Rolling Mill Bending Arm Layout for High Roll Gap Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing rolling devices face challenges in achieving high roll gap settings without undesirable interactions with the backup roll balancing system, which requires strong components to absorb high forces and complicates maintenance.

Innovation Solution

The rolling device features a first bending device with stationary bending cylinders and bending arms that interact with the upper work roll, allowing for vertical adjustment of the roll gap without affecting the backup roll balancing system, enabling a high roll gap of up to 1350 mm and decoupling the bending device from the backup roll balancing system for easier maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the upper bending cylinders are actuated to influence the roll gap contour, then the roll gap contour can be adjusted, but interactions with the upper backup roll balancing occur requiring stronger components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroll gap contour adjustment capabilityVSAvoidcomponent strength requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The bending device is segmented into separate functional components: bending cylinders for contour adjustment and balancing cylinders for backup roll support. This segmentation allows independent operation of each function, preventing interaction between bending and balancing systems, thereby maintaining component strength requirements at acceptable levels while preserving roll gap contour adjustability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The balancing function is extracted from the bending device and implemented as a separate backup roll balancing system. This extraction eliminates the harmful interaction between bending operations and backup roll balancing, allowing the bending cylinders to operate without requiring excessive strength to compensate for balancing interactions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If the bending device components are designed to withstand high forces, then interactions with backup roll balancing are prevented, but maintenance complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of roll gap contourVSAvoidmaintenance accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into modular segments: the bending device with its cylinders and arms as one module, and the backup roll balancing system as another. This modularity allows maintenance personnel to access and service the bending device components independently without disturbing the balancing system, maintaining reliability while improving ease of repair

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bending arms serve as intermediary elements that transmit bending forces from the cylinders to the work rolls while being decoupled from the backup roll balancing system. This intermediary arrangement protects the balancing system from high bending forces, allowing both systems to be maintained with standard procedures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Length of moving object

If the roll gap height is increased to very high values, then the rolling device can handle larger work pieces, but guidance of work roll inserts becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroll gap heightVSAvoidguidance precision of work roll inserts
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Guide elements are introduced as intermediary components between the bending arms and the work roll inserts. These guide elements maintain precise alignment and guidance of the work rolls even at very high roll gap heights, enabling the system to handle large work pieces while preserving manufacturing precision through the mediating guidance mechanism

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 configuration allows for a high roll gap adjustment while minimizing interactions with the backup roll balancing system, ensuring good guidance of work roll chocks and simplifying maintenance by decoupling the bending device, thus enhancing the operational efficiency and accessibility of the rolling device.

Implementation Method 1

The bending device for the upper work roll is characterized by bending arms that are vertically displaceable in guides on the roll stand. Within the window of the roll stand, below its crosshead, the bending cylinders are guided on balancing arms of the upper backup roll via crossbeams.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydraulic pressure: Hydraulic Press

Implementation Method 2

the bending arms (16) are guided vertically, for example by means of guide elements (18), into recesses (36) of the rolling stand (2; 31)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP4096849B1Rolling device
Publication Date: 2023.09.06 SMS GROUP GMBH
  • EP4096849B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4096849B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4096849B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a rolling device (1) comprising at least one upper and a lower working roll (3, 4) and comprising at least one upper and a lower support roll (5, 6), wherein the working rolls (3, 4) and the support rolls (5, 6) are supported on a common roll stand (2), the working rolls (3, 4) can be adjusted relative to each other in order to adjust a specified rolling gap (7), and each of the working rolls (3, 4) is operatively connected to at least one bending device. At least one first bending device is paired with the upper working roll (4), and at least one second bending device is paired with the lower working roll (3). The second bending device comprises bending cylinders (14) which are arranged in a vertically fixed manner, and the upper working rolls (4) can be readjusted or carried by the first bending device, thereby vertically adjusting the height (8) of the rolling gap (7). The rolling device (1) is characterized in that the first bending device comprises bending arms (16) which interact with bending cylinders (15) arranged in a stationary manner.