home Sample documents Rolling mill - how to give metal the desired shape? Rolling machines: overview, types, characteristics Simple rolling machine.

Rolling mill - how to give metal the desired shape? Rolling machines: overview, types, characteristics Simple rolling machine.

Rolling machines are critical equipment in obtaining metal in the form in which it is needed. They will be discussed in the article.

General information

Today, metal is the most common material from which a huge variety of things are made, from small household parts to large industrial objects. However, there is a very important point that not everyone knows about. Simply smelting metal and then turning it into an ingot is not enough. After the formation of the ingot, any metal is transferred to the rolling shop. The only equipment available in such workshops is rolling machines. It is these devices that give the desired shape, which is suitable for subsequent use of the metal. It is worth noting that this equipment is one of the oldest today. However, over the years of its use, the machine has proven itself to be so good, it has such good characteristics and an indicator of productivity that it is still used to this day.

Machine device

In essence, the rolling machine structure is not complex or difficult to maintain, assemble or repair. The sole purpose of this device is to give shape to ingots of metal. In other words, the rolling mill receives large ingots, and as they pass through the rolling mill, it shapes them into more conventional sheet metal. In order to achieve this effect, the design of the rolling machine has two rollers that constantly rotate towards each other. From point of view technological process this work is considered quite simple. In addition, the constant improvement of technology has allowed many improvements and modifications to be made in the operation of this device. Thanks to these changes, all equipment of this type is now capable of fully automatic operation.

Rolling

A metal rolling machine performs another very important function. It doesn't just give a leaf shape. As the ingot passes through this machine, the metal becomes more uniform and denser in structure. This is due to the fact that the rollers completely rub out or close any cracks or empty spaces that may well have formed on the ingot.

Another important point- the process of converting or rolling metal into sheet form takes place in several stages and with the participation of several types of machines. Primary rolling is carried out by blooming and slab devices. It is worth noting that before sending the ingot for rolling on these machines, it needs to be slightly heated. Increasing the temperature of the metal will increase the ductility of the material during rolling. If we talk about the productivity of such machines, it is enormous. One machine is capable of producing about 6 million tons of metal per year. This takes into account the fact that the weight of ingots supplied for rolling can range from 1 to 18 tons.

Blooming or slabing

Before being rolled out, the ingots are heated in special wells. The temperature maintained in such devices can reach 1800 degrees Celsius. After passing through the well, an electric car is used, which, in fact, delivers the heated ingot to the blooming or slab rolling stock. The difference between these machines is that blooming has only two rollers, but slab has four. It is important to understand that the passage of this stage and the processing process itself are only primary, since at the exit from blooming or slabging the ingot still does not have the full form of sheet material. These units are designed to form bars. Depending on its shape and size, the resulting material is divided into blooms or slabs. An important note: the use of blooming or slab rolling machines is carried out only at those industrial facilities where the metal will subsequently be poured into molds.

General characteristics of the machine

Rolling mills are devices that have smooth rollers through which metal is passed to form sheets. Currently, there is a huge range of these devices. The biggest difference between the machines is the shape of the rollers. For example, there is a unit that was originally made for the production of rails. The shape of its rollers was prepared specifically for this task even during the production of the machine. It is also important to understand that the machine has several pairs of rollers through which the metal passes. Constant progress has led to the fact that all types of devices are capable of operating in constant automatic mode. The speed at which the stands pull the ingot through the machine can reach a record 290 km/h. The productivity of such a rolling mill per year reaches several million tons. Today, units such as casting and rolling units are gaining great popularity. The advantage is that they can act as a separate full-fledged production line, unlike conventional rolling mills.

Currently, there are billets, sheets, strips, sections, and some types are capable of producing wire or beams.

Pipe rental

Another large category of rolling machines is intended for the production not of sheet metal, but of metal pipes. There are only three main types of pipe rolling machines that are in use today. These include stitching, sheeting and finishing machines.

If we talk about piercing mills, then they can have three different types of rollers used to perform rolling. There are barrel, mushroom and disc rollers. A device of the first type, that is, barrel-shaped, is characterized by the fact that these machine elements have a double-taper shape with a diameter of 450 to 1000 mm. Both parts are located in the horizontal plane, but along the vertical axis you can adjust the feed angle from 5 to 18 degrees or more.

Screw rolling

The rolling machine can also perform metal screw processing. In this type of operation, double cone rolls create tensile and shear stress in the metal. It is important to note that the radial stress of the workpiece can reach quite large values, which creates a cavity of small diameter, which has uneven walls. In order to obtain a hole with the required diameter and at the same time avoid the presence of irregularities and make smooth walls, it is necessary to carry out rolling on a mandrel. By mandrel we mean a cone-shaped tool, which is located at the end of the rod between the rollers along the path of movement of the metal workpiece. There is a special stop for attaching the rod with such a mandrel. As the metal moves forward, it is stitched by this frame, which passes through the hole, widening and aligning it.

Rolling machines are critical equipment in obtaining metal in the form in which it is needed. They will be discussed in the article.

General information

Today, metal is the most common material from which a huge variety of things are made, from small household parts to large industrial objects. However, there is a very important point that not everyone knows about. Simply smelting metal and then turning it into an ingot is not enough. After the formation of the ingot, any metal is transferred to the rolling shop. The only equipment available in such workshops is rolling machines. It is these devices that give the desired shape, which is suitable for subsequent use of the metal. It is worth noting that this equipment is one of the oldest today. However, over the years of its use, the machine has proven itself so well, has such good characteristics and productivity indicators that it is still used to this day.

