Rolling mills shape metal and come in various sizes for different metalworking applications. They can produce sheet metal, plate, wire, and stamped metal. Safety precautions must be taken, especially with mechanized mills used in steel mills.
Rolling mills are machines that are used to work metal. They range in size from bench mounted hand crank mills used by jewelers to massive rolling mills used in industrial metal manufacturing and processing. The main function of a rolling mill is to somehow shape the metal that is passed through the mill and many come with attachments and accessories that can be used for different types of tasks. Both hot and cold rolling mills are available for various metalworking applications.
A basic rolling mill is designed to produce sheet metal. The metal is passed numerous times between two hard cylinders, with the distance between the cylinders decreasing with each pass so that the metal becomes thinner and thinner. Using a rolling mill, an aluminum ingot can be turned into aluminum foil. Rolling mills are used to produce plate in a variety of thicknesses and can also be used to create custom sizes in a shop by a metal worker who does not want to keep a set of sizes on hand.
Rolling mills can also be used to produce wire. The wire can be square, octagonal, or in any case shaped by its passage in the rolling mill. In this case, the metal is moved through a series of progressively smaller grooves in the rolling mill as it is turned. Rolling mills can also cut metal with a cutting fixture that can be used to create uniform, standardized cuts.
Modeling and stamping are other possible options with a rolling mill. People can use patterned cylinders to stamp the metal or create their own patterns. Stamped metal can be used for a variety of purposes, ranging from decorative tin ceilings to stamped wire used in jewelry making. The ability to create custom templates allows people to play with the designs to make highly individualized work if they choose.
Hand-cranked rolling mills are reasonably safe to use, as long as people are familiar with the basic workings of the machine and observe common sense safety such as keeping long hair out of sight and being careful of sharp edges. Mechanized rolling mills such as those used in steel mills require extra attention, because if someone gets caught in the rolls, it could cause serious injury or death. The same force that can pull and flatten an ingot of metal can do the same thing to a human being. With large rolling mills it is important to know where the emergency stop is and to be aware of your surroundings.
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