Hybrid rolling mill

Abstract

A hybrid rolling mill includes at least one work stand and a lubrication system. The at least one work stand includes an upper work roll and a lower work roll. The lubrication system includes a first lubricant applicator and a second lubricant applicator. The first lubricant applicator is configured to supply a first lubricant at an entry side of the work stand in a first rolling mode. The second lubricant applicator is configured to supply a second lubricant at the entry side of the work stand in a second rolling mode.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A hybrid rolling mill comprising:
 a work stand comprising an upper work roll and a lower work roll; and   a lubrication system comprising:
 a first lubricant applicator configured to supply a first lubricant at an entry side of the work stand in a first rolling mode; and 
 a second lubricant applicator configured to supply a second lubricant at the entry side of the work stand in a second rolling mode, 
 wherein in the first rolling mode, the first lubricant applicator is activated and the second lubricant applicator is deactivated, and 
 wherein in the second rolling mode, the second lubricant applicator is activated and the first lubricant applicator is deactivated. 
   
     
     
         2 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 1 , wherein the first rolling mode is a hot rolling mode and the second rolling mode is a cold rolling mode or a warm rolling mode. 
     
     
         3 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first lubricant applicator is a direct lubrication lubricant applicator comprising an applicator configured to apply a coating of the first lubricant on an outer surface of at least one of the upper work roll or the lower work roll; and   the second lubricant applicator is a flood lubrication lubricant applicator comprising a sprayer configured to spray the second lubricant into a roll gap between the upper work roll and the lower work roll.   
     
     
         4 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 3 , wherein the first lubricant is a hot rolling lubricant comprising at least one of oil or a mixture of oil and water, and wherein the second lubricant is a cold rolling lubricant comprising at least one of oil or a mixture of oil and water. 
     
     
         5 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 3 , wherein the applicator comprises at least one of a sprayer, a wiper, a roll applicator, or an electrostatic applicator. 
     
     
         6 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 1 , wherein the first lubricant is different from the second lubricant. 
     
     
         7 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 1 , further comprising a work roll cooling system comprising:
 a cooling header at an exit side of the work stand and configured to apply a coolant on an outer surface of at least one of the upper work roll or the lower work roll; and   a coolant containment box configured to keep the coolant off of a metal substrate processed by the work stand during rolling.   
     
     
         8 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 7 , wherein the coolant is water, an emulsion, or surfactant mixture. 
     
     
         9 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 1 , wherein the work stand is a first work stand and wherein the lubrication system comprises at least two first lubricant applicators and at least two second lubricant applicators, and wherein the hybrid rolling mill further comprises:
 a second work stand comprising an upper work roll and a lower work roll,   wherein at least one lubricant applicator of the at least two first lubricant applicators of the lubrication system is configured to supply the first lubricant at an entry side of the second work stand in the first rolling mode; and   wherein at least one lubricant applicator of the at least two second lubricant applicators of the lubrication system is configured to supply the second lubricant at the entry side of the second work stand in a second rolling mode.   
     
     
         10 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 1 , wherein in the first rolling mode, the work stand is configured to roll a metal substrate having a temperature of at least 250° C., and wherein in the second rolling mode, the work stand is configured to roll a metal substrate having a temperature less than about 200° C. 
     
     
         11 . A hybrid rolling mill comprising:
 a work stand comprising an upper work roll and a lower work roll; and   a lubrication system comprising:
 a first lubricant applicator configured to supply a first lubricant at an entry side of the work stand in a first rolling mode; and 
 a second lubricant applicator configured to supply a second lubricant at the entry side of the work stand in a second rolling mode, and wherein the second lubricant applicator is deactivated in the first rolling mode. 
   
     
     
         12 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 11 , wherein the first rolling mode is a hot rolling mode and the second rolling mode is a cold or warm rolling mode. 
     
     
         13 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 11 , wherein the first lubricant is different from the second lubricant. 
     
     
         14 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 11 , wherein the lubrication system comprises at least two lubricant applicators, wherein a first of the at least two lubricant applicators is positioned proximate to the upper work roll, and wherein a second of the at least two lubricant applicators is positioned proximate to the lower work roll. 
     
     
         15 . The hybrid rolling mill of  claim 11 , further comprising an upper backup roll and a lower backup roll, wherein the upper backup roll is configured to remove lubricant from the upper work roll and the lower backup roll is configured to remove lubricant from the lower work roll. 
     
     
         16 . A method of rolling a metal substrate comprising:
 feeding a metal substrate through a roll gap between an upper work roll and a lower work roll of a work stand of a hybrid rolling mill; and   rolling the metal substrate in at least one of a first rolling mode or a second rolling mode,   wherein rolling the metal substrate in the first rolling mode comprises activating a lubrication system such a first lubricant applicator supplies a first lubricant at an entry side of the work stand as the metal substrate is fed through the roll gap, and   wherein rolling the metal substrate in the second rolling mode comprises activating the lubrication system such that a second lubricant applicator supplies a second lubricant at the entry side of the work stand as the metal substrate is fed through the roll gap,   wherein in the first rolling mode, the first lubricant applicator is activated and the second lubricant applicator is deactivated, and   wherein in the second rolling mode, the second lubricant applicator is activated and the first lubricant applicator is deactivated.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising adjusting the work stand between the first rolling mode and the second rolling mode by:
 deactivating the previously activated first lubricant applicator or second lubricant applicator;   activating the previously deactivated second lubricant applicator or first lubricant applicator;   replacing the upper work roll with a replacement upper work roll; and   replacing the lower work roll with a replacement lower work roll.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first rolling mode is a hot rolling mode and the second rolling mode is a cold or warm rolling mode. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the first lubricant applicator is a direct lubrication lubricant applicator;   supplying the first lubricant comprises applying a coating of the first lubricant on an outer surface of the upper work roll or the lower work roll;   the second lubricant applicator is a flood lubrication lubricant applicator; and   supplying the second lubricant comprises spraying the second lubricant into the roll gap between the upper work roll and the lower work roll.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the work stand is a first work stand, the first lubricant applicator is a first work stand first lubricant applicator and the second lubricant applicator is a first work stand second lubricant applicator, and wherein the method further comprises:
 feeding the metal substrate through a roll gap between an upper work roll and a lower work roll of a second work stand of the hybrid rolling mill; and   rolling the metal substrate at the second work stand in at least one of the first rolling mode or the second rolling mode,   wherein rolling the metal substrate in the first rolling mode comprises activating the lubrication system such that a second work stand first lubricant applicator supplies the first lubricant at the entry side of the work stand as the metal substrate is fed through the roll gap, and   wherein rolling the metal substrate in the second rolling mode comprises activating the lubrication system such that a second work stand second lubricant applicator supplies the second lubricant at the entry side of the work stand as the metal substrate is fed through the roll gap.