Rolling Force Research Articles

Tribological performance of TiO2 nanoparticle-oil-water emulsion in the hot rolling process

This study aims to evaluate the lubrication performance of a nano-TiO2 oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion during the hot rolling process. A series of O/W emulsions with varying concentrations of TiO2 nanoparticles (0.05, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt.%) were synthesized. Tribological tests were conducted under a load of 70 N for 10 minutes to determine the optimal concentration based on anti-frictional properties. The O/W nano-emulsion optimized with a 0.1 wt.% concentration of TiO2 applied in the hot rolling process of IS 2062 E250 grade steel. This application resulted in a reduction of rolling force (RF) and surface roughness, suggesting its potential as an alternative lubricant. The results indicated superior antifriction performance at a TiO2 concentration of 0.1 wt.%, leading to a 15% reduction in RF. Additionally, the use of the nano-emulsion contributed to a significant reduction in oxide scale formation. Surface roughness measurements of the rolled samples revealed a 19% decrease, with a roughness value of 2.125 µm, compared to samples rolled with a nano-free O/W emulsion. These findings suggest that nano-TiO2 O/W emulsions could serve as an effective alternative to conventional O/W emulsions in future industrial metalworking applications.

Model of Dynamic Mechanical Parameters and Vibration Analysis in Hot Rolling

As the core equipment of metal shaping processing, the vibration problem of rolling mill seriously affects the product quality and production efficiency. To address the problem of the limited prediction of mill vibration due to small sample data in non-steady states, we propose to predict dynamic mechanical parameters (rolling force and rolling torque) based on the TCN-LSTM step strategy transfer model. The prediction accuracies of the TCN-LSTM step strategy transfer model under 1000 sets of training data reach 95.8% and 93.2%, respectively, and at the same time, it saves the time of training and regulation of the deep learning model and can better meet the needs of online prediction. The horizontal-torsion hot rolling vibration model is further established to quantitatively analyze the relationship between process parameters and mill vibration. The experimental results show that with the vibration suppression measures of 10% reduction of the rolling speed and 10% reduction of the entrance thickness, the horizontal vibration displacement amplitude is reduced from 0.687 × 10−4 m to 0.229 × 10−4 m, and the rotational displacement amplitude is reduced from 0.0273 m to 0.0117 m, which effectively suppresses the vibration of the mill and improves the stability of the rolling process.

Impact of tunneling parameters on disc cutter wear during rock breaking in transient conditions

The assessment of disc cutter wear in subway shield construction beneath operational airports is a critical endeavor for evaluating the structural integrity of shield machines. This study delved into the linear tunnel project linking Station T1 to T3 within the Baiyun airport, focusing on the intricate relationship between tunneling parameters during rock-machine interactions and the impact of disc cutter installation radius on wear amount. In addition, dynamic impact transient rock-breaking tests of shield disc cutters were performed under the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical triaxial conditions to ensure the validity of the relationship between mass-point velocity and the transient rock-breaking behavior of the disc cutter. The analysis revealed that when the shield thrust was between 17000 kN and 21000 kN, the total thrust of the shield had a significant effect on the advancement speed and cutterhead torque. Notably, the wear amount of the cutter increased approximately linearly with the installation radius, while the wear of the gauge cutter was also affected by the inclination angle. Furthermore, the study uncovered a linear correlation between the cutting length of the disc cutter and the magnitude of wear. Within a cutting length range between 440 km and 2276 km, the disc cutter's installation position had minimal impact on the wear coefficient. Simultaneously, this study employed the mass-point velocity to simulate the thrust and rolling forces in the equivalent shield tunneling processes. The findings underscored a positive correlation between disc cutter wear and shield advancement speed, cutterhead rpm, and mass-point velocity. When the mass-point velocity of the shield reached the maximum value of 0.666 m/s, the wear of the shield disc cutter also reached the maximum value of 27.5 mm, providing the quantitative reference for evaluating the influences of shield tunneling parameters on the cutter wear under transient impact rock breaking conditions.

Analytical and Finite Element Analysis of the Rolling Force for the Three-Roller Cylindrical Bending Process.

