EMPLOYEE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Guide to Tube and Pipe and Roll Forming

1
Introduction
At Roll-Kraft, we are committed to excellence in all aspects of tube and pipe tooling and roll
forming tooling. This commitment began in 1963 in Willoughby, Ohio when founder and roll
tooling maker George F. Gehrisch started Roll-Kraft in a small house and garage. He had a simple
business philosophy that incorporated understanding his customers’ needs, and making them the
very best roll tooling.

That commitment has endured through the more than 50 years of company success that followed.
Today, the pursuit of our mission – to be the most reliable supplier for industries we serve – is
stronger than ever.
One of the key reasons for our success lies in our long-term commitment to training. Our broad
experience has given us unsurpassed insight into tube and pipe tooling processes. We put that
experience and know-how to use around the country through custom-designed training seminars
at our customers’ facilities. As the next step in our training commitment, this e-book synthesizes our
best practices into a powerful and highly useful learning tool.

The e-book is organized in five chapters:

1. The Principles of Leadership for Tube and Pipe Supervisors

2. The Secret to Running Consistent Product

3. Solving Common Tube and Pipe Production Problems

4. Taking Training to the Next Level

5. Roll-Kraft Training Services Overview

We hope you find this e-book informative and helpful. If you have any questions after reading this
e-book, we encourage you to contact us via our website.

Robert A. Sladky, V.P. of Tube Mill Engineering

CHAPTER 1
The Principles of Leadership for Supervisors

We’ve worked with hundreds of supervisors over the years. We’ve noted that the most
effective supervisors consistently display similar traits. Below, we’ve put together a list of
what we consider to be the principles of a successful leader.

SET A GOOD EXAMPLE—You are always being watched by someone.

GET ORGANIZED— An effective leader makes the best possible use of every minute of every day.
He/she plans ahead, and is prepared to handle emergencies as they happen.

ENCOURAGE COOPERATION—You do this by giving it and expecting it in return.

BUILD MORALE—You do this by focusing on the

“good things” your people do, not just criticizing
the bad.

SHOW PRIDE—In “all” your staff

SHOW FAITH—Trust your people enough to

delegate responsibility, but at the same time,
hold them accountable.

TREAT EACH EMPLOYEE AS AN INDIVIDUAL—

You can do this only if you’ve taken the time to
become personally and professionally acquainted
with your people.

BE FAIR—Don’t let your personal feelings (human

nature) influence you in rewarding or disciplining your people.

LEARN TO CONTROL YOURSELF UNDER STRESS—The real test of your experience and character shows
the most at this point!

KEEP AN OPEN MIND—A good leader listens to both sides and then makes up his/her mind. Remember,
no matter what your personal style may be, using these basic rules/guidelines will complement it and at
the same time, build your reputation as a fair, responsible and respected supervisor.
CHAPTER 2
The Secret to Running Consistent Product

“Why can’t I run consistent product from one minute to the next?”

At Roll-Kraft, we hear this question, and questions like it, quite often. We believe there are ways to avoid
inconsistencies by having one established standard.
Do your mills work on double or multiple standards when it comes to maintenance, changeovers, setup
and routine operation?
Do you find that there is a “day shift way” and a “night shift way,” or “Joe’s way” for running the mills?
How often have you found out the mill was running just fine, only to discover when the next shift comes in,
they have to put their touch or feel to the setup, and it ends up costing you valuable mill and production
time? Such is human nature, and thus, need for Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to keep everyone
on the same page and doing everything the same organized way.
No one wants to take away the feel for a tube mill, pipe mill or roll forming mill that an operator has
developed. However, the practices of maintenance, changeover, setup, and operation of the mills and
their tooling must fall within the original design parameters. If an operator develops a certain procedure
and it is within these parameters, have all operators follow the same procedures once they have
been documented.
Developing procedures for all areas on the tube mill, pipe mill or roll forming mill has proven to reduce
downtime by as much as 50%. Scrap savings can add to this. When procedures are in place, everyone
performs the proper functions the same way, every time.
How many times have you seen one changeover take two to three times longer than the previous one?
There are many factors that can affect this setup time; but
how many times has it been because one operator was
doing it “their own way,” which is completely different
than the “proper” way.
When was the last time your company had formal training
for your personnel involved with mill operations? Statistics
have proven that those companies that take the time to
undergo annual training reduce their downtime and overall
problems by as much as 75% in extreme cases. Even a
reduction in downtime as little as 5% can pay for annual
roll forming training or tube and pipe training.
Employees that have been properly trained will feel more
confident when they are all working together as a team on
the same wavelength. When the equipment is maintained and dependable, and everyone works toward
the same standard, production goes up; downtime and scrap go down. There is not a lot of margin to
convert material to a finished product on a tube, pipe or roll form line. We must do it right the first time,
every time!

