REDUCTION OF WORK ROLL PEEL OFF INSTANCES IN HOT STRIP MILL

Abstract: Hot Strip Mills (HSM) are widely used in steel manufacturing industries for producing steel strips with high dimensional accuracy and surface quality. During rolling operations, work rolls are subjected to severe thermal, mechanical, and frictional stresses. These stresses often lead to surface defects such as work roll peel-off, which causes strip surface damage, production loss, increased maintenance cost, and reduced roll life.

The present work focuses on the reduction of work roll peel-off instances in hot strip mills through process parameter optimization and preventive maintenance techniques. The study investigates the major causes of peel-off failures such as thermal fatigue, improper cooling, excessive rolling load, lubrication issues, and material defects. Various corrective measures including optimized cooling water flow, controlled rolling parameters, improved lubrication, and roll surface inspection methods were implemented.

Experimental observations indicate a considerable reduction in peel-off occurrences after implementing the proposed methods. The study demonstrates that proper roll management and process control can significantly improve roll life, strip quality, and overall mill productivity.

Keywords: Hot Strip Mill, Work Roll Peel-Off, Thermal Fatigue, Roll Failure, Steel Rolling, Surface Defects, Process Optimization.