2020 - USA
Phase 2 Mill Optimization: New roll pass progression fits the way mills operate today
Rolled product quality demands, dimensional tolerances and mechanical properties are becoming more rigorous. Since wire rod and rebar can be used directly in many applications, dimensional accuracy and quality are very important. Depending on the application, marks, scratches, cracks, overfill or oxide particles on the surface are unacceptable.
Roll pass design affects the evolution of quality, stand by stand, making it a critical field of rolling mill technology expertise. Russula has developed its own propriety roll pass software in-house, to quickly simulate the full rolling progression. Roll pass design, tailored the way the mill rolls, ensures the production of the desired final product, a defect-free surface, within tolerance at the lowest possible operating cost.
Identifying how a mill intends to produce is critical to creating a pass design that is conducive to the current operating style of the mill.
"One of the key tasks in every project is to take what a mill currently does and optimize it, making the changes as efficient as possible. The basis for a strong process is to recreate the production flow and then look for ways to improve it."
Wire Rod & Bar Mill Optimization Project | Phase 2: Roll Pass Design
The steel producer was experiencing overfill issues, which caused laps, a surface defect that occurs when an overfilled region folds and is rolled back into the surface, trapping a double oxide layer just beneath the rod surface. Laps can be formed for many reasons, among them, improper roll adjustment, the roll pass is not adequately designed, or guides that are problematic. As a result of the issues, the mill had experienced accelerated roll wear, damaged guide boxes and significantly reduced mill yield.
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
During phase 2 of the project, the Russula Technology Center incorporated the feedback from the production team on the basic flow concept and completed a detailed pass design progression. The roll pass drawing included a flow diagram, pass details and roll barrel layout, and a complete guide study for the entire mill.
We sought to simplify their operations and make things easier for the production team and specifically for the floor operators. It is much easier to implement changes if they create less work for people to do their jobs.
Working in this manner takes more time, but the end result was a new operational roadmap that the customer had a hand in developing; from the senior managers to the mill floor operators.