Machine device

In essence, the rolling machine structure is not complex or difficult to maintain, assemble or repair. The sole purpose of this device is to give shape to ingots of metal. In other words, the rolling mill receives large ingots, and as they pass through the rolling mill, it shapes them into more conventional sheet metal. In order to achieve this effect, the design of the rolling machine has two rollers that constantly rotate towards each other. From a technological point of view, this work is considered quite simple. In addition, the constant improvement of technology has allowed many improvements and modifications to be made in the operation of this device. Thanks to these changes, all equipment of this type is now capable of fully automatic operation.

Rolling

Another important point is that the process of turning or rolling metal into sheet form takes place in several stages and with the participation of several types of machines. Primary rolling is carried out by blooming and slab devices. It is worth noting that before sending the ingot for rolling on these machines, it needs to be slightly heated. Increasing the temperature of the metal will increase the ductility of the material during rolling. If we talk about the productivity of such machines, it is enormous. One machine is capable of producing about 6 million tons of metal per year. This takes into account the fact that the weight of ingots supplied for rolling can range from 1 to 18 tons.

Blooming or slabing

General characteristics of the machine

Currently, there are such types of machines as blank, sheet, strip, sectional, and some types are capable of producing wire or beams.

Pipe rental

Screw rolling

The profile pipe rolling machine can also perform metal screw processing. In this type of operation, double cone rolls create tensile and shear stress in the metal. It is important to note that the radial stress of the workpiece can reach quite large values, which creates a cavity of small diameter, which has uneven walls. In order to obtain a hole with the required diameter and at the same time avoid the presence of irregularities and make smooth walls, it is necessary to carry out rolling on a mandrel. By mandrel we mean a cone-shaped tool, which is located at the end of the rod between the rollers along the path of movement of the metal workpiece. There is a special stop for attaching the rod with such a mandrel. As the metal moves forward, it is stitched by this frame, which passes through the hole, widening and aligning it.

It is quite problematic to collect reviews of a rolling machine for profile pipes, since such units are mainly used only by large enterprises. However, here the very use of these particular units already indicates that they work stably and well. In other words, conclusions can be drawn based on the fact that for a huge period of time all metalworking factories use such machines. This means that the presence automatic mode and huge performance do their job. The disadvantages include the fact that the dimensions of such devices are quite large, and stopping them and new launch- this is very problematic.

Thin tube rolled products

It is worth noting that when rolled on piercing machines, thick-walled sleeves are obtained. After undergoing processing on this device, the workpiece is transferred to thin-tube rolling to such a device as:

pilgrim;
auto;
continuous;
three-roll.

The name of each of these units is determined by the type of rolling mill that is used on this equipment.

Rolling and notching machine

The most famous manufacturer of this unit is Kadzama. This device is also called a roller press. The design of this thing is very simple, and it is intended for cutting out cardboard, paper or plastic boxes for confectionery products.

The advantages of this device include the fact that it pays for itself quite quickly. The first 10,000 boxes - that's it approximate cost one such machine. Cost price finished products, that is, the boxes are also very small. You only have to pay for the raw material itself - cardboard. Working with this type of machine is very simple. All that is needed is just two things. First, a sheet of cardboard is placed on the cutting knives, and then the feed handle is turned. The dimensions of such a device are also quite small. You can even install it on a regular table.

How to make a rolling machine?

In order to make a rolling machine for the production of profiles, you will need 3 mandatory things - metal, bearings and lathe. The design of the machine itself is also quite simple. The components of a one-piece rolling machine are a table to which a worm gear motor is attached. In addition, it is necessary to attach 7 additional receiving stands to the table. It is important to know here that each cage consists of several components, and they all have interconnection. That is, each cage is connected to the next. Another nuance concerns the rollers. In this model of the machine they are removable, and they are mounted on shafts. This type of arrangement and the type of rollers itself opens up wide possibilities for the production of various profiles according to their dimensions, as well as the type of product. If there is such a desire, then you can put the new kind rollers that will allow the production of LSTK profiles. In order not to make mistakes during manufacturing, it is best to make a drawing of the rolling machine before you begin assembling it.

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Rolling machine – equipment for bending sheet metal

A rolling machine (rolling machine, rollers) is a universal equipment used in the construction and repair industry for bending various metals.

Such machines are used on any modern enterprise for the production of conical, oval and cylindrical products from sheet metal. The procedure for manufacturing such structures is called rolling. It makes it possible to obtain any pipes, blanks for subsequent stamping, various finished goods made of metal.

Simple rolling equipment is also used in everyday life, when you need to make gutters, chimneys, pipes, air ducts, and other products for roofing and construction work. Modern rolling machines allow you to work with almost any metal. They easily bend sheets of stainless steel, alloy and carbon alloys, aluminum, and cast iron.

There are also models of rolling equipment that work with polycarbonate blanks.

All the sheet metal bending units we describe are divided into the following groups:

manual;
electromechanical;
hydraulic.

The manual machine can be mounted on a stand (floor-standing) or on a workbench (desktop). It does not have a mechanical drive, so it requires the use of muscle force to perform work on it. Manual machines are very easy to use. Their elementary design ensures high reliability of equipment operation over a long period of time.

Hand rollers are designed to produce pipes and other sheet metal products up to 1.5–2 millimeters thick. They are light and compact, which allows them to be carried and used directly at the site of certain work (roofing, repairs). And most importantly, they do not need electricity. In terms of price, a tabletop and floor-mounted manual unit is always preferable to an electromechanical one.

Machines with an electric motor equipped with a gearbox are more efficient in operation. They facilitate and significantly speed up the pipe bending process. The electromechanical unit is installed permanently in the appropriate workshop of the enterprise and is used for processing metal up to 4 millimeters thick.

