Abstract
Lubrication is one of the most important factors for improving the productivity of tandem cold rolling mills, as improved lubricity makes it possible to increase the rolling speed of thin steel strips and prevent chatter when rolling materials with high deformation resistance. A new hybrid lubrication system is proposed and its effectiveness is clarified. The system is based on a coolant recirculation system in combination with an added system for flexible lubrication control. The key to realizing stable coolant system operation is a control technology for plate-out oil film formation on strips under high-speed-rolling conditions. The new technology has been applied to the fabrication of a production tandem cold-rolling mill for thin steel strips. It successfully enables flexible controllability of lubrication conditions and achieves high-speed stable rolling, while maintaining an oil consumption rate equivalent to that of recirculation systems.