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CHAPTER 3
Solving Common Tube and Pipe
Production Problems

Several problems can occur during the production of tube and pipe. These include marking, tube splitting,
irregular sizing and poor welds. All too often, though, these problems are the result of incorrect tooling
and mill setup, as well as poor maintenance practices. In other words, many of the difficulties that are
encountered during production can be prevented.

Problem #1:
The strip rolls from side to side, or the rolls ride high on one side in the breakdown section.

Potential remedies:
• The entry table is loose; check the integrity of the entry table.

• The strip is not centered going into mill.

• The driven stands are loose; check the integrity of the driven stands (loose bearings and bearing blocks;
check the top adjustments for the top shafts).

• The breakdown rolls are not parallel.

• The breakdown rolls are worn beyond tolerance; replace the rolls.

• The side roll boxes are loose; check the integrity of the side
roll boxes.

• The side rolls are not set to the metal line.

• The side rolls are not set to the setup chart.

• The tie bars are not installed on the side roll passes;
as a result, the rolls float instead of controlling
the strip.

• Install the lock edge design in the side roll passes.

• Analyze the design for extreme light or heavy gauges.

• Camber from slitting.

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Solving Common Tube and Pipe
Production Problems

Problem #2:
Marking of the tube in the breakdown section

Potential remedies:
• The wrong strip width is being run.

• The strip is not centered going into the mill.

• The driven rolls are not properly adjusted to the gauge.

• The driven stands are loose; check the integrity of the

driven stands (loose bearings and bearing blocks;
check the top adjustments for the top shafts).

• The driven rolls are not parallel.

• The driven rolls are not centered with the side rolls.

• The driven rolls are not set to the metal line.

• The drive RPM (speed) is not coordinated with fin and

sizing passes RPM (speed).

• The side roll boxes are loose; check the integrity of

the side roll boxes.

• The side rolls are not set to the metal line.

• The side rolls are not set to the setup chart.

• Analyze the design for extreme light or heavy gauges.

• The rolls are worn beyond tolerance; replace the rolls.

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Solving Common Tube and Pipe
Production Problems

Problem #3:
Marking of the tube in the fin section and weld box

Potential remedies:
• The strip width exceeds specifications (too wide).

• The driven roll setting adjustments are incorrect (too tight).

• The driven rolls are not parallel.

• The driven stands are loose; check the integrity of the driven stands (loose bearings and bearing blocks;
check the top adjustments for the top shafts).

• The driven rolls are not set at the proper metal line.

• The drive RPM (speed) is not coordinated with the breakdown and sizing passes RPM (speed).

• The fin blade is worn beyond tolerance.

• The side roll setting adjustments are incorrect (too wide).

• The side roll boxes are loose; check the integrity of the side roll boxes.

• The side rolls are not set to the metal line.

• The side rolls are not centered with the driven rolls.

• The side rolls are not parallel.

• Check the tube size between each driven and side roll pass; compare to the setup chart.

• Analyze the design for improper forming.

• The weld roll setting adjustments are incorrect (too tight).

• The rolls are worn beyond tolerance.

