EP2673097A1 - Hot-rolling machine for wire-rod and the like - Google Patents

Hot-rolling machine for wire-rod and the like

Info

Publication number
EP2673097A1
EP2673097A1 EP12710322.4A EP12710322A EP2673097A1 EP 2673097 A1 EP2673097 A1 EP 2673097A1 EP 12710322 A EP12710322 A EP 12710322A EP 2673097 A1 EP2673097 A1 EP 2673097A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
rolling
hot
unit
wire
gear reduction
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP12710322.4A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2673097B1 (en
Inventor
Claudio TOMBA
Massimiliano ZUCCATO
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pert Srl
Original Assignee
Pert Srl
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Pert Srl filed Critical Pert Srl
Publication of EP2673097A1 publication Critical patent/EP2673097A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2673097B1 publication Critical patent/EP2673097B1/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21B—ROLLING OF METAL
    • B21B1/00—Metal-rolling methods or mills for making semi-finished products of solid or profiled cross-section; Sequence of operations in milling trains; Layout of rolling-mill plant, e.g. grouping of stands; Succession of passes or of sectional pass alternations
    • B21B1/16—Metal-rolling methods or mills for making semi-finished products of solid or profiled cross-section; Sequence of operations in milling trains; Layout of rolling-mill plant, e.g. grouping of stands; Succession of passes or of sectional pass alternations for rolling wire rods, bars, merchant bars, rounds wire or material of like small cross-section
    • B21B1/18—Metal-rolling methods or mills for making semi-finished products of solid or profiled cross-section; Sequence of operations in milling trains; Layout of rolling-mill plant, e.g. grouping of stands; Succession of passes or of sectional pass alternations for rolling wire rods, bars, merchant bars, rounds wire or material of like small cross-section in a continuous process
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21B—ROLLING OF METAL
    • B21B35/00—Drives for metal-rolling mills, e.g. hydraulic drives
    • B21B35/02—Drives for metal-rolling mills, e.g. hydraulic drives for continuously-operating mills
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21B—ROLLING OF METAL
    • B21B1/00—Metal-rolling methods or mills for making semi-finished products of solid or profiled cross-section; Sequence of operations in milling trains; Layout of rolling-mill plant, e.g. grouping of stands; Succession of passes or of sectional pass alternations
    • B21B1/16—Metal-rolling methods or mills for making semi-finished products of solid or profiled cross-section; Sequence of operations in milling trains; Layout of rolling-mill plant, e.g. grouping of stands; Succession of passes or of sectional pass alternations for rolling wire rods, bars, merchant bars, rounds wire or material of like small cross-section
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21B—ROLLING OF METAL
    • B21B1/00—Metal-rolling methods or mills for making semi-finished products of solid or profiled cross-section; Sequence of operations in milling trains; Layout of rolling-mill plant, e.g. grouping of stands; Succession of passes or of sectional pass alternations
    • B21B1/16—Metal-rolling methods or mills for making semi-finished products of solid or profiled cross-section; Sequence of operations in milling trains; Layout of rolling-mill plant, e.g. grouping of stands; Succession of passes or of sectional pass alternations for rolling wire rods, bars, merchant bars, rounds wire or material of like small cross-section
    • B21B1/163—Rolling or cold-forming of concrete reinforcement bars or wire ; Rolls therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21B—ROLLING OF METAL
    • B21B13/00—Metal-rolling stands, i.e. an assembly composed of a stand frame, rolls, and accessories
    • B21B13/08—Metal-rolling stands, i.e. an assembly composed of a stand frame, rolls, and accessories with differently-directed roll axes, e.g. for the so-called "universal" rolling process
    • B21B13/10—Metal-rolling stands, i.e. an assembly composed of a stand frame, rolls, and accessories with differently-directed roll axes, e.g. for the so-called "universal" rolling process all axes being arranged in one plane
    • B21B13/103—Metal-rolling stands, i.e. an assembly composed of a stand frame, rolls, and accessories with differently-directed roll axes, e.g. for the so-called "universal" rolling process all axes being arranged in one plane for rolling bars, rods or wire
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21B—ROLLING OF METAL
    • B21B31/00—Rolling stand structures; Mounting, adjusting, or interchanging rolls, roll mountings, or stand frames
    • B21B31/16—Adjusting or positioning rolls
    • B21B31/20—Adjusting or positioning rolls by moving rolls perpendicularly to roll axis
    • B21B31/22—Adjusting or positioning rolls by moving rolls perpendicularly to roll axis mechanically, e.g. by thrust blocks, inserts for removal
    • B21B31/26—Adjusting eccentrically-mounted roll bearings

