3.

3 Reforming
3.3.1 Reforming by tensile and compressive Direction of passage Top roll

forces
Reforming is production by the plastic transformation of the
shape of a solid body. This can be carried out by tensile, Middle
roll
compressive or binding forces either after heating the body Bottom roll
Bottom
or without heating. roll Direction of passage

PRESSURE REFORMING BY ROLLING Direction of deSSage

Three-high rolling mill Duo-rolling mill
Fig. 3.76 Production of shoots and rods
In rolling, the workpiece is reformed either continuously or
step by step by the application of pressure with revolving
tools.

Steel is cast in blocks (ingot moulds), in desired sizes, for the pro-
duction of rolling stock. The ingots are placed in the vertical furnace
for heat equalisation (soaking). The uniformly soaked ingots Steel rods Steel sections
(,,s1200°C) are further processed into sheets, sections, wires and Fig. 3.77 Products of the rolling mill
rods.

Production of sections and plates __- Roller

The duo mill has two rollers driven in opposite directions. These
rollers may be cylindrical for the production of sheets and plates or
profiled for the production of sections.

The cooling times are long for the duo mill, because the rollers
must reverse their directions'after each passage.
The three-high rolling mill does away with the need to reverse
W Ol kple ce
411 Plug
II
Plug roc

direction, by the use of a third roller. Fig. 3.78 Plug rolling pipes (skew-rolling mills)

Production of tubes
In the Mannesman skew-rolling mill, the ingot is made to revolve
L_
by two double-cone rollers, which squeeze it and break down the
core. The cavity so formed is pierced by a plug. The raw piece thus
________r
produced is then finished to the desired size by a roll-mandrel
(reciprocating-rolling process). Fig, 3.79 Grain flow Ins turned end a forged piece

PRESSURE REFORMING BY FORGING

Forging is a production process in which the workpiece
generally a preheated one—is reformed by compressive
forces.
Changes in material structure caused by forging
Medium grain
Forged parts generally have more favourable grain flows than parts dislortion and
produced by chip-forming machining, and can therefore tolerate displacement
higher loads, The forgeability of steel decreases with rising carbon
Radical
content. Sulphur results in red shortness. Phosphorus makes steel
grain distortion
cold short. and disolacemen1
The elastic limit of the material must be exceeded in forging. The
grains are not only deformed but displaced, in which process they Slig h lrgrain distortion
slide along the grain boundaries without losing their cohesiveness.
Fig. 3.60 Changes in structure caused by forging.
As shown in Fig. 3.80, the material undergoes minimal grain defor-
mation in the zones 1-1, radical grain deformation and displace -
ment in zone 2 and slight grain deformation in zones 3-3.

Heating installation
A smith's hearth is used to heat small workpleces. Low sulphur nut Fire box
Quenched

coal which bakes well in burning is used as fuel. This results in good
Cooling fin Air Fire hoe
heat retention inside the fire and prevents the forging from channel Burnt-out
scaling, Cooling jacks coal
Forging furnaces are used to heat larger workpieces, These are Ash rem • ye -- -
Tuyere cone
fired with gas or oil. Air inlet

Fig, 3.81 Smith's hearth

104