Ruesch 6" x 11" 2-High Rod Lab Rolling Mill

Description

Ruesch 6" x 11" 2-High Rod Laboratory Rolling Mill
MACHINE OVERVIEW

The Ruesch 6" x 11" 2-High Rod Laboratory Rolling Mill is a heavy-duty grooved rolling mill that will be factory refurbished by International Rolling Mills (IRM) for laboratory research, process development, material testing, and small-batch production applications. The mill utilizes approximately 6" diameter x 11" wide grooved rolls incorporating 10 modified-square grooves ranging from approximately 0.825" down to 0.372".

The machine is well suited for progressive reduction and shaping of metallic rod and bar through a series of grooved passes. Its substantial mill construction, variable-speed operation, and available process-control and instrumentation options provide a versatile platform for universities, research laboratories, material producers, and industrial development facilities.

The mill is equipped with a 10 HP drive system and dual independently operated mechanical screwdowns for roll adjustment. As part of the refurbishment, IRM will inspect and recondition the machine and supply new modern electrical controls with variable-frequency drive (VFD) operation for smooth, adjustable rolling speed. Electrical supply voltage, rolling-speed range, controls, and other features can be configured around the customer's facility and intended application.

For applications involving repeated elevated-temperature rolling, the Heated Roll Package is recommended. Preheating the rolls reduces the temperature differential between the heated workpiece and roll surfaces, helping minimize thermal shock and establish a more stable thermal condition during rolling.

MILL CONSTRUCTION

The mill utilizes a heavy-duty cast frame and housing assembly designed to provide the rigidity and stability required for laboratory and process-development rolling applications. The substantial housings support the upper and lower roll assemblies and maintain their relationship under rolling loads.

The machine's construction provides a rigid platform for the grooved roll assemblies, mechanical screwdowns, drivetrain, guarding, and optional instrumentation. Maintaining roll alignment is particularly important in grooved rolling because the corresponding upper and lower groove profiles must remain properly positioned as material progresses through the roll sequence.

As part of the IRM factory refurbishment, the mill frame, housings, mounting surfaces, screwdowns, drivetrain, and related structural and mechanical components will be inspected and restored as appropriate.

ROLL ASSEMBLY & BEARINGS

The mill is equipped with approximately 6" diameter x 11" wide grooved upper and lower rolls incorporating 10 modified-square grooves ranging from approximately 0.825" down to 0.372". The progressive groove arrangement allows material to be worked through successively smaller passes for controlled reduction and shaping of the cross section.

The roll assemblies and bearings will be inspected and serviced or replaced as required during the IRM factory refurbishment. The rolls will also be inspected and reconditioned as appropriate for the final machine configuration.

The listed groove sizes represent nominal roll-groove dimensions and should not be interpreted as guaranteed finished material dimensions. Actual rolled dimensions will depend on material spread, groove fill, reduction schedule, material properties, temperature, roll condition, and other process variables.

For elevated-temperature applications, the existing rolls can be evaluated for modification as part of the optional Heated Roll Package. IRM intends to evaluate the existing grooved rolls for boring and installation of internal cartridge heaters. If the existing rolls cannot be suitably bored or modified for internal heating, new heated grooved rolls may be required.

ROLL ADJUSTMENT / SCREWDOWN

The mill is supplied standard with dual independently operated mechanical screwdowns, with a dedicated handwheel for each side of the upper roll assembly. Each handwheel adjusts its respective screw independently, providing a simple, rugged, and reliable means of establishing roll position and correcting roll parallelism.

Independent screwdown adjustment is particularly useful with grooved rolls because it allows the relationship between the upper and lower groove profiles to be properly established during machine setup.

For applications requiring powered adjustment, improved setup repeatability, or integration with advanced machine controls, an optional Electro-Mechanical Power Screwdown Package is available.