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a hot-rolling machine for wire rods and the like.
  • the present invention relates to a machine for the production of hot-rolled concrete-reinforcing bars, use to which the following description refers purely by way of example without this implying any loss of generality.
  • concrete-reinforcing bars are obtained by subjecting a steel wire rod with a roughly circular section to a process of hot-rolling that brings about a progressive reduction in the nominal section of the wire rod.
  • Hot-rolling lines that are used for performing this particular metallurgical operation are usually made up of an appropriate number of rolling units that are arranged in cascade one after another along the wire-rod feeding path, so that each rolling unit is able to bring about a slight reduction of the nominal section of the high-temperature steel, wire-rod whilst the latter advances along the hot-rolling line.
  • each rolling unit of the hot-rolling line is a machine completely separated from and independent of the others, and is usually made up of: a rolling stand provided with two opposed and counter-rotating milling rollers which are arranged one beside the other, locally substantially parallel and tangential to one another, so as to form/delimit in between themselves a groove or throttling within which the wire rod to be hot-rolled is forced to pass; and an electric motor which is mechanically coupled to both of the milling rollers via a large gear reducer so as to be able to drive the two milling rollers in rotation about the respective longitudinal reference axes.
  • the two milling rollers are fixed on the supporting frame of the rolling stand so as to be arranged horizontally one above the other, parallel and aligned to one another; and the supporting frame is structured so to prevent the two milling rollers from receding with respect to one another when the wire rod to be rolled is forced through the groove or throttling delimited by the two milling rollers, thus being deformed.
  • the distance between the rotation axes of the two milling rollers reduces progressively along the wire-rod feeding path so that each pair of milling rollers is able to deform and stretch the wire rod causing a slight reduction of the nominal section thereof.
  • the only way to increase the productivity per hour of the hot-rolling line consists in dividing/splitting longitudinally the wire rod that is fed at inlet to the hot- rolling line, and then directing each half of the wire rod towards a respective set of rolling units so to hot-roll the two halves of the wire rod simultaneously.
  • the simple doubling of the hot-rolling line in fact, entails a doubling of the rolling units, with consequent doubling of the extension of the shed that is to house the rolling line, and of the amount of spare parts to be kept always available for ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of the rolling line.
  • maintenance is of a preventive type and usually involves, at regular intervals, all the rolling units of the line.
  • Aim of the present invention is to provide rolling units that are more compact than the ones currently commercially available so as to contain the increase in space resulting from the bifurcation of the hot-rolling line.
  • FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a wire-rods and the like hot- rolling machine realized in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, with parts removed for clarity; whilst
  • FIG. 2 is a front view of the machine shown in Figure 1, sectioned along the line II-II and with parts removed for clarity .
  • reference number 1 designates as a whole a hot-rolling machine for wire rods and the like, which finds particularly advantageous use in the production of concrete-reinforcing bars.
  • the machine 1 is basically made up of a series of rolling units 2 that are arranged in cascaded one after the other along the wire-rod feeding path p so that each rolling unit 2 can deform plastically the high-temperature metal, wire rod b that moves along the path p, causing a slight reduction of the nominal section thereof.
  • the wire-rod feeding path p is substantially rectilinear and extends horizontally.
  • Each rolling unit 2 is equipped with a rolling stand 3 that is arranged exactly on the wire-rod feeding path p, and is provided with two opposed and counter-rotating milling rollers 4 which have a substantially cylindrical shape and are arranged one beside the other, locally substantially parallel and substantially tangential to one another, so as to form/delimit a rolling groove or throttling 4a through which the wire rod b to be hot-rolled is forced to pass.
  • the longitudinal axes L of the two milling rollers 4 are arranged substantially on a same laying plane T (parallel to the plane of the sheet in Figure 2), and are oriented so that the laying plane T is locally substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wire rod, i.e. orthogonal to the feeding direction of the wire rod b along the path p, whilst the peripheral surfaces of the two milling rollers 4 are sized so as to form/delimit in between them selves a rolling groove or throttling 4a through which the wire rod b to be hot-rolled is forced to pass.
  • the two hot mill milling rollers 4 are preferably, though not necessarily, arranged substantially horizontally position, one on top of the other.
  • each rolling unit 2 is moreover equipped with a mechanical gear reduction unit 5, which is arranged beside the rolling stand 3 and is structured so as to be able to simultaneously drive into rotation the two milling rollers 4 about the respective longitudinal axes L substantially with identical peripheral velocities.
  • each rolling unit 2 is structured so as to form, with the corresponding rolling stand 3, a single sectional elementary module 2 which is suitably structured for being aligned with other similar sectional elementary modules 2 along the wire-rod feeding path p, and for being mechanically coupled to the immediately adjacent sectional elementary modules 2 so as to compose/form a chain line of rolling units 2, which are reciprocally connected so as to transmit torque in cascade from one another .
