The Influence of the Shape of Grooves on the Intensity of Closing Axial Material Discontinuities During Rolling

The article discusses the influence of rolling in the newly designed slitting-bending grooves on closing internal material discontinuities in continuous ingots. The defects located in the axial area of a strand, i.e. axial porosity and contraction cavity, were analysed. Numerical and experimental studies of the rolling process of flat bars for feedstock with marked materials discontinuities simulating actual defects occurring in an ingot were conducted. For comparison purposes, rolling of feedstock with discontinuities in traditional grooves was conducted. The numerical simulations were carried out using the Forge 2008¯software programme. The experimental studies were conducted in a D150 laboratory rolling mill. In the research, the S355J2G3 structural steel and lead were used. Distributions of temperature, intensity of deformation and stress in a cross-section of strands after rolling were analysed. Changes in the surface areas of the discontinuities in feedstock after rolling in shape and traditional grooves were examined. It was concluded that introduction of grooves with complex shapes may contribute to the improvement of internal quality of finished products. The complex shape of the tools has allowed for an almost 100% closure of the discontinuities located in the central part of a strand, already at the initial stages of the process, unlike in case of the traditional production method, where the discontinuities were transferred even until the final product. Applying the newly designed slitting-bending grooves enables utilisation of a smaller number of edge grooves at the initial stage of the rolling process, where reopening of freshly welded defects might occur.