A method for the automatic calibration of vertical rolls of a vertical rolling stand, each of which is supported in a vertical roll unit which is adjustable with respect to a predetermined center line of a plurality of components arranged in a rolling train, including the steps of a) moving the vertical roll units into a calibration position transverse to the center line against at least one stationary stop of the vertical rolling stand, which has a certain known position with respect to the center line , b) calculating a calibrated initial distance A.sub.kal between an outer edge of a vertical roll facing a rolled stock or the center line and the center line in the calibration position, and c) adjusting the vertical roll units to a defined operating position.

A method of controlling a roll gap between first and second work rolls (102, 104) that includes defining a plurality of work surface locations spaced apart along the first work roll (102) in the longitudinal direction; obtaining a radius of the work surface (102a) of the first work roll (102) at each of the work surface locations; based on the radii of the work surface locations, obtaining a longitudinal profile of the work surface (102a); based on the longitudinal profile, tilting the first work roll (102) relative to the second work roll (104) in the common plane in order to reduce a difference in the average size of the gap either side of a centerline (CL), which bisects the longitudinal axes of the first and second work rolls (102, 104).

There is provided a rolling mill that includes a plurality of rolls, in which any one roll among respective rolls is adopted as a reference roll, including a load detection apparatus, detects a vertical roll load at a rolling support point position; a pressing apparatus pressing the roll chocks in the rolling direction; a driving apparatus moving the roll chocks in the rolling direction; and a position control unit which fixes a rolling direction position of roll chocks of the reference roll, and drives the driving apparatus to control positions in the rolling direction of the roll chocks of the rolls other than the reference roll.

There are provided a work-side position measurement device and a drive-side position measurement device for directly measuring positions of roll chocks in a rolling direction, and positions of upper and lower working rolls and upper and lower backup rolls in the rolling direction are adjusted to zero point or predetermined positions. Alternatively, a change caused in the strip wedge due to a minute crossing of the axes of working rolls and backup rolls is calculated, and the quantities of leveling of a work-side rolling reduction cylinder device and a drive-side rolling reduction cylinder device are adjusted to make the strip edge equal to or smaller than a predetermined value. Accordingly, the bilateral asymmetry (strip wedge) of the thickness distribution of a rolled material is easily adjusted even in the event that the positions of the roll chocks in the rolling direction are changed due to wear on various components.

Disclosed is a rolling mill, in particular a rolling mill having more than one mill stand, comprising at least two rolls (30) which are mounted in a roll bearing in a mill stand to absorb rolling forces, further comprising means (40) for moving at least one roll relative to the mill stand as well as means (50) for determining the roll pass, the determining means having a pass reference (54) and a spatial reference (56) as well as means (58) for measuring the relative position between the pass reference and the spatial reference. In order to create a rolling mill that provides as accurate information as possible about the roll pass, the pass reference and/or the spatial reference is/are arranged peripherally in relation to the power flow occurring between the roll and the mill stand.

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.

There are provided a work-side position measurement device and a drive-side position measurement device for directly measuring positions of roll chocks in a rolling direction, and positions of upper and lower working rolls and upper and lower backup rolls in the rolling direction are adjusted to zero point or predetermined positions. Alternatively, a change caused in the strip wedge due to a minute crossing of the axes of working rolls and backup rolls is calculated, and the quantities of leveling of a work-side rolling reduction cylinder device and a drive-side rolling reduction cylinder device are adjusted to make the strip edge equal to or smaller than a predetermined value. Accordingly, the bilateral asymmetry (strip wedge) of the thickness distribution of a rolled material is easily adjusted even in the event that the positions of the roll chocks in the rolling direction are changed due to wear on various components.

In a normal operation of a roll stand (e.g. 4) of a roll train, working rolls (10) of the roll stand (4) are adjusted to a roll gap (s4) by adjusting a control element position (p4) of a control element (14) of the roll stand (4), such that the working rolls (10) roll the metal band (5). To determine the control element position (p4) to be adjusted, a calibration value (sC4) of the respective roll stand (4), further status parameters (P4) of the roll stand (4) and a target roll gap (s4*) are specified to a model (15) of the roll stand (4). The model (15) determines the control element position (p4) to be adjusted therefrom. In the calibration operation, a control element position (p4) is initially adjusted such that the metal band (5) passes through the roll stand (4) without being rolled. The control element position (p4) is varied such that the working rolls (10) roll the metal band (5). A thickness (d) of the metal band (5) is detected by a downstream thickness-measuring device (9). The thickness (d), further status parameters (P4) and the control element position (p4) are supplied to the model (15), which determines the calibration value (sC4) of the respective roll stand (4) therefrom. Subsequently, normal operation is resumed and the previously determined calibration value (sC4) is used to determine control element positions (p4) to be adjusted as the calibration value (sC4) of the respective roll stand (4).

A method for setting a rolling mill, the method being executed before reduction position zero point adjustment or before the start of rolling, and including: a first process of setting rolls in an open state, and with respect to each of the upper roll assembly and the lower roll assembly, adjusting positions of roll chocks in a rolling direction based on a torque acting on the work roll or a vertical roll load difference; and a second process of, after the first process, setting rolls in a kiss roll state, measuring a vertical roll load in two rotational states on a work side and a drive side, and moving roll chocks of a roll assembly on the opposite side to a reference roll simultaneously and in a same direction so that the vertical roll load difference falls within an allowable range to thereby adjust the positions of the roll chocks.

A loading device for loading a roll may be connected without play to a roll shaft and may be supported by at least one bearing in a roll stand for rolling metal rods, bars, wires, or pipes from a roll or stock material, and a roll stand comprising such a loading device. The loading device may be configured to exert a force for calibrating a position of the roll in the roll stand, which may simulate a load on the bearing during rolling by applying the force to the roll or roll shaft.