  • each rolling unit 2 is structured so to arrange its own mechanical gear reduction unit 5 adjacent to the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of the other rolling unit or units 2 present along the wire-rod feeding path p, and the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 is structured so to be mechanically connectable directly to the mechanical gear reduction unit or reducers 5 of the immediately adjacent rolling units 2 so as to be able to form a cascade of mechanical gear reduction units 6 having a disassemblable structure, which extends parallel to the wire-rod feeding path p and is able to transmit the torque autonomously from one mechanical gear reduction unit 5 to another.
  • each rolling unit 2 is preferably, though not necessarily, provided with a respective lower supporting platform 7, which is structured for being rigidly and stably anchored to the floor, and the rolling stand 3 and the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of the rolling units 2 are arranged on the lower supporting platform 7 one beside the other.
  • the lower supporting platform 7 is substantially rectangular in shape and is anchored to the floor with its major side edges arranged locally substantially perpendicular to the feeding direction of the wire rod b along the path p.
  • the wire-rods and the like hot-rolling machine 1 furthermore comprises a preferably, though not necessarily, electrically- or hydraulically- operated single shared drive unit 8 which is structured so to be mechanically connected to the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of just one of the sectional elementary modules 2 that form the chain line of rolling units 2 so as to be able to simultaneously drive into rotation the milling rollers 4 of all the rolling units 2.
  • a preferably, though not necessarily, electrically- or hydraulically- operated single shared drive unit 8 which is structured so to be mechanically connected to the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of just one of the sectional elementary modules 2 that form the chain line of rolling units 2 so as to be able to simultaneously drive into rotation the milling rollers 4 of all the rolling units 2.
  • the drive unit 8 is structured so to be mechanically connected to just one of the mechanical gear reduction units 5 that form the cascade of mechanical gear reduction units 6 so as to be able to simultaneously drive into rotation the milling rollers 4 of all the rolling units 2.
  • the two milling rollers 4 of each rolling stand 3 are fixed in an axially rotatable manner on a rigid supporting frame 9, which is structured so as to prevent the two milling rollers 4 from receding with respect to one another when the wire rod b to be rolled passes through the rolling groove or throttling 4a delimited by the peripheral surfaces of the two milling rollers 4, thus deforming itself.
  • the rigid supporting frame 9 is provided with two side walls 9a that are stably arranged parallel to and facing one another, and the two milling rollers 4 extend straddling the two side walls 9a of supporting frame 9, one beside the another, so that the longitudinal axes L of the two rolls are locally substantially orthogonal to the laying planes of the two side walls 9a, and are preferably arranged substantially horizontally, one on top of the other.
  • each milling roller 4 has the two axial ends inserted in pass-through manner and trapped in an axially rotatable manner each within a corresponding side wall 9a of the supporting frame 9, and is shaped so that its central cross section can form/delimit, between the two side walls 9a, the rolling groove or throttling 4a through which the wire rod b to be rolled is forced to pass.
  • the two milling rollers 4 are both provided with a roughly cylindrical-shaped central cross section which extends between the two lateral side walls 9a of the rigid supporting frame 9, and are arranged adjacent to one another so that the corresponding central sections are locally substantially tangent to one another and can form/delimit the rolling groove or throttling 4a through which the wire rod b to be rolled is forced to pass.
  • the central sections of the two milling rollers 4 are preferably, though not necessarily, shaped so as to form/delimit a rolling groove or throttling 4a dimensioned for being engaged simultaneously by two wire rods b appropriately spaced apart from one another. Consequently, the wire-rod feeding path p can be engaged simultaneously by two high- temperature metal, wire rods b which move forward parallel to one another.
  • the rolling stand 3 of each rolling unit 2 is moreover also provided with a preferably electrically- or hydraulically- operated, a device for adjusting the distance between the rollers which is structured so as to be able to approach or move away, on command, the two milling rollers 4 to one another so as to be able to adjust the distance between the longitudinal axes L of the two rolls 4 while maintaining the milling rollers 4 always horizontal and locally parallel to one another.
  • a device for adjusting the distance between the rollers which is structured so as to be able to approach or move away, on command, the two milling rollers 4 to one another so as to be able to adjust the distance between the longitudinal axes L of the two rolls 4 while maintaining the milling rollers 4 always horizontal and locally parallel to one another.
  • the rigid supporting frame 9 is preferably, though not necessarily, substantially U-shaped and it is rigidly fixed onto the lower supporting platform 7 so that its two side walls 9a overhangingly protrude upwards, in a substantially vertical direction; whilst the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of the rolling unit 2 is fixed on the lower supporting platform 7, alongside the rolling stand 3, directly facing one of the two side walls 9a of the rigid supporting frame 9.
