A roll bender apparatus is disclosed for bending a work piece, the apparatus including a base, a bending roller rotatably disposed on the base, a first guide roller rotatably disposed on base. and a second guide roller rotatably disposed on the base. A first work piece guide assembly is movable about the first guide roller and a second work piece guide assembly movable about the second guide roller. The first and second work piece guide assemblies are oriented to receive the work piece, and the first and second work piece guide assemblies are configured to move about the first and second guide rollers respectively in response to the work piece being bent as the work piece is advanced between the bending roller and the first and second guide rollers.

A roll bender apparatus is disclosed for bending a work piece, the apparatus including a base, a bending roller rotatably disposed on the base, a first guide roller rotatably disposed on base. and a second guide roller rotatably disposed on the base. A first work piece guide assembly is movable about the first guide roller and a second work piece guide assembly movable about the second guide roller. The first and second work piece guide assemblies are oriented to receive the work piece, and the first and second work piece guide assemblies are configured to move about the first and second guide rollers respectively in response to the work piece being bent as the work piece is advanced between the bending roller and the first and second guide rollers.

A multistage rolling mill includes: four columns 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d linking, in an up-down direction, four corners of each of an upper mill housing 8, a lower mill housing 9, and a base mill housing 10; a press-down section that is provided on an upper side of the four columns 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d in a vertical direction and that is capable of raising and lowering the upper mill housing 8; and a lower mill housing spacer that is provided between the lower mill housing 9 and the base mill housing 10 and that adjusts the position of the lower mill housing 9 in the vertical direction. With this configuration, a compact multistage rolling mill with a smaller installation space than a conventional cluster-type rolling mill is provided.

A method for changing work roll in a rolling mill which limits the risk of scratching the work roll, or even the risk of scratching the metal strip, upon extracting or inserting the work roll, by virtue of a mechanical separation element, in particular of the branches of a fork system, inserted by a robotic element.

Disclosed is a rolling method for rolling a strip including: rolling the strip by a pair of working rolls; transmitting a rolling force to the working rolls by a pair of support rolls; holding each of the working rolls by a pair of side support rollers; supporting each side support roller by two rows formed by rollers; supporting each row formed by the rollers, by a bearing support carrying rollers, the bearing support mounted pivotally on an articulation axis. The dimensions of a first interspace between the side support roller and the support roll and a second interspace between the strip and the assembly consisting of side support roller and bearing support vary in the course of the rolling. The method includes adjusting the dimension separating the axis of the support roll and the axis of the side support roller defining the first interspace.

Provided are: an upper work roll, radial bearings and a thrust bearing provided on a work side and a drive side of the upper work roll and supporting the upper work roll. Shift cylinders are provided on the work side of the upper work roll and apply forces in both a work side direction and a drive side direction to the thrust bearing. Shift cylinders are also provided on the drive side of the upper work roll and apply forces in both the work side direction and the drive side direction to the radial bearing 790B. The shift cylinders each apply a force in the same direction to the radial bearing and the thrust bearing when the upper work roll does not shift in an axial direction at least during rolling.

Provided are: an upper work roll, radial bearings and a thrust bearing provided on a work side and a drive side of the upper work roll and supporting the upper work roll. Shift cylinders are provided on the work side of the upper work roll and apply forces in both a work side direction and a drive side direction to the thrust bearing. Shift cylinders are also provided on the drive side of the upper work roll and apply forces in both the work side direction and the drive side direction to the radial bearing 790B. The shift cylinders each apply a force in the same direction to the radial bearing and the thrust bearing when the upper work roll does not shift in an axial direction at least during rolling.

A flatness control system includes a work stand of a finishing line, a plurality of actuators, a flatness measuring device, and a controller. The work stand includes a pair of vertically aligned work rolls. A first work roll of the pair of work rolls includes a plurality of flatness control zones configured to apply a localized pressure to a corresponding region on a substrate. Each actuator corresponds with a one of the plurality of flatness control zones. The flatness measuring device is configured to measure an actual flatness profile of the substrate. The controller is configured to adjust the plurality of actuators such that the localized pressures modify the actual flatness profile to achieve the desired flatness profile at the exit of the stand. The thickness and a length of the substrate remain substantially constant when the substrate exits the work stand.

A flatness control system includes a work stand of a finishing line, a plurality of actuators, a flatness measuring device, and a controller. The work stand includes a pair of vertically aligned work rolls. A first work roll of the pair of work rolls includes a plurality of flatness control zones configured to apply a localized pressure to a corresponding region on a substrate. Each actuator corresponds with a one of the plurality of flatness control zones. The flatness measuring device is configured to measure an actual flatness profile of the substrate. The controller is configured to adjust the plurality of actuators such that the localized pressures modify the actual flatness profile to achieve the desired flatness profile at the exit of the stand. The thickness and a length of the substrate remain substantially constant when the substrate exits the work stand.

A hot rolling mill 1 includes a control apparatus 20 that adjusts an angle formed between an upper-side pair of an upper backup roll 120A and an upper work roll 110A and a lower-side pair of a lower backup roll 120B and a lower work roll 110B in a state where the upper-side pair is kept parallel and in a state where the lower-side pair is kept parallel. The hot rolling mill 1 is configured such that the work rolls 110A and 110B satisfy the condition that DW/Lb is equal to or smaller than 0.30 where DW is a diameter of the work rolls 110A and 110B, and Lb is the maximum strip width of a rolled material, and the hot rolling mill 1 performs rolling in a state where a bending force is applied to the work rolls.