Small Rollers, Big Potential: Exploring the Materials and Manufacturing of Rolls

As the core tool in roll forming, the performance of rollers directly determines product quality. This article reveals how rollers become the "all-rounder" in metal processing through material selection and precision manufacturing.
Rollers are the core tools for inducing plastic deformation in metals, with their performance dependent on material composition and manufacturing processes.
🏭 Primary Types and Characteristics:
• Cast steel rolls: Carbon content 0.4%-2.1%, offering lower cost and excellent wear resistance. Widely used in roughing mills for hot-rolled sheets and strips, as well as section and wire rod mills.
• Forged steel rolls: Produced through forging, featuring denser microstructure with superior strength and toughness compared to cast steel rolls.
• Composite Rolls: Employ different materials for the outer layer and core (e.g., cold-hardened cast iron or high-chromium cast iron for the outer layer, ductile iron or cast steel for the core). Metallurgical bonding integrates the wear resistance and thermal fatigue resistance of the outer layer with the strength and toughness of the core. Common manufacturing methods include centrifugal casting and the flush casting (overflow) method.
• Ductile iron rolls: Produced by spheroidising molten iron, these offer strength comparable to cast steel with superior wear resistance.
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🔬 Manufacturing and Quality Control: Roll production encompasses smelting, casting/forging, heat treatment, machining, and inspection. Heat treatment (annealing, quenching, tempering) adjusts microstructural properties. Quality checks include chemical composition analysis, hardness testing, and non-destructive testing (e.g., ultrasonic) to ensure reliable performance.