Hydraulic equipment belongs to the heavy class. It is used for the manufacture of pipes and other structures on an industrial scale at power engineering, shipbuilding and machine-building plants. In terms of its technical potential, a hydraulic machine is several times superior to electromechanical and manual ones. Hydraulics can produce pipes from metal sheets up to 8 millimeters thick. Hydraulic equipment is often equipped with program controlled.

The main unit of the described machines is a cast bed. It is made from steel or cast iron. A special deformation mechanism consisting of several (3–4) rolls is mounted on the frame. Two rolls are stationary; rotation during operation is performed by the third and, if any, the fourth. The moving shafts can also move vertically.

The upper roll is fixed on the frame according to a scheme that makes it possible to quickly remove it if necessary or quickly adjust it for the production of pipes with different sections. Adjustment of this structural element is carried out with a single wing-type screw. If there are grooves on the work rolls, they can be used to bend not only pipes, but also rods or thick wire. A manual machine for bending metal usually has three rolls, an electromechanical one - 3–4. But hydraulic units are always produced with four rolls.

The process of making pipes on any unit is truly simple:

first, a sheet of metal is clamped between the middle and outer shaft using a special handle on a machine;
then press the workpiece against them with a third roller;
they begin to manually rotate the rollers or start the electric motor.

Passing through the shafts at a certain speed, the metal bends under the right angles. To make pipes or gutters of decent quality with your own hands, you can purchase a manual machine. By and large, there is no need to even buy one (although they are inexpensive), since you can assemble a homemade unit and use it effectively to perform small jobs. For information on how to do this, see the next section of the article.

Anyone who sets himself a similar task can make such a machine with his own hands. We will very briefly describe from what materials and how exactly you can make a homemade unit. First you need to take a frame made of pipes or a curved profile that will serve as a frame.

Then we prepare a U-shaped profile (ideally, when the material for it is hardened steel) for the manufacture of a vertical support for our equipment. The deforming unit of the rolling machine is located in the open (upper) part of the profile. You can fix it using a clamp with a thread. The lower part of the U-profile is secured under the frame.

After this, we take the transmission chain, without which the roller device will not work, and mount it on the sprockets. Here it is important to tension the chain well and be sure to check the ease of its movement.

Then we install the feed handle and attach the entire mechanism to the frame using rolling bearings. You have made the simplest manual rolling machine with your own hands! It is advisable to provide in its design a special mechanism that allows you to adjust the gap between the shafts. Then you will be able to process metal of different thicknesses.

It is easy to make a more complex rolling mechanism with your own hands. There is now a lot of material on this issue on the Internet. Find a site with relevant information, look at the drawings of homemade installations and make your own equipment that is ideal for you.

The modern market of metalworking equipment is able to satisfy any needs. Everyone can find the machine they need at a very reasonable price. It is easy to purchase an inexpensive compact installation for bending pipes with your own hands, and a professional floor-standing unit for large production workshop or a modest private workshop.

Rollers from the following manufacturers are popular:

You can also buy equipment from other manufacturers - SAHINLER, JET, SCHWARTMANNS, PRINZING. The machines vary in price, but they all do their main task well.

The range of mechanical rolling machines with electric motors is no less impressive. The popular electromechanical roller machines are produced by the companies already mentioned, as well as by Russian factories. Let us describe several popular models of such equipment:

As you can see, the choice of rolling equipment is currently very good. You can easily purchase both professional machines for use in production and amateur units for home use.

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Rolling mills - main types and design

It is difficult to name an industry that does not use metal and products made from it, for the production of which a rolling mill is actively used. Metallurgical enterprises today place quite high demands on equipment. That is why modern industrial machines, in particular rolling mills, differ significantly from the models that were produced earlier.

Rolling mill for the production of corrugated sheets

Why is this equipment needed?

The need for such a durable and reliable material as metal is constantly growing, which leads to the need to open new metallurgical enterprises and modernize existing ones. The list of industries in which metal simply cannot be used can be continued indefinitely. These are mechanical engineering, automobile and shipbuilding, construction and many others.

In order for metal ore to be turned into rolled metal of a certain grade, it is necessary to perform a lot of basic and auxiliary operations, for each of which special equipment is used. One of the main types of metallurgical equipment, which produces a sheet of metal as a result of plastic deformation from a hot billet, is a rolling mill. It is here that the bulk of the work carried out by metallurgical enterprises is carried out.

Types of rolling mills

As we have already found out, a rolling mill is equipment on which, through sequential operations, a metal billet is transformed into long products with the required geometric parameters. Depending on parameters final product, these machines can be of several types. Billet and crimping (slabing and blooming) are designed to produce a billet from a large metal ingot, which is supplied for further processing to a special rolling device. The latter type of equipment, which already produces rolled metal of the required configuration, includes section, pipe and wire mills.

The category of section mills includes equipment for the production various types rental So, these can be mills for the production of sheet steel, angles, channels, rails, etc. Depending on their functionality, such mills can be large- and medium-section, rail-rolling and MPS category, on which profiles of various sections are produced. Sheet rolling mills, capable of processing workpieces by cold or hot forming, are used to produce metal plates (50–350 mm thick), sheet metal (3–50 mm) and strips (1.2–20 mm). After production, finished products are wound into rolls weighing up to 50 tons.