  • the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 is preferably, though not necessarily, coupled in a rigid and stable, though disassemblable manner directly to the side walls 9a of the rigid supporting frame 9.
  • the lower supporting platform 7, instead, is preferably, though not necessarily, structured so as to enable the rolling stand 3, or rather the rigid supporting frame 9 of the rolling stand 3, to translate horizontally towards and away from the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 in a horizontal direction f locally perpendicular to the two side walls 9a of the rigid supporting frame 9, i.e. parallel to the longitudinal axes L of the two milling rollers 4, so as to be able to uncouple, if need be, the rolling stand 3 from the corresponding mechanical gear reduction unit 5.
  • the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of each rolling unit 2 instead comprises: a rigid and substantially parallelepiped-shaped, outer boxlike casing 11 which is fixed on the lower supporting platform 7 with a first side wall 11a directly facing the side wall 9a of the rigid supporting frame 9 of the rolling stand 3; and two drive shafts 12 and 13, which extend inside the boxlike casing 11 parallel to a same reference axis R locally substantially parallel to the feeding direction of the wire rod b along the path p, and come out with their distal ends outside of the boxlike casing 11 on opposite sides of the rolling stand 3, once again in the feeding direction of the wire rod b.
  • the two drive shafts 12 and 13 are parallel to a same reference axis R locally perpendicular to the laying plane T of the longitudinal axes L of the two milling rollers 4 of the rolling stand 3, and come out outside of the boxlike casing 11 on opposite sides of the rolling stand 3 in the feeding direction of the wire rod b along the path p.
  • the distal ends of the two drive shafts 12 and 13 sticks out from the two side walls lib of the boxlike casing 11 that are locally substantially orthogonal to the feeding direction of the wire rod b along path p so as to protrude from the sides of the side wall 9a of the rigid supporting frame 9, respectively in front of and behind the rolling stand 3 of the rolling units 2.
  • the two drive shafts 12 and 13 are arranged coaxial to the reference axis R, one after the other, and overhangingly stick out from the two major side walls lib of the boxlike casing 11.
  • the distal end of the main drive shaft 12 is shaped so to be mechanically connectable in an angularly rigid manner to the drive shaft of drive unit 8 or, alternatively, to the distal end of the secondary drive shaft 13 of the immediately preceding rolling unit 2; whereas the distal end of the secondary drive shaft 13 is shaped so to be mechanically connectable in an angularly rigid manner to the distal end of the main drive shaft 12 of the immediately subsequent rolling unit 2.
  • the distal end of the main drive shaft 12 is designed to be fitted on the drive shaft of the drive unit 8, or on the distal end of the secondary drive shaft 13 of the immediately preceding rolling unit 2 preferably, though not necessarily, via a first mechanical coupling joint of known type; whilst the distal end of the secondary drive shaft 13 is suited to be fitted on the distal end of the main drive shaft 12 of the immediately following rolling unit 2 preferably, though not necessarily, via a second mechanical coupling joint of known type.
  • the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 furthermore comprises a gear-set (not shown) preferably, though not necessarily, of epicycloidal type, which is structured to connect the main drive shaft 12 with the two milling rollers 4 of the rolling stand 3, and with the secondary drive shaft 13, so as to transmit the torque to both of the components.
  • a gear-set (not shown) preferably, though not necessarily, of epicycloidal type, which is structured to connect the main drive shaft 12 with the two milling rollers 4 of the rolling stand 3, and with the secondary drive shaft 13, so as to transmit the torque to both of the components.
  • the gear-set of the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 is moreover dimensioned so that the rotating speed of the secondary drive shaft 13 is equal to that of the main drive shaft 12.
  • the drive unit 8 is arranged alongside the first sectional elementary module 2 that forms the chain line of rolling units 2, so as to be aligned with the distal end of the main drive shaft 12 of the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of the first sectional elementary module 2, and is preferably, though not necessarily, made up of a high-power electric motor 14 and a gear reducer 15 that connects the drive shaft of the electric motor 14 to the distal end of the main drive shaft 12 of the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of the first sectional elementary module 2.
  • a single electric motor 14 can simultaneously drive into rotation the two milling rollers 4 of all the rolling units 2 aligned along the wire-rod feeding path p, thus reducing the overall dimensions of the machine.
  • each rolling unit 2 is constituted by a single sectional elementary module 2 greatly facilitates the transportation in loco and subsequent assemblage of the hot-rolling machine 1 for wire rods and the like.
  • each rolling unit 2 is formed by a single sectional elementary module 2 considerably simplifies the design of the machine 1 for hot-rolling of wire rods and the like as a whole, and the production of the individual component parts.
  • a second shared drive unit (not shown) can be arranged alongside the last sectional elementary module 2 that forms the chain line of rolling units 2 and be connected to the distal end of the secondary drive shaft 13 of the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of the last sectional elementary module 2.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metal Rolling (AREA)
  • Reduction Rolling/Reduction Stand/Operation Of Reduction Machine (AREA)
  • Laminated Bodies (AREA)

