Experimental and theoretical analysis of roll flattening in the deformation zone for ultra-mm strip rolling

For ultra-thin strip rolling, the conventional rolling force models are no longer applicable. To obtain accurate rolling force in the shape and gauge control process, Fleck proposed a new roll flattening model. In this study, experimental analysis, finite element simulation, and theoretical analysis were conducted to evaluate the Fleck model. The experiments and simulations show a clear neutral zone in the deformation zone with decreasing strip thickness. The finite element simulation results show that the proportion of the elastic unloading zone is small, when an elastic unloading phenomenon appears in the neutral zone. Thus, to simplify the rolling force model, the effect of an elastic zone could be ignored. Based on this finding, we develop a rolling force model with quick calculation speed, high precision, and convenient online application. Finally, the accuracy of the simplified model is verified by the measured rolling force.