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FM Global Data Sheet 7 - 21 Rolling Mill
FM Global Data Sheet 7 - 21 Rolling Mill
ROLLING MILLS
Table of Contents
Page
List of Figures
Fig. 1a. Location of deluge protection for an individual rolling mill stand (longitudinal view) ...................... 4
Fig. 1b. Location of deluge protection for an individual rolling mill stand (transverse view) ....................... 4
Fig. 2. Dust cap for deluge sprinklers ......................................................................................................... 5
Fig. 3. Older-style edge stand drive motor arrangement ............................................................................ 8
Fig. 4. Direct-drive edge stand arrangement ............................................................................................... 8
Fig. 5 Sendzimir Mill (Z-Mill) ....................................................................................................................... 12
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7-21 Rolling Mills
Page 2 FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets
1.0 SCOPE
This data sheet covers steel rolling mill processes and their corresponding hazards. This document provides
suitable automatic fire detection, protection, and process interlock schemes for rolling mills.
This data sheet does not cover aluminum rolling mills. Refer to Data Sheet 7-64, Aluminum Industry, for
guidance on aluminum rolling mills.
1.1 Changes
This is the first publication of this document.
2.1.1 General
2.1.1.1 Ensure critical electrical cables are not exposed to hot metals or radiant heat.
2.1.1.2 Locate transformers in accordance with Data Sheet 5-4, Transformers.
2.1.1.3 Do not locate lubrication oil or hydraulic oil systems within electrical control or motor control rooms.
2.1.1.4 Provide adequate cooling for electrical control and motor control rooms. Locate the fresh air-intake
to avoid warm air or rolling fluid mist from the mills.
2.2 Occupancy
2.2.1 Use FM Approved industrial fluids for hydraulic mill equipment and non-ignitable rolling medium if
possible. If ignitable hydraulic fluids or rolling medium are used, protect the mill in accordance with Section
2.3.
2.3 Protection
2.3.1 General
2.3.1.1 Protect grouped electrical cables in accordance with Data Sheet 5-31, Cables and Bus Bars.
2.3.1.2 Design the automatic fire protection system in accordance with Data Sheet 5-31, Cables and Bus
Bars, and Data Sheet 5-32, Electronic Data Processing Systems. Provide smoke detection within electrical
rooms, control rooms, motor rooms, computer rooms, and cable tunnels. Link the detectors to a constantly
attended location. If the rooms are critical to production, the smoke detection system may be supplemented
with an automatic fire protection system to limit fire damage.
Typical automatic
sprinkler
Typical deluge
nozzle
Fig. 1a. Location of deluge protection for an individual rolling mill stand (longitudinal view)
Typical automatic
sprinkler
1 Hour fire
Typical deluge rated wall
nozzle
Fig. 1b. Location of deluge protection for an individual rolling mill stand (transverse view)
D. When automatic sprinklers or water spray nozzles are used to protect vertical surfaces, the area to
be taken into account is the area in the vertical plane.
E. Include a hose stream allowance of 500 gpm (1900 L/min) in the design.
F. Select the temperature rating of deluge sprinklers or nozzles based on maximum ambient temperature
foreseen on the press (at least 25°F [14°C] above maximum ambient temperature).
2.3.2.2.2 In cases where frequent small fires occur (such as on cold rolling mills using low flashpoint rolling
fluids), provide a CO2 system to supplement the water-based fire protection systems. Arrange the CO2
system to operate first, before the sprinkler system.
When CO2 protection is supplementing an automatic sprinkler system, the CO2 extinguishing system can
be manually or automatically actuated. The automatic sprinkler system must be automatically actuated.
2.3.2.2.3 Provide automatic sprinkler protection or deluge protection over all hydraulics packs on rolling mills
that use nonignitable liquids in accordance with Data Sheet 7-98, Hydraulics.
2.3.2.2.4 When a foam-water automatic sprinkler system is provided to supplement a wet-pipe automatic
sprinkler system, or as an alternative to emergency drainage, use the following design criteria:
A. Install the system in accordance with Data Sheet 4-12, Foam-Water Sprinkler Systems.
B. Design the sprinkler system in accordance with this data sheet (7-21) or the FM Approval listing density,
whichever is larger, over the full demand area.
