WO2016016750A1 - Combined apparatus for rolling seamless tubes - Google Patents
Combined apparatus for rolling seamless tubes Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2016016750A1 WO2016016750A1 PCT/IB2015/055172 IB2015055172W WO2016016750A1 WO 2016016750 A1 WO2016016750 A1 WO 2016016750A1 IB 2015055172 W IB2015055172 W IB 2015055172W WO 2016016750 A1 WO2016016750 A1 WO 2016016750A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- rolling
- mandrel
- rod
- plant
- plug
- Prior art date
Links
- 238000005096 rolling process Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 149
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 13
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 12
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 11
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 10
- 238000011282 treatment Methods 0.000 description 10
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 description 9
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 description 8
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 7
- 238000000605 extraction Methods 0.000 description 5
- 230000006698 induction Effects 0.000 description 5
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 4
- 229910021538 borax Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000007689 inspection Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000004513 sizing Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000004328 sodium tetraborate Substances 0.000 description 4
- 235000010339 sodium tetraborate Nutrition 0.000 description 4
- 241000272168 Laridae Species 0.000 description 3
- 230000003064 anti-oxidating effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000007613 environmental effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000014509 gene expression Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000000314 lubricant Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 3
- OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon Chemical compound [C] OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000003570 air Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000012080 ambient air Substances 0.000 description 2
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000007795 chemical reaction product Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910002804 graphite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010439 graphite Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000003647 oxidation Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000007254 oxidation reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910000851 Alloy steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011230 binding agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007547 defect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000003344 environmental pollutant Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000002349 favourable effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007667 floating Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005098 hot rolling Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000011031 large-scale manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007257 malfunction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000007800 oxidant agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010422 painting Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007747 plating Methods 0.000 description 1
- 231100000614 poison Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- 231100000719 pollutant Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- 239000011265 semifinished product Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004381 surface treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000003440 toxic substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001988 toxicity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 231100000419 toxicity Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- 238000002604 ultrasonography Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21B—ROLLING OF METAL
- B21B25/00—Mandrels for metal tube rolling mills, e.g. mandrels of the types used in the methods covered by group B21B17/00; Accessories or auxiliary means therefor ; Construction of, or alloys for, mandrels or plugs
- B21B25/02—Guides, supports, or abutments for mandrels, e.g. carriages or steadiers; Adjusting devices for mandrels
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21B—ROLLING OF METAL
- B21B23/00—Tube-rolling not restricted to methods provided for in only one of groups B21B17/00, B21B19/00, B21B21/00, e.g. combined processes planetary tube rolling, auxiliary arrangements, e.g. lubricating, special tube blanks, continuous casting combined with tube rolling
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21B—ROLLING OF METAL
- B21B17/00—Tube-rolling by rollers of which the axes are arranged essentially perpendicular to the axis of the work, e.g. "axial" tube-rolling
- B21B17/02—Tube-rolling by rollers of which the axes are arranged essentially perpendicular to the axis of the work, e.g. "axial" tube-rolling with mandrel, i.e. the mandrel rod contacts the rolled tube over the rod length
- B21B17/04—Tube-rolling by rollers of which the axes are arranged essentially perpendicular to the axis of the work, e.g. "axial" tube-rolling with mandrel, i.e. the mandrel rod contacts the rolled tube over the rod length in a continuous process
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21B—ROLLING OF METAL
- B21B19/00—Tube-rolling by rollers arranged outside the work and having their axes not perpendicular to the axis of the work
- B21B19/02—Tube-rolling by rollers arranged outside the work and having their axes not perpendicular to the axis of the work the axes of the rollers being arranged essentially diagonally to the axis of the work, e.g. "cross" tube-rolling ; Diescher mills, Stiefel disc piercers or Stiefel rotary piercers
- B21B19/04—Rolling basic material of solid, i.e. non-hollow, structure; Piercing, e.g. rotary piercing mills
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a compact plant for rolling tubes, in particular for rolling seamless tubes.
- the invention also relates to a method for this rolling operation.
- a semi-finished product (called pierced blank or hollow body), with a thick wall and length 1.5 to 4 times the one of the starting billet, is thus obtained. Then the pierced blank is displaced laterally and the plug and the rod are extracted from it in order to be able to insert a mandrel for the subsequent rolling operation.
- the mandrel has the function of opposing internally the radial thrusts which will be applied during rolling in order to thin the tube wall.
- a mandrel for the subsequent roiling operation is then inserted inside the pierced blank.
- the mandrel is connected to a retaining block designed to impart a predetermined speed to it during rolling.
- the pierced blank is then passed through a multi-stand rolling mill with longitudinal material flow (which will be referred to below as "longitudinal mill”) able to gradually thin the wall through a suitable reduction of the outer diameter, thus increasing the length of the finished product.
