Rolling
Rolling is a metal forming technique in which a rotating cylinder or roller is used to deform and shape a metal ingot or product. Rolling can be used to form flat, round or square products, or to create a product with a cross-sectional shape, such as a ‘C’, ‘A’, or ‘H’, using a pair of opposed rolls. It can also be used to reduce the thickness of a material strip, or produce a wire or tube.
Rolling is one of the oldest metalworking processes, as it has existed for centuries. Generally, it can be combined with other metal forming processes such as forging, extrusion or welding. The process is usually used to produce products that require a uniform dimension and composition, such as plates, rings, shafts, and cylinders.
Rolling is a cold working process; the metal product is not heated during the process and is instead compressed and deformed by the rolling action. In general, rolling is a low-stress process, as the metal product is usually subjected to uniformly distributed pressure.
The rolling process begins with a heated metal ingot that is passed through two rollers, which compress and shape the metal. The rollers may also be pressurized in order to reduce the thickness of the ingot. The rollers may be further adjusted to produce a desired cross-sectional shape.
Rolling is generally used in three types of operations: sheet, tube, and wire rolling. Sheet rolling is used to produce flat, thin products such as sheets, foils, plates, and strips. Tube rolling produces either circular or rectangular tubes with a uniform wall thickness. Wire rolling is used to produce rods or wire with a desired cross-section.
There are several types of rolling machines available, including two high rolling mills, four high rolling mills, and clusters mills. Two high rolling mills have two rolls that can move in a vertical or inclined fashion. The four high rolling mills have four rolls that can move in a vertical or horizontal direction. Clusters mills are used to roll formed shapes and wires.
Rolling is a common industrial process. It can be used to produce parts for automobiles, aircraft, and other transportation applications. It is often used to create components for medical equipment, machine tools, and other industrial machines, or to produce metal products for the construction industry. The process can also be used to produce plastic sheets and foils.