In the roll bending process, the rolling force acting on the roller shafts is one of the most important parameters since, on the one hand, it determines the process settings including the pre-loading, and, on the other hand, its distribution and size may affect the integrity of both the bending system and the final product. In this study, the three-roller bending process was modeled using a two-dimensional plane-strain finite element method, and the rolling force was determined as a function of plate thickness, upper roller diameter, and yield strength for various API steel grades. Based on the numerical simulation results, a critical bending angle of 41° was identified and the rolling systems were divided into two categories, of less than or equal to, and greater than 41°, and an analytical model for predicting the maximum rolling force was developed for each category. To determine the optimal pre-tensioning force, two optimization formulations were proposed by minimizing the maximum equivalent stress and the absolute maximum displacement. The rolling forces predicted by the analytical models were found to be in good agreement with the numerical simulation results, with relative errors generally less than 10%. The predictive analytical models developed in this study capture well the complex deformation behavior that occurs during the roll bending process of steel plates, providing guidelines and predictions for industrial applications of this process.

Tribological Behavior and Cold-Rolling Lubrication Performance of Water-Based Nanolubricants with Varying Concentrations of Nano-TiO2 Additives

This study aimed to investigate the effect of water-based nanolubricants containing varying concentrations (1.0–9.0 wt.%) of TiO2 nanoparticles on the friction and wear of titanium foil surfaces. Water-based nanolubricants containing TiO2 nanoparticles of varying concentrations were prepared and applied in friction and wear experiments and micro-rolling experiments to evaluate their performance regarding friction and wear properties. The findings indicated that the best results were achieved with a 3.0 wt.% TiO2 nano-additive lubricant that significantly improved the tribological properties, with reductions in the COF and wear of 82.9% and 42.7%, respectively, compared to the dry conditions without any lubricant. In addition, nanolubricants contribute to a reduction in rolling forces and an improvement in the surface quality of titanium foils after rolling. In conclusion, nanolubricants exhibit superior lubricating properties compared to conventional O/W lubricants, which is attributed to the combined effect of the rolling effect, polishing effect, mending effect and tribo-film effect of the nanoparticles.

Integrated AGC Approach for Balancing the Thickness Dynamic Response and Shape Condition of a Hot Strip Rolling Control System

Thickness and shape are two significant indices in the tandem hot strip rolling process. Excessive thickness correction can cause rolling force imbalance, leading to deteriorated shape conditions. Aiming at this problem, we propose a new monitor automatic gauge control (M-AGC) with consideration of the rolling force distribution to not only keep the shape condition but also improve the robustness of the rolling process. First, the M-AGC with the Smith predictor control structure was studied. Second, based on the rolling force and thickness correction redistribution algorithm, shape balance automatic gauge control (SB-AGC), the phenomenon of rolling force imbalance was improved. Third, the transient response was improved by adding a command prefilter to the upstream stands, which is asynchronous shape balance automatic gauge control (ASB-AGC). The proposed algorithms can be applied to all steel grades and are easy to implement. Finally, cross-validation was conducted through numerical simulations and application results, confirming the alignment between the theoretical derivation and practical implementation. The simulation results show improvements in both the rolling force balance and the thickness response. The practical application results also confirm that better flatness conditions and thickness response can be achieved, significantly reducing the amount of head-end cutoff losses.

Full-scale test of disc cutter rotary cutting in TBM tunnelling: a case study of Mawan granite in Shenzhen, China

Understanding the distribution of cutting force provides a foundation for the design and optimization of cutterhead layout. The simulation of rotary cutting with a large cutting radius remains a challenge for laboratory tests. In this study, taking the driving condition of the Mawan Tunnel located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a case study, a full-scale rotary cutting platform with large cutting radius was used to investigate the rock-breaking effects. Rotary cutting with cutting depths of 1–8 mm and cutting radii of 200–1400 mm were carried out on the granite testing platform using a 19-in disc cutter. The normal force, rolling force, and side force during the cutting process were systematically monitored. Moreover, the time–frequency characteristics of the rock breaking process and the effects of cutting depth, cutting radius and stress state on the average and peak loads were investigated. The results show that the average normal force and rolling force increased with increasing cutting depth, while the side force was less affected by cutting depth through the Boltzman model analysis. The average normal force and rolling force were not significantly affected by the cutting radius, but the average side force decreased as a power function with increasing cutting radius, and showed a stable side force when the installation radius exceeded 1000 mm. The dominant frequency of the cutting force was 0–1.2 Hz, exhibiting notable low-frequency characteristics. Additionally, the ratio of peak to average (RPA) with respect to triaxial cutting force demonstrated an increase with the growth of cutting depth, while RPA in terms of side force exhibited a corresponding growth with the increasing cutting radius. In particular, the cutting force characteristics of the cutterhead obtained in this study can inform the layout of disc cutters and real-life TBM operations, thereby avoiding severe overloading of internal disc cutters.

