Role of the rolling mill in the manufacturing cycle

The production cycle of a steel product includes a transition to the solid state. In the past, this transition took place during ingot casting in the steel mill; today, for the vast majority of products, it takes place during continuous casting. Subsequent stages in the product cycle include successive shaping in hot rolling mills, followed by cold rolling in a second stage.

These geometric transformations are accompanied by metallurgical transformations. The aim is to manufacture a product with defined geometric and metallurgical characteristics, depending on its end use. Understanding the thermomechanical transformations of the rolling mill-product system is a prerequisite for achieving this objective. This article therefore deals with rolling theory, tool technology and tool use.