A new spreading method for thin strips by cross-rolling was proposed. The method employs a flat platen and an idle tapered roll moving over the material width. The continuous widening of strip width can be virtually realized by the repetition of material feeding in the longitudinal direction and reducing the thickness between the roll and the platen. In this study, 1-mm-thick or 2-mm-thick and 50 mm wide commercial aluminum strips were subjected to the model èxperiment using a φ100 mm two-high experimental rolling mill with a tapered roll and a flat steel platen. Consequently, the lateral spread increases with reduction whereas the longitudinal elongation is negligible. However, the applicable reduction in thickness is limited by the occurrence of edge waves. The reductions are less than 10% for 1-mm-thick strip and 24% for 2-mm-thick strip. In the textures of the as-rolled sheet, the crystal orientations vary in the longitudinal direction. The texture is not similar to that generated by transverse-rolling.
