Rollers are one of the most important devices in the metallurgical industry. They help to bend metal sheets, pipes, as well as other details of oval and other shapes. in addition, rollers are used in jewelry for neat bending of products.
What are the rollers, how three-roll models differ from four-roll ones, and how to make them with your own hands, we will tell below.
Rollers: principle of operation
The key working mechanism of the device is a cylinder, revolving, through which hot layers of metal are passed and bent. Rolling mills can be equipped with cylinders from 2 to 5 things, but most often used three-roll and four-roll products.
The parts are bent by the action of the third rear shaft, and the radius of attachment depends on the distance between the upper and rear shafts.
Sometimes metal rollers break and require replacement. The machine must be constantly heated when working with iron, and the layers of iron after the rollers go into the furnace, they are heated there, and then pumped again. After that, they go to the machine again.
After street treatment, the cross section of the metal decreases, and it becomes longer under the influence of high metal temperature and degree of pressure.
To get a cylindrical product, the rear shaft must be adjusted parallel to the front, and to make a cone, the rear shaft is set at an angle to the front.
There are models of rollers, with which you can process the metal directly on the table, but they are not very functional. Working with them can be simplified with the help of fasteners. The cost of rollers depends on their size. And if you decide to make a machine with your own hands, then you will save a lot.
Functions of modern rolling machines, homemade and factory, three-roll and four-roll, such:
- ability to bend pipes to 160 degrees;
- work with metal pipes;
- deformation of pipes regardless of their diameter.
Areas of application of machines
Roller machines are widely used in the manufacture of such things, as:
- chimneys;
- air ducts;
- pipes;
- ventilation systems;
- gutters.
Due to its compact size, rollers can be used anywhere, directly on the construction site, and hand tools do not damage the polymer coating of the metal.
Crushing rollers are used for the food industry, and for chemical - sheet bending, correspondence and others.
Features of machines for metal
It is impossible to give a sheet metal a cylindrical shape without a rolling machine, and rollers for pipes help to arrange a drainage system. Machines with forging cylinders are required for cold bending of their metal workpieces, also thanks to rollers it is possible to process:
- plastic;
- plastic metal;
- rubber compounds.
You need to choose one or another machine depending on the thickness of the metal:
- two-roller rollers include two parallel shafts, the upper has a small cross section and is made of high-strength steel, and the lower has a large diameter and is made of steel, covered with rubber. Depending on the pressure force of the pipe, its diameter at the outlet is selected;
- long rollers can be symmetrical and asymmetrical, they are often used in the manufacture of ventilation, round percentages and joyful details. in addition, long rollers are used in the processing of copper products, iron, steel, zinc, etc. .;
- four-roll structures are equipped at the bottom with an additional roll to simplify the rolling process.
The most common rollers are three-roller and four-roller. So, long-term have such excellent properties:
- letter, whose width is less 6 mm, will slip between the shafts;
- the rolling speed of the sheet should be maximum 5 m per minute;
- it is difficult to control the machine due to the lack of exact coordinates of the clamping point of the metal;
- affordable price.
But four-roll rollers have the following characteristics:
- the rollers are securely coupled, and the risk of leaf slippage is minimized;
- rolling speed may exceed 6 m per minute;
- the work process is fully automated;
- the price is high.
Classification of machines
According to the method of bending rollers are:
- segmental, where the pipes are bent under the action of one extracting segment;
- mandrels, ??which deform thin-walled pipes;
- spring. Due to the presence of a spring, plastic bends without deformation;
- crossbow, which are intended for pipes of this or that diameter.
Machines according to the method of use are divided into the following categories:
- Manual. Such machines are the most convenient and practical, they do not need to be connected to the network. Clamps are attached to their main frame and rollers are fed, which have a chain drive. Manual profile machines are durable, reliable, compacts, convenient in terms of regulation and have an affordable price. Hand rollers have a subcategory of jewelry, they are used for rolling and rolling jewelry blanks;
- Hydraulic. Hydraulic devices with high power, which are characterized by high productivity. Their disadvantage is the size, to move the hands without hands such unit will not turn out;
- Electric. High productivity is achieved due to the operation of the electric motor, although the principle of operation of the machine does not differ from the manual. They are most often used on an industrial scale, as such rollers have a considerable price.
If you buy or make a machine with your own hands for small household needs, it is desirable, that it has such characteristics:
- mobility and underweight;
- compactness;
- cost-effectiveness in terms of energy consumption, as a powerful device can damage the home wiring.
Making the machine with your own hands
Naturally, to assemble the machine with your own hands will be quite expensive in terms of time and load, but if you plan to use it for minor repairs, then homemade assembly will be a more economical option, than the factory model, cost from 20 thousand rubles and above.
Do not make such mistakes when assembling the rollers yourself:
- do not allow cracks to appear on the metal profile;
- do not allow compression and stretching of the surface at the point of load on the structural part;
- Do not compress or deform parts before work.
Before you start work, prepare project drawings, materials and details. The stages of work will be as follows:
- mount the main frame on the basis of a curved profile or tubular frame;
- take a U-shaped profile as a vertical support and put a deforming element of the mechanism on top of its open part, fixing with a clamp with a thread. At the bottom of the support must be fastened under the frame;
- use the transmission chain to assemble the mechanism;
- after installing it on the stars, tighten the chain, check the stroke and set the feed handle;
- for the manufacture of rollers it is better to take hardened steel;
- in a rolling machine, consider radial adjustment to change the size of the gap between the rolls;
- attach the rollers to the frame with rolling bearings.
Here is the product and ready. As you can see, rollers can be purchased ready-made, or make with your own hands, having on hand the necessary tools, drawing, and, having the right skills.