Abstract

A hot-rolling machine (1) for wire rods and the like which comprises a number of rolling units (2) that are arranged in cascaded to one after another along the wire-rod feeding path (p) so that each rolling unit (2) can plastically deform the high-temperature wire rod (b) that moves along said path (p); each rolling unit (2) being provided with: a rolling stand (3) that is arranged on the wire-rod feeding path (p) and is provided with two counter-rotating and opposed milling rollers (4) that are arranged one beside the other, locally substantially parallel and substantially tangent to one another so as to form/delimit a rolling groove or throttling (4a), through which the wire rod (b) to be hot-rolled is forced to pass; and a mechanical gear reduction unit (5), which is arranged beside the rolling stand (3) and is structured so as to be able to drive simultaneously in rotation the two rolls (4) about the respective longitudinal axes (L); the mechanical gear reduction unit (5) of each rolling unit (2) being structured so as to form, with the corresponding rolling stand (3), a single sectional elementary module (2) that is structured for being aligned with other similar sectional elementary modules (2), along the wire-rod feeding path (p) and for being mechanically coupled to the immediately adjacent sectional elementary modules (2), in so as to compose/form a catenary of rolling units (2 which are reciprocally connected so as to transmit torque in cascade from one another.

Description

HOT-ROLLING MACHINE FOR WIRE-ROD AND THE LIKE
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a hot-rolling machine for wire rods and the like.
In greater detail, the present invention relates to a machine for the production of hot-rolled concrete-reinforcing bars, use to which the following description refers purely by way of example without this implying any loss of generality.
BACKGROUND ART
As is known, concrete-reinforcing bars are obtained by subjecting a steel wire rod with a roughly circular section to a process of hot-rolling that brings about a progressive reduction in the nominal section of the wire rod.
Hot-rolling lines that are used for performing this particular metallurgical operation are usually made up of an appropriate number of rolling units that are arranged in cascade one after another along the wire-rod feeding path, so that each rolling unit is able to bring about a slight reduction of the nominal section of the high-temperature steel, wire-rod whilst the latter advances along the hot-rolling line.
Today, each rolling unit of the hot-rolling line is a machine completely separated from and independent of the others, and is usually made up of: a rolling stand provided with two opposed and counter-rotating milling rollers which are arranged one beside the other, locally substantially parallel and tangential to one another, so as to form/delimit in between themselves a groove or throttling within which the wire rod to be hot-rolled is forced to pass; and an electric motor which is mechanically coupled to both of the milling rollers via a large gear reducer so as to be able to drive the two milling rollers in rotation about the respective longitudinal reference axes.
In greater detail, the two milling rollers are fixed on the supporting frame of the rolling stand so as to be arranged horizontally one above the other, parallel and aligned to one another; and the supporting frame is structured so to prevent the two milling rollers from receding with respect to one another when the wire rod to be rolled is forced through the groove or throttling delimited by the two milling rollers, thus being deformed.
Of course, the distance between the rotation axes of the two milling rollers reduces progressively along the wire-rod feeding path so that each pair of milling rollers is able to deform and stretch the wire rod causing a slight reduction of the nominal section thereof.
Given that the nominal wire-rod feeding rate along the hot- rolling line must absolutely not exceed 30-50 metres per second, the only way to increase the productivity per hour of the hot-rolling line consists in dividing/splitting longitudinally the wire rod that is fed at inlet to the hot- rolling line, and then directing each half of the wire rod towards a respective set of rolling units so to hot-roll the two halves of the wire rod simultaneously.
Obviously, the longitudinal splitting of the wire rod with consequent bifurcation of the hot-rolling line can be reiterated a number of times so as to significantly increase the productivity per hour of the plant for production of the concrete-reinforcing bars.
Albeit guaranteeing a considerable increase in the productivity per hour of the plant, the bifurcation of the hot-rolling line causes a significant increase in the amount of machinery involved in the production of the concrete- reinforcing bars, with the increase in running costs that this involves .
The simple doubling of the hot-rolling line, in fact, entails a doubling of the rolling units, with consequent doubling of the extension of the shed that is to house the rolling line, and of the amount of spare parts to be kept always available for ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of the rolling line. In this type of machinery, in fact, maintenance is of a preventive type and usually involves, at regular intervals, all the rolling units of the line.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Aim of the present invention is to provide rolling units that are more compact than the ones currently commercially available so as to contain the increase in space resulting from the bifurcation of the hot-rolling line.
In compliance with the above aim, according to the present invention there is provided a machine for hot-rolling of wire rods and the like as defined in Claim 1 and preferably, though not necessarily, in any one of the dependant claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a wire-rods and the like hot- rolling machine realized in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, with parts removed for clarity; whilst
- Figure 2 is a front view of the machine shown in Figure 1, sectioned along the line II-II and with parts removed for clarity .
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, reference number 1 designates as a whole a hot-rolling machine for wire rods and the like, which finds particularly advantageous use in the production of concrete-reinforcing bars. The machine 1 is basically made up of a series of rolling units 2 that are arranged in cascaded one after the other along the wire-rod feeding path p so that each rolling unit 2 can deform plastically the high-temperature metal, wire rod b that moves along the path p, causing a slight reduction of the nominal section thereof.
Preferably, though not necessarily, the wire-rod feeding path p is substantially rectilinear and extends horizontally.
