[Object] To provide a rolling apparatus capable of accurately detecting a rolling direction force applied to a work roll chock. [Solution] A rolling apparatus for flat-rolled metal materials including a pair of upper and lower work rolls 1 and 2 includes a pair of work roll chocks 5 and 6 configured to hold the respective work rolls 1 and 2, housings 10 configured to hold the work roll chocks, and rolling direction force measurement devices 21, 22, 23, and 24 configured to measure rolling direction forces. The rolling direction force measurement devices include a plurality of load detection devices on an entry side or an exit side of the work roll chocks in a rolling direction, and the plurality of load detection devices are provided to one of the housings, and the plurality of load detection devices are disposed in a manner that, during rolling of the flat-rolled metal materials, at least two of the load detection devices are arranged adjacent to each other in a draft direction facing a side surface of a corresponding one of the work roll chocks. In this case, the at least two load detection devices are disposed in a manner that a line extending in the rolling direction and including a roll axis, which is a point of effort of a rolling direction force, is interposed between the at least two load detection devices in the draft direction.

There is provided a method for identifying thrust counterforce working point positions of backup rolls of a rolling mill, the method including: changing at least either friction coefficients and inter-roll cross angles between the rolls with an unchanged kiss roll load to cause thrust forces at a plurality of levels to act between the rolls, and measuring thrust counterforces in a roll-axis direction acting on rolls forming at least one of roll pairs other than a roll pair of the backup rolls and measuring backup roll counterforces acting in a vertical direction on the backup rolls at reduction support positions in a kiss roll state; and identifying, based on the measured thrust counterforces, thrust counterforce working point positions of thrust counterforces acting on the backup rolls, using first equilibrium conditional expressions relating to forces acting on the rolls and second equilibrium conditional expressions relating to moments acting on the rolls.

The present application describes a Cold Rolling Mill (CRM) 200. The CRM 200 comprises a pair of working rolls 202 configured to apply stress on a metal strip for reducing thickness of the metal strip. The pair of working rolls 202 have a face width of 1350 mm. The CRM 200 further comprises a pair of intermediate rolls 204 configured to provide mechanical support to the pair of working rolls 202. The pair of intermediate rolls 204 have a face width of 1280 mm. The CRM 200 further comprises a pair of back-up rolls 206 configured to provide mechanical support to the pair of intermediate rolls 204. The back-up rolls 206 have a face width of 1300 mm. Bearing center distance of the CRM 200 is 2170 mm.

A rolling mill includes a plurality of stands configured to roll a material to be rolled, wherein at least one stand, among the stands, includes: at least one pair of rolling mill rolls; a roll chock that rotatably support the rolling mill rolls; and a roll chock liner that includes a first liner plate mounted on the roll chock, a second liner plate stacked on the first liner plate in a rolling direction, and an elastic member interposed between the first liner plate and the second liner plate.

A rolling mill of four-high or more is provided that includes: measurement apparatuses that adopt any one roll as a reference roll, and measure at least rolling direction forces acting on roll chocks on a work side and roll chocks on a drive side of each roll other than a backup roll; pressing apparatuses that press the roll chocks in the rolling direction; driving apparatuses that move the roll chocks in the rolling direction; and a position control unit that fixes a rolling direction position of the roll chocks of the reference roll as a reference position, and drives the driving apparatuses to control the positions in the rolling direction of the roll chocks based on a rolling direction force difference so that the rolling direction force difference of each roll is a value within an allowable range.

A rolling mill of four-high or more is provided that includes: measurement apparatuses that adopt any one roll as a reference roll, and measure at least rolling direction forces acting on roll chocks on a work side and roll chocks on a drive side of each roll other than a backup roll; pressing apparatuses that press the roll chocks in the rolling direction; driving apparatuses that move the roll chocks in the rolling direction; and a position control unit that fixes a rolling direction position of the roll chocks of the reference roll as a reference position, and drives the driving apparatuses to control the positions in the rolling direction of the roll chocks based on a rolling direction force difference so that the rolling direction force difference of each roll is a value within an allowable range.

A rolling mill includes: work rolls configured to roll a rolling material; intermediate rolls supporting the work rolls from above and below, respectively; back-up rolls supporting the intermediate rolls from above and below, respectively; position adjusting means for adjusting the positions of the intermediate rolls relative to the work rolls and the back-up rolls in the direction of conveyance of the rolling material; detecting means for detecting horizontal forces on the work rolls; offset-amount calculating means for calculating the offset amounts of the intermediate rolls based on the horizontal forces on the work rolls detected by the detecting means; and controlling means for controlling the position adjusting means such that the positions of the intermediate rolls are offset by the offset amounts calculated by the offset-amount calculating means.

A cassette intended to be provided on a rolling mill, the cassette (1) forming a self-supporting unit including: a roller intended to constitute one of the two intermediate rollers of the rolling mill; two chocks (3) whereon are mounted the ends of the roller (2); at least one support arm (4) of the at least one side bearing member the support arm extending between the two chocks and being mounted pivotingly in relation thereto. The cassette includes at least one pair of support elements (5) receiving the ends of a rotating shaft (6) of the at least one support arm and the two support elements being detachably fastened, respectively, on the two chocks so as to allow the disassembly of the at least one support arm of the chocks and/or the assembly of the at least one support arm on the chocks independently of the disassembly/assembly of the roller.

A method for changing the configuration of a rolling mill of the six-high type in which the rolling mill is changed from a first configuration (C1) of a range of diameters of working cylinders (3, 4), keeping the chocks (E1, E2) by turning over the chocks (E2) of the intermediate cylinders (5, 6) and by turning over the chocks (E1) of the working cylinders. A rolling mill as such, suitable for implementing the method is also described.

Rolling mill (1) includes: side bearing rollers (5), able to laterally support the working rollers (2) of the rolling mill, with each side bearing roller being carried by a support arm (6), mounted pivoting on an axis (7), load distribution beams (8) extending between the corresponding posts of each pair, and elements (9) for applying a preload force on each support arm (6), intended to engage with one of the support arms on a bearing surface (10), and including at least one preload cylinder (11) integral with one of the load distribution beams (8), one or several spraying nozzles for a lubricant/cooling fluid, at least one of the nozzles (12, 12), is embedded on one of the support arms (6) and the fluid supply circuit of the at least one nozzle (12, 12) includes a connection/disconnection device (13) with the support arm (6).