General Rolling Mill Vs. Universal Rolling Mill

In the steel industry, rolling mill is an indispensable and important equipment used to roll metal raw materials into steel of various shapes and specifications. Although general rolling mill and universal rolling mill both have rolling functions, there are significant differences in design, function, application range and price. This article will compare and discuss these two types of rolling mills in detail.

1. Design & Structure

General rolling mills usually consist of only one or two pairs of horizontal rollers. Their structure is simple and suitable for rolling some simple steel shapes, such as steel plates, round steel, etc. The universal rolling mill is a main frame composed of a pair of horizontal rollers and a pair of vertical rollers, and the axes of its four rollers are located in the same plane. This design enables the universal rolling mill to process the rolled piece on all four sides, thereby realizing the rolling of complex steel shapes.

2. Function & Application

General rolling mills are mainly used to roll some simple steel shapes, such as steel plates, round steel, etc. Because of their relatively simple structure and convenient adjustment and maintenance, they have been widely used in some small steel enterprises or production lines. However, for some complex steel shapes, such as H-beams and I-beams, general rolling mills are unable to cope with them.

In contrast, universal rolling mills have a wider range of applications. It can not only roll simple steel shapes that general rolling mills can roll, but also roll various types of steel, such as H-beams, rails, I-beams, channels, sheet piles, U-beams, L-beams, unequal angle steels, etc. This versatility makes universal rolling mills widely used in large steel companies or companies that need to produce a variety of steel shapes.

3. Rolling Effect

Because the universal rolling mill has a complex cross-section hole composed of four rollers, the rolled piece can be subjected to compression forces from four directions at the same time during the rolling process. This design makes the deformation of the rolled piece more uniform and the speed difference around the cross section smaller, thereby reducing the internal stress of the rolled piece. In addition, the universal rolling mill can also achieve separate adjustment of the reduction amount of the legs and waist of the rolled piece, further simplifying the adjustment work during the rolling process. These advantages make the universal mill superior to the general mill in terms of rolling accuracy, roll wear and energy consumption.

4. Maintenance & Adjustment

The general mill has a simple structure and is relatively easy to maintain and adjust. However, due to its relatively single function, it may be necessary to frequently replace the rolls and adjust the equipment parameters for the rolling needs of some complex steel shapes, which increases the maintenance cost and time.

In contrast, the structure of the universal mill is relatively complex, but its adjustment and maintenance during the rolling process are more convenient. Since it can adjust the amount of pressure reduction of the legs and waist of the rolled piece separately, it can quickly adapt to the rolling needs of different steel shapes. In addition, some advanced universal mills are also equipped with automatic control systems and fault diagnosis systems, which further improve the stability and reliability of the equipment.

5. Price

There is usually a big difference in price between general rolling mills and universal rolling mills. General rolling mills are relatively cheap due to their simple structure and single function. Their technical complexity and manufacturing difficulty are relatively low, so the cost is relatively controllable and the market price is relatively affordable. The universal rolling mill can realize more complex rolling processes and produce a variety of steel products. This versatility and high precision require more resources and energy in research and development, design, and manufacturing. The high technical content and manufacturing difficulty make the corresponding cost higher, which makes the price of the universal rolling mill generally higher than that of the general rolling mill.

In summary, there are significant differences between general mills and universal mills in terms of design, function, application range, rolling effect and price. General mills are suitable for rolling some simple steel shapes, while universal mills have a wider range of applications and higher rolling accuracy. Therefore, when choosing a rolling mill, it is necessary to make comprehensive considerations based on actual production needs.

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