Integrated study of load distribution between the working and support rollers of sheet straightening machines with one row of support rollers

For the roller straightening machines (RSM) that straighten sheets in small-batch production conditions, which is typical for enterprises manufacturing sheets from special grades of steels or non-ferrous metals, in particular titanium alloys, it is very difficult to perform a high-quality adjustment of the RSM, considering small volumes of products, a wide assortment and unstable temperature conditions of the rollers. In this case, the loads on the rollers can reach the maximum permissible levels and even exceed them. To assess the probability and conditions for the occurrence of overloads on the working and support rollers under conditions of instability of the straightening processes, a comprehensive method was developed for assessing the distribution of forces between the working and support rollers of the straightening machine. This technique takes into account an assemblage of various influencing factors, such as the presence of initial gaps between the rollers occurring in the process of tuning, the heating of the rollers, which is especially important for the cases of metal straightening at elevated temperatures. In addition, the design scheme of the roller system and its mathematical model are as close as possible to real conditions, namely: the influence of bending and shear deformation of the rollers, as much as the working and support roller's necks sizes, a strip width and the length of the support roller barrel are considered. In the suggested method of the combined deformation of the working and support rollers, the working roller was assumed as a multi-support beam with an elastic base on a central support. For straightening machines with one row of support rollers, calculated dependencies were obtained to find out the load on the support roller and analysis of the results for a 9-roller straightening machine was carried out, showing the conditions for the arising of rollers overload.