C. Design the foam concentrate supply to provide the full sprinkler discharge (use actual discharge based
on water supply), plus any hose streams also arranged to provide foam discharge, for the following amount
of time:
1. 10 minutes in areas provided with fully adequate emergency floor drainage.
2. 20 minutes in areas with limited or no emergency floor drainage.
3. The duration of any spilling ignitable liquids where the potential release point is more than 3 ft (0.9
m) above the floor.
2.4.1.8 Periodically check the water-cooled cables on the reheat furnace for tightness.
Roll Roll
Slab in edger stand
Reducer
gears
Pinion Motor
Bull
Pinion shaft
Motor Motor
Roll Roll
Slab in edger
of purchasing them in an emergency situation. Consider providing a blank casting of key gears as this
will help shorten the lead time for fabrication.
E. Rolling mill motors and drive power supplies: one complete identical spare motor of each type. An
alternative is a spare motor of a generator that can be adapted to fit in the same place.
F. Rectifier transformer: one complete spare of equal rating.
2.4.2.11.1 An alternative to providing adequate spares is to provide a contingency plan for a breakdown event.
In order for the contingency plan to be a viable alternative, the lost production time must be considerably
less than the replacement time of the parts. Review the contingency plan on an annual basis.
2.4.2.12 Ensure all spare parts are stored in a clean, dry location free of combustibles where they are not
exposed to impact or molten metals. Ensure protective coatings or wrappings (if needed) are in place to
prevent corrosion or deterioration.
2.6.3 Use a hot work permit system when hot work operations cannot be avoided. Refer to Data Sheet 10-3,
Hot Work Management. If hot work is being undertaken near or on the rolling mill, thoroughly clean (wash
down) the mill to remove any combustible deposits, and isolate the roiling fluid and hydraulic systems prior
to the hot work being started.
2.6.4 Provide appropriate electrically rated equipment in locations where ignitable liquids with flash points
at or below 100°F (38°C) are handled or stored, or where any ignitable liquid is heated above its flash point
(including possible ambient temperatures). Refer to Data Sheet 7-32, Ignitable liquid Operations, and Data
Sheet 7-29, Ignitable Liquid Storage in Portable Containers, for further information.
2.6.5 Ensure electrical wiring insulation is compatible with the type of coolant fluid being used on the rolling
mill. Refer to Data Sheet 7-31, Cutting Oils, and Data Sheet 5-1, Electrical Equipment in Hazardous
(Classified) Locations, for further details.
3.1 General
After molten metal has been either poured into ingot molds or cast into slabs, blooms, or billets, it is considered
to be in a semi-finished form. Depending upon the product being made, the metal is next processed by rolling
it into a particular shape. This is done by rolling the semi-finished material on a hot mill, and sometimes on
a cold rolling mill after the hot mill process. Cold rolling is conducted when the temperature of the metal is
below the re-crystallization temperature (approximately 1000°F [538°C] for carbon steel).
Rolling is often a chain of separate operations that progressively re-form the metal to its desired end product
and metallurgical properties. Whether it is a hot rolling or cold rolling process, the rolling mill generally
deforms the material between cylindrical rotating rolls.
The hot rolling mill arrangement can vary widely depending on the products being manufactured and the
desired properties of the metals. Semi- finished products are first heated in a re-heat furnace until they are
red hot (approximately 2,200°F—2,600°F [1200°C—1400°C]).
There are various types of reheat furnaces, but they generally fall into two types: batch and continuous.
Reheat furnaces are usually installed in groups. The combustion safety devices on a reheat furnace should
be arranged as outlined in Data Sheet 6-10, Process Furnaces. Flame supervision may not be required due
to the high temperatures maintained within the furnace. In existing furnaces, safeguards may be lacking.
Close proximity of the reheat furnaces to one another can mean that if an combustion fuel-related explosion
occurs on one furnace, it may damage the combustion controls of the adjacent furnace. This makes spare
components for the combustion controls extremely important to help reduce potential downtime. Similarly,
testing of the combustion safeguards is crucial to helping identify potential problems.
