Methods and devices for rolling of metal.

Rolling is a metal forming process in which metal is passed through a pair of rotating rolls for plastic deformation of the metall. 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 termed as hot rolling. If the temperature of the metal is below its recrystallization temperature, the process is termed as cold rolling.

A rolling mill is a machine for plastic deformation of metal between rotating rolls. In a broader sense, a rolling mill is an automatic system or line of machines that performs both rolling and auxiliary operations: transport of the original billet from the stock to the heating furnaces and the mill rolls, transfer of the rolled material from one groove to another, turning, transport of the metal after rolling, cutting into sections, marking or stamping, trimming, packing, and conveyance to the stock of finished product.

This subclass includes the following main groups:

Rolling of metal in general:

B21B 1/00, B21B 11/00 - B21B 13/00

B21B 37/00

B21B 38/00

B21B 35/00, B21B 39/00, B21B 41/00

B21B 27/00, B21B 29/00, B21B 31/00

B21B 28/00

B21B 33/00

B21B 43/00

Rolling of special formats:

B21B 17/00, B21B 19/00, B21B 23/00

B21B 25/00

B21B 5/00

Rolling of special alloys:

B21B 3/00

Rolling of metal under special conditions (e.g. in vacuum or inert atmosphere):

B21B 9/00

Auxiliary measures for metal rolling:

B21B 15/00, B21B 45/00, B21B 47/00

Rolling of stainless steel and of powder metal alloys and other metal alloys that require apparatus manipulation or special methods not required for regular hot or cold rolling.

Methods and devices for creating vibrations in the work or in the rolling rollers.

Cutting or shearing the product, forging or pressing arrangements, lubricating, cooling or heating means, joining ends of the material. Arrangements when the work is subjected to permanent internal twisting, e.g. when producing reinforcement bars or concrete. Rolling methods or rolling devices specially designed for making or processing tubes.

the manufacturing of tubular products by plug rolling, stretch rolling and elongation rolling using mandrels mills, stretch reducing mills and plug rolling mills:

Pilgrim and pilger rolling mills with reciprocation of tubular work through a stationary roll stand or reciprocation of a rolling stand over a tube:

Construction and form of mandrels and plugs for rolling tubes and alloys for manufacturing such mandrels or plugs. Guides, supports or abutments for mandrels. Adjusting devices for mandrels. Cooling or lubricating mandrels during operation. Interchanging mandrels/ mandrel plugs. Cooling during interchanging mandrels.

Shape or construction of rolls for rolling sheets, strips, bars, rods, rounds, tubes wire or the like and alloys for manufacturing such rolls. Sleeved rolls, i.e. rolls with a core and with an outer layer. Rolls with deflectable sleeves. Lubricating, cooling and heating the rolls internally or externally while in use.

Reconditioning of rolls by polishing/ grinding them, outside or inside their stands, while in use.

backup pressing devices for rollers in a roll stand including intermediate and backup rolls that inhibit deflection, perform roll bending or use hydraulic actuators to act on the rollers or roll shafts:

Drives for metal-rolling mills, e.g. hydraulic drives or electrical drives working continuously or non- continuously, couplings (rigid, yielding), driving spindles or spindle carriers.

Control devices or methods specially adapted for metal-rolling mills or the work produced thereby, e.g. control of flatness, profile, tension, roll speed, drive motor, roll gap, roll force, elongation, length, rear end/ front end temperature, cooling, camber or steering control, control of tube rolling.

Methods or devices for measuring, detecting or monitoring specially adapted for metal-rolling mills, e.g. position detection, inspection of the product, e.g. position detection, inspection of the product, temperature, vibration, chatter (marks), flatness, profile of strips, thickness, width, diameter or other transverse product dimensions, tension/ compression, roll- force, roll- gap (including calibrating or presetting), roll camber.

Piling, unpiling, unscrambling. Transverse moving. Pinch roll sets. Rollers for roller conveyors.Feeding or supporting work. Braking or tensioning arrangements. Guiding, positioning or aligning work. Revolving, turning-over, or like manipulation of work.

Returning work to repeat the pass or passes. In which the direction of movement of the work is turned through approximately 180 degrees, e.g. repeaters, i.e. from one stand to another. Without overall change in the general direction of movement of the work, e.g. loop deflectors. Arrangements of interest only with respect to provision for indicating or controlling operations.

Transfer from/ to cooling beds and means as e.g. suitable braking means. Cooling beds comprising racks, walking beams, bars, rolls, worms, carriages, revolving drums, recycling chains or discs or other work- shifting elements to transport the work through the cooling bed. Devices for positioning workpieces "flushed", i.e. with all their axial ends arranged in line on cooling beds or on co-operating conveyors.

Devices for surface or other treatment of work, specially combined with or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, e.g. cooling the work, coolants, lubricating, cleaning, measuring/ control of thickness of liquid films, removing and recovering of liquids/ lubricants, descaling (hydraulically).

Auxiliary arrangements, devices or methods in connection with rolling of multi-layer sheets of metal, e.g. folding sheets before rolling. Separating layers after rolling.

Processes and equipment for metal rolling as far as not covered by the main groups B21B 1/00 - B21B 47/00.