Modeling the operation of the Tandem Mill for Hot Strip Rolling Process

Rumualdo Servin-Castañeda (1), Carlos Arturo Vega-Lebrún (2), Alma Jovita Dominguez-Lugo (1) Juan
Jesus Nahuat-Arreguín (1) , Elías Olivares-Benitez (2), Daniel Espinosa-Freyre (2)

(1) UAC University, Coahuila, CP. 25280, México.

(2) UPAEP University, Puebla, CP. 72410, México.

Key words: Slab, Tandem mil, Strip, Hot strip rolling process, Backup roll, Campaigns

Key words: Slab, Tandem mil, Strip, Hot strip rolling process, Backup roll, Campaigns

ABSTRACT
Manufacturing line core mills, at steel production lines for Hot Strip Rolling, have the
function to shape the steel and provide the characteristic steel sheet properties.
Tandem mill has been set up for these purposes, which restricts the strip thickness and
removes the surface layer or scale. During these mills work it is feasible to implement a
mathematical model that enable to detect the used backup roll behavior during this
production line phase. This article consists on the assessment of a main variable series
during the hot strip rolling, where the backup rolls are the ones which receive the loads
during the operation, and establishes a mathematical model to enable to detect their
behavior before the changes in these variable values. For the decision making about
manufacturing and business, counting with a mathematical model and experimental
design of their performance allows to analyze the information, to observe the behavior
of the variables and their values and to make the best decision to analyze the results
and decide about the production work continuity, the importance of some rolls
replacement, their own turnover, their maintenance or the production stoppage in order
to prevent failures which affect the production quality and increase the corrective
maintenance costs.

1 INTRODUCTION
Hot strip rolling is one of the most important processes in the steelmaking industry;
next there is a brief description of the main stages:
a) Reheating furnace: Slab temperature is close to 1,250 ºC, in order to provide
suitable properties for mechanical deformation.

b) Horizontal oxide scale breaker: a series of high pressure water jets remove the
oxide scale formed on the slab surfaesce.

c) Roughing mill: Performs a vertical and horizontal reduction in order to produce

the transfer bar. Sometimes is a reversing mill, the slab moves forward and
backwards to reduce the slab up to a transfer bar.

d) Continuous Mill; it is also known as finishing mill. This mill is where the wanted
thickness and width is reached.

e) Downcoilers: The strip coming from the continuous mill is coiled keeping a
constant tension provided by the last stand of the continuous mill, having a
given temperature for the coiling.

1
Usually there are six stands for the finishing tandem mill, the first three stand are used
call beginnings stand and the last three ones as finishing stand; these mills have four
rolls, two of them are the work rolls and are in direct contact with the strip; being the
steel within a range of 1000 ºC at the mill entry and 800 ºC at the mill exit, and two
backup rolls, these ones having contact with the work rolls.

Pressure applied by the rolls on the slab results in a reduction of 203.2 mm and up to
1.8 mm, according to the customer specification. However, this process is one of the
most expensive ones for the steelmaking industry due to the elements this process
consist on [Ohkomori, 1988].

Hot rolling campaigns of the backup rolls are very long. The wear produced by the
mechanical contact with the work roll, and the temperature and the pressure exerted on
the roll work body as well.

1.1 Wear on rolls for hot strip rolling

Rolls are subjected to a large work volumes, and extreme temperatures as well, and
obviously they require a great strength against cracks and flaws [J.A Schey, 1983].
Considering that the rolls are the most expensive input in the rolling process, it is
important to define what is causing the roll wear, and taking into account the
aforementioned, it becomes relevant to be specific answering the following question, How the
wear of the rolls is generated in the Hot Rolling process? [Chausevich, 1983].
Mechanical properties required by the hot rolling rolls vary, depending on the process
stage in the rolling line; while at the beginning usually the dominant variables are the
high temperature strength and the toughness of the material, at the downstream stages
the abrasion wear strength becomes the most important wear factor; the yield is not
well defined yet, because there are several influence factors, such as mass or hot
rolled strip length produced per millimeters of material used or total of processed
product tons per roll kit per rolling schedule [S. Spuzic, 1994].