Each rolling unit 2 is equipped with a rolling stand 3 that is arranged exactly on the wire-rod feeding path p, and is provided with two opposed and counter-rotating milling rollers 4 which have a substantially cylindrical shape and are arranged one beside the other, locally substantially parallel and substantially tangential to one another, so as to form/delimit a rolling groove or throttling 4a through which the wire rod b to be hot-rolled is forced to pass.
In greater detail, the longitudinal axes L of the two milling rollers 4 are arranged substantially on a same laying plane T (parallel to the plane of the sheet in Figure 2), and are oriented so that the laying plane T is locally substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wire rod, i.e. orthogonal to the feeding direction of the wire rod b along the path p, whilst the peripheral surfaces of the two milling rollers 4 are sized so as to form/delimit in between them selves a rolling groove or throttling 4a through which the wire rod b to be hot-rolled is forced to pass.
In the example shown, in particular, the two hot mill milling rollers 4 are preferably, though not necessarily, arranged substantially horizontally position, one on top of the other.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, each rolling unit 2 is moreover equipped with a mechanical gear reduction unit 5, which is arranged beside the rolling stand 3 and is structured so as to be able to simultaneously drive into rotation the two milling rollers 4 about the respective longitudinal axes L substantially with identical peripheral velocities.
Unlike current hot-rolling machines for wire-rods and the like, the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of each rolling unit 2 is structured so as to form, with the corresponding rolling stand 3, a single sectional elementary module 2 which is suitably structured for being aligned with other similar sectional elementary modules 2 along the wire-rod feeding path p, and for being mechanically coupled to the immediately adjacent sectional elementary modules 2 so as to compose/form a chain line of rolling units 2, which are reciprocally connected so as to transmit torque in cascade from one another .
In greater detail, each rolling unit 2 is structured so to arrange its own mechanical gear reduction unit 5 adjacent to the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of the other rolling unit or units 2 present along the wire-rod feeding path p, and the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 is structured so to be mechanically connectable directly to the mechanical gear reduction unit or reducers 5 of the immediately adjacent rolling units 2 so as to be able to form a cascade of mechanical gear reduction units 6 having a disassemblable structure, which extends parallel to the wire-rod feeding path p and is able to transmit the torque autonomously from one mechanical gear reduction unit 5 to another.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, each rolling unit 2 is preferably, though not necessarily, provided with a respective lower supporting platform 7, which is structured for being rigidly and stably anchored to the floor, and the rolling stand 3 and the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of the rolling units 2 are arranged on the lower supporting platform 7 one beside the other.
In the example shown, in particular, the lower supporting platform 7 is substantially rectangular in shape and is anchored to the floor with its major side edges arranged locally substantially perpendicular to the feeding direction of the wire rod b along the path p.
The wire-rods and the like hot-rolling machine 1 furthermore comprises a preferably, though not necessarily, electrically- or hydraulically- operated single shared drive unit 8 which is structured so to be mechanically connected to the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of just one of the sectional elementary modules 2 that form the chain line of rolling units 2 so as to be able to simultaneously drive into rotation the milling rollers 4 of all the rolling units 2.
In other words, the drive unit 8 is structured so to be mechanically connected to just one of the mechanical gear reduction units 5 that form the cascade of mechanical gear reduction units 6 so as to be able to simultaneously drive into rotation the milling rollers 4 of all the rolling units 2.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, in the example shown, in particular, the two milling rollers 4 of each rolling stand 3 are fixed in an axially rotatable manner on a rigid supporting frame 9, which is structured so as to prevent the two milling rollers 4 from receding with respect to one another when the wire rod b to be rolled passes through the rolling groove or throttling 4a delimited by the peripheral surfaces of the two milling rollers 4, thus deforming itself.
In greater detail, the rigid supporting frame 9 is provided with two side walls 9a that are stably arranged parallel to and facing one another, and the two milling rollers 4 extend straddling the two side walls 9a of supporting frame 9, one beside the another, so that the longitudinal axes L of the two rolls are locally substantially orthogonal to the laying planes of the two side walls 9a, and are preferably arranged substantially horizontally, one on top of the other.
In the example shown, in particular, each milling roller 4 has the two axial ends inserted in pass-through manner and trapped in an axially rotatable manner each within a corresponding side wall 9a of the supporting frame 9, and is shaped so that its central cross section can form/delimit, between the two side walls 9a, the rolling groove or throttling 4a through which the wire rod b to be rolled is forced to pass.
In other words, the two milling rollers 4 are both provided with a roughly cylindrical-shaped central cross section which extends between the two lateral side walls 9a of the rigid supporting frame 9, and are arranged adjacent to one another so that the corresponding central sections are locally substantially tangent to one another and can form/delimit the rolling groove or throttling 4a through which the wire rod b to be rolled is forced to pass.
With reference to Figure 2, in the example shown, in particular, the central sections of the two milling rollers 4 are preferably, though not necessarily, shaped so as to form/delimit a rolling groove or throttling 4a dimensioned for being engaged simultaneously by two wire rods b appropriately spaced apart from one another. Consequently, the wire-rod feeding path p can be engaged simultaneously by two high- temperature metal, wire rods b which move forward parallel to one another.
Preferably, though not necessarily, the rolling stand 3 of each rolling unit 2 is moreover also provided with a preferably electrically- or hydraulically- operated, a device for adjusting the distance between the rollers which is structured so as to be able to approach or move away, on command, the two milling rollers 4 to one another so as to be able to adjust the distance between the longitudinal axes L of the two rolls 4 while maintaining the milling rollers 4 always horizontal and locally parallel to one another.
