Rolling Mill Support Arm Nozzles for High-Speed Roll Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laterally-supported Sexto rolling mills with 'cassette' technology face challenges in effectively cooling and lubricating working and intermediate rolls due to nozzles being placed outside the cassette, leading to insufficient lubrication and cooling, especially when rolls are of small diameter or operating at high speeds, resulting in reduced service life and maintenance complexities.
Innovation Solution
A rolling mill design with spray nozzles carried on support arms, featuring a device for connection/disconnection that allows sealed fluid supply directly to the nozzles without passing through the hollow shaft, enabling high fluid flow rates and maintaining the cassette's integrity during maintenance, with an actuator creating a sealed connection on the support arm's surface and retracting for disconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nozzles are placed outside the cassette (on load spreading beams), then the cassette structure remains simple and maintenance is easier, but the cooling and lubrication effectiveness is insufficient especially for small diameter rolls at high speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The spray nozzles are integrated within the cassette structure itself, nested inside the support arms that form the cassette. This allows the nozzles to be positioned close to the rolls for effective cooling and lubrication while maintaining a compact, integrated cassette design that doesn't significantly increase overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cassette structure is modified locally by incorporating nozzles and fluid supply circuits into specific support arms where cooling and lubrication are most needed. This localized modification provides enhanced cooling effectiveness without requiring a complete redesign of the entire cassette structure.
2Reliability
If nozzles are carried on support arms within the cassette, then cooling and lubrication effectiveness is improved, but maintenance time increases due to additional fluid connection/disconnection steps
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid supply circuits are pre-integrated into the support arms and cassette structure during manufacturing. Connection elements are pre-positioned on the support arms, so that during maintenance the fluid connections are already in place and only need to be activated or deactivated, rather than requiring complex assembly and disassembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cassette structure with integrated nozzles and fluid circuits is designed to be self-sufficient, carrying its own cooling and lubrication system without requiring external connections during operation. The system includes self-contained fluid supply circuits that can be easily activated or deactivated during maintenance without requiring external service equipment.
3Device complexity
If fluid supply passes through the hollow shaft, then the structure is simpler, but load losses increase and fluid flow rates are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid supply circuit is extracted from the hollow shaft and routed through separate channels within the support arm structure. This separates the fluid transport function from the mechanical load-bearing function of the shaft, eliminating the load losses and flow rate restrictions that would result from using the shaft as a fluid conduit.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid supply system is segmented into separate circuits that are independently routed through the support arm structure. This allows the fluid supply to be optimized for flow rate and pressure without being constrained by the mechanical requirements of the hollow shaft, while also allowing independent maintenance of fluid circuits without affecting structural integrity.
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 design ensures effective cooling and lubrication of working and intermediate rolls, even at high speeds and with small diameters, while simplifying maintenance by avoiding additional time for fluid disconnection and reducing load losses, thus enhancing the operational efficiency and longevity of the rolls.
Implementation Method 1
spray nozzles (12) for a cooling or lubricating fluid... ensures effective cooling and lubrication of working and intermediate rolls
Implementation Method 2
an actuator able to create a sealed connection with said supply opening on the outer surface of the support arm
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a rolling mill including: a stand; two working rolls, two support rolls, and two intermediate rolls; lateral support rolls, able to support the working rolls laterally, each lateral support roll being borne by a support arm, mounted with the ability to pivot; load spreading beams and a mechanism for applying a preload on each support arm, including at least one preload actuating cylinder; one or more spray nozzles for a lubricating/cooling fluid, and wherein at least one of the nozzles, is carried on one of the support arms and in which the fluid supply circuit for the at least one nozzle comprises a device for connection/disconnection with the support arm with actuator. The actuator is an actuator distinct from the actuating cylinder of the mechanism for applying a preload.