For information about our products and services that extend beyond rolling mills, please visit our cut to length lines, and slitting lines and levelers web pages. We also offer pipe and tube equipment and service engineering on our equipment or yours.
Reducing can be done with extreme pressure lubricants at speeds over 7,000 FPM. There are many mills that run at very low speeds when reducing expensive alloys such as beryllium, copper, tantalum, and gold and use little or no lubricant or coolant. Many lubricants are good for extreme pressure, but they can also act as a coolant. Water is still considered one of the greatest liquid coolants. An extreme pressure lubricant mixed with water makes a good lubricant.
Three-high rolling mills consist of a large back up roll, small work roll, and another large back up roll. The purpose is to have a very minimum amount of reduction. Three-high mills are commonly used for making bearing material for gasoline and diesel engines.
Mechanical screwdowns are still used for small mill reducing and large mills for cogging and hot plate reducing where accuracy is not a precision factor, and where fire may be a concern. However, hydraulics can now be water hydraulics. By adding chemicals in the water, you have a hydraulic system that will not catch fire. However, water hydraulics require limited low pressure, and they are high in maintenance and many customers still prefer mechanical screwdowns
