The Vampire Lovers and Hammer's Post-1970 Production Strategy

This article firstly examines the artistic and commercial merits of The Vampire Lovers, which was adapted from the Sheridan Le Fanu novella Carmilla. The production of the film was subcontracted by James Carreras at Hammer to Fantale Films, a company established by Harry Fine, Michael Style and Tudor Gates. The article then proceeds by examining various different and competing artistic judgements that have been made about the film, and also the construction of its unusual dreamy atmosphere. It documents both its UK and US box-office performances and goes on to examine Hammer's post-1970 production strategy in more general terms and in relation to the overall financial performance of the company in the period 1967–72, just before and after The Vampire Lovers. Finally, it examines Hammer's receipt of the Queen's Award for Industry in 1968, the effect of its rolling production-line (or ‘pipeline’) model of film-making on the company's general level of profitability, and some of the consequences of Michael Carreras's assumption of managerial control at Hammer after 1970.

Recognition of surface defects of rolled steel in sheets by application micro-X-ray spectral analysis

Surface defects of sheet rolled products have a significant impact on its quality, performance and further processing of products, for example, on application of a protective anticorrosive coating. Therefore, the elimination of such defects and their accurate identification is an important aspect of sheet rolling production. Reducing the rejection of metal for surface defects enables to get a significant technical and economic effect. Investigation of the causes of defectiveness of the surface of sheet rolled products will make it possible to determine the source of the appearance of the defects and methods to prevent them. Determination of the nature and morphology of surface defects, the sources of which being metallic and non-metallic inclusions, as well as remnants of slag surface layer, scales from metallurgical and rolling stages, rolled into the surface of a hot-rolled sheet, is often difficult, since the appearance of the defects is very similar. It was shown that application of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with micro-X-ray spectral analysis (MXSA), thermodynamic analysis makes it possible to determine the chemical composition of micro-areas and associate it with the end-to-end technology of sheet production. The article presents the results of identifying surface defects of cold-rolled sheet steel.

A study of conditions of surface defects formation when bar rolling at a bar and wire mill and methods of their elimination

Quality of long products surface is an important consumer property of it. In the process of measures elaboration aimed at the increase of long products surface quality, in particular of bars produced at the mill 370/150 of ОJSC “BMZ – managing company of holding “BMK”, studies were accomplished by metallographic laboratory. It was established that defects being revealed at the bars finishing, don’t relate to the quality of continuously casted billet (CCB), but formed in the process of deformation. Studies of the mechanism of surface defects formation on hot-rolled bar of rolling origin – deformation fissure and wrinkles were carried out. Results of numerical simulation of rolling in roughing group of stands at various temperature-deformation parameters presented. Regularities of formation of surface defects on the bar in the finished product were revealed. It was shown that the reason of the surface defects of rolling origin – deformation fissure and wrinkles was a high temperature gradient between the core and the surface of billet, originated from local overheating of surface in the angles zone of CCB resulted in nonuniformity of drawing out of different layers of the billet being deformed. To eliminate the defects, minimum possible temperature gradient between the surface and the core of a billet by controlled rolls cooling should be provided. By calculation, the maximum permissible temperature of the working surface of the rolls of the rough group of stands was established, and empirically the actual temperatures of the rolls with the current production technology, as well as the temperature of the rolls support bearings seats of the rolls were measured. The technical and technological possibilities for improving of rolling technology on a bar and wire mill in order to improve the surface quality of rolled bars were demonstrated. The existing technology was adjusted and new technological modes of rolling with controlled cooling of the rolls were established, which made it possible to significantly reduce the rejection of the finished product due to defects in rolling production. A device was proposed for the roughing group of stands, which enables to minimize the ingress of coolant onto the bar rolled.

Improving Efficiency of Rolling Production by Predicting Negative Technological Events

Improving the production efficiency is the task with the increasing difficulty. Therefore, it is important to constantly expand the set of tools and perfect the methodology for improving the processes. Some of the losses associated with the negative technological events (breaks, drifting, etc.) are difficult to eliminate completely due to the complexity of making changes to the basic technology. But if you know in advance that the event will occur, you can significantly reduce the probability and consequences, thereby significantly improve the efficiency of the production process. Therefore, it is important to develop and introduce the applied approaches to forecasting the negative technological events in the production processes. This paper presents the method of the forecast-event statistical analysis of the cause-and-effect relationships. The technique was tested on the events of strip’s breakage during rolling at the cold rolling mill 1400 and strip’s drifting in the input storage of the continuous etching unit (CEU). Based on the presented methodology, the specialized digital service was developed and introduced in the production processes of the dynamo steels shop.

Heat Resistance of Steel N8G6M3FTB Obtained by Surfacing Cored Wire

The operational reliability of rolling production tools depends on the heat resistance of the steel from which they are made. To increase the performance of the rolls, a hardening surfacing with wear-resistant alloys is used. The effectiveness of the applied hardening technology depends on the functional characteristics of the deposited metal. The aim of the work is to study the tempering resistance in the state after heat treatment of the deposited steel (Fe-C-Ni-Mn-Mo-V-Ti-Nb system). It was established that the thermal resistance coefficient of steel 15N8G6M3FTB at temperatures from 650 to 800 °C varies from 0.76 to 0.66, which exceeds the heat resistance of steel 30Kh2V8F by 1.5 times. It is shown that in the fine structure of such a metal after tempering at 800 °C, large amounts of finely dispersed precipitates are observed. These precipitates have a rounded shape up to 100 nm in size and belong to the Laves phases - Fe2Mo, Fe2Nb, and Fe2Ti. The obtained high heat resistance values of 15N8G6M3FTB steel make it possible to recommend it for creating surfacing materials. Flux-cored wire based on this steel can be used for hardfacing hardening of tools operating at temperatures up to 800 °C inclusive.