Classification of rolling mills that produce various types seamless pipes, divides them into the following categories:

continuous extensions, which produce pipes with a cross-section of up to 110 mm;
short straightening mills necessary for the production of pipes with a diameter of 60–450 mm;
three-roll type equipment - for the production of thick-walled pipes with a diameter of 35–200 mm (pipes produced on such equipment are characterized by a reduced degree of wall thickness);
pilgrim mills used for the production of seamless pipes of significant diameter (400–700 mm).

Rolling stand of a sheet rolling mill

Modern enterprises also use parts-rolling or special-type mills. They are used for the production of profile and pipe blanks, the length of which does not exceed 3 meters. In addition, the capabilities of such equipment make it possible to use it to produce workpieces in the form of balls, bent profiles, gears, screws, pipes with a ribbed section, etc. The workpieces are processed already at enterprises that use them to produce their products.

Components of a rolling mill

The design of any rolling mill includes three main elements: the so-called working stands, transmission devices and drive motors. The rollers along which sheet or profile metal moves are part of the working stands. They also include installation mechanisms, frames, plates and wiring. The movement of all working parts of the rolling mill is provided by powerful electric motors, which are connected to them through elements of the transmission device: couplings, spindles and gears.

You should know that the main characteristic of billet and crimping rolling mills is the diameter of the work roll. If, in the process of processing a workpiece, several working stands are used at once, then the diameter of the roll on which the finishing operation is performed is used as such a characteristic.

A section rolling mill, where products of complex shapes and with fairly accurate geometric parameters are produced, includes several stands at once through which the rolled stock passes sequentially during its processing.

Modern enterprises today use universal rolling mills equipped with 3 or 5 working stands. Some of the rolls of such mills (2–3) have a diameter of 1350 mm, the rest - 800 mm. Equipment for producing sheet metal of considerable thickness is, as a rule, equipped with one or two working stands. The working width of such mills, determined by the length of the rolls, is in the range of 3.5–5.5 meters. A sheet metal mill is most often equipped with additional working stands with vertical rolls, which ensure compression of the side edges of the formed sheet of metal. Sheet metal in the form of strips is produced in a device equipped with 10–15 working stands equipped with horizontal rolls with a length of 1.5–2.5 meters and vertical rolls for crimping the ends.

A rolling mill, as can be seen from its design, can be of considerable length. The most notable thing in this regard is the pipe rolling equipment, which includes three mills simultaneously. At the first of them, a hole is pierced in a metal workpiece, at the second, the workpiece is drawn into a pipe, and at the third, calibration is carried out to give the finished product the required diameter. On part rolling mills, the workpiece is subjected to both helical and transverse processing.

Rolling mill design

Making a rolling mill with your own hands

If you need a low-power rolling mill for use in a home workshop, then it is quite possible to make it yourself. Despite the simplicity of its design, such equipment can be used to perform various types of work. So, with its help you will be able to independently produce wire of various diameters, straighten or cut sheet metal, the thickness of which does not exceed 0.5 mm.

In order to manufacture such rolling equipment, you will need the following structural elements: two powerful racks, a steel rod with a diameter of 5 cm, a top plate, bolts and nuts (M10), two gears and a gear, bronze bushings and bearings, springs and stops.

The design of such a home-made rolling mill is assembled in the following sequence:

from racks and a steel plate, by connecting them with bolts and nuts, a kind of cage is created;
two working shafts are mounted on the racks, which are previously machined from a steel bar and hardened to give them increased hardness;
the lower shaft is installed between the racks using bushings with bearings, and the upper shaft, which is movable, is mounted on special sliders, the upward movement of which is limited by stops;
constant compression of the two working shafts will be provided by springs, which should be secured simultaneously to the base plate and the upper shaft.

Manual rolling mill option

In order for such a rolling mill to work, it is necessary to ensure synchronous rotation of the working shafts. This problem is solved by means of a gear transmission, which transmits torque from a gear mounted on the lower shaft to a gear mounted on the same axis with the upper shaft. To set the entire mechanism in motion, it is necessary to rotate the handle, rigidly connected to the lower gear. Conveniently, the gap between the working shafts of such a mill can be adjusted.

The versatility of such equipment is ensured by installing shafts on it different designs. Thus, the use of shafts in the form of circular knives makes it possible to cut sheet metal, and working elements with grooves of the required size make it possible to produce wire. You can use such simple equipment to form stiffeners on the workpiece. To do this, it is necessary to install working shafts on it, which will touch their surfaces according to the “groove-ridge” principle.

met-all.org

Rolling sheet metal and making rollers yourself

A technological operation such as sheet metal rolling has remained common for quite a long time. Of course, the rollers used for sheet metal processing have undergone major changes since their invention, but the principle of their operation has remained virtually unchanged. Development modern technologies has led to the fact that today on the market you can easily find equipment that allows you to perform such a complex technological operation as rolling, even at home.

Rolling sheet metal on an electromechanical machine

Features of the technology

Rolling, which can be applied to products not only made of metal, but also of other plastic materials (rubber, plastic, etc.), is a process necessary to give sheet blanks the required configuration. Despite the fact that the most common is sheet metal rolling, pipe rolling products can also undergo such a technological operation.

In this case, special equipment is used, the main working elements of which are shafts acting on the sheet metal workpiece. If it is necessary to give it a cylindrical shape, the technological operation is called rolling (or rolling). When it is necessary to increase the diameter of the pipe, the procedure is called flaring.

Working principle of 3 roll plate bending machine

On industrial enterprises To perform rolling or flaring operations, equipment with electric or hydraulic drives is used, and at home, manually driven machines are used for this, which can be either serial or home-made. Several factors contribute to the high popularity of technological operations such as rolling and flaring, which involve deforming metal in a cold state.

