Prediction of geometrical profile in slit rolling pass

In the shape rolling process, the reduction of the number of passes is a challenging topic for the steel industry. This can be achieved by enhancing the design approach or by developing new rolling passes that allow the production of high cross-section reductions such as with the slit roll pass. However, in order to design a robust roll pass, the lateral spread of the workpiece must be predicted correctly to prevent incomplete, or even worse, excessive roll groove fulfilling (which may cause roll damage). In the present investigation, the possibility of using a finite element model to predict the lateral spread in a slit roll pass is investigated. The results of the finite element model are then used to adapt and calibrate two analytical models that were developed originally for strip rolling and shape rolling with concave grooves.