Study of factors contributing to decrease of carbide heterogeneity in bearing grades of steel

At present to meet requirement to the quality of bearing steels it is necessary of accomplish estimation of carbide heterogeneity by SEP 1520 and provide the level of carbide network, carbide liquation and streaking, not exceeding adjusted limits, required by customer. To estimate possibility to decrease carbide heterogeneity (segregation), factors influencing its value in the rolling production considered. Description of the process of long products of bearing steels production at the rolling mill 370/150 of the OJSC “BMZ - managing company of the holding “BMK” presented. Possibilities of the existing mill equipment considered for 804 accomplishing of technological operations aimed at decrease of carbide heterogeneity in the finished product. The factors studied, contributing to decrease of carbide heterogeneity under conditions of mill 370/150 operation. To determine the temperature modes effect on the level of carbide heterogeneity in bearing steels, in the process of three campaigns phased decrease of the temperature of end of rolling was accomplished. Results of data analysis obtained at the production of long products profiles of 34-50 diameter of bearing steel grades presented. Conclusion on rolled stock production of bearing steel grades with high requirements to carbide heterogeneity value was formed. It was shown that to obtain high-quality long products it is appropriate to accomplish the heating in the furnace before the rolling no less than 600 min at the temperature in the soaking zone 1150-1220°С followed by application of tech­nology of normalizing rolling and control of temperature of the end of rolling 750°С. For profiles with drawing less 25% it is rec­ommended to accomplish additional heat treatment of the finished profile - normalization. Long time heating of workpieces before the rolling at the temperature 1150-1220°С enables to decrease the carbide heterogeneity down to acceptable level (carbide liquation no more than 3 points and carbide streaking no more than 4 points). The value of carbide network is decreasing at decreasing of tem­perature of the end of the rolling and increasing deformation value in the last stands. A stable satisfactory result (CN no more than 5.4) was reached at the temperature of the end of rolling 750°С and drawing more than 25%. It was established that the higher the total drawing, the lower the point of carbide network and liquation in the finished profile, which is caused by crushing of nondissolved carbides to separate fragments.

Influence of orientation of zones of higher hardness of composite layers on their resistance to wear

Purpose: Experimentally substantiate the influence of the orientation of zones of higher hardness on the wear mechanism of contact surfaces. Design/methodology/approach: Forming of variable composition within the working surfaces of parts is a common way to solve the problem of uneven wear. The tests were aimed at determining the characteristics of the layers surfaced with the orientation of the zones of high hardness. For this different tests and measurements were done. Before the test, samples of 45 steel were surfaced with a preliminary application of titanium carbide paste. Findings: As a result of researches it was found that different ways of the orientation of zones of higher hardness have different influences on the characteristics of a surface. The main conclusion is that the transverse orientation of such zones helps to increase the wear resistance of the surface and to save its original relief. Research limitations/implications: The roughness, wear resistance, zonal hardness, and relief of layers surfaced with the orientation of zones of higher hardness were studied. Practical implications: The results obtained are useful in the field of rolling production and mechanical engineering to avoid the uneven wear of parts and as a result to extend the term of their exploitation. Originality/value: In this paper the model concepts of wear process of surfaces with variable composition and measurements of characteristics of surface considering its local hardening are proposed.

MODERNIZATION OF METALLURGICAL EQUIPMENT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INNOVATIVE METHOD OF COILING HOT-ROLLED STRIPS

The report presents the results of laboratory studies on the use of a combined (water and air) method of coiling hot-rolled strips on a coiler of a continuous broadstrip mill 1700. An innovative method of coiling strips allows to completely abandon the mechanical formation of hot-rolled coils. In order to study the hydraulic formation in laboratory conditions, a model of a coiler was created, which was structurally tied to the existing laboratory rolling mill "DUO-100". Studies carried out on the laboratory model of a coiler with hydraulic roll formation confirmed the fundamental possibility of using the proposed coiling method for working with various materials. Aluminum and lead strips were used as hot rolled strip. The results of laboratory work indicate a sufficient convergence of calculations with experimental data, which allows using the results obtained as recommendations for the creation of industrial installations. A method for calculating the flow rate and pressure of water and air is proposed. The calculation of the clamping force of the front end of the strip and the refined selection of the number of collectors and the maximum angle of rotation of the nozzle are carried out. The use of the combined principle for the formation of the first turns of the roll avoids contact between the rolled metal and the strip, expands the adjustment limits and reduces the requirements for its accuracy. The results obtained make it possible to recommend the use of a combined method of strip coiling in rolling production.

Necessity in development of sheet rolling theory, taking into account nonstationarity of technology and negative dynamic effects

The analysis of the existing modern problems of rolling production related to the need to take into account the nonstationarity of technological parameters and negative dynamic effects for calculating of power parameters and designing of technology and rolling equipment is performed. Theoretical substantiation and research results confirming their relevance are proposed.