- This rolling mill as is known, comprises a plurality of rolling units. Each unit comprises a stand on which rolls with profiled grooves are mounted. The set of connected profiles of the grooves of the rolls defines the outer profile of the tube released by the rolling unit.
- the tube Downstream of the longitudinal mill, the tube must be first extracted from the mandrel. According to the prior art, this operation is performed by means of another rolling mill which generally has three or more stands, called an extracting mill.
- the extracting mill performs a small reduction in the outer diameter of the tube, with the main aim of allowing the mandrel to perform the stroke necessary for extraction from the semi-finished tube which has just been produced, also called "mother tube”.
- the tube must be sized so as to define more precisely its outer diameter.
- These functions may be performed by a corresponding number of independent machines, called an extracting mill, reducing mill and sizing mill, respectively. More often a single machine may instead perform several functions and thus, for example, the extracting/reducing mill or the reducing/sizing mill is obtained.
- the tube must only undergo the inspection and/or finishing operations.
- the inspection operations may consist of pressure tests and checks which are nondestructive, for example using ultrasound.
- the finishing operations may instead consist of cutting to size, cleaning, painting and marking.
- the set of operations described above constitutes the core of the tube production process; in fact at the end of these operations the main characteristics of the tube (i.e. the wall thickness and the outer diameter) are defined.
- the assembly consisting of rotary piercer, longitudinal mill, extracting mill, reducing mill and/or sizing mill defines the main part of the plant, also called technological part.
- the entire of the layout of the production site, in terms of civil engineering and structural work, must be designed on the basis of the technological part.
- the apparatus necessary for the inspection and/or finishing operations may be usually arranged without significant constraints around the main part of the plant.
- transverse flow rolling performed in the piercer
- longitudinal flow rolling performed in the multi-stand rolling mill
- the rolling in which the mandrel is retained and extracted online immediately downstream of the rolling mill ensures quality of the finished product and reliability far greater than those of other known configurations, in which the mandrel is released and/or free and in which extraction thereof is performed afterwards and off-line.
- multi-stand longitudinal rolling is suitable for obtaining very high diameter/thickness ratios, where "diameter/thickness ratio” is understood as meaning the ratio between the outer diameter of the tube and the thickness of the tube wall.
- diameter/thickness ratios obtained by means of multi- stand longitudinal rolling reach values of about 48-50, i.e. much higher than the ratios which may be obtained with other configurations of a different kind, such as that using transverse flow double rolling, where the ratios are generally less than 30-
- the known plants of the type described above, although widely established, are not entirely satisfactory.
- the plants of the known type produce so-called double-length semi-finished tubes, i.e. with lengths of up to about 32 metres. Obviously all the dimensions of the plant must be defined on the basis of this final tube size. This size and other parameters are such that, for example, the main building of the production site must have dimensions which exceed the standard market dimensions. Such a building may for example have a main span which is nearly 45 metres and a length which measures more than 900 metres.
- the transportation of the pierced blank from the piercer to the longitudinal mill may require from 50 to 70 seconds.
- the pierced blank tends to disperse heat into the environment, thus reaching the longitudinal mill in a substantially colder condition, typically at a temperature of between about 1050°C and about 1 150°C, depending on the form of the said pierced blank.
- the more the temperature of the pierced blank drops the more the forces which must be applied by the rolling mill increase in order to obtain the desired plastic deformation of the material.
- the value of the forces to be applied determines the size of the actuators and the motors of the rolling mill, as well as the power consumption of the latter during rolling.
- the pierced blank is treated internally with anti-oxidising agents, typically borax or substances similar thereto.
- anti-oxidising agents typically borax or substances similar thereto.
- the object of the present invention is therefore that of overcoming at least partially the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the prior art.
- a task of the present invention is to provide a plant for rolling seamless tubes which may be more compact.
- a task of the present invention is to provide a plant for the hot rolling of seamless tubes which is sustainable from the environmental point of view due to the reduction, during the normal production process, of the consumption of electricity and gas, of the emission levels and of the pollutants. Moreover, a task of the present invention is to provide a compact plant for rolling seamless tubes which allows the negative effects of exposure to air of the pierced blank to be avoided or at least reduced, thus reducing the formation of scale and increasing the yield of the plant.
- a task of the present invention is to provide a compact plant for the rolling of seamless tubes which requires a smaller initial outlay and which allows the operating costs to be kept low.
- FIG. 1 shows a plan view diagram of a complete rolling plant according to the prior art
- Figure 2 shows, on the same scale as Figure I , a plan view diagram of a complete rolling plant according to the invention
- FIG. 3 shows the technological part of a plant according to the prior art, indicated by III in Figure 1 ;
- FIG. 4 shows, on the same scale as Figure 3, the technological part of a plant according to the invention, indicated by IV in Figure 2;
- FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a plant according to the invention similar to that of Figure 4;
- FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of the plant part according to the invention indicated by VI in Figure 5;
- Figure 7 shows a possible variant of the plant shown in Figure 6;
- FIG. 8 shows another possible variant of the plant according to Figure 6;
- - Figure 9 shows a mandrel used in some plants according to the invention;
- Figure 1 0 shows a rod used in some plants according to the invention.