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Solving Common Tube and Pipe
Production Problems

Problem #4:
Marking of tube in the sizing section; trouble keeping the tube straight

Potential remedies:
• The driven roll setting adjustments are incorrect (too tight).
• The driven stands are loose; check the integrity of the driven stands (loose bearings and bearing blocks;
check the top adjustments for the top shafts).
• The driven rolls are not centered from pass-to-pass.
• The driven rolls are not parallel.
• The driven rolls are not set to the metal line.
• The drive RPM (speed) is not coordinated
with the breakdown and fin passes
RPM (speed).
• The roll shafts are bent.
• The side roll setting adjustments are
incorrect (too wide).
• The side roll boxes are loose; check the
integrity of the side roll boxes.
• The side rolls are not parallel.
• The side rolls are not centered with the
driven rolls.
• The side rolls are not set to the metal line.
• Check the tube size between each driven and side roll pass.
• Check the location of the rolls; are the rolls installed on the correct stands?
• The tube is not cooling properly; the tube must be normalized in the weld zone before entering the
sizing section.
• Turkshead roll settings are adjusted too tight.
• Rolls are worn beyond tolerance.

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Solving Common Tube and Pipe
Production Problems

Problem #5
Unable to weld the tube properly due to poor forming

Potential remedies:
• The strip width is below specifications (too narrow).
• The breakdown and fin pass rolls are not centered.
• Incorrect settings in the breakdown and fin pass sections.
• The fin pass is not working the strip.
• The fin blade is worn beyond tolerance.
• The weld box is not centered with the fin pass section.
• The weld box is not set to the metal line.
• The weld roll setting adjustment is incorrect (too wide).
• The mill speed is excessive (too fast) for the welder.
• The weld rolls are worn beyond tolerance.

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Solving Common Tube and Pipe
Production Problems

Problem #6
Weld chatter

Weld chatter results from the inability to achieve a clean cut of the outside weld bead. The scarf knife
chatters and produces a ribbed, or rough, cut on the O.D. of the tube. The causes of weld chatter are:

• Insufficient upset, or weld bead, for the scarf knife to cut.

• Cold weld; insufficient weld power to forge the weld properly.
• The distance between the scarf stand and the weld box is excessive. the weld bead must be red-hot to
be cut effectively and smoothly; move the scarf stand closer to the weld box.
• The weld is cooling too fast after the tube leaves the weld box, or before the tube enters the scarf stand;
The weld bead must be red-hot to be cut effectively and smoothly.
• No support under the scarf stand. Install a V-style roll under the scarf knife; the stand will stabilize the
cutting process; without the support roll, the tube can drift, jump and chatter.
• No ironing pass after the scarf stand. This stand does what the name implies – it irons out any hot
imperfections the scarf knife may leave behind; the ironing stand also stabilizes the scarfing operation.
• Improper radius of the scarf knife; the insert, or knife, used should have a radius that is slightly larger
than the O.D. of the tube; this will provide a clean, concentric cut.
• The insert, or cutting knife, is dull.

Potential remedies:

• Move the induction coil upstream a bit, away from the weld rolls. This setup will help temper the edges
of the strip by preheating the edges before welding, resulting in a more malleable material, which is
softer, and easier to cut with the scarf knife.

• Check the cutting angle on the scarfing knife. The heel of the scarf knife should be ground to an angle
of 18 degrees from the horizontal, and the tool should be set at an angle of 15 degrees from the
vertical. These settings will provide the proper clearance to avoid dragging the knife on the tube or
pipe. A straight up-and-down application to the tube or pipe invites chatter.

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Solving Common Tube and Pipe
Production Problems

Problem #7
Splitting of the tube in the weld zone and the creation of pin holes in the weld

Potential remedies:
• Check the strip width; if the strip width is below specifications (too narrow), there is insufficient
material to forge a good weld.

• Check the alignment of the tube.

• Check the setup of the mill.

• The fin passes are not working the strip sufficiently to prepare the edges properly for welding.

• Poor slit edge.

