A planishing roll has a surface structure, in particular for producing flat products from a metallic material, in particular from a steel material. The surface structure has a material ratio of 2% at a depth of 0.2 m to 9 m, preferably at a depth of 0.8 m to 5.5 m. The depth is measured, starting from a zero line, in the direction of an axis of rotation of the planishing roll, with the zero line running parallel to the axis of rotation of the planishing roll and. Starting from the surface of the planishing roll, the zero line is displaced in the direction of the axis of rotation of the planishing roll until the material ratio of the planishing roll is 0.1%.

A metal sheet having a low friction coefficient and a low waviness. Multiple round or roughly-round small pits are distributed on the surface of the metal sheet. The diameter of a single pit ranges from 30 m to 150 m, and the overlap between adjacent pits is lower than 10%. On the surface of the metal sheet where the pits are located, the proportion of the area of pits per square millimeter of surface area is greater than 30%, and the difference between the quantities of pits in any unit square millimeter is less than 20%. By means of the proper design of surface microstructure, the friction coefficient and the waviness can be effectively reduced, thereby improving the forming and painting performance of the material.

Described herein is a method for rolling metal sheets of variable thickness. The method makes it possible to impress, during rolling, any distribution of areas of increased thickness within a figure corresponding to the plane development of a motor-vehicle component prior to the pressing operation. Impression of the desired distribution of areas of increased thickness envisages simultaneous impression, during rolling, of a further distribution of areas of increased thickness, or compensation areas.

Provided is a method for rolling a strip with a roll stand with at least two work rolls. A rolling gap with a pass line is defined between the work rolls. A control roll is arranged before the rolling gap of the work rolls in the rolling direction, the strip is guided into the rolling gap of the roll stand via the control roll at an entry angle relative to the pass line and the surface structure of the strip is controlled through the selection of the entry angle depending on the positioning of the control roll relative to the pass line. Also provided is an apparatus for rolling a strip with a roll stand having at least two work rolls. A rolling gap with a pass line is defined between the work rolls.

A rolled stainless steel object has surface with a raised and indented pattern including a random juxtaposition of at least two types of polygons. Each of the polygons has at least three sides, and is made up of substantially parallel rectilinear scratches, having a depth of from 5 to 30 m separated by ridge lines, the axes of which are from 0.1 to 0.3 mm from each other, and a Fourier transform spectral analysis of which, carried out on a square of at least 100 mm.sup.2, shows that they have an isotropy of at least 40% between the rolling direction and the sideways direction, and two adjacent preferred angular orientations of which scratches, from among the three main preferred angular orientations thereof, are spaced apart by a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 60.

A method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy sheet may include melting aluminum alloy composition containing silicon (Si), iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) in weight % on the basis of remainder of aluminum (Al) to make cast alloy having a constant initial thickness; rolling the cast alloy to allow the initial thickness to be reduced, whereby the cast alloy is elongated to aluminum alloy sheet; and performing heat treatment on the aluminum alloy sheet.

Provided is a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet used for an automobile outer panel and so forth and, more specifically, to a method for producing a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet having excellent press formability and clarity after painting, and to a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet produced by the method.

An apparatus and method for rolling aluminum sheet uses a texture roll to roll the sheet while is it hot and has reduced yield strength. The texture rolling may be used to remediate defects in the sheet at a variety of stages in rolling, and may facilitate subsequent rolling stages.

Provided is a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet used for an automobile outer panel and so forth and, more specifically, to a method for producing a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet having excellent press formability and clarity after painting, and to a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet produced by the method.

The invention relates to a sheet steel (1) coated with a zinc-based coating and skin-pass rolled with a deterministic surface structure (2), and to a method for producing it.