HEROLL – Prevention of hydrogen embrittlement of cold rolling rolls by improved work roll material and lubricant configuration

Situation:

  • Increasing number of cold rolling work rolls failures, induced through hydrogen.
  • Damages and/or failures can also cause dangerous explosions of the work roll bodies (spalling; safety aspect).
  • One reason is the increased mechanical loads during processing.
  • The difficulties will even increase as the production rates of materials are rising and the protective plating materials are supposed to be banned.

Solution:

  • Evaluation of process data and work roll history of selected cold rolling processes.
  • Description / Simulation of failure mechanism.
  • Development of suitable tribological testing device(s) for material and lubricant testing.
  • Targeted lubricant and material development.
  • Intensive tribological testing and identification of potential critical control parameter / suitable control devices.
  • Industrial implementation.

Operational benefit:

  • Increase of service capability of cold rolling work rolls.
  • Decrease / prevention of work roll material failure.
  • Clarification of failure mechanism and sources.
  • Optimisation of work roll material and lubricant configuration.
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