Steel or other metal from which the processed products are made are not exposed to temperature and, accordingly, do not change their original characteristics.
Internal cracks do not form in the structure of the material that has been subjected to this treatment.
The processed product is deformed evenly over its entire surface.
Using cold deformation, the process of which can be controlled, products are manufactured with the most accurate geometric parameters.

Thanks to listed benefits With the help of these technological operations, they process not only large-sized, but also miniature products made of steel and other metals (such as, for example, parts of jewelry).

Equipment used

The equipment used for rolling is distinguished not only by its versatility, but also by its simplicity of design, so it is not difficult to make it yourself. Of course, homemade rolling machines are optimally suited for home use, and to equip a production workshop, where the load on such equipment is quite large, it is best to purchase serial models of rollers presented on modern market in great variety.

Both serial and home-made models of machines with which rolling is carried out work on the principle of rolling sheet material around the main roll located on top. Side rollers also take part in this process, which can be moved, thereby adjusting the diameter of the formed shell.

The rollers of this machine are rotated manually, and the approach of the upper roller is done using two handles

Important characteristics of rollers are the radius of their working elements - the rollers, as well as the greatest thickness and width of the workpiece. The radius of the rolls, in particular, influences such a parameter as the minimum bending radius of the workpiece. The larger the rolls are in diameter, the correspondingly more value minimum bending radius of a sheet metal workpiece. The value of the minimum bending radius is also influenced by the thickness of the sheet itself. As a rule, for rollers, the minimum bending radius of a sheet stock should be 5-10 times its thickness.

Taking into account the high loads that rolls experience during operation, only high-strength steel is used for their manufacture, which can significantly improve their performance characteristics. Based on the number of working elements, two-, three- and four-roll machines are distinguished, with the last two types being the most popular.

Main differences between 3 and 4 roll machines

3-roll sheet bending rollers, the working elements of which can be arranged symmetrically and asymmetrically, although they have a reasonable price, have the following disadvantages:

Not high speed rolling (no more than 5 m/min);
the difficulty of processing workpieces less than 6 mm thick, which can simply slip between the rolls;
lack of exact coordinates at the clamping point of the workpiece.

The rollers on which an additional fourth shaft is installed are free from all such shortcomings. Due to reliable clamping, the metal sheet blank does not slip between the rollers during processing. This ensures a high rolling speed of 6 m/min or more.

The machine with 4 rolls is capable of producing, in addition to cylindrical, oval and polycentric workpieces

Rollers of this type are usually equipped with automated systems control, which has a positive effect not only on their productivity, but also on the accuracy of the processing performed. The big and, perhaps, only disadvantage of such a device is its high price.

Classification of rollers by drive type

Based on the type of drive used, equipment for rolling sheet metal blanks is divided into the following categories:

manual;
electrical;
hydraulic.

The simplest in design are manually driven rollers; it is these that home craftsmen most often assemble with their own hands for their own needs.

On simple three-roll rollers, clamping the workpiece, rotating the shafts and forming the bend radius is done manually

Significant advantages of such a device, which does not require any additional power for its operation, are:

compactness and, accordingly, high mobility;
reliability;
ease of operation and maintenance;
low cost (especially if the rollers are assembled by yourself).

Among the disadvantages of machines of this type, it should be noted:

low productivity;
the impossibility, especially in the case of home-made machines, to roll products made of sheet metal of large thickness (more than 2 mm);
the need to apply significant physical effort to bend steel sheets.

Electromechanical double-sided rollers with program control

Machines equipped with an electric drive are more productive and efficient in operation. Of course, their cost, even if they are made by hand, is higher than the price of hand rollers, but they allow processing sheet products of considerable thickness.

The most powerful are the hydraulically driven rollers. The capabilities of such machines, which are distinguished by their large dimensions, make it possible to successfully roll sheet metal blanks of even very significant thickness. Devices of this type are usually installed in industrial enterprises, where high demands are placed on the power, reliability and functionality of the equipment.

Industrial rollers with hydraulic drive

Making sheet bending rollers with your own hands

Due to the simplicity of the design of hand rollers, it is not difficult to make them yourself. Naturally, in order to assemble a workable homemade machine, on which sheet metal processing will be performed, you must have certain skills and have everything at your disposal necessary tools And Consumables. In addition to familiarizing yourself with the recommendations for performing this procedure, it is advisable to watch the video on this topic.

Drawing of homemade hand rollers for rolling wide workpieces (click to enlarge)

The first thing you will need to make your own rollers is drawings, which you can find on the Internet or create yourself. Having made the drawings, you can begin preparing materials and assembling the structural units that will make up your homemade machine. Such nodes, in particular, include:

the roller frame on which all other elements are fixed;
side racks, in the bearing units of which rolls will be installed;
the rolls themselves, made of high-strength steel (the number and diameters of these elements depend on what technical capabilities you want to give your device);
a handle that will rotate the lower rollers;
a drive unit (chain or gear) that ensures synchronous rotation of the lower rolls (it should be borne in mind that such rolls should rotate in one direction);
a spring-type pressure unit, which ensures that the upper roll is pressed against the surface of the metal sheet.

Compact homemade rollers for processing narrow workpieces

Main parts of compact rollers

Assembling the rollers begins with making a frame, which you can weld with your own hands from thick steel blanks. The dimensions of this element, of course, must be checked with the drawing you have. As side racks, which are also fixed to the frame by welding, you can use powerful channels made of low-carbon steel.

The elements of the drive unit are fixed on one of the racks, for which special holes are provided on it. After the side racks with the drive unit are completely assembled, the rollers themselves are installed in their bearing units, which must be set to parallel and only after that the final fixation of all other units is performed.

