Development and manufacture of large plate mill rolls

Abstract

The demand for plate up to 5 m wide has resulted in a huge expansion of capacity in large plate mills and investment in new facilities. With this has come the need for backup rolls with barrel diameters up to 2·2 m and barrel lengths up to 5 m. The physical size of these rolls creates significant process and logistical problems, the manufacture of which and has long been the domain of a select few manufacturers. However, the recent increase in demand for large forgings, and the extended order books for plate mill rolls in particular, has provided a driver for Sheffield Forgemasters Engineering Ltd (SFEL) to develop new manufacturing techniques to bring these 'large' plate mill rolls within its capability. The development of a novel approach to the manufacture of the largest plate mill rolls is described.