There are many different rolling processes in metalwork, all of which bring about different results. From ring rolling and controlled rolling to flat rolling and roll bending, a great wealth of processes can be employed in the industry in the creation of differing products.
But what exactly is rolling? Simply put, it's the process where a stock metal, for example steel, is passed between two rolls whose weight and pressure manipulate the steel's shape and size. Slightly more complicated is the two different styles of rolling, which are described as 'hot rolling' or 'cold rolling'.
Hot rolling is when the steel is rolled above its recrystallisation temperature. Before it is rolled, the steel is warmed to such a temperature that it begins to deform and, during the process, the steel begins to recrystallise after having been manipulated into its new shape and size. Hot rolled steel is used in such construction items as rail road tracks and is a very strong material, though one without much directionality.
Cold rolling is the reverse: the steel is worked when its temperature is below that of its recrystallisation temperature - usually at room temperature in most situations. Cold rolled steel tends to have a better surface finish and has a twenty per cent higher strength following the rolling process. Cold rolled materials are usually a lot smaller than ones created through hot rolling though the end result can have far more directionality than the former type. The steel comes in several forms: full hard, half hard, quarter hard and skin rolled. Each type describes the thickness and pliability of the steel. For example, full hard steel can be bent back on itself to around fifty per cent without any signs of strain on the metal showing, whereas quarter hard is much more pliable and can bend to further extremes.
Modern metal rolling can be attributed to the 18th century iron master Henry Cort, whose innovative production systems during the British Industrial Revolution gave way to the processes used in metal rolling today. His designs, for which he was awarded with a patent in 1783, allowed metal mills to produce fifteen times more output than they were previously doing with a hammer and his work helped the metal industry leap forward a great deal. Without his genius, products like cold rolled steel [http://balli.co.uk/Activities/Balli_Steel/Products/Flat_rolled.asp] may not be available today and factories could have ended up mass producing steel in an entirely different fashion.
But what exactly is rolling? Simply put, it's the process where a stock metal, for example steel, is passed between two rolls whose weight and pressure manipulate the steel's shape and size. Slightly more complicated is the two different styles of rolling, which are described as 'hot rolling' or 'cold rolling'.
Hot rolling is when the steel is rolled above its recrystallisation temperature. Before it is rolled, the steel is warmed to such a temperature that it begins to deform and, during the process, the steel begins to recrystallise after having been manipulated into its new shape and size. Hot rolled steel is used in such construction items as rail road tracks and is a very strong material, though one without much directionality.
Cold rolling is the reverse: the steel is worked when its temperature is below that of its recrystallisation temperature - usually at room temperature in most situations. Cold rolled steel tends to have a better surface finish and has a twenty per cent higher strength following the rolling process. Cold rolled materials are usually a lot smaller than ones created through hot rolling though the end result can have far more directionality than the former type. The steel comes in several forms: full hard, half hard, quarter hard and skin rolled. Each type describes the thickness and pliability of the steel. For example, full hard steel can be bent back on itself to around fifty per cent without any signs of strain on the metal showing, whereas quarter hard is much more pliable and can bend to further extremes.
Modern metal rolling can be attributed to the 18th century iron master Henry Cort, whose innovative production systems during the British Industrial Revolution gave way to the processes used in metal rolling today. His designs, for which he was awarded with a patent in 1783, allowed metal mills to produce fifteen times more output than they were previously doing with a hammer and his work helped the metal industry leap forward a great deal. Without his genius, products like cold rolled steel [http://balli.co.uk/Activities/Balli_Steel/Products/Flat_rolled.asp] may not be available today and factories could have ended up mass producing steel in an entirely different fashion.
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