DIY sheet bending roller option

Before you start working on a machine that you have assembled with your own hands, you should perform test bending on it in order to immediately detect all existing shortcomings and eliminate them.

A video can help you figure out how to properly operate the rollers, but in essence, the process is not very difficult. Rolling, no matter what equipment it is performed on, is carried out in the following sequence.

The sheet of metal to be processed is placed on two lower rolls.
Using an upper roll equipped with a pressure unit, the sheet is pressed against the lower working parts.
By rotating the machine handle, rolling begins.

A rolling machine (rolling machine, rollers) is a universal equipment used in the construction and repair industry for bending various metals.

1 Why are rolling units needed and what are they?

Such machines are used in any modern enterprise for the production of conical, oval and cylindrical products from sheet metal. The procedure for manufacturing such structures is called rolling. It makes it possible to obtain any pipes, blanks for subsequent stamping, and a variety of finished metal products.

Simple rolling equipment is also used in everyday life when you need to make gutters, chimneys, pipes, air ducts, and other products for roofing and construction work with your own hands. Modern rolling machines allow you to work with almost any metal. They bend sheets made of alloy and carbon alloys, aluminum, and cast iron without any problems.

There are also models of rolling equipment that work with polycarbonate blanks.

All the sheet metal bending units we describe are divided into the following groups:

manual;
electromechanical;
hydraulic.

The manual machine can be mounted on a stand (floor-standing) or on a workbench (desktop). It does not have a mechanical drive, so it requires the use of muscle force to perform work on it. Manual machines are very easy to use. Their elementary design ensures high reliability of equipment operation over a long period of time.

2 A little about the design and operating principle of the machines

The process of making pipes on any unit is truly simple:

first, a sheet of metal is clamped between the middle and outer shaft using a special handle on a machine;
then press the workpiece against them with a third roller;
they begin to manually rotate the rollers or start the electric motor.

Passing through the shafts at a certain speed, the metal bends at the desired angles. To make pipes or gutters of decent quality with your own hands, you can purchase a manual machine. By and large, there is no need to even buy one (although they are inexpensive), since you can assemble a homemade unit and use it effectively to perform small jobs. For information on how to do this, see the next section of the article.

3 A simple homemade unit for rolling metal

After this, we take the transmission chain, without which the roller device will not work, and mount it on the sprockets. Here it is important to tension the chain well and be sure to check the ease of its movement.

4 Popular brands of hand looms

The modern market of metalworking equipment is able to satisfy any needs. Everyone can find the machine they need at a very reasonable price. It is easy to purchase an inexpensive compact installation for bending pipes with your own hands, and a professional floor-standing unit for a large production workshop or a modest private workshop.

As you can see, the choice of rolling equipment is currently very good. You can easily purchase both professional machines for use in production and amateur units for home use.

A rolling machine, which many experts call a rolling machine or simply rollers, is a device that allows you to bend workpieces made of sheet metal. Rolling machines are different high efficiency and versatility, which allows such equipment to be successfully used in a wide variety of fields, including construction and repair.

Rolling machine W12-4×2500 rolls mild steel up to 4 mm thick

Purpose and main varieties

Rolling devices, the versatility of which was mentioned above, can today be found on almost any manufacturing plant. It is with the help of such a machine (which, if desired, you can make it yourself) products of conical, cylindrical and even oval shapes are obtained from rolled sheet metal. Technological operation, which allows solving such problems is called rolling. However, it should not be confused with flaring, through which changes in the configuration and dimensions of tubular products are achieved.

Roller machines of the simplest design are also actively used by home craftsmen. Using such equipment, various gutters, air ducts, elements of roofing structures, as well as many other products are produced. Roller machines produced by modern industry can effectively process sheets made of various metals.

Thus, devices of this type, represented by a wide variety of models, can successfully cope with sheet workpieces made of carbon and alloy steels, aluminum, copper and cast iron. Some models of such machines, the rollers of which have a special design, can bend polycarbonate sheets.

Among the rolling equipment, the following categories are distinguished:

manual machine;
electromechanical machine;
sheet metal machine equipped with hydraulic drive.

A manually driven roller machine is the simplest type of equipment, which can be produced in floor-standing (mounted on a stand) or table-top (mounted on a workbench) versions. This manual rolling machine is easy to use, but requires significant physical effort. Meanwhile, the simplicity of the machine’s design ensures that it remains reliable for a long time.

A classic manual three-roll bending machine suitable for rounding metal workpieces up to 3.5 mm thick

Three-roll manual rollers (namely, they are mainly manufactured with this number of working parts) allow processing of rolled pipe and sheet metal with a wall thickness of up to 1.5–2 mm. This type of manual sheet bending machine is easiest to make with your own hands. It has such advantages as:

compact dimensions;
insignificant mass;
high mobility, which makes it easy to move such machines to those places where their use is most in demand;
savings on electricity costs (a manual rolling machine does not require its use);
low cost (when compared with the price of electromechanical machines).

Electromechanical three-roll sheet bender FormRoller is used for mass production of workpieces of various geometries

An electrically driven device (electromechanical rolling machine) has a special gearbox in its design, which significantly increases the efficiency of such equipment. An electromechanical rolling machine can be used both for processing sheet metal and for changing the configuration of profile pipe products. As for sheet metal processing, a three-roll machine with an electromechanical drive can be used for processing sheet metal whose thickness does not exceed 4 mm.

