ROLLING

PROCESS
Introduction

■ The World is moving fastly, Increasing almost at an exponential rate. This fast-Moving
World has also increased the demand for finished products. Car manufacturing
companies have almost increased their sales by 5-fold or even more in the last twenty
years. This demand has led us to adopt new techniques for fast, simple, and cost-
effective manufacturing. Rolling is One of those processes and is widely used in many
industries. This article will discuss various types of Rolling Process, starting with an
Introduction to Rolling.

■ Rolling: Is the process of reducing the thickness or changing the cross section of a long
workpiece by compressive force applied through a set of rolls . (Figure 13.1)
 What is
Rolling
Process
■ Rolling Process is a deformation process in
which Metal(s) in its semi-finished or
finished form is passed between the two
opposing rollers, which reduces the metal’s
thickness through the compression process.
The rollers rolls around the metal as it
squeezes in between them.
Working Principle of Rolling

■ The Rolling Process consists of two opposing rollers and a metal squeezing in between
them. The basic consideration is that the thickness between the rollers should be less
than the Metal’s (Ingot) Initial Thickness. This consideration will help metal’s forward
motion as it passes through the gap between the Rollers. Rolling Process decreases the
Thickness of Metal and Increases its Length and Breadth, Keeping Overall Volume
Constant.
Terminology used In Rolling Process

The most common terminologies used in rolling are as follows:

🔺Ingot: It is the Starting Metal that is Provided Input to the Rolling Process. The Ingot is a
forging terminology, where metal is taken out from the cast with various defects.
🔺Bloom: It is the first rolled product of Ingot, with a Cross-section area of more than 230
cm2.
🔺Billet: The product is obtained by further rolling of Bloom, having an area of Cross-section
greater than 1600 mm2.
🔺Slab: It is a hot Rolled Ingot, with a Cross-section area greater than 100 cm2 and
Width>=2*thickness.
■ Fig.: Billet, Bloom and Slab
These Above are some common Semi-finished Products, now we will be looking into Mill
Products.

■ Plate: It is the Mill product, with thickness more than 6 mm.

■ Sheet: It is a Mill product, with thickness less than 6 mm, and width greater than 600
mm.
■ Strip: It is a Mill product with thickness less than 6 mm, and width less than 600 mm.
For a more detailed study, we can refer to few more terminologies:

🔸Foil: It is a thin strip, with a width of 300 mm, and a maximum thickness of 1.5 mm.
🔸Bar: It is a Uniform circular cross-section Object, in the form of a Cylinder.
🔸Wire: It is a bar with a small area of cross-section, which may go up to 9.5 mm.
Working of Rolling

■ The Woking of Rolling might be clear from its basic definition. It is a Manufacturing
Process consist of Rollers that are present at a distance from each Other. The Metal in its
Semi-finished or finished form is squeezed through the Rollers gap, sliding at the ends.

■ Rolling Process has three stages of Completion, which are discussed as follows:
■ 🔸Primary Rolling
■ 🔸Hot Rolling
■ 🔸Cold Rolling
■ 🔸Primary Rolling:
■ It is the Primary stage of Thickness reduction, in which Ingot is changed into simple
stock members like bloom and slab. This process refines the structure, improves the
mechanical properties, and removes Internal defects.

■ 🔸Hot Rolling:
■ Blooms and Slabs Obtained by Primary rolling are converted into plates, sheets, rods,
and Other secondary members through Hot Rolling.

■ 🔸Cold Rolling:
■ This is a final finishing process, in which the Final products Obtained are given good
surface finish, tolerances, and enhancing their mechanical properties.
Types of Rolling Mills

■ Rolling mills consist of set-up that rotates the roller and helps in initiating and
completing the Rolling Process. It consists of one or more roller stands, reducing gear,
the main drive motor, Stand Pinion, Flywheel, and Coupling gear between the Units.
These Components equipped together to help in the Completion of the Rolling Process.