With reference to Figure 2, in the example shown, in particular, the rigid supporting frame 9 is preferably, though not necessarily, substantially U-shaped and it is rigidly fixed onto the lower supporting platform 7 so that its two side walls 9a overhangingly protrude upwards, in a substantially vertical direction; whilst the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of the rolling unit 2 is fixed on the lower supporting platform 7, alongside the rolling stand 3, directly facing one of the two side walls 9a of the rigid supporting frame 9.
In greater detail, in the example shown the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 is preferably, though not necessarily, coupled in a rigid and stable, though disassemblable manner directly to the side walls 9a of the rigid supporting frame 9. The lower supporting platform 7, instead, is preferably, though not necessarily, structured so as to enable the rolling stand 3, or rather the rigid supporting frame 9 of the rolling stand 3, to translate horizontally towards and away from the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 in a horizontal direction f locally perpendicular to the two side walls 9a of the rigid supporting frame 9, i.e. parallel to the longitudinal axes L of the two milling rollers 4, so as to be able to uncouple, if need be, the rolling stand 3 from the corresponding mechanical gear reduction unit 5.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of each rolling unit 2 instead comprises: a rigid and substantially parallelepiped-shaped, outer boxlike casing 11 which is fixed on the lower supporting platform 7 with a first side wall 11a directly facing the side wall 9a of the rigid supporting frame 9 of the rolling stand 3; and two drive shafts 12 and 13, which extend inside the boxlike casing 11 parallel to a same reference axis R locally substantially parallel to the feeding direction of the wire rod b along the path p, and come out with their distal ends outside of the boxlike casing 11 on opposite sides of the rolling stand 3, once again in the feeding direction of the wire rod b.
In other words, the two drive shafts 12 and 13 are parallel to a same reference axis R locally perpendicular to the laying plane T of the longitudinal axes L of the two milling rollers 4 of the rolling stand 3, and come out outside of the boxlike casing 11 on opposite sides of the rolling stand 3 in the feeding direction of the wire rod b along the path p.
In greater detail, the distal ends of the two drive shafts 12 and 13 sticks out from the two side walls lib of the boxlike casing 11 that are locally substantially orthogonal to the feeding direction of the wire rod b along path p so as to protrude from the sides of the side wall 9a of the rigid supporting frame 9, respectively in front of and behind the rolling stand 3 of the rolling units 2.
In the example shown, in particular, the two drive shafts 12 and 13 are arranged coaxial to the reference axis R, one after the other, and overhangingly stick out from the two major side walls lib of the boxlike casing 11.
The distal end of the main drive shaft 12 is shaped so to be mechanically connectable in an angularly rigid manner to the drive shaft of drive unit 8 or, alternatively, to the distal end of the secondary drive shaft 13 of the immediately preceding rolling unit 2; whereas the distal end of the secondary drive shaft 13 is shaped so to be mechanically connectable in an angularly rigid manner to the distal end of the main drive shaft 12 of the immediately subsequent rolling unit 2.
In the example shown, in particular, the distal end of the main drive shaft 12 is designed to be fitted on the drive shaft of the drive unit 8, or on the distal end of the secondary drive shaft 13 of the immediately preceding rolling unit 2 preferably, though not necessarily, via a first mechanical coupling joint of known type; whilst the distal end of the secondary drive shaft 13 is suited to be fitted on the distal end of the main drive shaft 12 of the immediately following rolling unit 2 preferably, though not necessarily, via a second mechanical coupling joint of known type.
Within the boxlike casing 11, the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 furthermore comprises a gear-set (not shown) preferably, though not necessarily, of epicycloidal type, which is structured to connect the main drive shaft 12 with the two milling rollers 4 of the rolling stand 3, and with the secondary drive shaft 13, so as to transmit the torque to both of the components.
Preferably, though not necessarily, the gear-set of the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 is moreover dimensioned so that the rotating speed of the secondary drive shaft 13 is equal to that of the main drive shaft 12.
Finally, with reference to Figure 1, the drive unit 8 is arranged alongside the first sectional elementary module 2 that forms the chain line of rolling units 2, so as to be aligned with the distal end of the main drive shaft 12 of the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of the first sectional elementary module 2, and is preferably, though not necessarily, made up of a high-power electric motor 14 and a gear reducer 15 that connects the drive shaft of the electric motor 14 to the distal end of the main drive shaft 12 of the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of the first sectional elementary module 2.
General operation of the hot-rolling machine 1 for wire-rods and the like is easily inferable from the above description, with no further explanation required.
The advantages deriving from the particular structure of the rolling units 2 are considerable. Firstly, thanks to the provision of the cascade of mechanical gear reduction units 6 with decomposable structure, a single electric motor 14 can simultaneously drive into rotation the two milling rollers 4 of all the rolling units 2 aligned along the wire-rod feeding path p, thus reducing the overall dimensions of the machine.
In addition, the fact that each rolling unit 2 is constituted by a single sectional elementary module 2 greatly facilitates the transportation in loco and subsequent assemblage of the hot-rolling machine 1 for wire rods and the like.
Finally, the fact that each rolling unit 2 is formed by a single sectional elementary module 2 considerably simplifies the design of the machine 1 for hot-rolling of wire rods and the like as a whole, and the production of the individual component parts.
Clearly, changes and modifications may be made to the wire- rods and the like hot-rolling machine 1 as described herein without, however, departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, in a more sophisticated embodiment, a second shared drive unit (not shown) can be arranged alongside the last sectional elementary module 2 that forms the chain line of rolling units 2 and be connected to the distal end of the secondary drive shaft 13 of the mechanical gear reduction unit 5 of the last sectional elementary module 2.