- Figure 1 1 shows a type of mandrel/rod assembly used in some plants according to the invention.
- FIG. 12 shows another type of mandrel/rod assembly used in some plants according to the invention.
- the plant for rolling a seamless tube according to the invention is denoted in its entirety by 10. It comprises:
- a rotary piercer 20 comprising two skew-axis rolling rolls and a plug 22 mounted on a rod 24, the rotary piercer 20 defining a rolling axis X PR and a rolling sense and being designed to:
- a longitudinal mill 30 comprising a plurality of rolling stations 32 with adjustable motor-driven roils, the longitudinal mill 30 defining a rolling axis ⁇ and a rolling sense and being designed to:
- the rod 24 of the plug 22 of the rotary piercer 20 is connected to a thrust block 26 designed to oppose the axial thrust which is produced on the rod 24 during piercing and designed to impart to the rod 24 and to the plug 22 the movements necessary before and after piercing; and
- the mandrel 32 of the longitudinal mill 30 is connected to a retaining block 34 designed to impart to the mandrel 32 a predetermined speed during rolling and designed to impart to the mandrel 32 the movements necessary before and after rolling.
- the rotary piercer 20 and the longitudinal mill 30 have the same rolling sense; and the thrust block 26 and the retaining block 34 are obtained by means of a single thrust/retaining block 36.
- the rotary piercer 20 defines a rolling axis XPR and the longitudinal mill 30 defines a rolling axis XL L . Since the rolling axes X PR and X LL are parallel to each other, “axial” or “longitudinal” will refer to the direction of a straight line parallel to the axes. Similarly “transverse” will refer to the direction of a straight line not parallel to the axes.
- the rotary piercer 20 and the longitudinal mill 30 have the same rolling sense, namely the same orientation along the axial direction.
- the workpiece which in the various stages assumes the name of "billet” 1 1 , "pierced blank “12 and “semi-finished tube” 13
- the workpiece moves from right to left without reversing the sense of its axial movement: during piercing the workpiece moves from right to left along the axis XPR of the rotary piercer 20; then, during longitudinal rolling, it moves from right to left along the axis X LL of the longitudinal mill 30.
- the pierced blank 12 output from the piercer 20 also undergoes a lateral displacement so as to pass from the axis X P to the axis XLL-
- the pierced blank 12 must instead not undergo any lateral displacement because the axes X PR and X L L coincide.
- the workpiece for example the pierced blank 12
- the thrust block 26 and the retaining block 34 are formed by a single thrust/retaining block 36.
- the expressions "thrust block 26" and “retaining block 34” simply define two different logic functions of the single block actually present in the plant 10, referred to as "thrust/retaining block 36".
- the thrust/retaining block 36 comprises a first gripping unit 260 for the rod 24 and a second gripping unit 340 for the mandrel 32 and both the gripping units are mounted on a same thrust bearing unit 362.
- the thrust/retaining block 36 comprises the first gripping unit 260 to which the rod 24 is connected.
- the first gripping unit 260 which is mounted on the thrust bearing block 362, is above all designed to grip the rod 24 and transfer the axial thrusts to the thrust bearing unit 362; particularly important is the transfer of the axial thrust which is produced on the rod 24 during piercing.
- the rolls push the billet 1 1 against the plug 22 and the thrust is transmitted via the rod 24 to the first gripping unit 260 and then to the thrust bearing unit 362.
- the thrust bearing unit 362 is in turn designed to transmit this thrust to the ground.
- the thrust/retaining block 36 is also designed to impart to the rod 24 and the plug 22 the movements which are necessary before and after roiling.
- the thrust bearing unit 362 is in fact designed to move the first gripping unit 260, and along with it the rod 24 and the plug 22. These movements occur in the axial direction and designed to move the plug 22 from a rest position to a working position and vice versa.
- the first gripping unit 260 is also designed to impart to the rod 24 and to the plug 22 a pre-rotation about the rolling axis Xp R .
- the possibility of obtaining the pre-rotation of the plug 22 is particularly advantageous in some cases because it allows, in a known manner, piercing of the billets to be facilitated.
- the thrust/retaining block 36 to which the mandrel 32 of the longitudinal mill 30 is connected comprises advantageously a second gripping unit 340 mounted on the thrust bearing unit 362.