■ Rolling mills are classified on the basis of the number and arrangement of rolls in a
stand. There are commonly six types of Rolling mills that are used, they are as follows:
 Click icon to add picture

(i) Two-High
Rolling Mill

It Consists of two High stands, and two rolls

placed exactly one over the Other. In this
type of Rolling Mill, the Rollers rotates in
Opposite direction and their direction
changes after each Metal pass. The Metal
(Ingot) is passed continuously and
approximately 25-30 passes are required to
convert Ingot to Bloom.
 Click icon to add picture

(ii) Three-
High Rolling
Mill
It consists of three high stands and three
Rollers present in the same vertical plane.
The Top and bottom roller rotate in the same
direction, and the middle roller rotates in the
Opposite Direction. In this type of Rolling
mill, the Direction of the drive is not
changed after each pass. It is more
Productive and easier with respect to the
two-High Rolling Mill.
 Click icon to add picture

(iii) Four-High
Rolling Mill

It Consists of two backup rollers and two Working

rollers, arranged One over the Other in the same
Vertical Plane. The Diameter of Backup rollers is
always greater than the Working rollers. This type
of rollers is mainly used in Sheet Rolling.

The Two Working Rollers of small diameters are

used to reduce the power demands, but it increases
the chance of bending of working rollers, and as a
result, non-Uniform compression of sheets. This is
the reason we use Backup rollers for reducing the
bending of Working rollers.
(iv) Cluster
Mill:

It consists of Two Working rollers and two

or more backup rollers. The number of
Backup rollers depend upon the amount of
support required for working. It is mostly
used in Cold rolling Operations.
(v) Multi-High
Roll Mill

It consists of two small diameters of working

rollers and an intermediate row of driving
rolls, and a row of Backup rollers. The
arrangement is made in such a way that the
whole system achieves exceptional rigidity.
Multi-High Rolling mills are used for
making a sheet of minimal thickness.
(vi) Universal
Rolling Mill:

It consists of two vertical rollers and two

Horizontal rollers. The Vertical rollers are
arranged between the bearing of horizontal
rollers in the vertical plane. It is widely used
to produce blooms from Ingot, and for
rolling wide flange H-Section beams.
Types Of Rolling
Process In
Manufacturing
Industry
■ Rolling is the most important and widely used metal forming process because of its lower
cost and higher productivity. The rolling process is best defined as the shaping of metals
into semi-finished or finished forms by passing between rollers rotating in opposite
direction. Just like any other metal forming process, rolling works in the same way. The
deformation takes place when a compressive force is applied by a set of rolls on ingot or
any other product like billets, blooms, sheets, slabs, plates, strips, etc. This deformation
decreases the cross-section area of the metal and converts it into the required shape. The
main purpose of rolling is to decrease the thickness of the metal. Steel, magnesium,
aluminum, copper, and their alloys are the materials commonly rolled. As a result of the
friction between the rolls and the metal surface, the metal is subjected to high
compressive stresses. High production rate, grain structure, and surface-finish are
obtained, which makes it a most suitable metal forming process for large length cross-
section workpieces like plates and sheets of steel and aluminum for other works and
structure. However, the high set up cost of the rolling machine makes it an alternative
process.
■ The rolling process is done both hot and cold, which is accomplished in rolling mills. A
rolling mill is a complex machine having two or more supporting rollers, working rollers,
drive motor, roll stands, working rollers, coupling gear, flywheel, etc. According to the
requirement of the process and technical issues, these rolling machines are available in
different shapes and sizes. Each rolling mill consists of a minimum of two rolls. As per the
process requirement, these numbers can extend even. Depending upon the shape of the
rolled product, the rollers may be grooved or plain. The shape of the metal changes
gradually during the period in which it’s in contact with the two rollers. Compared to
forging, rolling is a more economical method of deformation when metal is required in
long lengths of uniform cross-section. The hot rolling process occurs with the initial
breakdown of ingots into billets and blooms. This is followed by further hot rolling into
the sheet, plate, bar, rod, rail, and pipe. It’s done at the above recrystallization temperature
and used for large deformations. Hot rolling gives residual stresses free product, but due to
scale formation, it gives poor dimension accuracy and surface finish. A major role in the
industry is played by the cold-rolling of metals by providing sheet, strip, foil with high
mechanical strength, good surface finish, along with dimension accuracy. The cold rolling
which is done to get the final product is done at below recrystallization temperature. We
shall discuss here the types of rolling process and its applications in the manufacturing
industry.
Types Of Rolling Process

⬛ The types of the rolling process can be classified into the following ways-

🔸Thread/Gear Rolling
🔸Shape Rolling
🔸Ring Rolling
🔸Tube Piercing
🔸Transverse Rolling/Roll Forging
🔸Skew Rolling
🔸Roll Bending
🔸Flat Rolling
🔸Controlled Rolling
A) Thread/Gear Rolling

