Title

FINISHING LARGE SBQ DIAMETERS 1 WITH HIGHEST QUALITY AND ECONOMY

FINISHING LARGE SBQ DIAMETERS 1 WITH HIGHEST QUALITY AND ECONOMY

Authorship

Ammerling, W.-Jürgen; Filippini, Sergio

Ammerling, W.-Jürgen

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Filippini, Sergio

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DOI

10.5151/2594-5297-0017

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Abstract

Since the automotive industry approached the manufacturers of rolling mills in the seventies with increased demands for the tightest tolerances in SBQ bars and rods, the KOCKS Reducing & Sizing Block (RSB) was successfully established in wire rod and bar mills counting up to now with 71 references worldwide. In addition to superb quality of the finished product, the RSB allows the manufacturers of SBQ to operate with the lowest possible conversion costs and the highest flexibility of their mills. However, there is a clear tendency in the last few years to produce larger diameter rounds (bars & round billets larger than 3 inches) in this same kind of quality to serve the forging, large automotive and other markets. Today most of these large-diameter SBQ bars are produced in traditional 2-Hi mills that have many times been adapted to finish this range of products. However, the fierce competition faced by most producers makes it difficult for them to realize conversion costs compatible with accepted market prices. In order to meet those targets, Friedrich KOCKS GmbH & Co KG, Hilden, Germany, has developed several RSB-sizes, which meet the requirements profile of modern SBQ-mills, with respect to increased finished diameter ranges, temperature controlled rolling and difficult to deform material grades. This paper shows the enormous benefits that are brought about for a SBQ rolling mill by implementing the 3-roll RSB technology for sizing larger diameter bar with respect to highest possible yield, rolling with maximum mill availability and offering at the same time unlimited production flexibility. It also addresses the recent development of a new RSB stand that can be adjusted under load, while the bar is being rolled (Adjustable Under Load Stand - AUL Stand).

Since the automotive industry approached the manufacturers of rolling mills in the seventies with increased demands for the tightest tolerances in SBQ bars and rods, the KOCKS Reducing & Sizing Block (RSB) was successfully established in wire rod and bar mills counting up to now with 71 references worldwide. In addition to superb quality of the finished product, the RSB allows the manufacturers of SBQ to operate with the lowest possible conversion costs and the highest flexibility of their mills. However, there is a clear tendency in the last few years to produce larger diameter rounds (bars & round billets larger than 3 inches) in this same kind of quality to serve the forging, large automotive and other markets. Today most of these large-diameter SBQ bars are produced in traditional 2-Hi mills that have many times been adapted to finish this range of products. However, the fierce competition faced by most producers makes it difficult for them to realize conversion costs compatible with accepted market prices. In order to meet those targets, Friedrich KOCKS GmbH & Co KG, Hilden, Germany, has developed several RSB-sizes, which meet the requirements profile of modern SBQ-mills, with respect to increased finished diameter ranges, temperature controlled rolling and difficult to deform material grades. This paper shows the enormous benefits that are brought about for a SBQ rolling mill by implementing the 3-roll RSB technology for sizing larger diameter bar with respect to highest possible yield, rolling with maximum mill availability and offering at the same time unlimited production flexibility. It also addresses the recent development of a new RSB stand that can be adjusted under load, while the bar is being rolled (Adjustable Under Load Stand - AUL Stand).

Keywords

3-roll technology; Reducing & sizing block (RSB); Improvement of quality; Economy; Utilization and market flexibility.; “free-size" rolling; "one-pass- family" rolling, adjustment under load.

3-roll technology; Reducing & sizing block (RSB); Improvement of quality; Economy; Utilization and market flexibility.; “free-size" rolling; "one-pass- family" rolling, adjustment under load.