- the thrust/retaining block 36 is above all designed to grip the mandrel 32 and to impart to it a predetermined speed during rolling. In fact, during rolling, the rolls of the longitudinal mill push the pierced blank 12 in an axial direction and this transmits the thrust to the mandrel 32.
- the mandrel 32 is firmly gripped by the second gripping unit 340 and the axial thrust which is thus generated is transmitted to the thrust bearing unit 362.
- the thrust bearing unit 362 is in turn designed to transmit this thrust to the ground.
- the mandrel 32 is braked by the thrust/retaining block 36.
- the thrust/retaining block 36 is also designed to impart to the mandrel 32 the movements needed before and after rolling. These movements occur in an axial direction and are intended to move the mandrel 32 from a rest position to a working position and to extract the mandrel 32 from the semi-finished tube 13 released by the longitudinal mill 30.
- the system for moving the thrust bearing unit 362 may consist of a carriage, which is able to move by means of a pinion which meshes along a rack, or of a carriage which is able to move along guides by means of cables or chains.
- a favourable variant of the embodiment of the present invention is one in which the thrust/retaining block 36, in addition to a single thrust bearing unit 362, also comprises a single gripping unit 360.
- the single gripping unit 360 is designed to grip both the rod 24 and the mandrel 32 and transmit the corresponding axial thrusts to the thrust bearing unit 362.
- This variation of embodiment improves substantially the mechanical synergy between the components to the advantage of costs, space and cycle times.
- the single gripping unit 360 is also designed to impart to the rod 24 and to the plug 22 a pre- rotation about the rolling axis XP .
- the rod 24 at the output of the rotary piercer 20 is axially aligned with the mandrel 32 and brought directly into contact with the end thereof.
- the pierced blank 12 may therefore be slid directly from the rod 24 to the mandrel 32 so that it can be conveyed away for longitudinal rolling.
- the rolling axes Xp R and XLL coincide.
- the pierced blank 12 output from the rotary piercer 20 may be fed directly to the longitudinal mill 30, without any need to displace it laterally.
- the pierced blank 12 still engaged on the rod 24 of the rotary piercer 20
- This axial movement may be performed preferably by means of suitable known devices which, by way of a non-exclusive example, may be motor- driven rolls of the pressure type commonly known as "pinch rolls", of the chain type with pins, or similar type.
- the rod 24 of the rotary piercer 20 is structurally connected to the mandrel 32 of the longitudinal mill 30.
- This solution allows the movement of the tooling, i.e. two tools, to be simplified since during the operational steps they are structurally connected to each other. In this way it is also possible to achieve perfect alignment of the two tools, this allowing the pierced blank 12 to be displaced easily, without the possibility of unexpected difficulties arising.
- the embodiments of the plant 10 in which the rod 24 is structurally connected to the mandrel 32 may advantageously use two solutions.
- the rod 24 and the mandrel 32 are made as one piece, while in accordance with a second solution the rod 24 and the mandrel 32 are connected together releasably.
- Both the solutions have specific advantages and positive features and the choice of one as opposed to the other may be made depending on the specific needs.
- the rolling plant 10 is preferably designed to roll single-length tubes, namely semi-finished tubes with a length of about 15 metres. Based on this measurement all the main measurements of the plant 10 are defined, as the person skilled in the art may easily understand from the attached Figure 5. Considering this final measurement of the tube and the elongation ratios of the various processing steps, it is possible to define a length of about 8 metres for the rod 24 and about 15 metres for the mandrel 32.
- the distance between the rotary piercer 20 and the longitudinal mill 30 is greater than the overall length of the aforementioned mandrel/rod assembly 324 and therefore allows easy movement, including lateral movement, of the latter, for example for change-over after rolling or evacuation in the event of an emergency.
- this tool may have an overall length of less than 25 metres, therefore consistent with the lengths of the mandrels normally used in conventional plants which produce double-length tubes.
- the mandrel/rod assembly 324 represents a more economical solution than the conventional mandrels which are comparable to it in terms of length and weight.
- the latter in fact must have a treated surface (for example chrome-plated or with a similar finish) called "noble part" 320 extending over practically their entire external surface.
- the mandrel/rod assembly 324 on the other hand, must have a treated surface only on the outer surface of the portion which acts as a mandrel 32, while the portion which acts as a rod 24 does not require any treatment of this kind (see also Figures 1 1 and 12).
- terns suitable systems known per se, called “terns” ⁇ not shown in the figures), to constrain the part of the mandrel/rod assembly 324 which during piercing is stressed by compressive loads, so as to prevent buckling, i.e. instability due to axial loading.
- the terns do not intervene on the noble part 320 of the mandrel/rod assembly 324 which is intended for longitudinal rolling, the surface of this part having been previously treated with lubricant (generally graphite-based) for subsequent longitudinal rolling. Since the terns do not come into contact with this noble part 320 of the mandrel/rod assembly 324, the lubricant distributed over it remains in good condition until the moment of the rolling operation. This allows on the one hand a good quality of the finished tube to be obtained and on the other hand the noble part 320 of the mandrel to be preserved, increasing consequently its working life.