• The strip is off- center approaching the weld box and as a result, the forging does not occur between
the weld rolls; the strip is rolled over and not at the 12 o’clock position before entering the weld rolls.

• Mismatched edges; the edges are not parallel going into the welder.

• Improperly matched weld power for the speed of the mill.

• Poor quality steel (bad chemistry).

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Solving Common Tube and Pipe
Production Problems

Problem #8
Irregular size in the sizing section

Potential remedies:

• The weld size is not correct according to the setup chart.

• The weld size is not round.

• The strip edges are not parallel; there should be no step between the edges when the tube enters the
weld rolls.

• The weld scarf is not smooth.

• The presentation of the tube entering the weld rolls is poor; check the alignment of the driven and side
rolls in the breakdown and fin sections.

• Check the setup in the breakdown and fin section. For example, is the fin section working the edges of
the strip, preparing the edges for the weld rolls?

• The rework shims, used to maintain the metal line, are not installed under the bottom driven shafts.

• The driven shaft spacers are the incorrect size (thickness and/or length).

• The shafts and tooling are not running true; check for bent shafts, oversized bore on the tooling, or
undersized shaft O.D.

• The bearings and bearing blocks are tight.

• Check the integrity of the side roll boxes (loose bearings and bearing blocks; check the top adjustments
for the top shafts).

• The side rolls are not parallel.

• The tube is not being cooled properly.

• The drives are not coordinated and adjusted to match the rework of the tooling.

• The chemistry/properties (hardness) of the material has changed.

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Solving Common Tube and Pipe
Production Problems

Problem #9
Lost mill time during changeovers and normal operation

Causes and potential remedies:

• No written procedures for setup. Written procedures must be available for operators. Written
procedures also provide a tool for troubleshooting when problems arise. You cannot afford to have
each operator set the tube mill up by his, her own feel. The machine, as well as the tooling, are fixed
factors in the mill setup equation. The only variable is the human factor. This is why it is so important to
have written procedures in place.

• No setup chart. Setting up by a seat-of-the pants approach, or tweaking the mill, costs valuable
setup time. You must work the tooling the way it was designed. This means setting up the mill to the
parameters on the setup chart.

• Lack of formal training. Formal training helps develop the procedures for tube mill operation and
maintenance. Training helps operators perform uniform procedures.

• Ignoring the numbers from the last setup. Use the numbers from the previous setup. This can be done
with the SPA feature. If the tube mill was set up by the setup chart and procedures outlined, simply write
down the numbers from the digital readout on the SPA units and set up the mill to where you left off
when the strip ran out. Setting up to the numbers can save as much as 75% on your total setup time,
provided all the other items listed in this document are in order.

• Mill in poor condition. Does your mill have a good maintenance program? Is your mill in need of a
rebuild or upgrade? Setting up and operating a poorly maintained mill will cost valuable time in setup
and scrap during production. The mill must be dependable in order to chase mechanical problems
during normal operation and setup.

• Poor mill alignment. 95% of all tube-related problems are attributable to mill condition, setup and tube
mill alignment. Most mills are aligned at least once a year.

• Tooling in poor condition. Do you have a tooling maintenance program? You must know at all times
how much life is left in the tooling before the next scheduled rework. Running the tooling until it cannot
produce tubing anymore will not only waste valuable mill time, but also produce scrap and affect
delivery schedules.

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Solving Common Tube and Pipe
Production Problems

Cost-saving example:
Do you know the per-hour rate on your tube mill? Any of the above-listed
items can have varying degrees of value, depending on the severity of
the conditions. The fact of the matter is, fewer problems with the mill and
tooling translate to less mill downtime during setup, changeovers and
production. Let’s say your mill rate is $2,000 per hour. If the mill is in
good shape and proper written procedures are in place, you can save
75% on setup time just by having the SPA feature on the mill. Assume the
standard setup time is four hours ($8,000 of mill time). If you can save
75% of this time, setup costs are reduced to $2,000 – a savings
of $6,000! Furthermore, reducing setup time by only 15 minutes will
save $500.

