A cooling section for flat rolling stock has a working region, through which the flat rolling stock is guided. The working region can be supplied with a liquid coolant by means of a number of spray beams. The liquid coolant is fed from a reservoir for the liquid coolant to the spray beams by means of a pump and a supply system. Valves are arranged upstream of the spray beams in the supply system. Opening positions of the valves are set by a control unit of the cooling section according to a respective sub-flow that is to be applied to the flat rolling stock by means of each spray beam. Also, the delivery rate of the pump and/or a line pressure generated by the pump in the supply system are set by the control unit according to the total flow that is to be applied to the flat rolling stock by means of all the spray beams.

A cooling section for flat rolling stock has a working region, through which the flat rolling stock is guided. The working region can be supplied with a liquid coolant by means of a number of spray beams. The liquid coolant is fed from a reservoir for the liquid coolant to the spray beams by means of a pump and a supply system. Valves are arranged upstream of the spray beams in the supply system. Opening positions of the valves are set by a control unit of the cooling section according to a respective sub-flow that is to be applied to the flat rolling stock by means of each spray beam. Also, the delivery rate of the pump and/or a line pressure generated by the pump in the supply system are set by the control unit according to the total flow that is to be applied to the flat rolling stock by means of all the spray beams.

A flat rolled metal product (1) is first hot-rolled in at least one rolling stand (2), then fed to a cooling zone (5) arranged downstream of the rolling stand (2) and finally cooled in the cooling zone (5). During the rolling in the rolling stand (2), the flat rolled product (1) is oriented horizontally. Before running into the cooling zone (5) and/or when running into the cooling zone (5), the flat rolled product (1) is turned by a first acute angle (a) about an axis running in the transporting direction (x), so that after completion of the turning about the axis the flat rolled product (1) is oriented obliquely. The flat rolled product (1) is cooled in the cooling zone (5) while it is oriented obliquely. The product (1) is then returned to horizontal orientation.

A cooling system (2) for cooling metal rolling stock. A plurality of cooling bars (8) for applying a coolant onto the rolling stock, one dedicated coolant supply line (36) for each cooling bar (8), and a feed system (9) for guiding the coolant to the coolant supply lines (36). Each cooling bar (8) is connected to the feed system (9) via a dedicated coolant supply line (36). A bypass line (48, 52) for discharging a coolant flow from the feed system (9), is connected on the input side to a connection element (51, 53) of the feed system (9).

A cooling system (2) for cooling metal rolling stock. A plurality of cooling bars (8) for applying a coolant onto the rolling stock, one dedicated coolant supply line (36) for each cooling bar (8), and a feed system (9) for guiding the coolant to the coolant supply lines (36). Each cooling bar (8) is connected to the feed system (9) via a dedicated coolant supply line (36). A bypass line (48, 52) for discharging a coolant flow from the feed system (9), is connected on the input side to a connection element (51, 53) of the feed system (9).

A rolling mill exit side temperature control system includes the following features. A second valve control unit controls a valve opening of a second valve to cause a flow rate actual value detected by a flow rate detector to coincide with a flow rate target value. A remaining coolant discharging section controls a first valve to an open state and the second valve to a closed state by setting the flow rate target value to zero, before a material to be rolled reaches a rolling mill. A flow rate target value setting section sets the flow rate target value to a value corresponding to a target temperature of the material to be rolled on the entry side and the exit side of the rolling mill after the control by the remaining coolant discharging section.

A rolling mill exit side temperature control system includes the following features. A second valve control unit controls a valve opening of a second valve to cause a flow rate actual value detected by a flow rate detector to coincide with a flow rate target value. A remaining coolant discharging section controls a first valve to an open state and the second valve to a closed state by setting the flow rate target value to zero, before a material to be rolled reaches a rolling mill. A flow rate target value setting section sets the flow rate target value to a value corresponding to a target temperature of the material to be rolled on the entry side and the exit side of the rolling mill after the control by the remaining coolant discharging section.

A production equipment line for a hot-rolled steel strip comprises a rough rolling mill comprising rough rolling mills for hot rolling a material, which is heated to a predetermined temperature to a finish rolling start sheet thickness and a finish rolling mill comprising finish rolling mills for controlled-rolling the material to a final sheet thickness. At least one of the rough rolling mills is a reversible rolling mill. The production equipment line is provided on an upstream side of the reversible rolling mill with one of a slow cooling apparatus for slowly cooling at a water volume density of less than 1000 L/min.Math.m.sup.2 and a rapid cooling apparatus for rapidly cooling after the slow-cooling at a water volume density of not less than 1000 L/min.Math.m.sup.2 and the other of the slow cooling apparatus and rapid cooling apparatus on a downstream side of the reversible rolling mill.

A production equipment line for a hot-rolled steel strip comprises a rough rolling mill comprising rough rolling mills for hot rolling a material, which is heated to a predetermined temperature to a finish rolling start sheet thickness and a finish rolling mill comprising finish rolling mills for controlled-rolling the material to a final sheet thickness. At least one of the rough rolling mills is a reversible rolling mill. The production equipment line is provided on an upstream side of the reversible rolling mill with one of a slow cooling apparatus for slowly cooling at a water volume density of less than 1000 L/min.Math.m.sup.2 and a rapid cooling apparatus for rapidly cooling after the slow-cooling at a water volume density of not less than 1000 L/min.Math.m.sup.2 and the other of the slow cooling apparatus and rapid cooling apparatus on a downstream side of the reversible rolling mill.

A cooling device for cooling a metallic item and a method for operating the cooling device. Such cooling devices having a plurality of cooling bars arranged in parallel in groups for applying a coolant to the metallic item are known in the prior art. In order to be able to set a desired distribution function of the coolant over the width of the metallic item as precisely as possible, the cooling device provides that similar application regions in at least two cooling bars within a group are each formed differently with respect to their contour and/or with respect to their surface area.