Temperature Field Behavior on Plate Width at Thermomechanical Rolling of Low Carbon Microalloyed Steel at the Steckel Mill

The metal temperature before the reduction in rolls and before controlled cooling is the most significant factor influencing the formation of rolled products’ mechanical properties. The wide sheet chilling of edges effect leads to the appearance of a temperature crown and, accordingly, to an uneven distribution of mechanical properties across the finished product width. Steckel mills (with furnace coilers) can reheat the coils, significantly eliminating the presence of a temperature gradient. However, implementing a thermomechanical controlled process (TMCP) at Steckel mills, which is highly sensitive to uneven temperature distribution, requires forecasting temperature fields to correct thermal conditions. This paper presents the results of developing and implementing a finite-difference mathematical model for calculating the temperature field for flat products concerning the mills with furnace coilers conditions. It is shown that a temperature drop occurs during the passing of the rolled metal from the furnace coiler to the mill stand, which must be compensated to ensure an ordered temperature gradient across the width.