Roll force prediction using hybrid genetic algorithm with semi-supervised support vector regression

Roll force prediction plays a significant role in rolling schedule and optimization. For a specific steel grade, the roll force can be determined by the aid of several factors: rolling speed, initial thickness, ratio of thickness reduction, the starting temperature of the strip, and the friction coefficient in the contact region. Roll force prediction mathematical models are sometimes rare and inaccurate. This paper presents a new approach to predict roll separating force using semi-supervised support vector regression (SSSVR). The parameters affecting the sensitivity of the SSSVR were optimized using the genetic algorithm to maximize the r-squared accuracy score. The intelligent system is evaluated using two quality metrics: the root mean square error (RMSE) and the mean absolute error calculated between the measured force from the industrial rolling field and the predicted force using the proposed system from one side, and the measured force and the calculated force from another side. Obtained results show the improvement while using the intelligent predictive system. The reduction in RMSE was achieved by the proposed system by 66.9% and 32.1% for oval and round shape passes, respectively in comparison to the conventional calculation method.

Relationship between tension and vertical vibration of roll system of twenty-high rolling mill

Abnormal vibration of the roll system seriously affects the quality of the rolled product and even the occurrence of strip breakage. There are many reasons for roll system vibration, such as roll damage, roll bearing failure, and fluctuations in rolling parameters. Especially for 20-roll high-precision ultra-thin strip mills, a key condition for strip rolling is to apply substantial inlet and outlet tension, with the impact of tension fluctuation increasing as the strip becomes thinner. In this paper, firstly, a dynamic rolling force model that accounts for tension fluctuations and vertical vibrations is established. Subsequently, a vertical vibration dynamics equation for the roll system of the twenty-high rolling mill was established. Then the rolling force model was substituted into the dynamics equation to investigate the relationship between tension fluctuations and roll system vibrations. The results indicate that: (1) Tension fluctuations can cause vibrations in the roll system. With the same fluctuation amplitude, the amplitude of the roller system vibration caused by the inlet tension can reach 10 times the amplitude of the roller system vibration caused by the outlet tension; (2) The vibration amplitude is affected by both the tension magnitude and the fluctuations amplitude and it is mainly influenced by the tension fluctuation when the tension magnitude changes are not significant; (3) Fluctuations in inlet and outlet tension will reduce the damping term and stiffness term, respectively, which increases the main resonance amplitude. Finally, the effectiveness of the model is verified by the experiment. The average inaccuracy between the simulated and measured vibration amplitudes is 13 %.

An evaluation of six techniques for measuring porosity of ribbons produced by roller compaction

Ribbon porosity is a critical parameter to monitor in the roller compaction process. In this study, six techniques for measuring the porosity of solid compacts, i.e., manually by caliper (Caliper), X-ray microtomography (µCT), off-line near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), laser triangulation (Laser), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), and GeoPyc, were compared using a set of rectangular ribblets of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). These ribblets, which were compressed at 8–––130 MPa on a compaction simulator, exhibited porosities over the range of 0.09 – 0.52. Subsequently, porosities of MCC ribbons made on a roller compactor at specific roll forces of 1.8 kN/cm and 8.8 kN/cm were measured. The Caliper method is convenient for samples with a simple shape but not suitable for real ribbons. The accuracy of GeoPyc measurement relies on accurate conversion factor (unit in cm3/mm), sample shape and size, and sufficient sample volume percentage in the medium. The µCT data is more accurate at lower porosities (< 0.2), while the MIP data is more accurate at higher porosities (> 0.4). The Laser method has good accuracy and is more reproducible compared to other methods in the ribblets measurement. The NIR method is fast, which makes it suitable for in-line monitoring of changes in ribbon quality, but porosity quantification is sensitive to sample presentation, such as surface curvature and roughness. These insights could assist in the choice of the most appropriate method for monitoring ribbon porosity to guide the development and optimization of a roller compaction process for a given formulation.

The impacts of roller compaction on the quality attributes of simultaneously compressed micro and minitablets

The challenges of developing good quality low dose minitablets was assessed by systematically studying the effects of ibuprofen (IBU, a model compound) particle sizes (6–58 µm D50) and concentrations (0.1–3 %w/w), roller compaction forces (3–7 kN/cm), and the minitablet sizes (1.2, 1.5 and 2 mm diameter). A novel compression approach, where all three minitablet sizes were simultaneously produced in a single compression run was used. Roller compacted ribbons, granules, minitablets were characterized for physico-mechanical properties and minitablets were also characterized for stratified content uniformity and weight uniformity. The results showed that roll force was the more dominant factor to ribbon solid fraction or tensile strength and granule size enlargement. Minitablets obtained from the granules had good weight uniformity; all but one batch met the <Ph. Eur. 2.9.5 > criteria. The precise control of tooling lengths across the various sizes was found profoundly important for achieving expected weights, solid fraction, and tensile strength of the simultaneously produced minitablets. The roller compaction process considerably improved the CU variability of the minitablets as compared to the direct compression process. Smaller particle size and higher concentration of IBU, increased roller compaction force, and larger minitablet size improved the potency and content uniformity; however, only the minitablet size was a statistically significant factor in this study. As a product strategic design criterion, a threshold of 25 minitablets in a dosage unit would ensure robust downstream filling and weight verification operations as well as dose accuracy and uniformity (would pass <USP 905> stage 1 criteria). This study results demonstrated feasibility of the novel simultaneous compression approach and the roller compaction process in developing good quality minitablets.