The most powerful type of equipment includes a hydraulic rolling machine, which is actively used in energy, shipbuilding and machine-building enterprises. A hydraulic three-roll machine or a device with a large number of working parts is many times more powerful when compared with devices of the manual or electromechanical category. Using hydraulic-type rolling equipment, which is often equipped with CNC systems, it is possible to successfully bend sheets of metal whose thickness reaches 8 mm.

The hydraulic drive of this machine easily moves the shafts of impressive dimensions, and the CNC controls their location and the degree of deformation of the sheet

Design and principle of operation

The supporting element of a rolling machine, including a self-made one, is the base frame. It is on this frame, which can be made of cast iron or sheet steel of considerable thickness, that the deforming element of the machine is mounted, which can include two, three or even four rolls. The vast majority of such devices, including those made by yourself, are equipped with three working bodies, since twin-roll rollers are not very efficient.

Rotational motion during the operation of a three-roll machine is communicated only to the two lower working bodies, which, meanwhile, can perform linear movement only in the horizontal plane, which is necessary to change the distance between them. The upper roller of such a device, which is called a thrust roller, rotates due to the friction forces created between its surface and the surface of the workpiece being processed.

The upper roller, which is equipped with a rolling machine, has the ability not only to move in the vertical direction, which allows it to be pressed with the required force to the surface of the workpiece, but also to tilt to the side. The latter is necessary in order to quickly replace it with a roller designed for processing workpieces with other geometric parameters.

The machine, whose working rollers are equipped with special grooves, can be used for bending pipes, rods and even large-section wire. It should be borne in mind that the additional fourth roll, the use of which significantly increases the load on the drive mechanism of the equipment, can only be installed on an electromechanical or hydraulic rolling machine.

A sheet bending machine, the main working parts of which are rollers, operates on the following principle.

The sheet of metal from which it is necessary to form a cylindrical or conical product is placed on two lower rolls, separated from each other by a certain distance.
By lowering the upper roll using a special mechanism, the metal sheet is securely clamped between three working bodies.
When the two lower rolls rotate, which is provided by a manual or electromechanical drive, the sheet of metal being processed is set in motion and begins to bend around the working elements of the rolling machine that clamp it, gradually taking on the required configuration.

Moving at a certain speed between the rollers, a flat sheet of metal gradually turns into a product of cylindrical, conical or oval shape. Obviously, a machine of this type does not work like a flaring machine, the working part of which rolls out the end of a tubular product, expanding it to the required geometric parameters.

It is not at all necessary to buy a rolling machine, which can effectively bend not only rolled sheet metal, but also tubular products. Rolling apparatus, if not required high performance, easy to make with your own hands. Of course, it is easiest to make such a machine with a manual drive, but the power and functionality of this equipment is quite enough to perform work related to construction and repair.

DIY rolling machine: drawings and video

To manufacture a manual rolling machine, you must first find its drawings or develop them yourself, taking the design of any serial model as a basis.

As an example, consider a set of drawings of the USG rolling machine, which are presented below.

Assembly drawing of a serial rolling mill USG (click to enlarge)

So, in order to make a manual rolling machine with your own hands, you need to follow the algorithm presented below.

From metal sheets, cutting them according to a previously prepared drawing, a device frame is made, in special grooves in which its lower shafts will be fixed. The structural elements of the frame are connected to each other using stiffening ribs, which can be metal pipes or angles.
To accommodate the upper roll, support posts are welded to the frame of the device. For their manufacture, it is best to use a powerful U-shaped profile. Bearing units are mounted in the support stand, into which the upper roll of the machine is installed.
A drive mechanism is mounted on the side of the frame, which includes three sprockets, a chain and a device for tensioning it.
The final stage of manufacturing a homemade rolling machine is installing the handle of the drive mechanism, tensioning the chain and adjusting all structural elements.

Naturally, after final assembly, the homemade machine must be tested (and the operation of all its mechanisms adjusted, if the need arises).

Popular models of manual rolling equipment

Manual roller machines presented at the modern domestic market, allow you to effectively solve technological problems of any degree of complexity. Thus, for a reasonable price you can purchase a small-sized table-top rolling device or stationary equipment, the power and performance of which is quite enough to solve the problems facing a small production or repair enterprise.

Among specialists and home craftsmen who prefer to perform, manual rolling equipment from the following brands is very popular.

Stalex

This company produces reliable and efficient equipment designed for processing sheet blanks of various widths and thicknesses.

Metalmaster

This brand produces reliable, functional and easy-to-use equipment for rolling. On many models from Metalmaster, due to the presence of special grooves on the rolls, it is possible to bend pipes and rods.

Encore Corvette

This is a domestic brand under which inexpensive but fairly reliable sheet metal bending equipment is produced in China. Using such machines, you can bend sheet metal whose thickness does not exceed 1.5 mm.

Electromechanical sheet bending machines

Electromechanical rolling machines are presented on the domestic market in an equally wide range. So, of the most popular brands of devices of this type, the following are worth noting.

VEM

This is a functional rolling equipment that, due to its high reliability, rarely requires repairs and expensive maintenance. Due to equipping with additional structural elements, the technical capabilities of machines of this type trademark can be significantly expanded.

Stalex

Professional-level electromechanical roller machines are produced under this brand. Design feature Such machines are characterized by an asymmetrical arrangement of work rolls, as well as the ability to quickly remove the upper working body, which allows for the rapid removal of the workpiece from the processing zone.

Electromechanical rolling machine Stalex ESR-1300×2.5 (the width and thickness of the processed metal is reflected in the machine designation)

Metalmaster

This is a powerful and reliable equipment with convenient foot control, which can be used not only for bending sheet metal, but also for processing tubular products and reinforcing bars.

