back-up
supports to the rolls.