Claims

1. Hot-rolling machine (1) for wire rods and the like which comprises a number of rolling units (2) that are arranged in cascade one after the other along the wire-rod feeding path (p) , so that each rolling unit (2) can plastically deform the high-temperature wire rod (b) that moves along said path (p) ; each rolling unit (2) being provided
with a rolling stand (3) which is located on the wire-rod feeding path (p) and is provided with two counter-rotating and opposite milling rollers (4) which are arranged one beside the other, locally substantially parallel and substantially tangent to one another, so as to form/define a rolling groove or throttling (4a) through which the wire-rod (b) to be hot rolled is forced to pass; and
with a mechanical gear reduction unit (5) which is arranged beside the rolling stand (3) , and is structured so as to drive into rotation simultaneously two rollers (4) about respective longitudinal axes (L) ;
the hot-rolling machine (1) for wire rods and the like being characterised in that the mechanical gear reduction unit (5) of each rolling unit (2) is structured so as to form, with the corresponding rolling stand (3), a single sectional elementary module (2) which is structured to be aligned to the other similar sectional elementary modules (2), along the wire-rod feeding path (p) , and to be mechanically coupled to the immediately adjacent sectional elementary modules (2), so as to compose/form a chain line of rolling units (2) which are reciprocally connected so as to transmit torgue in cascade from one another.
2. Hot-rolling machine according to Claim 1, characterised by also comprising at least one shared driving unit (8) which is structured so as to be mechanically connected to the mechanical gear reduction unit (5) of only one of the sectional elementary modules (2) which form the catenary of rolling units (2).
3. Hot-rolling machine according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each rolling unit (2) comprises a lower supporting platform (7) which is structured so as to be rigidly and stably anchored to the ground, and in that the rolling stand (3) and the mechanical gear reduction unit (5) of the rolling unit (2) are arranged on said lower supporting platform (7) one beside the other.
4. Hot-rolling machine according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that each rolling unit (2) is structured so to arrange its own mechanical gear reduction unit (5) adjacent to the mechanical gear reduction unit (5) of the other rolling unit/s (2) present along the wire-rod feeding path (p) , and in that the mechanical gear reduction unit (5) is structured so to be mechanically connectable directly to the mechanical gear reduction unit/s (5) of the immediately adjacent rolling units (2), so as to form a cascade of mechanical gear reduction units (6) having a disassemblable structure which extends parallel to the wire- rods feeding path (p) , and is capable of autonomously transmitting torque from a mechanical gear reduction unit (5) to another.
5. Hot-rolling machine according to Claim 4, characterised in that the mechanical gear reduction unit (5) of each rolling unit (2) comprises an outer casing (11), and a first (12) and a second drive shaft (13) which extend within the outer casing (11) parallel to a same reference axis (R) locally substantially perpendicular to the lying plane (T) of the longitudinal axes (L) of the two rolling rollers (4) of the rolling stand (3), and which face outside the outer casing (11) on opposite sides of the rolling stand (3) in the feeding direction of the wire-rod (b) ; within the outer casing (11), the mechanical gear reduction unit (5) further comprising a gear-set structured so to connect said first drive shaft (12) to the rollers (4) of the rolling stand (3) and to said second drive shaft (13), so as to transmit torque to both components.
6. Hot-rolling machine according to Claim 5, characterised in that said first (12) and said second drive shaft (13) are arranged coaxial to said reference axis (R) , one after the other .
7. Hot-rolling machine according to Claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the distal ends of said first (12) and said second drive shaft (13) protrude from two opposite side walls (lib) of said outer casing (11).
8. Hot-rolling machine according to Claim 5, 6 or 7, characterised in that the distal end of said first drive shaft
(12) is structured so as to be mechanically connectable to the drive shaft of said shared driving unit (8) or, as an alternative, to the distal end of the second drive shaft (13) of the immediately preceding rolling unit (2) ; and in that the distal end of said second drive shaft (13) is shaped so to be mechanically connectable to the distal end of the first drive shaft (12) of the immediately following roller rolling unit
(2) .
9. Hot-rolling machine according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the rolling stand (3) of each rolling unit (2) also comprises a device for adjusting the distance between the rollers (10), which is structured so as to be able to selectively reciprocally approach or move away the two rollers (4), for adjusting the distance between the longitudinal axes (L) of the two rollers (4).
10. Hot-rolling machine according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the two milling rollers (4) of each rolling stand (3) are fixed in axially rotating manner on a rigid bearing frame (9) that is structured fro preventing the rollers (4) from moving away one another when the wire rod (b) to be rolled passes through the rolling groove or throttling (4a) ; said rigid bearing frame (9) being provided with two parallel and reciprocally-faced side walls (9a), and the two rollers (4) being arranged astride the two side walls (9a) of the bearing frame (9) one beside the other.
11. Hot-rolling machine according to Claim 10, characterised in that the rigid bearing frame (9) is substantially U-shaped and is rigidly fixed onto the lower supporting platform (7) so that the two side walls (9a) protrude upwards, in a substantially vertical direction; whereas the mechanical gear reduction unit (5) of rolling unit (2) is fixed on the lower supporting platform (7) beside the rolling stand (3), directly facing one of the two side walls (9a) of the rigid bearing frame ( 9 ) .
12. Hot-rolling machine according to Claim 10, characterised in that the mechanical gear reduction unit (5) is coupled to said side wall (9a) of the rigid bearing frame (9) in a rigid and stable though disassemblable manner.
13. Hot-rolling machine according to Claim 12, characterised in that the lower supporting platform (7) is structured so as to allow the rolling stand (3) to horizontally translate from and to the corresponding mechanical gear reduction unit (5) , in a direction (f) locally perpendicular to the two side walls (9a) of the rigid bearing frame (9), so as to selectively uncouple the rolling stand (3) from the corresponding mechanical gear reduction unit (5).
EP12710322.4A 2011-02-07 2012-02-07 Hot-rolling machine for wire-rod and the like Active EP2673097B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITTV2011A000018A IT1403827B1 (en) 2011-02-07 2011-02-07 MACHINE FOR THE HOT LAMINATION OF VERGELLE AND AFFINI.
PCT/IB2012/050553 WO2012107881A1 (en) 2011-02-07 2012-02-07 Hot-rolling machine for wire-rod and the like

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2673097A1 true EP2673097A1 (en) 2013-12-18
EP2673097B1 EP2673097B1 (en) 2016-02-03

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ID=43976508

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP12710322.4A Active EP2673097B1 (en) 2011-02-07 2012-02-07 Hot-rolling machine for wire-rod and the like

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US (1) US20140041432A1 (en)
EP (1) EP2673097B1 (en)
CN (1) CN103501929B (en)
IT (1) IT1403827B1 (en)
RU (1) RU2013141175A (en)
WO (1) WO2012107881A1 (en)

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JP7251313B2 (en) * 2019-05-24 2023-04-04 セイコーエプソン株式会社 Image reader

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP2673097B1 (en) 2016-02-03
CN103501929B (en) 2016-06-15
CN103501929A (en) 2014-01-08
ITTV20110018A1 (en) 2012-08-08
US20140041432A1 (en) 2014-02-13
WO2012107881A1 (en) 2012-08-16
RU2013141175A (en) 2015-03-20
IT1403827B1 (en) 2013-10-31

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