Analysis of Rolling Force and Friction in Hot Steel Rolling with Water‐Based Nanolubrication

Analysis of Rolling Force and Friction in Hot Steel Rolling with Water‐Based Nanolubrication

Vertical vibration analysis of rolling interface based on dynamic rolling force with variable friction characteristics

This study investigates the impact of variable friction characteristics at the rolling interface on the vertical vibration of plate and strip rolling mills. Based on the optimized Karman equilibrium theory, a dynamic rolling force model considering the front and back tension, elastic stretching, and rolling speed was established. The amplitude-frequency response equation of rolling mill system is solved by multi-scale method, and the influence of main parameters on vertical vibration of rolling mill system is analyzed. The results show that the increase of the first stiffness coefficient of dynamic rolling force leads to the decrease of the principal common amplitude of the system. On the contrary, when the third stiffness coefficient increases, the system exhibits a jump phenomenon. When the third stiffness coefficient of dynamic rolling force is reduced within a certain range, a stable and unique solution is obtained without jumping phenomenon. Moreover, the smaller the damping coefficient of the upper and lower roller system is, the larger the vibration amplitude is and the jump phenomenon occurs. Decreasing the external disturbance force can effectively reduce the system’s vertical vibration amplitude and suppress the resonance. In addition, with the change of external disturbance force, the roll system of the rolling mill shows a variety of complex motion states, such as periodic motion, double-periodic motion, and chaotic motion. The research results provide an effective theoretical reference for the suppression of vertical vibration of rolling mill.

Study on the Influence of Mandrel Speed on the Titanium Tube Continuous Retained-Mandrel Rolling Process

The continuous retained-mandrel rolling process is a promising method for titanium tube production with high efficiency and a short process. The importance of mandrel as a deformation tool supporting the inner wall is crucial. This paper thoroughly examines the influence of mandrel velocity on the deformation characteristics at the groove vertex using three approaches: numerical simulation, shear-deformation observation experiments, and microstructure analysis. The following conclusions are drawn: Decreasing the mandrel velocity enhances the penetration of shear deformation into the inner wall of the titanium tube, improves thickness uniformity, and shifts the deformation mechanism near the inner wall from twinning to dislocation slip. As a result, the volume fraction of recrystallization increases from 18.4% to 42.3%. However, the mean shear strain increases first and then decreases to a certain value as the mandrel speed decreases, which is attributed to the combined influence of the cross-shear zone and the rolling force.

Roll force prediction by combined FEM and ANN in the hot rolling process under nano-lubrication condition

Roll force prediction by combined FEM and ANN in the hot rolling process under nano-lubrication condition

On the application of RHT model and SPG algorithm for the analysis of rock cutting process

The linear cutting process in rock poses challenges for verification in field experiments, laboratory investigations, or numerical simulations. This study aims to analyze the rock cutting process and disc cutter force estimation when using linear cutting mode. Three-dimensional numerical simulations using the explicit dynamic finite element method (LS-DYNA software) are conducted to characterize the cutting process. In this regard, two computational algorithms (Lagrangian and Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH)) and two material models (Johnson-Holmquist Concrete (JHC) and Riedel-Hiermaier-Thoma (RHT)) are compared, with SPH and RHT identified as more suitable for rock cutting simulation. The results of comparative analyses show that the Lagrangian computational algorithm is highly dependent on the erosion value, hence this method is not suitable for the simulation of the rock-cutting process. Comparing to the RHT material constitutive model, the Johnson-Holmquist model does not well model the post-failure softening strain behavior, which leads to a reduction in the width of the failure area. The comparative analyses also show that the normal and rolling forces predicted by the JHC model are well over 30% higher than the actual experimental results, while the RHT model shows a good agreement between the predictions and the actual results. Overall, the RHT material model with the use of the SPH computational algorithm shows a very good combination in rock cutting process simulation.