1.2 Types of wear on the rolls

Experience has demonstrated that the wear increases quickly after producing a specific
amount of rolled steel; therefore roll change shall be done after some specific
production in order to prevent a catastrophic wear [S. Spuzic, 1994], for that reason it is
needed to identify the processes which are wearing out these elements, which are
cited below:
Abrasion: This element is one of the governing components; it is included in the total
of the wear during the process [Ginzburg, 1989]. Having a presence as scales of high
hardness oxide and low elasticity on the hot steel surface, we can usually think of
abrasion as two or three wear bodies [S.E Lundberg, 1993] [Gahr, 1987]. We may
expect that the roll deterioration be important, because micro-cuts, micro-fatigue and
micro-cracks are formed, which will damage the rolled steel quality [Ginzburg, 1989],
and this wear depends on the shape and hardness of the abrasive particles, producing
deformations, originated by a micro-cut or elasticity on the surface and in the inside
layers of the roll by the contact, resulting as a consequence, the formation of cracks
[Jahanmir, 1981].

2
Heat Fatigue: At his point the roll surface is highly forced to the work, due to the heat
increase by contact with the steel, but also the temperature decreases due to the water
sprays, and the stress on the roll is too variable deforming the roll plastic layers
because their exposure to the cooling on the surface. When the roll works more than
the normal, heat cracks are generated, which can produce the total fracture of the roll
[S.E Lundberg,1993]. There are also some forms of corrosion, fatigue or stress by
corrosion, which are also responsible for the roll wear [R.V Williams, 1965].

Adherence: This phenomenon is defined as the transference of the work roll to the
backup roll causing a product quality loss; it is produced more easily at the reduction of
the passes, the first is the one that causes most of the friction, and as a consequence,
a greater wear, afterwards, there is less friction at the next passes [Corbett, 1990].

2 PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
Since the 50’s, work has been performed in the making of models which allow us to
mathematically express the wear variation during the contact of surfaces in motion,
without having a significant advance in this matter. Main difficulties are caused by
microscopic factors, such as surface quality, material heterogeneousness and locally
developed temperature, elements commonly ignored by the classical mechanics. Most
of the models reported by the research literature have been developed for specific
tribological systems, a pair of materials in particles, geometry of a given contact and a
given lubricant environment and also subjected to given operative conditions.
In the first research works about wear, empirical equations of the form AW = KF aVbtc ,
where AW = mass loss, F=force, V=Velocity y T=Time; (where abc are constants) were
obtained; and developed in order to get specific data useful for motor construction and
machinery components.

In the 80’s, the development of the advanced instrumentation (electronic scan

microscope, instruments for the surface analysis, etc.) facilitate the research about the
status of the surface, enabling the identification of the mechanisms present during the
wear, either at a laboratory level and at industrial level too [Alexander Suarez, 2005].

For this reason, it is necessary to develop a mathematical to detect wear behavior of

bearing rolls that are used during hot rolling phase in production line. This allows to
analyze the behavior and decide the continuity of production work, monitoring and
predicting the moment of replacing one of the rollers, the rotation thereof, the
maintenance of these or suspended production to avoid failures affect product quality
and increase costs for corrective maintenance.

Hot strip mills normally consist on four rolls, two backup rolls which support the work
loads and two work rolls which are the ones in direct contact with the strip. Backup rolls
in a four-high stand for flat products have as a function to support the rolling load
transmitted to the work roll, and this one in turn transmits the strip deformation as
shown in Figure 1.

3
 Figure 1. Chart showing the rolling loads and the fundamental principle of the rolling
process.

Continuous rotation of the rolls makes that a compression force acts in a repeated way
on the contact surfaces between the work rolls and the backup rolls. This causes that a
contact fatigue occurs, which after a certain work period produces deformations on the
roll surface zones [Nakagawa, 1975].

In the case of the work rolls, fatigue does not represent a problem, because the surface
wear caused by the reducing high loads and the direct contact with the high
temperature metal slabs make that the mill schedule be relatively short. Normally, a
rolling schedule for these rolls varies from 6 to 10 working hours, depending on the
rolling variables at each particular mill.

The surface of the backup rolls are not in direct contact with the slab, however, the
direct contact with the work roll generates a wear which is relatively small compared
with the one caused on the work roll. Because of this the campaigns of the backup rolls
are longer than the ones of the work rolls, being able to be in a stand up to 28 days,
having only short mill shutdowns for a surface inspection.