With the development of metallurgy, the requirements for the equipment used in this field have also increased greatly, so that a modern high-performance rolling mill differs from its predecessors.

1 Purpose and role of the rolling mill

One of the most important areas of industry is metal production, and it is quite difficult to argue with this, because not only the state of the national economy, but also the economy of the entire state depends on how developed this industry is. It should be borne in mind that humanity’s need for this durable material is constantly growing. Therefore, it is now almost impossible to imagine an industrial area where metallurgy would not be involved. It is used in mechanical engineering, construction, and shipbuilding - in general, the list goes on and on. The final technological stage in the production of this much-needed material is the production of rolled products.

Of course, the result can only be achieved by using special equipment that performs rolling through plastic deformation. In general, a whole complex of machines works harmoniously in production; their functions include not only the main operation, but also a number of auxiliary ones. This includes, for example, supplying raw materials, calibrating material, turning, as well as transporting finished products. In addition, processes such as cutting, marking, straightening, packaging and, of course, transfer to the warehouse are also automated. But in this article we will analyze precisely the rental stage and the corresponding units.

2 What types of rolling mills can there be?

Types of rolling mills can be divided by purpose depending on the type of product produced. So there are blanking and crimping mills, the latter include slabs and bloomings. This is a kind of rough equipment; their function is to process a large ingot of metal into a workpiece, which is subsequently supplied for rolling to other workshops; the products on different types of these machines differ in geometric shape. After them, the material goes to section, pipe or wire machines, where more specialized rolling occurs.

Long-section mills have quite a variety of capabilities. So, many beams, corners, different types profiles, rails and broadband steel. The types of these machines are divided depending on the given program, so there are large-section, medium-section, rail-rolling machines, as well as an MPS installation for the production of profiles. Sheet units can be either hot or cold rolled. The products produced are divided, depending on their dimensions, into slabs with a thickness of 50 to 350 mm, 3–50 mm sheets and strips (1.2–20 mm). The latter, as a rule, are wound into rolls weighing up to 50 tons.

With pipe rolling equipment, everything is clear from its name; it is necessary to obtain different diameters. This is how the following products are produced:

a continuous extension mill produces products with a cross-section of up to 110 mm;
on short-truth – 60–450 mm,
a three-roll mill produces thick-walled pipes with reduced wall thickness, the diameter of which is 35–200 mm;
Pilgrim units have found their application to produce seamless pipes of fairly large diameter (400–700 mm).

The last type of rolling equipment is special (parts rolling), which produces pipes and profiles no more than three meters long, as well as balls, screws, bent profiles, ribbed tubes, gears, etc. These blanks are then processed directly in the automotive industry. , furniture or other industries.

3 Design of a rolling mill - features of mechanisms

The design of a rolling mill includes three main components: working stands, electric motors and transmission devices. The former includes rolls, installation mechanisms, plate frames and wiring. Electric motors perform one of the most important functions - they rotate the rollers through transmission devices, consisting largely of couplings, gears and spindles.

The main characteristic of crimping and blanking machines is the diameter of the work roll, but if several stands are involved at once, then they are guided only by the numerical indicators of finishing, it is the value of its parameter that is usually mentioned in the name.

Section equipment usually consists of several successive stands, for example, universal mills have 5 or 3 stands, of which 3 or 2, respectively, have horizontal shafts with a diameter of approximately 1350 mm, and the shaft cross-section of the remaining ones is about 800 mm. Plate mills usually have one or two stands, the roll length is 3500–5500 mm; very often, in order to compress the side edges, they are equipped with additional stands with vertical rolls. The most common among strip rolling units are broadband ones, the number of stands in them is from ten to fifteen, the length of the shaft barrel ranges from 1500–2500 mm. They also have additional stands with vertical rolls.

As you can see, sometimes these units can take up a lot of space. In general, pipe rolling equipment mainly consists of 3 mills, since first a hole is pierced in the workpiece by screw rolling, then this workpiece should be pulled into a pipe, and the last operation is calibration, i.e., achieving the required diameter. The basis of parts rolling mechanisms is the principle of screw and transverse processing.

4 Is it possible to make a rolling machine with your own hands?

Of course, if we talk about large industrial production, then there can be no talk of any amateur activity here, but for home use you can make a rolling machine with your own hands. However, one should not underestimate such equipment, since with its help you can not only obtain wire of different sections, but also carry out straightening work or cut sheet materials whose thickness will not exceed half a millimeter. So, we will need two racks, a top plate, 4 M10 screws and, accordingly, the same bolts, a steel rod with a diameter of 5 cm, bronze bushings and bearings, springs and stops, 2 gears and a gear.

We connect the racks to the slab with screws and bolts so that we get a fairly strong cage frame. 2 rollers are machined from the rod; in order to increase their hardness, hardening should be carried out. The lower shaft is mounted in racks using bronze bushings-bearings, and the upper one is mounted in sliders, so it can freely move vertically. To limit their upward movement, special stops are mounted in the plate, and springs are installed below, which tend to push the rolls apart.

Ensuring synchronous rotation of the stops occurs due to a gear located on the top plate. It consists of a gear on an axis pressed into the center of the plate; it transmits torque through gears located on the shank of the stops. This way you can adjust the size of the gap. There is a handle on the lower roller; when it rotates, it rotates and transmits torque through the same gear transmission to the upper one.

Thanks to special attachments, such as circular knives, it is possible to cut sheet metal, and cylindrical rolls with shaped grooves will allow you to produce wire of the desired section. If it is necessary to roll stiffeners, then you will need rollers with a symmetrical arrangement of groove and ridge. In general, the capabilities of this machine, considering that it is made at home, are simply impressive.