Influence of roll radius on contact condition and material deformation in skin-pass rolling of steel strip

Skin-pass rolling (or temper rolling) is the final forming step in the production of cold rolled steel sheets. Although a large roll radius compared to the contact length is one of the characteristics of skin-pass rolling conditions, numerous studies have been conducted thus far using laboratory mills with small radius rolls. In this paper, the influence of roll radius on the contact condition and material deformation in skin-pass rolling is examined and clarified by numerical analysis by an elastic–plastic FEM analysis as well as experimental rolling tests, which were performed to verify the result of the analysis. Some characteristics of skin-pass rolling related to pressure distribution, contact condition and material deformation are not properly simulated using small radius rolls. Considering characteristic skin-pass rolling conditions, two cases using simplified models, i.e., vertical compression and rolling with a circular, rigid roll, were analyzed.