As a hot slab approaches the roughing mill, it is blasted with high-pressure water spray (2500—3000 psi
[172—207 bar]) to remove surface scale. The system for providing the water pressure typically involves a
group of two or more multi-stage centrifugal pumps and one or more de-scale accumulator tanks (often called
accumulator bottles).
The rolls are driven by electric motors ranging from several hundred to several thousand horsepower (tens
to hundreds of kilowatts). Lubrication fluids are needed for the mill gear boxes and rotating rolls. Hydraulic
fluids are needed to help exert force on the rolls. The lubricating and hydraulic fluids in a rolling mill process
usually involve grease, petroleum-based lubricating oil, and hydraulic fluid that may be petroleum-based,
water-based with additives such as glycol, or synthetic solutions. The petroleum-based lubricating mediums
and hydraulic fluids generally have flash points ranging from 300°F to 550°F (150°C to 290°C).
Hot rolling normally uses water as a rolling medium on the mill stands.
Most cold rolling processes use some type of rolling fluid, although there are a few that do not use a rolling
medium (e.g., temper mills, skin pass mills). The rolling medium can be a water-oil emulsion, with less than
5% oil and the remaining content water. The oil and water mixture provides cooling and lubrication for the
rolling process. Other media could be kerosene or tallow.
Fume exhaust systems are often provided to remove the rolling medium vapor but are not 100% effective.
As a result, there are fugitive vapors that escape the fume exhaust system and migrate just beyond the actual
rolling area outside the mill and into the open building area. The vapor eventually condenses on cooler
surfaces of the mill, nearby equipment, and the walls and roof of the building. The condensed water
evaporates into the air, but the flammable portion of the rolling medium does not. The remaining residue from
the condensed vapor results in a combustible film on all the above-mentioned surfaces.
4.0 REFERENCES
4.1 FM Global
Data Sheet 2-0, Installation Guidelines for Automatic Sprinklers
Data Sheet 4-12, Foam-Water Sprinkler Systems
Data Sheet 5-1, Electric Equipment in Hazardous (Classified) Locations
Data Sheet 5-4, Transformers
Data Sheet 5-20, Electrical Testing
Data Sheet 5-31, Cables and Bus Bars
Data Sheet 6-0, Elements of Industrial Heating Equipment
Data Sheet 6-3, Induction and Dielectric Heating Equipment
Data Sheet 6-10, Process Furnaces
Data Sheet 7-31, Cutting Oils
Data Sheet 7-32, Ignitable Liquid Operations
Data Sheet 7-64, Aluminum Industry
Data Sheet 7-83, Drainage and Containment Systems for Ignitable Liquids
Data Sheet 7-78, Industrial Exhaust Systems
Data Sheet 7-98, Hydraulic Fluids
Data Sheet 7-104, Metal Treatment Processes
Data Sheet 9-0/17-0, Maintenance and Inspection
Data Sheet 10-3, Hot Work Management
Data Sheet 12-0, Applicable Pressure Equipment Codes and Standards
Data sheet 13-7, Gears
Saddles
2nd intermediate
rolls
B C
A D
H E
Driven rolls G F
Steckel Mill: Uses two coils of sheet steel to feed the sheet back and forth through the mill, rather than driving
it through with the rollers. If a steckel mill is being used in hot rolling, a furnace is located at each end to
help maintain the steel at the desired temperature. There are no furnaces present if the steckel mill is being
used for cold rolling. Steckel mills are commonly used for stainless or acid-resistant grade steel, nickel and
cobalt alloys, or titanium alloys.
Strip Mill: Produces hot rolled sheet. In general, these mills consist of a reversing rougher and multiple
finishing mill stands. Upon exiting the last finishing mill stand, the sheet is wound into coils. A strip mill can
also be arranged so the metal passes only one way through the mill. If this arrangement is being used there
are normally multiple stands arranged far apart for the metal to pass through. This type of arrangement was
very popular in the 1970s.
Tandem Mill: The metal passes through the mill only one way. As the metal passes from one mill stand to
the next, the thickness of the metal is incrementally reduced. The number of stands in a tandem mill can range
from 2 to 18. A tandem mill can be used in both hot and cold rolling.
Universal Mill: Is a combination of a roughing mill and edging mill, which uses both vertical and horizontal
to shape the metal.
Wreck: A controlled stop on a cold rolling mill.