A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF STEEL ROLLING MILL PROCESS

This write up explains the rolling mill processes for the production of Iron rods (Rebar) and Wire rod (Wire
coil). It is important to note that both products have a common process which involves assembling the
already cast billets on the Billet Chain Table from which they move to the Billet Roller Conveyor. The
billets are then conveyed to the furnace Charging Table using a Hydraulic Pusher. The Soaking and
Heating zones of the furnace ensures the billets are heated up to specific range of temperatures before
getting to the discharge area where they are pushed out of the furnace using a Discharging Device. The
heated billets are rolled unto the Roller Table using a Pinch Roller. At the roller table, they are either
received (rolled unto the Roughing Mill - RM stands (if there is no miss-roll i.e. everything is fine) or
rejected (pushed over to the Billet Rejection Table when there is a miss-roll, billet with an awkward
shape).

The rolling process starts at the RM where the billets are subjected to tensile stress depending on
the groove spacing for all seven (7) stands/passes. N.B: It is important to note at this point the physical
properties e.g. Ductility of the rolled-out products are improved upon depending on the quality to be
achieved by regulating temperature and the tensile stress as they pass through the stands. After the RM,
the new product moves through looper tables (A and B) over to a pinch roller which introduces it to a
Crop Shear whose purpose is to chop off the rough ends (Head and Tail) of the rolled-out product and
also for emergency cutting. The product moves over to the Intermediate Mill IM which has six (6) stands
and unto the Finishing Mill FM also having six (6) stands where it is further subjected to tensile stress
and regulated cooling which also further reduces its cross-section. At this point, two (2) products are
possible Wire rod or Rebar.

WIRE ROD.

The rod from the FM stands is rolled over to the wire rod line. The rod goes through a Rotary Shear which
cuts the rough head and tail, and then moves through a pinch roller to a Chopping Shear (cuts only during
emergency cutting) before getting to the Wire Rod Mill - WM which has two (2) stands and further
reduces the cross section. From the WM, the wire rod is rolled unto the Block Mill which has six (6) passes
arranged alternatively 45 degrees above and below the horizontal. The 90-degree relationship between
adjacent rolls eliminates twisting oval into round passes as conventional oval-to-round sequence, a factor
which results in less guide wear and simpler guide design. The wire rod then moves through Water Box
(final water cooling) to the coil layer section which transforms it to a wire coil, laying it on the Wire Coil
Cooling Conveyor. The conveyor fans further reduce the temperature as the wire coil moves through to
the Binding section where the coils are vibrated by a Coil Vibration Motor for uniform arrangement,
compacted by a Coil Hydraulic Compactor and then banded all in one piece taken for storage.

IRON ROD OR REBAR.

For the production of rebar, the rod from the FM stands is guided to the rebar line. N.B: there are different
standard sizes of the Iron rods (32mm, 25mm), a combination of different IM and FM stands/passes
determine the sizes to be produced. At the rebar line, the rod is first moved unto the Flying Shears (A and
B) through a pinch roller. The flying shear cuts the rod according to specified or programmed length. The
cut-length goes through vertically assembled pinch rollers unto the Cooling Bed Run-in Table or Roller
Table depending on the rod size and transferred unto the Cooling Bed. From the cooling bed, the iron rod
is moved over to the Cold Shear Roller Table where the rods are aligned and cut using a Cold Shear
machine into commercial length. The Iron rod is then transferred over to the Packing Transfer Table from
which they are moved to the Front and Back Binding Roller Conveyor which gathers the rods, conveys
them to the Bundling Machine for them to be band. The bundle is then moved over to the Packing Bed
from where it is transferred for storage.