CLOSE COUPLED REVERSING MILL AND MULTIPLE STAND FINISHING MILL TRAIN METHOD AND APPARATUS

摘要

CLOSE COUPLED REVERSING MILL AND MULTIPLE STAND FINISHING MILL TRAIN METHOD AND APPARATUS A method for hot rolling metal slabs to strip thicknesses comprises close coupling a hot reversing mill having a coiler furnace on at least the upstream side thereof with a finishing train having at least one finishing stand and preferably at least three finishing stands. The finishing train is maintained in the open position as the slab is passed back and forth through the hot reversing mill in flat passes with the slab freely passing through the finishing train. At an intermediate thickness the workpiece is coiled in the coiler furnace. In one embodiment a downstream coiler furnace is employed and the workpiece is reduced by passing it back and forth between the coiler furnaces while it is acted upon by the hot reversing mill. The coil is finally decoiled out of the upstream coiling furnace and passed through the finishing train which has been reset to the appropriate roll gaps during the intermediate rolling stage between coiler furnaces. In a second embodiment a single coiling furnace is employed and the workpiece is coiled in the upstream coiling furnace and then passed through the reversing mill and the finishing train. In a preferred embodiment initial and/or intermediate passes are taken in tandem to reduce time and temperature losses.