Induction-Heated Wire Rolling for Fewer Passes and Less Work-Hardening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rolling technologies face challenges in producing metal wire from wire rod with high carbon or cobalt content, requiring multiple passes that lead to work-hardening, necessitate annealing furnaces, and result in environmental contamination due to lubricants, while being inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A rolling apparatus with a main heating furnace and secondary heating units, operating at different frequencies and powers, allows for continuous rolling of wire rod to metal wire with minimal passes, maintaining optimal temperature and reducing work-hardening, without the need for annealing furnaces or lubricants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If cold rolling is used to reduce wire rod thickness, then the metal product can be processed with simpler equipment, but the material undergoes excessive work-hardening requiring multiple passes and annealing furnaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hot rolling instead of cold rolling, changing the temperature parameter from ambient to elevated temperatures. This fundamental parameter change allows the metal to be more ductile and less prone to work-hardening, enabling significant thickness reduction in fewer passes without requiring annealing furnaces between passes.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple rolling passes are used to achieve desired thickness reduction, then the final wire dimensions can be precisely controlled, but the production time increases and energy consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
By conducting hot rolling at elevated temperatures, the metal exhibits improved ductility and formability, allowing for more aggressive single-pass or few-pass thickness reductions. This reduces the total number of passes required compared to cold rolling, thereby decreasing production time and energy consumption while maintaining adequate dimensional control.
3Ease of operation
If cold rolling with lubricants is used to reduce friction, then the rolling process can proceed smoothly, but environmental contamination occurs requiring expensive purification plants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from cold rolling with lubricants to hot rolling without lubricants. At elevated temperatures, the metal's reduced flow stress and improved ductility allow for smooth rolling without the need for external lubricants, thereby eliminating the source of environmental contamination and the need for expensive purification plants.
4Strength
If annealing furnaces are used between rolling passes to reduce work-hardening, then the material can be processed further, but the overall production time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains the metal at elevated temperatures throughout the rolling process through continuous heating or insulation, eliminating the need for intermittent annealing furnaces. This continuous thermal parameter control keeps the material ductile throughout processing, removing the energy-intensive annealing steps while maintaining material workability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus achieves significant thickness reduction with minimal energy consumption, reduces environmental contamination, and produces high-quality metal wire with desired mechanical properties.
Implementation Method 1
a main heating furnace disposed upstream of a first of the rolling units and configured to operate with a main power at a main frequency
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of secondary heating units alternating with the rolling units along the work axis and configured to operate with a secondary power at a secondary frequency in order to take/return the metal product to a suitable work temperature
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
AI summary
Apparatus (10) for rolling a metal product (P), initially in the form of wire rod with an initial thickness (Si), to produce a metal wire with a final thickness (Sf). Said rolling apparatus (10) comprises a plurality of rolling units (11) disposed aligned along a work axis (X) of said metal product (P). The present invention also concerns the corresponding method for rolling said metal product (P).