- the rod 24 rests axially on the thrust/retaining block 36 intended to transfer the axial thrust exerted by the rolls on the billet 1 1 and then transmitted from the latter to the plug 22 of the rotary piercer 20.
- the two gripping units 260 and 340 (or in certain cases the single gripping unit 360) are removed to allow the movement of the pierced blank 12.
- the thrust/retaining block 36 is intended to apply a tractional force on the mandrel 32 so as to impart to the latter a predetermined axial speed during rolling in the longitudinal mill 30.
- the movement of the pierced blank 12 is reduced to a simple displacement in the axial direction.
- the simple axial displacement of the pierced blank 12 reduces to a minimum its movement and, along with it, its transfer time. More particularly, the transfer time of the pierced blank 12 from the outlet of the rotary piercer 20 to the inlet of the longitudinal mill 30 is thus limited to only about 15 seconds, compared to the about 50-70 seconds which are needed in the known plants.
- the pierced blank 12 disperses much less heat into the environment, thus reaching the longitudinal mill 30 in a substantially hotter condition, typically at a temperature of between about 1210°C and about 1240°C, depending on the form of the said pierced blank 12.
- the fact that the pierced blank 12 is displaced directly from the rod 24 to the mandrel 32 prevents its internal cavity from being filled with ambient air and from being subject to oxidation. In this way it is avoided having to perform known anti- oxidising treatments, which are typically borax-based.
- the rotary piercer 20 may be a piercer with barrel rolls or a piercer with conical rolls. Both the solutions, which are not described here because they are well-known to the person skilled in the art, have specific advantages and positive features and the choice of one as opposed to the other may be made depending on the specific needs.
- the rotary piercer 20 is designed to receive at its inlet a solid billet 1 1 and to pierce it completely so as to obtain a pierced blank 12.
- the rotary piercer 20 forms inside the billet 1 1 a through-hole so that the pierced blank 12 assumes the form of a short thick tube, completely pierced from one side to the other.
- the rotary piercer 20 is a transverse rolling machine in which, namely, the axes of rotation of the rolling rolls are skew. "Skew” refers to the fact that the rolling axes are not parallel to each other and do not lie in the same plane.
- the longitudinal mill 30 may also be designed with forms which differ slightly.
- this rolling mill has advantageously the rolls movable radially in order to adjust the position thereof and therefore the force applied during rolling, resulting in the formation of the semi-finished tube 13 from the pierced blank 12.
- the rolling mill 30 is a longitudinal rolling mill in which, that is, the axes of the rolling rolls of each stand lie in a same plane, said plane being orthogonal to the rolling axis.
- the longitudinal mill 30 is of the type with motor-driven rolls, namely the movement of the pierced blank 12 along the rolling axis ⁇ is imparted by the rotation of the said rolls.
- This solution offers in a known manner advantages compared to the other solutions in which the movement is imparted in a different manner.
- the solution referred to as a "thrust bench” the movement along the rolling axis X ljL is imparted by pushing the mandrel by means of a unit situated upstream of the rolling mill. This requires necessarily a mandrel substantially longer than the semi-finished tube which is released from the rolling mill.
- the longitudinal mill 30 is designed to perform rolling on a mandrel, in particular on a retained mandrel.
- the retaining block 34 imparts to the mandrel 32 a predetermined speed during rolling, in particular, the axial speed imparted to the mandrel 32 is greater than 0 mm/s and less than 4000 mm/s.
- the speed imparted to the mandrel 32 during rolling therefore distinguishes the plant according to the invention from various other plants of the known type. Plants are in fact known where: - the mandrel is locked, i.e. has an axial speed of 0 m/s;
- the mandrel is completely free (or floating), i.e. has an axial speed which is not known a priori;
- the mandrel is pushed by an upstream unit, i.e. has an axial speed equal to that of the head of the pierced blank.
- the longitudinal mill 30 is of the type comprising two rolls for each rolling station.
- This type of longitudinal mill is particularly compact, reliable and low-cost. According to this type of rolling mill, for example, since the two rolls of each station are operated by the same motor, it is sufficient to use a number of motors equal to the number of rolling stations contained therein. This obviously results in advantages in terms of initial cost, operating consumption, complexity (which is lower) and overall reliability.
- the longitudinal mill 30 is of the type comprising three rolls for each rolling station.
- This type of longitudinal mill is particularly precise and suitable for the production of high-quality tubes.
- the three rolls of each station manage to transmit the deformation force in a particularly regular manner onto the outer profile of the tube. This clearly results in advantages in terms of quality of the end product.