Role of strain softening and viscoelastic memory for the rolling friction of two tire tread compounds.

Rolling friction is of great importance for many applications, such as tires and conveyor belts. We study the rolling friction for hard cylinders rolling on flat rubber sheets. The rolling friction depends on the number of rolling cycles, the rolling speed, and the temperature. We show that when the rubber is cooled down below the glass transition temperature, the deformations of the rubber surface are frozen-in, resulting in a non-flat rolling track where uphill and downhill rolling movements strongly affect the rolling force. The experimental data are analyzed using the Persson rolling friction theory; good agreement with the experiments is obtained when the non-linear (strain-softening) properties of the viscoelastic modulus are taken into account.

Stability analysis of rolling mill system for flexible rolling process based on maximum Lyapunov exponent

Flexible rolling technology is the current development trend of strip production industry. However, due to the simultaneous change of mechanical, process and strip specification parameters in the flexible rolling process, the motion state of the system is difficult to analyze and stability control is hard to achieve. In this paper, the active motion characteristics of rolls in flexible rolling technology are considered, and the dynamic rolling process model is established to reflect the influence mechanism of process and specification parameters on the dynamic rolling force. The dynamic model of a 4-high rolling mill was developed and the structure-process-strip coupling strategy was applied to couple the models. The Runge-Kutta method was applied to solve the dynamic equation to obtain the maximum Lyapunov exponential spectrum for a single parameter variation. It is noteworthy that the two-parameter dynamics method was adopted to solve the dynamics on the two-parameter plane considering the nature of simultaneous variation of the system parameters, which solves the limitations of the traditional analytical method and is suitable for the application of the flexible rolling system. The results suggest that the parameters influence the motion state in the form of coupling, the influence pattern of each parameter on the stability is clarified, the evolution of the stable domain under the effect of parameter coupling is revealed, and the parameter matching strategy is determined. The results will provide a solution for the system parameter setting of flexible rolling technology and a theoretical reference for enhancing the stability of the rolling mill.

Effect of lubricants during the rolling process on the mixed mode fracture behavior of the as-rolled material

Friction is one of the major factors in energy consumption and metal depreciation during various mechanical processes. Lubrication is often used during the process of forming metals to cope with friction and its consequences. Mineral lubricants are employed in the rolling process to decrease the rolling force and enhance the quality of the sheets. This research aims to compare the performance of mineral lubricants such as crude oil, gas oil, and CM405A to enhance the production efficiency of the aluminum forming process, especially in the rolling process. The ring compression test was utilized to evaluate the influence of lubrication on the friction coefficient which was extracted through calibration curves. Then, the effect of friction coefficient was experimentally examined during the forming process through rolling. Al 1050 was rolled by the mentioned lubricants. The pre-cracked rolled samples were then tested by fracture test at different loading angles of 0 (pure mode-I), 45(mixed-mode of I and II), and 90(pure mode-II). J-R curves were extracted using elastic–plastic fracture theory based on material characteristics. The fracture tests indicated maximum resistance to crack growth occurred in the sample prepared with CM405A lubricant. In contrast, the lowest crack growth resistance was recorded in the case where crude oil was employed as a lubricant. In the end, the SEM images of the fractured surfaces were explored for a deeper understanding of the fracture behavior. Although a combination of brittle and ductile fracture mechanisms can be observed on the fractured surfaces, cleavage was the dominant phenomenon and fracture mechanisms.

The effect of Silver addition and deformation parameters on mechanostructure, biodegradation, antimicrobial and mechanical properties of Zn-based biodegradable alloys.

Although low mechanical properties, Zinc (Zn) alloy systems with Copper (Cu) and Silver (Ag) as alloying elements have strong biocompatibility and biodegradability characteristics. This study examined the effects of rolling parameters and Ag alloying on the mechanical, biodegradable, and final structure of an alloy based on Zn. Comparing treated and untreated specimens, the addition of Ag led to a considerable improvement in both hardness and compressive strength. The produced alloys with varying amounts of Ag (between 1 and 4wt%) were cold rolled at 400-800r/min and friction coefficients between 0.3 and 0.5. The alloys' ultimate strength rose with an increase in rolling speed for Zn1Cu4Ag, and hardness and compressive strengths rose to 80HV and 470MPa, respectively. It was demonstrated that rolling force rose somewhat with Ag concentration but significantly increased with rolling speed and friction. E. Coli and S. aureus were used to assess the biodegradable alloys' antibacterial properties. For the Zn-1Cu-2Ag alloy, the inclusion of Ag resulted in a considerable (50%) rise in antibacterial activity that exceeded the effects seen in other alloy systems.