When there is no wear control, the mechanical fatigue of the backup roll can generate
small micro-cracks which could cause a severe damage. In this case, it is necessary to
remove the defect, applying a surface machining (grounding), however this process
reduces considerably its useful life and affects its performance. This is particularly a
serious matter when you have in mind that the costs associated with the rolling rolls are
among the main expenses in a steelmaking facility, because they are components
manufactured with forged steel and its structure has high alloy content [Ohkomori,
1988].

3 DESIGN METHODOLOGY
Work methodology for this research is shown in Figure 2, where variables which affect
the performance and wear of the backup rolls in a hot strip tandem mill are identified;
there is also a comparison with other research works and the basic concepts of the
theory of Hertz [K.L Johnson, 1985] and Archard [R.D Arnell, 1993] are used. As a
result, the following supported mathematical model is proposed.

4
 Figure 2 – Methodology and technique of the design

3.1 Mathematical Modeling

Most of the existing wear models use a series of analyzed variables and empirical
coefficients developed along years of experience, however, for this analysis the following
variables have been considered to be analyzed:
• Number of rolling passes
• Number of rolling stands
• Rolling loads
• Roll body width
• Total sheet length
• Contact area
• Work roll diameter
• Backup roll diameter
• Work roll mechanical properties (elasticity and hardness modulus)
• Backup roll mechanical properties (elasticity and hardness modulus)
• Wear coefficients

Rolling roll hardness is the variable measured directly in the working place, the rest of
the variables consist on data logging in the facility, specifically in the rolling mills, process
control, quality control and grounding shop; other variables are not considered, such as
mechanical vibration and horizontal loads, because their impact on the mill roll wear are
not significant.

The elastic contact theory established the Hertz equations for non-conforming surfaces
due to the contact pressure between them [K.L. Johnson, 1985]. These equations are:
5
 1
 3PR  3 (1)
a = * 
 4E 

1
3P  6 PE *2 3
P0 = =  3 2  (2)
2πa 2 π R


where:

a = Contact arc length

P = Normal load

R = Relative curvature radius

E * = Effective elastic modulus

P0 = Maximum pressure

The Relative curvature radius, R, is defined by the following equation:

1 1 1
= + (3)
R R1 R2

Where R1 and R2 represent the radii of each one of the spheres or cylinders which are on
contact, as shown in Figure 3.

Effective elasticity modulus, E * , is defined by the following equation:

2
1 1 −ν1 1 −ν 2
2

= + (4)
E* E1 E2

R1

R2

Figure 3. Contact area considering two surfaces

cilíndricas

In the abrasive wear equation, applying the theory of Archard [R.D. Arnell, 1993], the
following formula has been established:

K abr Lx
V = (5)
H
6
 where:
V = Removed material volume
K abr = Abrasive wear coefficient
L = Applied load
x = Traveled distance
H = Hardness ratio

If equation (5) is applied to the rolling process, removed material volume from the roll
is the worn material and it is equal to the contact area between both rolls times the
worn height, Ah . Applying this principle, and solving the formula for the worn
material height h , the formula shall be as follows:

K abr Lx
h=
HA (6)

L
Considering that represents the pressure of a load on a given area, P0 can be
A
replaced in the equation (6), considering that we are looking for the maximum contact
pressure; thus, equation (6) shall be as follows:

K abr P0 x
h= (7)
H

Replacing equation (2) in equation (7), the formula shall be as follows:

1 1
 6 PE *2  3  6 PE *2  3
K abr  3 2  x K abr  2 2 x (8)
h= π R  = π πR 
H H

Figure 4 illustrates the mechanical contact between the two rolling rolls, where we
can appreciate that the contact area is A = aW . Applying the elastic contact theory
of Hertz [K.L Jhonson, 1985], where the area establishes a relative curvature radius
R, and where the contact area is A = πR 2 , and considering besides the contact
distance a , we can substitute in equation (8) by the contact area established
previously for the rolling process, resulting the following equation:
1
6 PE *2  3
K abr  2  x (9)
h= π aW 
H

where: W =Roll body width and a= Contact arc

a
W
7

Figure 4.- Representation of the mechanical contact

 Rolling process is a process where the higher hardness material is rotating and
the basic equation of wear was generated from a model where the hard material is
moving along a straight line but without turning, therefore, in order to develop the
model, equation (9) shall be multiplied times a factor that associates the contact arc
between the two cylinders, where D1 is the diameter for the work roll and D2 the
D1
diameter for the backup roll, which is , in such a way that the equation (9) shall
D2
be as follows:

1
6 PE *2  3 D1
K abr  2  x (10)
h= π aW  D2
H

Considering that the total length of the strip identified as L is equivalent to the
traveled distance x , and applying, in the contact area of the two rolls, the same
criteria used to develop the equation in the contact area of the slab with the rolls, the
equation (10) shall be as follows:

1
6 PE *2 3 D1
K abr π 2 aW  L D (11)
h=   2

Unit value of the height the rolling roll is worn per each processed slab can be
calculated with the equation (11), however, a rolling campaign consist on several
rolled slabs, changing according to the production program; so, the total value of the
wear per rolling campaign corresponds to a summation of values accumulating the
wears from the first slab and up to an indefinite number of slabs, n , therefore, the
final equation of the mathematical model would result as follows:

8
 1
 6 PE *2  3 n D1
K abr  2  L
π aW  1 D2 (12)
n
h =∑
1 H
where:

K abr = Abrasive wear coefficient

a = Length of the contact arc
P = Rolling load (Rolling force)
E * = Effective elastic modulus
L = Total length of the strip
H = Hardness ratio
W =Roll body width
D1 = Work roll diameter
D2 = Backup roll diameter

4 RESULTS
As a result of the research of this article, we were able to identify the different types of
wear in the Tandem Mill backup rolls at the hot rolling processes. Main variables that
have influence in the wear phenomenon (number of rolling passes, number of stands,
contact area, work roll diameter, backup roll diameter, mechanical properties of the
rolling rolls, wear coefficients and ratio of hardness between rolls) were detected, and
variables that do not have any impact or influence in this phenomenon due to their poor
relation or significance (vibration and horizontal rub or friction) were discarded.

The mill consists on 6 stands, using 2 backup rolls and 2 work rolls each. The work
rolls from the stands 1 to 3 are called roughing rolls and they have the same
mechanical properties, while the work rolls from the stands 4 to 6 are referred as
finishing rolls and they have also the same properties. In the case of the backup rolls,
in the stand 1 the backup rolls are made of cast steel, while in the stands from 2 to 6
the material is still steel, but it follows a forge process. In Table 1 we can see clearly
this description of applications of the materials of the rolls, and their own mechanical
properties as well.

Young Poisso
Hot Mill
Applicati Modul n
Material
on us Modulu
F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6
(Mpa) s
Cast
Steel  Back Up 195 0.290
Forged Roll
Steel      200 0.300
High
Chromiu
m
   Work 220 0.295
Roll
Indefinit
e Chill    180 0.280

Table 1 - Main alloys of the rolls used in hot rolling process, and their mechanical
properties as well.

9
In Table 2, results obtained when the Mathematical Model is applied during a rolling
campaign, are shown, and where we can see the value of each variable that has
influence in the rolling process, and the ones considered within the developed
mathematical model and real wear also.

E*=(E1/(1- Wear

Stand
W
(mm)
Kabr
(mm3/KNm)
H P (N)
R1
(mm)
R2
(mm)
V12)) +
(E2/(1-
R=(1/R1)
+ (1/R2) L (m) a=(3PR/4E) 1
h (mm)
V22)) (mm) /3
(mm)
(N/mm2) Model Real
0.991 539.70 198.637 29 0.5520 0.530
F-1 4.7E-08 19332 314.33 113.0569 956918
0.984 571.65 202.809 30 0.5236 0.515
1.007 582.40 209.426 28 0.6535 0.632
F-2 15298 327.02 1369307
1.016 588.20 210.172 28 0.6407 0.610
4.3E-08 114.9440
1.039 585.85 199.112 26 0.6575 0.630
F-3 13214 301.63 1593276
1.047 611.50 201.992 26 0.6240 0.615
1727
1.049 589.55 200.231 25 0.5847 0.575
F-4 10796 303.21 1714946
1.061 614.10 202.987 25 0.5538 0.550
1.081 581.15 204.659 23 0.6504 0.645
F-5 4E-08 8483 315.91 103.4126 1967904
1.102 591.10 205.880 23 0.6269 0.615
1.105 581.15 207.568 21 0.6525 0.650
F-6 5738 322.90 2157850
1.122 586.00 208.184 21 0.6371 0.625

Table 2 - Calculation and comparison of the wear during a rolling campaign applying
the developed mathematical model.