- both the solutions which are not described here because they are well-known to the person skilled in the art, have specific advantages and positive features and the choice of one as opposed to the other may be made depending on the specific needs.
- the plant 10 according to the invention also comprises an operating fork 40 for extracting the mandrel 32 from the semi-finished tube 13.
- This operating fork is positioned immediately downstream of the longitudinal mill 30 and is designed to replace the extractor mill present in conventional plants.
- the longitudinal mill imparts to the tube a significant axial speed, while the mandrel 32 contained inside it is retained by the retaining block 34 upstream. This results in relative sliding of tube 13 and mandrel 32, such that they are almost entirely extracted.
- the operating fork 40 retains it in position and the mandrel 32 may be extracted backwards by applying a sufficient axial tractional force via the thrust/retaining block 36.
- the mandrel 32 After extraction from the semi-finished tube 13, the mandrel 32 must undergo a series of treatments so that it may be available for use again.
- the treatments consist mainly of a suitable cooling and surface treatment with lubricant, which is typically graphite-based. Special stations intended for these treatments are positioned alongside the rolling plant 10.
- the plant 10 according to the invention may also comprise a stretch-reducing mill 50, whereby said mill may be advantageously preceded by a small induction furnace 60.
- the stretch-reducing mill 50 is designed to receive at its inlet the semi-finished tube 13 and to release the finished tube 14, at least depending on its main characteristics (i.e. thickness of the wall and the outer diameter). Downstream of the stretch-reducing mill 50, the finished tube 14 may if necessary undergo other secondary operations, such as inspection and/or finishing operations.
- the presence of the induction furnace 60 immediately upstream of the stretch- reducing mill 50 may be advantageous if in that position of the plant 10 there is a reduction in the temperature of the semi-finished tube 13.
- this reduction in temperature should be avoided or kept at a negligible level, but in some particular cases the use of the induction furnace 60 could however be advantageous.
- the temperature required for rolling in the stretch-reducing mill 50 could be advantageously raised in order to reduce the rolling stresses.
- raising of the temperature during this step could be advantageous in the case of tubes with a particularly thin wall which are more exposed to cooling during the - albeit - small movements.
- the induction furnace 60 constitutes a particularly compact and simple solution for dealing with the need to raise the temperature of semi-finished tube 13.
- This furnace in fact has particularly small dimensions since it is formed simply by a short tunnel inside which the semi-finished tube 13 is axially displaced.
- Special circuits create induction currents in the metal mass of the tube and these currents determine heating thereof.
- the stretch-reducing mill 50 may be replaced by a sizing mill.
- the choice of one as opposed to the other solution may be made on the basis of the specific needs such as the size of the final tube, without adversely affecting the advantages of the invention.
- the rolling plant 10 according to the invention also comprises a series of escape ways which prove to be particularly advantageous in emergency conditions, namely when there is a malfunction in the rolling process.
- a first escape way 71 is situated alongside the path for feeding the billet 1 1 to the rotary piercer 20.
- This escape way 71 may be used to discard a billet 1 1 which is ready for rolling, in the event of a problem of any kind occurring along the rolling line. In this case, in fact, it is not possible to feed the billet to the piercer 20 because the downstream plant may not receive other parts before the current problem is resolved. in the event of a problem occurring during piercing, it may happen that the billet 1 1 may still be extracted from the plug 22 through forwards displacement of the latter. In this condition, therefore, the only partially pierced billet 1 1 may be extracted from the rod 24 and the plug 22 downstream of the rotary piercer 20.
- a first emergency fork may be advantageously used, said fork being designed to keep the billet 1 1 in position, while the rod 24 and the plug 22 are extracted forwards.
- the forwards extraction of the plug 22 and the rod 24 is performed by means of the thrust/retaining block 36.
- the only partially pierced billet 1 1 may then be removed laterally or vertically, for example by means of a crane, while the rod 24 and the plug 22 may be removed by means of the normal lateral exit system, used after rolling.
- the two parts together may be fed forwards, downstream of the piercer 20, and discharged laterally.
- One possible lateral exit is the normal exit path of the mandrel 32, in particular if the rod 24 and the mandrel 32 are structurally connected together.
- Another possible escape way is vertical and is made possible by a crane which may raise the assembly consisting of the billet 1 1 and the rod 24 inserted inside it, thus removing them from the rolling line. The further operations needed to remove the plug 22 from the billet 1 1 may at this point be duly performed off-line, in the manner known per se.
- a second escape way 72 and a third escape way 73 are arranged in the vicinity of the outlet for the semi-finished tube 13 from the longitudinal mill 30.
- the pierced blank 12 may still be extracted from the mandrel 32 by displacing the latter backwards. In this condition, therefore, the only partially rolled pierced blank 12 may be moved forwards downstream of the longitudinal mill 30 and from here discharged laterally into the second escape way 72.