Summary
The following checks and practices should be a part of a standard mill maintenance and production program:

• Check the O.D. of the shafts, driven and idle.

• Check the bearings, bearing blocks and shafts; are they loose?
• Check the shafts; are they bent? check the O.D.
• Check the parallelism of the shafts.
• Check the shoulder alignment.
• Check the integrity of the entry table, drive stands, side
roll boxes, weld box and turkshead units.
• Piano wire the mill to check for the proper metal line in
the side pass stands.
• Align the mill at least once a year.
• Install the correct rolls on the correct stands.
• Use a setup chart.
• Follow the written operating procedures.
• Measure the tube size between each pass.
• Know the chemistry and Rockwell of the material being used in the mill.
• Check the strip width and thickness before feeding the strip into the mill; document the strip properties.
• Most importantly, establish a standard that everyone will follow.

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CHAPTER 4
Taking Training to the Next Level

You have just completed an in-house training seminar at your plant covering the important areas of mill integrity,
alignment, tooling design, proper setup, mill operation and tooling maintenance. The participation of the
attendees was outstanding throughout the presentation as they brought up questions and concerns of their
everyday experiences out there in the mills. The seminar evaluation summaries are full of quality comments,
including and the eagerness to bring this learning experience to mills at their plant. So where do we go from
here? How do we keep this momentum going to make a positive influence out in the mills? The answer is...

“Participation and Accountability”!

Most firms send a wide variety of personnel to seminars, which normally consists of maintenance,
engineering, management, supervision and operators. That is the key; it’s everyone’s responsibility to the
success of any tube, pipe or roll form operation. Everyone plays a part, and everyone needs to participate,
and be held accountable to the standards that are set forth for repeatable efficient performance.

Here are some of the key action points to:

“Take it to the Next Level.”
• Have a meeting after the training program and outline the needs, wants and shortcomings brought out from
the seminar presentation and prioritize them.

• Develop a “corrective action plan” from this list that puts all these key points into place and into a workable
timetable.

• Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) to cover the areas of preventive maintenance, setup and
tooling maintenance of your operation.

• Hold everyone accountable to stick to the standards of the SOPs you set in place. In today’s world, there is
no room for a day shift way, night shift way, Joe’s way, or Fred’s way but rather, stick to the “Right Way,”
which is working with the proven “standardized” practices of the industry that lead to repeatable, higher
quality/production, with less downtime and scrap. The equipment and tooling must be maintained, setup,
and operated within the “window” in which they were originally designed to work and perform.

• To maintain all of this, conduct timely audits of your SOPs and have refresher classroom programs and/or
online training to keep this new and improved process alive! Discipline is the key to the continued success
in any organization. Never allow anyone to become complacent or let their guard down on any part of the
standards that are set in place.

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CHAPTER 5
Roll-Kraft Training Services

Are you having problems with your tooling or machine, such as:

• Straightness

• Ovality issues

• Marking issues

• Tube rollover

• Surging of the mill line

• Welding problems

• Long setup process

• Roll wear

If so, you are NOT alone. Roll-Kraft not only understands these types of issues; we can fix them for you, too!
However, wouldn’t you rather have the skills and abilities to fix these issues on your own, using your own
people? Consider the benefits of having Roll-Kraft conduct a training seminar at your facility. During the
seminar, we will engage your team to determine the root causes of your tube and pipe problems as we teach
best practices. Training like this is an investment that is
essential for your companies future.
Our experienced Roll-Kraft staff have heard and seen it all.
Our tube and pipe training seminars are led by Robert A.
Sladky, Vice President of Tube Mill Engineering. Robert was
the recipient of the 2003 TPA Industry Education
Activities Award in recognition of his outstanding work in
the field of tube and roll form production.
Roll-Kraft has been conducting training seminars for more
than 30 years. Our seminars are designed to present
universal facts and procedures, matched to the experience
of your group, which will ultimately be used to develop a
standard for your particular company. This “art” is combined with a scientific approach, which results in
faster and more predictable setups and makes troubleshooting an easier process. We pride ourselves on
the development and implementation of methods that have proven successful and reliable in the industry.

