Micro-Textured Rolling for Constant-Thickness Metal Sheets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing metal rolling methods often reduce the thickness of metal substrates during texture application, as the force applied by work rolls can cause deformation, making it challenging to maintain the substrate's thickness while imparting desired textures.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using pairs of work rolls with different textures, where the bearings impart a bearing load that transfers a work roll pressure below the yield strength of the metal substrate, allowing localized areas of plastic deformation for texture creation without substantial thickness reduction, enabling the application of various textures without changing the overall thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If work rolls apply force to transfer texture onto the metal substrate, then the surface texture is improved, but the thickness of the metal substrate is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The work rolls are designed with textured surfaces that create localized high-pressure zones only at the contact points between the roll surface and substrate. This allows plastic deformation and texture transfer to occur locally at the surface level without applying sufficient pressure across the entire substrate thickness to cause bulk deformation or thinning. The textured pattern on the work rolls concentrates the deforming action to specific micro-areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the pressure parameter distribution by using textured work rolls that create highly localized pressure peaks at the asperity contact points. Instead of uniform pressure application that would cause substrate thinning, the textured surface creates discrete high-pressure zones that are sufficient for surface deformation but insufficient for bulk material removal or significant thickness reduction.
2Manufacturing precision
If work rolls apply high pressure to create localized plastic deformation for texture, then the texture transfer is effective, but the overall substrate thickness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The work rolls feature textured surfaces with controlled asperities that concentrate the applied load into localized high-pressure zones at the contact points. This creates plastic deformation only in the immediate surface region where the asperities contact the substrate, enabling effective texture transfer while preventing the propagation of deformation through the substrate thickness that would lead to overall thinning.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies pressure that is excessive for surface deformation purposes only at the localized contact points of the textured asperities, while the overall pressure distribution across the substrate remains controlled. The localized pressure peaks are sufficient to cause plastic deformation and texture transfer, but the integrated effect across the entire substrate area is insufficient to cause significant thickness reduction.
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
This approach allows for the application of multiple textures on metal substrates without reducing their thickness, enhancing characteristics like lubricant retention, de-stacking capabilities, and resistance to spot weldability, while maintaining the substrate's thickness and improving processing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a texture of the work rolls can be transferred onto a surface of the metal strip as the metal strip passes between the work rolls. However, the force applied to the metal strip by the work rolls during metal rolling operations can also reduce the thickness of the metal strip
Implementation Method 2
Bearings (also referred to as actuators) are provided along the intermediate rolls and are configured to impart bearing loads on the intermediate rolls. The intermediate rolls then transfer the load to the work rolls such that the work rolls impart a work roll pressure on the metal substrate that is below the yield strength
Data Source
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AI summary
A substrate (106) (e.g., metal or non-metal sheet) can have multiple textures on a surface of the substrate. The various textures can be impressed or applied on the surface of the substrate (106) by passing the substrate (106) between multiple pairs of work rolls (104A, 104B) that each include at least one textured work roll (104A, 104B) for transferring a texture of the work roll (104A, 104B) onto the surface of the substrate (106). The pairs of work rolls (104A, 104B) apply the various textures on the surface of the substrate (106) while maintaining a thickness of the substrate (e.g., with substantially no reduction in a thickness of the substrate). A single pass of the substrate (106) between the pairs of work rolls (104A, 104B) can allow various different textures, patterns, or features to be applied to the surface of the substrate (106) while the thickness of the substrate remains substantially constant.