- the operating fork 40 or a second emergency fork 42 situated immediately upstream of the longitudinal mill 30 and designed to keep the pierced blank 12 in position, while the mandrel 32 is extracted backwards.
- the extraction, backwards, of the mandrel 32 is performed by means of the thrust/retaining block 36.
- the two parts may be fed further forwards downstream of the longitudinal mill 30, along the third escape way 73 which forms essentially an extension of the outlet of the longitudinal mill 30.
- the rolling rolls of the stands of the longitudinal mill 30 are positioned outside of the occupied volume by means of the adjustment devices which are normally used during rolling, so as to allow the pierced blank 12 and the mandrel 32 inserted inside it to pass through.
- the further operations needed to remove the mandrel 32 from the pierced blank 12 may at this point be duly performed off-line, in the manner known per se.
- the invention also relates to a method for rolling a seamless tube.
- the method according to the invention comprises the steps of:
- a rotary piercer 20 which defines a rolling axis XPR and a rolling sense and comprises two skew-axis rolling rolls and a plug 22 mounted on a rod 24;
- a longitudinal mill 30 which defines a rolling axis ⁇ and a rolling sense and comprises a plurality of rolling stations with adjustable motor-driven rolls, the longitudinal mill 30 being designed to roll a pierced blank 12 on a mandrel 32;
- the rotary piercer 20 and the longitudinal mill 30 have the same rolling sense and the steps of opposing the axial thrust on the rod 24 and retaining the mandrel 32 are performed by means of a single thrust/retaining block 36.
- the rotary piercer 20 defines a roiling axis XP
- the longitudinal mill 30 defines a rolling axis XLL
- the rolling axes X R and X L L coincide.
- the rolling plant and method according to the invention overcome at least partially the drawbacks identified with reference to the prior art.
- the person skilled in the art will clearly recognize the advantages arising from the characteristic features of the invention which enable a particularly compact rolling plant 10 to be obtained.
- the main building of the production site may have much smaller dimensions.
- the width of the plant according to the invention is 15% to 30% smaller than that of a conventional plant, while the length is 60% smaller.
- a reduction in space results in major savings in terms of initial investment and management costs.
- a prefabricated beamwork and overhead crane may be used for the span of about 30 metres present in a plant according to the invention, thus allowing considerable savings compared to the special reinforced overhead cranes needed for spans for example of 45 metres or more.
- the power consumption during normal operation may be reduced.
- rolling of steels with a higher binder content which otherwise could not be processed is possible with the plant according to the invention.
- Further effects of the reduction in the transfer time of the pierced blank 12 are associated with the management of the mandrels 32. Firstly, the higher temperature of the pierced blank 12 results in smaller stresses on the external surface of the mandrel 32 and therefore less wear. Moreover, the smaller transfer time of the pierced blank 12 gives rise to a shorter overall cycle time and this leads to the possibility of reducing the number of mandrels 32 which must be simultaneously present in the plant 10 in order to ensure operation thereof.
- This number of mandrels which in the case of conventional plants is equal to about 6 or 7, in the plant according to the invention is reduced to 3.
- the noble part 320 of the single mandrel 32 used in the plant 10 according to the invention is about half that of a conventional mandrel 32.
- Another particularly advantageous aspect is the possibility of eliminating completely the borax-based deoxidation treatments. In this way, not only the costs associated with the provision and use of the treatment station are avoided, but also the use of toxic substances is eliminated, with consequent reduced environmental impact. A more rapid transfer of the pierced blank 12 is also obtained, this being particularly advantageous for heat-related reasons in the case of a pierced blank 12 which is particularly thin and therefore subject to more rapid cooling.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Metal Rolling (AREA)
- Rolls And Other Rotary Bodies (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
CN201580041549.8A CN106573282A (en) | 2014-07-31 | 2015-07-08 | Combined apparatus for rolling seamless tubes |
US15/403,601 US20170173650A1 (en) | 2014-07-31 | 2015-07-08 | Combined apparatus for rolling seamless tubes |
JP2017505535A JP2017522192A (en) | 2014-07-31 | 2015-07-08 | Combined equipment for rolling seamless pipes |
RU2017106032A RU2017106032A (en) | 2014-07-31 | 2015-07-08 | COMBINED DEVICE FOR ROLLING SEAMLESS PIPES |
EP15747554.2A EP3174648A1 (en) | 2014-07-31 | 2015-07-08 | Combined apparatus for rolling seamless tubes |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
