Other Metals
Gold and silver are rolled on a rolling mill. All coins made from copper zinc coils are made on a rolling mill. In fact, almost any metal can be rolled on a rolling mill. This includes lithium for batteries and uranium for atomic energy. Tantalum and niobium are also reduced on a rolling mill with heavy duty, stand-alone rolling mills with substantial reduction to make what is called a target for the electronics and sputtering industries. Tantalum, not titanium, is a corrosion resistant inert metal. It will withstand almost any acid and is used in heat exchangers for hot hydrochloric acid. Niobium is mixed with steel to make special weldable ductile steel alloys. Titanium alloys are used in the aviation industry and corrosion resistant heat exchangers and other corrosion resistant chemical systems. Lead and lead alloys are still used in large quantities today. They are sometimes made in wide sheets and are in every x-ray room. Lead is used at airports and seaports for radiation shielding.
All internal combustion engine bearings are made from an aluminum tin copper alloy. The aluminum tin copper alloy is made into a strip and cladded to steel to make bearing inserts for connecting rods and main bearings for gasoline and diesel engines.
There are many other mixtures of metal alloys, including brasses and bronzes for valves, bearings, etc. All of these materials are sometimes rolled into a strip, sheet or rod.
Rolling alloys is very important and can provide a good or excellent grain structure. All of the material mentioned can be cast, but a casting is porous so it is not dependable. When reducing a cast product, sometimes heat treating the rolled product will give an excellent grain structure. The rolling and heat treating of any metal alloy can be very important in producing a consistent, high quality product.
Highly complicated formulas for cold rolling mills have been developed by some of the greatest mathematicians and engineers. Cauffiel has developed its own formulas and calculations by actually testing and experimenting with cold reducing. These formulas give data such as separating force, torque, horsepower, and deflection of rolls and housings. Also, Cauffiel has developed yield data to show what hardness yield and tensile can be expected from different types of metals, especially high strength, low alloy steel, copper alloys, and stainless alloys.
American Steel Products Company has cold rolling mills at their facility as part of their research and development to actually run a customer’s product or material. This can determine for the customer if it is economically feasible to invest in a cold rolling mill.
Flexible cold rolling mills that are placed in line with existing processing lines will be common place in America as the world metals working industry of America becomes more quality conscious and competitive.
