Case Study: 081 2-High Laboratory Reversing Rolling Mill

FENN Solutions

The Henry Royce Institute at The University of Manchester, England

081 2-High Laboratory Reversing Rolling Mill with Conversion to 085 4-High

Objectives & Background:

• The Henry Royce Institute at The University of Manchester, England, came to FENN looking for a laboratory reversing Rolling Mill for researching different alloys.
• The mill would allow the research center to continue supporting sustainable growth and development of metallurgical research & innovation, while enabling them to stay on the cutting edge of research into rolled products.
• The customer was required to meet stringent health and safety protocols, while also delivering a high-quality product.
• The mill needed to cover a decent size range with flexibility, and to be able to get as many data points as possible for their analysis.
• They also wanted the potential to roll material thinner in the future.

FENN’s Solution:

• FENN custom engineered a 081 2-High Laboratory Reversing Mill including provisions to incorporate 4-High rolling in the future.
• The mill utilizes a 300,000 lb. bearing capacity, 50 H.P. main drive motor geared to 10 meters/min., dual motor servo screw down for independent adjustment for precision and accuracy.
• For optimizing research results the software includes: data logging to record load gap, speed position, and motor torque, load cells for monitoring force on the bearing vertical load, and absolute encoders for gap control and monitoring.
• The system includes a remote access module that allows Fenn to make software adjustments and support from the US if needed.

Converting Mill From 081 2-High to 085 4-High

• The customer reached out about a year after receiving their 2-High mill requesting to upgrade it to a 4-High configuration.
• FENN provided them with the mechanical components, updated software, and sent someone onsite for training and to assist in converting their 2-High mill to the 4-High configuration.
• The mill is designed with a built-in roll removal rig to allow for the change between 2-High and 4-High in a couple hours.

Value to Customer:

• The customer initially received a 081 2-High Reversing Laboratory Rolling Mill that was then converted into a 085 4-High Reversing Laboratory Rolling Mill.
• FENN’s Rolling Mill allows the customer to interchange between 2-High and 4-High configurations as needed.
• Comes complete with FENN’s guarantee; a one-year warranty, training, and the ability to purchase spare parts as needed.

Example of a FENN Rolling Mill