ITMI2014001401 | 2014-07-31 | ||
ITMI20141401 | 2014-07-31 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2016016750A1 true WO2016016750A1 (en) | 2016-02-04 |
Family
ID=51628375
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/IB2015/055172 WO2016016750A1 (en) | 2014-07-31 | 2015-07-08 | Combined apparatus for rolling seamless tubes |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP3174648A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2017522192A (en) |
AR (1) | AR101372A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2016016750A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN109848242A (en) * | 2018-11-27 | 2019-06-07 | 上海新行不锈钢管有限公司 | A kind of nuclear power station separator seamless finned tube manufacturing process of TP439 |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS5466365A (en) * | 1977-11-08 | 1979-05-28 | Nippon Steel Corp | Piercing method for pipe material |
JPS5695409A (en) * | 1979-12-29 | 1981-08-01 | Nippon Steel Corp | Rolling method for pipe |
DE3309797A1 (en) * | 1983-03-18 | 1984-09-20 | Kocks Technik Gmbh & Co, 4010 Hilden | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING SEAMLESS TUBES |
DE102013002268A1 (en) * | 2013-02-12 | 2014-08-14 | Sms Meer Gmbh | Rolling plant or process |
-
2015
- 2015-07-08 JP JP2017505535A patent/JP2017522192A/en active Pending
- 2015-07-08 EP EP15747554.2A patent/EP3174648A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2015-07-08 WO PCT/IB2015/055172 patent/WO2016016750A1/en active Application Filing
- 2015-07-29 AR ARP150102432A patent/AR101372A1/en unknown
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS5466365A (en) * | 1977-11-08 | 1979-05-28 | Nippon Steel Corp | Piercing method for pipe material |
JPS5695409A (en) * | 1979-12-29 | 1981-08-01 | Nippon Steel Corp | Rolling method for pipe |
DE3309797A1 (en) * | 1983-03-18 | 1984-09-20 | Kocks Technik Gmbh & Co, 4010 Hilden | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING SEAMLESS TUBES |
DE102013002268A1 (en) * | 2013-02-12 | 2014-08-14 | Sms Meer Gmbh | Rolling plant or process |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP3174648A1 (en) | 2017-06-07 |
JP2017522192A (en) | 2017-08-10 |
AR101372A1 (en) | 2016-12-14 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
JP4633122B2 (en) | Method for producing seamless hot-finished steel pipe and apparatus for carrying out this method | |
CN103008348A (en) | Skew rolling pipe rolling mill set | |
US20170173650A1 (en) | Combined apparatus for rolling seamless tubes | |
US20170165729A1 (en) | Compact plant for rolling seamless tubes | |
EP3174648A1 (en) | Combined apparatus for rolling seamless tubes | |
US9616476B2 (en) | Device and method for rolling of pipe blanks | |
EP2521626B1 (en) | Tube rolling plant and method for rolling seamless tubes | |
JP4428418B2 (en) | Mandrel emergency drawing device, mandrel emergency drawing method, and mandrel mill using the same | |
WO2011030273A2 (en) | Plant for rolling tubes | |
EP2986399B1 (en) | Integrated transverse rolling mill for seamless tubes | |
CN106238497B (en) | Method for manufacturing metal pipe, method for operating seamless pipe equipment, pipe jacking machine, seamless pipe equipment | |
EP3097991B1 (en) | Piercer comprising an auxiliary plant | |
JPS6035206B2 (en) | Seamless steel pipe manufacturing method | |
JP6274449B2 (en) | Seamless steel pipe manufacturing method | |
RU2586177C1 (en) | Unit for production of seamless tubes | |
RU2387496C2 (en) | Tube-forming installation for rolling seamless hot-deformed tubes of large and mean diametres | |
JP2017185545A (en) | Method and system for production of seamless hot-rolled tube as well as rolled centrifugally cast tube and use of hollow block produced by means of centrifugal casting | |
JP4123549B2 (en) | Mandrel emergency drawing device and mandrel mill using the same | |
CN117753786A (en) | Ejector rod circulating replacement equipment, seamless steel tube production line and ejector rod circulating replacement method | |
RU2564505C2 (en) | Production of seamless hot-rolled, smooth, threaded, boiler-room, thick-wall and special-purpose pipes 273-630 mm in diameter at pru with pilger mills | |
ITMI20121559A1 (en) | IMPROVEMENT IN A LAMINATION PLANT | |
CZ189793A3 (en) | Process and apparatus for producing hollow bodies | |
ITMI20100113A1 (en) | PLANT FOR TUBE ROLLING. | |
DE1040483B (en) | Extraction device in a push bench for the manufacture of seamless pipes, especially large lengths |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application |
Ref document number: 15747554 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |
|
REEP | Request for entry into the european phase |
Ref document number: 2015747554 Country of ref document: EP |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 15403601 Country of ref document: US |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: 2017505535 Country of ref document: JP Kind code of ref document: A |
|
NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: DE |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: 2017106032 Country of ref document: RU Kind code of ref document: A |