In the first column 6 stands are indicated. In the second column the roll body width is
indicated, which does not change in any stand. There are three values of the Abrasion
Coefficient in the third column, due to the 3 combinations of the roll materials. Column
H is the ratio of the hardness of the backup rolls related to the work rolls, and this figure
changes depending on the roll hardness drop. In the rolling load P (weight in Newtons)
column, rolling variables which are constant, depending on the material being rolled,
are shown. Column R1 are the work roll radius, which must have the same dimension
and work in pairs. Column R2 are the backup roll radius, which may have different
dimensions, but they always must have a bigger diameter than the bottom ones.
Columns of the formulas E, R and a , are the results of the calculations made with
operation data. Column L is the total strip length (summation in length of all the coils
processed during the schedule), in the wear column (identify with the h letter) there are
two options, the first one is the wear calculated by the model and the second one is the
real wear measured; the calculated wear indicates the result of the values introduced
and calculated per each variable in the rolling schedule and the measured wear is the
valued obtained in the dimensional inspection of the surface profile.

With this wear calculation and the knowledge of the limits and the work roll tolerance,
we can predict the grounding fit, and the substitutions or complete replacements of the
backup rolls in the ideal working time supported before a roll change.

Rolls have a useful life, a period of time where they can stay working; in the case of the
Stand 1 backup rolls, this useful life is from 1,149.35 mm to 1,050.93 mm and from
1,254.13 mm to 1,117.60 mm for the Stands 2 to 6. After every rolling schedule, the roll
is worn up to the depth calculated by the model and is also grounded on the work body
in order to remove the fatigued material. Taking into account the Hertz theory [K.L
Jhonson, 1985], the mechanical contact and the pressure are significant factors in the
behavior of the volume of worn material during the rolling process.
10
The methodology and the design technique for the making of the mathematical model
was a suitable one, because it enables us to verify the variables used in other
researches using the Archard theory [R.D Arnell, 1993] in order to apply it to the rolling
process, allowing us to understand the behavior of other models and the existing
solutions related to this subject of material removed by contact between materials and
wear.

In the making of the model, it was considered that during the rolling process, the harder
the material the higher the wear produced in the rest of the materials, this same
situation is found in relation with the contact arc between the rolls, that is why the ratio
of temperatures and the hardness of the rolls is taken in the field, in order to consider
the warm-up experienced by the rolling rolls due to the influence of the heat
transference provided by the slab.

The model establishes the total value of the wear during the whole rolling cycle or
schedule, considering the summing up of the accumulated values of the wears for the
whole number of used (rolled) slabs. This wear ratio during all the rolling process is
directly related to the mechanical fatigue of the backup rolls, which at a certain level of
overload may generate micro-cracks that affect the strip production process.

5 DISCUSSION
Mathematical Model use is a fundamental tool in prediction making in production
processes. In this particular case of hot steel lamination where support rolls are
submited to strong workloads, consideration of all variables involved in its opreation
and wear is very important. This investigation only consider variables described in the
proposed mathematical model formulation at the begining of this text, which are ones
that impact support rolls wear process huge. It is relevant to consider accumulative
wear in each lamination campaign according to order production specifications.

6 CONCLUSIONS
Operational variables in the hot rolling process depend on the stand number, e.g. in the
roughing stands, strip reduction percentages are higher, requiring larger rolling forces,
even when the strip temperature is higher and there is higher plasticity. This variation
can also be observed in the calculation of the variables considered in the mathematical
model, therefore is coherent to think that the wear value obtained at the end of the
rolling schedule will have a variation among the different mill stands; this hypothesis
can be verified with the results obtained in Table 1.

The developed mathematical model allows to know and assess the performance of the
rolls at the mill, to make a prediction of the wear, and in this manner to make suitable
decisions for the right equipment operation, preventing finished product rework
because of the quality, or damaging the equipment and tooling, which are attributed to
accidents caused by excessive wear in the rolling rolls.

This mathematical model describes in precision support roll wear process behavior and
offers total amount in milimeters of wear at the end of a lamination campaign in each
11
support roll. As we can see in table 2, changes in values of variables considered in this
model have effect in roll wear calculations.

By calculating wear amount suffered in support rolls, we are offering an alternative in

maximizing total life cicle of this rolls.

As a future work the authors pretend to use the model with computational algorithms to
calibrate and improve the precision of the results.

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