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Roll-Kraft Training Services

Programs are traditionally held in a conference room, lunchroom or training facility at your plant. “In-house”
seminars allow the greatest opportunity for maximum attendance. Prior to the seminar date, a two-crate display
with visual aids will be shipped to the seminar site. Our trainer will arrive and set up the display the day before
the scheduled program.

Your site should be able to accommodate a P.A. system, six-foot square screen, slide projector, marker board,
tooling, and other supportive equipment. Each attendee receives an individual seminar guide book.
Our program is one of the most comprehensive and successful ways to train your personnel.

Our trainer will also tour your factory in advance of the presentation, taking time to review the configuration your
tube and pipe mills in order to best customize the presentation.

Topics covered:
• Mill configuration

• Tube and pipe terminology

• Alignment and set up tools

• Driven stand alignment

• Side roll stand alignment

• Care of spacers

• Piano wire the mill

• Preparing for Setups

• Setup Charts

• Checking each pass

• Setting RPM of drives

• Online quality control

• Rework charts

• Tooling maintenance

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Roll-Kraft Training Services

Seminar Agenda
We must have a registration list three weeks
prior to the day of training, so adequate
supplies are available. The classroom
portion consists of approximately 6-8 hours
of classroom study and adequate time allowed
for questions and input from the audience.
Content of the program can readily be
adjusted to focus on areas of your
local interest.

A second day of online training can be

arranged for the next day, or at a later date,
during which the methods taught in the
classroom can be fully demonstrated, and
all questions answered. This will cement the
concepts discussed throughout the day and
move the theory of the training to the reality of the mill.

Each attendee will be awarded a certificate of completion, which will be mailed after the seminar.
This will provide documentation of training to satisfy the ever-challenging quality requirements of your customers.

Who Should Attend:

In order to maximize this opportunity, a wide variety of personnel should attend. There will be
information applicable to many areas of operation. You will want everyone involved to be working together
to achieve a better quality product in less time.

Specific Personnel should Include:

• Tube and mill operators
• Engineering staff
• Maintenance personnel
• Tool room personnel
• Supervisors
• Management

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Roll-Kraft Training Services

Pricing Schedule
Pricing depends on a few factors, such as number of attendees, seminar location, number of trainers, and topics.
If roll design is included, a roll tooling engineer will be present. Please note that the following fees may also apply:

• Travel expenses

• Shipping expenses

• Weekend rates

• Off-site facility charges

Payment terms are net 30 days. Services are on a first-come, first-serve basis and should be confirmed with a
purchase order.

Use our website contact form to request more information about our roll forming
training or tube and pipe training programs.

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About the Author
Robert A. Sladky
Vice President of Tube Mill Engineering

Robert A. Sladky is the vice president of Tube Mill Engineering at Roll-Kraft. He has been associ-
ated with the company for more than 30 years and has spent more than 40 years working in the
tube and pipe industry.

Robert is in charge of all of Roll-Kraft’s formal tube and pipe training and roll forming training for
both classroom and online, as well as troubleshooting.

Robert is the author of many technical articles and videos on the Roll-Kraft website, and he serves
as one of the main resources for Roll-Kraft’s Ask the Doctor online question- and -answer feature. In
addition to these responsibilities, Robert also organizes all of Roll-Kraft’s trade show appearances,
as well as the company’s regional seminars.

Throughout his career, Robert has made hundreds of technical presentations at a variety of industry
association events. He continues to present on a regular basis, including recent appearances at
Fabtech. Due to his frequent and well-received educational efforts, Robert was awarded with the
Tube & Pipe Association (TPA) Industry Education Activities Award in 2003.

In addition to the TPA, Robert has been involved with and served with many industry associations,
including the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA) as well the Society of Manufacturing
Engineers (SME).