NEW SIZING STANDS FOR BAR AND WIRE ROD MILLS, TO

ACHIEVE TIGHTER TOLERANCES - THE BSS STANDS

Author’s : Nicola Tomba**, Matteo Tomba*

Abstract

Thanks to the extremely high stiffness of BSS Sizing Stands, we introduce the concept of
“sizing stands” not only in special steel rolling mills (SBQ or alloyed steel), where the
tolerance of the final products must be very tight, but also in rebar or wire rod rolling mills.
This means a very high final product quality and a better product marketability, in fact the
quality improvement does not involve higher production cost, even better, using BSS Sizing
Stands, the operational cost are reduced.

Keywords: BS Stand, Sizing Stand, SBQ, alloyed steel, rebar mill, wire rod mill.

* Commercial Director – PERT srl, Long Product Dept., Tavagnacco (UD), Italy
** Mechanical Director – PERT srl, Long Product Dept., Tavagnacco (UD), Italy

Introduction
Thanks to the extremely high stiffness of BSS Sizing Stands, we introduce the concept of
“sizing stands” not only in special steel rolling mills (SBQ or alloyed steel), where the
tolerance of the final products must be very tight, but also in rebar (Figure 1) or wire rod
(Figure 2). rolling mills.

Figure 1 – BSS Sizing Stands layout (red colour) for SBQ rolling mill
Figure 2 – BSS Sizing Stands (red colour) layout for wire rod mill

This means a very high final product quality and a better product marketability, in fact the
quality improvement does not involve higher production cost, even better, using BSS Sizing
Stands, the operational cost are reduced. In the modern market, the flexibility in the
production range becomes a relevant factor for the increase of market shares or even for the
survival of the plant. Precisely for this purpose, BSS Sizing Stands gives the best flexibility to
the rolling mill, in fact a rolling mill which was born for rebar production (Figure 3), could be
easily upgraded and converted in to a special steel rolling mill, for the production of high
valued steel grades.

Figure 3 – BSS Sizing Stands installed in Vertical Position for the round passes in a big round
special steel production line
In the finishing mill, installing the BSS Stands with a shorter barrel length (monogroove) and
tungsten carbide rolling rings, a final tolerance of 1/6 DIN can be easily achieved.
Furthermore, a block of 3 BSS Stands (Figure 4) , can be used as a sizing block, in Horizontal
– Vertical – Horizontal arrangement, with a dedicated roll pass design made of oval – round –
round sequence. All the bar sizes will be rolled and finished on the above mentioned block,
adopting the “single family” roll pass concept, regarding the roughing, intermediate and pre-
finishing mill. In this way the maximum flexibility is achieved even in case of rolling to-
order.

Figure 4 – BSS Sizing Stands Block

In wire rod mills, it is very important that the entry stock of the fast finishing block, have not
only the required section and the required diameters as per roll pass design, but especially
must have a constant section all along the whole bar. This is a key factor for the final quality
of the wire rod, in fact if the section of the entry round bar is not constant, the low section
reduction ratio in the finishing block may not be able to correct such shape defect, resulting in
a poor quality which is not acceptable especially if the wire rod will be processed in a
drawing lines. The installation of a 3-stands sizing block made of BSS Stands before the wire
rod finishing block can be a very good solution for high quality wire rod production,
guaranteeing an entry bar already with tight tolerance.
The stiffness and the rigidity of the BSS Sizing Stands are due to:

 Ring-holder shafts mounted on double support (Figure 5)

Figure 5 – BSS Sizing Stands rolling unit

 Eccentric gap regulation, which allows the gap setting every 5 µm

 Rolling load distributed on stand housing (monolithic), so the reaction surface is
increased respect other common stands (no tie rods or cantilevered rolls) (Figure 6)
 Shorter stress path compared to housingless stands (Figure 6)

Figure 6 – load distribution in a BSS Sizing Stands

 Flexotorsional problems practically eliminated, due to the double support and the
patented ring-holder shaft design
 Unique design for the elimination of the bearings backlash, for a better control of the
final tolerances and for a perfect bar shape. In fact, the backlash of the upper bearing
of the Horizontal stands is eliminated as well as for both bearings in Vertical stands.
 Use of LLR® (Long Life Roll) system. PERT LLR Rolls®, allows mounting of
carbide rings on a shaft made of special alloyed steel, in order to increase the grooves
working life and to decrease, consequently, the plant downtimes for rolls changing.
LLR Rolls®, merge an increased groove wear resistance with high strength and
toughness of the ring-holder shaft, and ensures higher rolling loads even at low
speeds.(Figure 7)

Figure 7 – PERT LLR Rolls®

Conclusions

1) Final product tolerance up to 1/6 DIN

2) For each billet, the rolled bar incoming and outgoing of each passes has almost the same
section, also if the starting temperature of the billet is different (colder billet causes higher
mechanical yielding and section changing), so the stress of the guides is reduced and their
working life will be increased.

3) Possibility of performing thermo-mechanical rolling

4) Increased head-to-tail tolerance

5) Possibility to produce more added value products even in a rebar rolling mill, installing the
BSS Sizing Block or replacing the rolling unit of existing stands with a new BSS rolling units
designed in order to fit in the existing mills.

References
 Matteo Tomba, Nicola Tomba, New rolling stands for long product rolling
mills,AIKW Conference 2016
 Matteo Tomba, Nicola Tomba, New rolling stands for long product rolling mills,2ND
ESTAD Conference 2015
 Matteo Tomba, Nicola Tomba, Massimiliano Zuccato, Andrea Fontanini; Pert srl,
Tavagnacco (UD), Second generation of Bi-Support rolling stands MPT International
1 / 2013