■ The thread/gear rolling is a cold-forming type of rolling process used to cut

gear or threads on a cylindrical blank. In this process, the threaded dies are
fitted on cylindrical rollers of the rolling machine. The cylindrical blank
presses the threaded roller and roll against the faces, which displace the
material and form threads on the cylindrical blank. The thread-rolling process
has the benefit of generating threads with high strength (due to cold working),
without any material loss (scrap) and good surface finish. The thread/gear
rolling is used for the production of screws, bolts, etc. in mass quantities.
B) Shape Rolling/Structural Shape
Rolling/Profile Rolling
The shape rolling is used to cut different shapes on the metal workpiece. It does not involve any
significant change in thickness. It’s a special type of cold rolling that is suitable for producing
molded sections such as irregular shaped channels and trim. It’s used to roll construction shapes
such as I-beams, L-beams, and U channels, rails for railroad tracks, and round and square bars and
rods, etc. The applications of shape rolling are –

🔸Construction materials
🔸Ceiling panel
🔸Metal furniture
🔸Household appliances
🔸Partition beam
🔸Steel pipe
🔸Automotive parts
🔸Roofing panels
🔸Door and window frames and other metal products
 C) Ring Rolling
Ring rolling is a type of hot rolling that increases the diameter of a ring. Two rollers i.e. main and idler are
arranged and rotated in the same direction to each other in this process. Due to the rotation of the roller, the
ring rotates and the rollers then start moving close to each other, with a decrease in ring thickness and hence
this results in an increase in its diameter. To maintain the height of the ring, a pair of edge rollers are used,
which does not allow metal flow in the direction of height. This process gives material finish and high
accuracy. Common applications of ring rolling include.

🔸Large bearings
🔸Turbines
🔸Airplanes
🔸Railway tyres
🔸Gears
🔸Rockets
🔸Pipes
🔸Pressure vessels
D) Tube Piercing

■ Tube piercing is another rolling process in which you can find a stationary mandrel at
the center of tube and cavity form, due to tensile stress in a cylindrical rod when
subjected to external compressive stress. Two rolls are rotated in the opposite direction
in this process which compresses the tube and feeds it against mandrel which creates a
hollow cavity in it. This process is used to make seamless hollow tubes of a thick wall.
E) Transverse Rolling/ Roll Forging

■ Also called cross rolling, which is used to produce table knives, leaf springs, tapered
shafts, and hand tools. In this process, both rollers rotate in the same direction and the
heated bar is cut to length and is fed transversely between rolls. Usually, circular wedge
rolls are used in the transverse rolling.
F) Skew Rolling

■ This is a process similar to roll forging. Typically used for making ball bearings. In this
process, round wire or bar is fed directly into specially designed rollers which
continuously form spherical balls by rolling action. Used for the mass production of
small size spherical balls.
G) Roll Bending

■ In roll bending, a cylindrical shaped product is produced from plate or steel metals. The
rolls change shape during rolling because of the forces acting on them, which tends to
bend the elasticity of the rolls during rolling. If the elastic modulus of the roll material is
high, then the roll deflection would be smaller. Compared to its edges, the rolled strip
tends to be thicker at the center. We can avoid this problem by grinding the rolls in such
a way that their diameter at the center is slightly larger than at their edges.
H) Flat Rolling

■ This is the most basic form of rolling in which the starting and end material both have a
rectangular cross-section. The material is fed in between two rollers, that rotate in
opposite directions. The two rollers in flat rolling are called working rolls. The gap
between the two rolls is less than the thickness of the starting material, which causes the
deformity of it. The material, which is pushed through due to the friction at the interface
between the material and the rolls, even elongates due to the decrease in material
thickness. However, the friction between the rolls limits the amount of deformation
possible in a single pass. The rolls just slip over the material and do not draw it in if the
change in thickness is too great.
Flat Rolling
Flat Rolling
Flat Rolling
I) Controlled Rolling

■ It’s a type of thermo-mechanical processing which combines heat treating and

controlled deformation. The workpiece is brought above the recrystallization
temperature with the help of heat, which performs the heat treatments to avoid any
subsequent heat treating. Controlling the nature, size, and distribution of various
transformation products; production of a fine grain structure; controlling the toughness;
inducing precipitation hardening are some of the types of heat treatments included. The
entire process must be closely monitored and controlled, to achieve this. The
deformation levels, cool-down conditions, starting material composition and structure,
the temperature at various stages are the common variables in controlled rolling. Better
mechanical properties and energy savings are the benefits of controlled rolling.