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Surface Defect Training Manual

Product Integrity

production

Steelmaking

Lamination
Laminations are linear defects
parallel to the rolling direction
(thickness >0.25 ; length > 12) in
which there is an internal or surface
rupture of the strip.

Causes:
Entrapment of non-metallic inclusions or refractory faces during
casting operations upset the homogeneity of the metal.

Slivers
Slivers are short lines parallel to the
rolling direction. (thickness<0.25)

Causes:
Non-Metallic inclusions on the slab surface produce slivers.
B

Melt Blisters
Melt blisters are comet shaped
defects along the rolling direction in
which the surface of the strip is
raised.

Causes:
Subsurface inclusions combined with argon gas from steelmaking
operations expand during annealing.

Melt Gouge
A cluster of surface irregularities
along the rolling direction of the
strip

Causes:
Melt gouges are produced when steel in the slab form has gouges,
cracks, pin holes, etc. These irregularities remain on the steel even
after further processing.

Hot Strip Mill

HSM Hole
Voids on the strip surface.

Causes:
Localized reduction in thickness of the strip during reduction at the
hot strip mill induce the formation of holes.

Secondary Scale
Secondary scale is a
series of small spots of
elongated black iron oxide
randomly scattered on the
strip surface.

Causes:
Scale is produced when the oxide layers formed on the metals
surface are not adequately removed during descaling operations at
the hot strip mill.

Pickler Bad Weld

A weld which is lapped or
broken.

Causes:
Poor HSM shape, pipe, slag, improper welding setup, etc.
B

Cold Mill

CM Chatter
A washboard appearance
with high/low repeating
1.1/4 to 1 1/3

Causes:
Excessive mill vibration or defective rolls at the mill.
B

Whisker Mark
A long linear mark that has
at 78 to 81 repeat pattern

Causes:
A whisker mark is produced when a filament of metal hanging on the
edge of the strip disjoins and marks the work rolls. The mark on the
rolls transfers the defect to the strip.

CM Pinch mark
A repeating mark that runs
diagonally across the strip.

Causes:
Shape disturbances on the strip.
B

CM Mark
Any mark produced at the
cold mill which cannot be
categorized as a button,
whisker or pinch mark.

Causes:
Marks are produced when damaged rolls transfer defects to the strip
surface.
B

Rolled in Bronze

A series of small
discolored spots
surrounded by a halo.
The size of this defect is
usually around one inch in
diameter.

Causes:
Bronze particles from the side guides at the cold mill are rolled onto
the strip.
B

CM Tension Digs

Clusters of small
scratches (length <1/8)
on the strip that are
parallel to the rolling
direction.

Causes:
When a coil with poor winding tension is unwound after annealing,
the tension can cause inner laps in a coil to slip in relationship to
each other. A series of small scratches are the result of the slippage.

Processing

Annealing off color

A condition in which the
strip has a gold or brown
color.

Causes:
Oxygen comes in contact with the strip during cool down after
annealing.
B

Burnt Edge
A dark blue or gray oxide
on the edges of the strip.

Causes:
Burnt edge is an oxide layer that originates when the protective
atmosphere that exists during annealing is inadequate.
B

Gas Pattern
A dark blue to black
discoloration on the edges
of the strip.

Causes:
Gas pattern forms when the protective cover used during cool down
after annealing, is removed at too high of a temperature.
B

Spot Stickers
A stretch mark or small
rupture of the strip surface
which has a semicircular
shape.

Causes:
Handling damage can produce an incipient welding between laps
during annealing.
B

TM Digs
Heavy scratches and
gouges scattered on the
surface of the strip.

Causes:

Temper mill digs are caused by insufficient winding tension at the

cold mill in combination with improper tension control at the temper
mill.

Annealing Floppers

Floppers are a series

of half moon lines or
marks on the strip.

Causes:

Several causes include heavy full center, improper tension control,

improper crown in tm work rolls and/or backup rolls, excessive
temper on light gauge material.

Sticker Breaks

Sticker breaks are stretch

marks that vary in shape
from an almost flat line to
a small semi-circle (u
shaped).

Causes:
Excessive winding tension at the cold mill in combination with low
surface roughness can produce a condition in which the laps of a coil
are welded to each other during annealing. When unwinding after
annealing, the force needed to separate lap from lap is large enough
to cause localized yielding of the strip, producing the stretch marks.

TM Trees
A group of lines or marks
on an angle to the rolling
direction which are similar
to the branch of a tree.

Causes:
Poor incoming shape, excessive temper and improper tension
control .
B

Wet Rust
Large spots of iron
oxidation that vary in
color from black to red.

Causes:
Wet rust is produced when moisture comes in contact with the strip.
B

Processing
Scratch
A scratch parallel to the
rolling direction.

Causes:
When the strip comes in contact with a sharp object during rolling
operations.
B

TM Mark
Any mark that repeats
every 75.4 to 84.8.

Causes:
Marks are transferred from irregularities on the work rolls to the strip.
B

TM Hickey
A repeating raised round
spot that is approx. 1/16
to 1/2 in diameter
(usually repeats every
75.4 to 84.8).

Causes:

When a depression on the work roll caused by a foreign object

transfers onto the strip.
B

Edge Strain
Irregular shaped lines
coming in from the edge of
the strip.

Causes:
Damaged edges, improper tension control and/or poor incoming
shape can cause localized strain on the strip during tempering.
B

Coating

Knife Cleaning
Mark
Areas of heavy coating at
hot-dipped galvanizing
lines.

Causes:
Knife cleaning marks are produced when operations personnel clear
obstructions from coating knife blades.
B

Anode Burns
A dark, melted or burnt
portion of the strip.

Causes:
Anode burns occur when the strip comes in contact with an anode in
the plating section at the electrogalvanizing line.

Coating Scratch
A scratch running
parallel to the rolling
direction; can be
substrate borne (under
coating as shown) or
atop the coating (will
have shiny
appearance).

Causes:
Coating scratches occur when the strip comes into contact with a
sharp object or rolls not turning up to line speed during coating
operations.

Streak Stain
Linear dark streaks in the
rolling direction.

Causes:
Streak stain is caused by defects on the rolls surface and/or plugged
top-side sprays.
B

Conductor Roll
Dents
A dent that repeats every
123 to 126.

Causes:
Conductor roll dents are produced when irregularities on the
conductor rolls transfer to the strip.
B