An apparatus for processing metallic strip material comprises a feeder for feeding strip material; a strip drive with at least one controllable traction drive with a carrier and a motor, a drivable traction loop and a press assembly, wherein the power of the motor and the pressing force of the press assembly are variably controllable; a roller assembly for flexible rolling; a measuring device for measuring a physical parameter of a component acting on the strip material; wherein the driving power of the motor is controllable on the basis of the physical parameter measured by the measuring device.

Method for the production of flat metal products, in particular coils of strip, in endless and/or semi-endless mode, in which a metal product is continuously fed to a rolling mill consisting overall of at least 4 stands. The rolling stands are, in sequence, roughing stands, and finishing stands. It is provided to perform a flying gauge change of the metal product exiting from the rolling mill.

Method for the production of flat metal products, in particular coils of strip, in endless and/or semi-endless mode, in which a metal product is continuously fed to a rolling mill consisting overall of at least 4 stands. The rolling stands are, in sequence, roughing stands, and finishing stands. It is provided to perform a flying gauge change of the metal product exiting from the rolling mill.

A method for manufacturing a product from a flexibly rolled strip material includes the steps of: providing a strip material made from sheet steel; flexibly rolling the strip material such that a variable thickness is produced along the length of the strip material; electrolytically coating the strip material with a metallic coating material containing at least 93% of zinc by mass after the flexible rolling; heat treating at temperature above 350 C. and below a solidus line of the coating material after the electrolytic coating; working a blank from the flexibly rolled strip material; and hot forming the blank.

A method for manufacturing a product from a flexibly rolled strip material includes the steps of: providing a strip material made from sheet steel; flexibly rolling the strip material such that a variable thickness is produced along the length of the strip material; electrolytically coating the strip material with a metallic coating material containing at least 93% of zinc by mass after the flexible rolling; heat treating at temperature above 350 C. and below a solidus line of the coating material after the electrolytic coating; working a blank from the flexibly rolled strip material; and hot forming the blank.

When the tracking point reaches the i-th stand, the continuous rolling system outputs, to an i-th stand, a roll gap operation value for bringing to zero a difference between a value which is obtained by correcting a strip thickness target value of the i-th stand with a target strip thickness correction value of the i-th stand and a value which is obtained by correcting a strip thickness actual recalculation value of the i-th stand with a gap correction value of the i-th stand. Here, the gap correction value is a correction value that brings to zero a difference between a head end gap error when a head end of the material to be rolled reaches the i-th stand and a non-head end gap error when a part other than the head end of the material to be rolled reaches the i-th stand.

When the tracking point reaches the i-th stand, the continuous rolling system outputs, to an i-th stand, a roll gap operation value for bringing to zero a difference between a value which is obtained by correcting a strip thickness target value of the i-th stand with a target strip thickness correction value of the i-th stand and a value which is obtained by correcting a strip thickness actual recalculation value of the i-th stand with a gap correction value of the i-th stand. Here, the gap correction value is a correction value that brings to zero a difference between a head end gap error when a head end of the material to be rolled reaches the i-th stand and a non-head end gap error when a part other than the head end of the material to be rolled reaches the i-th stand.

A process includes flexible rolling of a strip made of a metallic material, wherein a thickness profile with different sheet thicknesses along the length of the strip is produced such that successive regions of the flexibly rolled strip each correspond to a target thickness profile of a sheet metal blank to be cut out of same; determining a measured thickness profile of a plurality of successive regions of the strip; calculating a target position in the strip for a sheet metal blank to be cut out of the strip depending on the generated measured thickness profile of at least two successive regions of the strip; cutting the flexibly rolled strip by at least one cutting device along the target position for producing the sheet meal blank. A plant is further provided for producing a sheet metal blank.

A process includes flexible rolling of a strip made of a metallic material, wherein a thickness profile with different sheet thicknesses along the length of the strip is produced such that successive regions of the flexibly rolled strip each correspond to a target thickness profile of a sheet metal blank to be cut out of same; determining a measured thickness profile of a plurality of successive regions of the strip; calculating a target position in the strip for a sheet metal blank to be cut out of the strip depending on the generated measured thickness profile of at least two successive regions of the strip; cutting the flexibly rolled strip by at least one cutting device along the target position for producing the sheet meal blank. A plant is further provided for producing a sheet metal blank.

A method for the stepped rolling of a metal strip unwinds the metal strip by a feed reel device and winds-up the metal strip by a winding reel device. The metal strip is guided through a roller gap formed between two working rollers during the rolling process, and the roller gap is changed in a controlled manner during the rolling process, whereby a thickness of the metal strip is changed in steps in the longitudinal direction during the rolling process. Tension applied to the metal strip is controlled such that the rolling force applied to the metal strip by the working rollers is constant during the rolling process.