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Metal strips for stamping parts are usually provided by service centers, which purchase materials from large factories and cut them into widths for customers to use. At least, this is a common assumption. But there is an additional layer in the supply network, which is often overlooked.

Image source: Ulbrich Stainless Steel and Specialty Metals Company.

The size and metallurgical characteristics produced by these precision re-rolling mills exceed the capabilities of the equipment and narrow size ranges provided by most service centers.

As companies seek ways to increase output, increase cost efficiency, and provide customers with a higher level of quality at the same time, re-rolling mills become more and more important every year.

Re-rolling mills are all over the metal industry, but they play an important role in the stainless steel, nickel and cobalt alloy markets because these higher-priced metals need to meet more demanding specifications. The smallest change in metallurgy or surface finish may be a key factor affecting the performance of many stamping parts.

Some common services performed by the re-rolling mill: rolling to specific specifications, improving formability, modifying grain size, adjusting tempering, controlling springback, improving surface finish and solving problems for customers.

Stainless steel strip and wire, as well as various forms of nickel and cobalt-based alloys made to standard mill tolerances, can be purchased from integrated producers. Re-rolling mills usually stock these materials in large quantities: Ulbrich uses more than 165 different alloys.

These rolling mill partners provide metals that can be used for stamping by rolling close to thickness tolerances, customizing mechanical properties, and providing the required surface finish.

Globally, Ulbrich operates many rolling mills of various sizes to meet the many different material requirements they expect to meet.

This equipment enables the company to manufacture high-quality strip steel with the strictest possible specification tolerances on a consistent basis, while maintaining precise and uniform thickness levels throughout the coil.

If the rolling process requires multiple passes, work hardening becomes a factor. This can be eliminated by treating the material through an annealing cycle to restore it to the preferred formability level. In Ulbrich, seven bright annealing furnaces with controlled atmosphere are used to meet these metallurgical adjustments.

In addition to Ulbrich's ability to provide precision re-rolling, Ulbrich has multiple service centers in North America to provide supply chain management services to customers in need.

No matter what material needs or challenges arise, Ulbrich will meet these needs and provide customers with excellent manufacturing.

Naturally, compression molds require materials that are easily cold-formable for their manufacturing operations. However, formability contradicts the characteristics that users may prefer when specifying more specialized alloys—enhanced strength and hardness. Corrosion-resistant springs are an example of this.

Achieving an effective compromise between strength, hardness and formability is one of the main services provided by the metallurgical personnel of the re-rolling source.

Through close cooperation between engineers and Ulbrich expert metallurgists, alloys can be manufactured so that they can be formed, drawn, punched and even deep drawn as easily as other metals.

It is important to consider the tool or machine used for metal stamping, and re-rolling can help ensure that the right material is selected for a particular manufacturer.

Image source: Ulbrich Stainless Steel and Specialty Metals Company.

Another major problem with compression molds is springback. This characteristic can also be adjusted by annealing the material at specific points in the rolling sequence. However, springback will vary from alloy to alloy because it is the basis of the relationship between metal tensile strength and yield strength.

The metallurgical standard used by most stampers to measure the formability of strip products is grain size. If the crystal grains are uneven or too thick, the sidewalls of the deep-drawn part may become rough and cause orange peel. If the grains are too fine, the part may be pulled apart during the molding process.

When the grain size of the metal does not meet the target, the re-roller can modify it in its annealing equipment. By carefully controlling the furnace temperature and the linear velocity of the strip passing through, an accurate grain size range can be generated, which is measured by the ASTM grain size value widely accepted in the industry.

The grain size value ranges from 0 to 13, with lower values ​​indicating coarser grains, and higher values ​​indicating finer grains. The recommended window for most stainless steel deep drawing applications, ASTM grades are 8 to 9.

For blanking, a finer granularity between 10 and 11 is considered appropriate. The higher hardness ensures good and clean punching of the material.

If formability is the only goal, it will be relatively easy to meet strip product specifications, but there are other factors that need to be considered. One of them is rolling the material to a precise temperature.

Stainless steel, nickel and cobalt alloys can be specified in annealing (soft) or cold rolling and tempering. Tempering is determined to be quarter-hard, semi-hard, full-hard and super-hard, depending on the strength requirements. These tempers are achieved by a specific percentage reduction in the thickness of the rolled strip.

For stamping applications, most materials are delivered in an annealed or soft state. A hard temper requires considerable effort to form. Except for blanking, the stamping industry hardly uses tempering higher than this level.

Surface finishing of stainless steel, nickel-based and cobalt-based alloys can be carried out by re-rolling workshops to produce bright reflective surfaces, matte surfaces for more effective lubricant delivery, or other special requirements for good welding, brazing or bonding surface.

The finish can be specified as the RMS (root mean square) value or the arithmetic average of the surface roughness recorded by the profiler. It is recommended that the stamper specify the surface roughness within the acceptable finish range.

Specifying a maximum of 10 microinches RMS will produce a bright reflective finish as low as 4. As the surface roughness increases, the re-roller must function in a wider range. For example, the designer should specify 20 to 40 microinch RMS for 25 microinch RMS.

In the rolling mill, the surface finish can be produced by the surface of the work roll. Extremely polished cemented carbide rollers can produce a mirror-like bright reflective effect. Sandblasted steel rollers are used for 20 to 40 microinch RMS matte finishes. The RMS 60 microinch is as rough as a surface that can be manufactured.

Ulbrich also processes more than 70 metal wire forms of stainless steel, nickel alloys and cobalt alloys.

In its manufacturing process, Ulbrich not only provides the dimensions and metallurgical characteristics required to form parts to specifications, but its special-shaped wire department can also be based on round (for split pin applications), square, trapezoidal and several other types. Create special profiles.

Image source: Ulbrich Stainless Steel and Specialty Metals Company.

There are a variety of alloys on the market today, and trying to find alloys that meet precise specifications can be tiresome, especially when considering specific aerospace or medical applications.

Integrated rolling mills now offer a wide range of stainless steel, nickel-based and cobalt-based alloys, which means there are re-rolling mills that can customize them to meet stringent specifications.

Therefore, when trying to meet customer expectations, efficient distribution channels from the service center industry provide many options for stampers.

By working closely with suppliers at all three levels, molders can use this marketing arrangement to provide customers with the best service. In short, re-rolling mills can work with metal stamping dies to ensure that the supply chain can meet all requirements and supply needs.

This information is derived, reviewed, and adapted from materials provided by Ulbrich Stainless Steel and Specialty Metals.

For more information on this source, please visit Ulbrich Stainless Steel and Specialty Metals.

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