DRIVE SYSTEM

The mill is equipped with a 10 HP drive system suitable for laboratory, research, process-development, and small-batch rod rolling applications. The drivetrain will be inspected and serviced as required during the IRM factory refurbishment, including evaluation of the motor, gearbox, couplings, bearings, and related drive components.

The machine will be supplied with a modern variable-frequency drive (VFD) to provide smooth variable-speed operation. Adjustable rolling speed allows the operator to select an appropriate roll speed based on the material, reduction schedule, temperature, and process requirements.

The final rolling-speed range and electrical supply voltage can be configured around customer requirements at the time of order.

CONTROLS & OPERATION

The refurbished mill will be supplied with new modern electrical controls configured for straightforward and reliable operation. The control system will incorporate the variable-frequency drive, machine start/stop functions, adjustable roll speed, forward/reverse operation, emergency-stop circuitry, and other controls and safety functions appropriate to the final machine configuration.

The operator station, electrical enclosure, VFD, safety circuitry, and related electrical components will be integrated as part of the IRM factory refurbishment.

Additional HMI functionality, process instrumentation, data acquisition, powered screwdown controls, temperature controls, and communications can be incorporated where required by the selected options.

IRM FACTORY REFURBISHMENT

The Ruesch 6" x 11" Rod Laboratory Rolling Mill will undergo a comprehensive IRM factory refurbishment prior to shipment. The machine will be disassembled and inspected as required, with major mechanical and electrical components evaluated for condition and serviceability.

Refurbishment may include cleaning and preparation of major components, inspection and servicing of the roll assemblies and bearings, inspection of the mechanical screwdowns and drivetrain, repair or replacement of worn components as required, and restoration of machine surfaces and finishes. The refurbishment will also include new modern electrical controls with variable-frequency drive (VFD) operation, along with appropriate operator controls, emergency-stop circuitry, guarding, and safety components for the final machine configuration.

The completed mill will be reassembled, adjusted, lubricated, and functionally tested at IRM prior to shipment. The final machine configuration will be established based on the condition of the existing equipment and the customer's selected options and application requirements.

AVAILABLE CONFIGURATIONS & OPTIONAL FEATURES

The Ruesch 6" x 11" 2-High Rod Laboratory Rolling Mill can be configured at the time of order with a range of optional systems to support elevated-temperature rolling, process measurement, data acquisition, automated roll adjustment, and specialized research applications.

Many of these configurations affect the roll assembly, controls, guarding, or machine construction and should therefore be specified at the time of order.

Heated Roll Package – Recommended for applications involving repeated elevated-temperature rolling. Cartridge heaters installed internally within the rolls provide controlled roll heating, with thermocouples and closed-loop temperature controllers providing real-time temperature monitoring and feedback. The standard heated-roll configuration can be designed for controlled roll temperatures up to approximately 450°F (232°C). The workpiece entering the roll bite may be at a substantially higher temperature than the controlled roll temperature. Preheating the rolls reduces the temperature differential between the heated workpiece and roll surfaces, helping minimize thermal shock and establish a more stable thermal condition during rolling. For this machine, IRM intends to evaluate the existing grooved rolls for boring and installation of cartridge heaters. If the existing rolls cannot be suitably bored or modified for internal heating, new heated grooved rolls may be required. Higher controlled roll temperatures can also be evaluated but may require alternate roll and bearing configurations and related thermal design considerations.
Load Cell Package – Load cells can be incorporated into the mill to provide real-time measurement of separating force during rolling. Rolling-force information can be displayed through the machine controls and incorporated into an optional data-acquisition system for process monitoring, testing, and research applications.
Data Acquisition System – Available machine and process parameters can be monitored and recorded for research, process development, and documentation. Depending on the selected instrumentation, available data may include rolling force, roll speed, motor current, roll temperature, roll position, and other process signals. Data can be recorded in CSV format to an SD card, or an optional Ignition-based system can be configured to write available process data to the customer's server or network.
Electro-Mechanical Power Screwdown Package – The standard dual independently operated mechanical screwdowns can be replaced with powered electro-mechanical screwdowns utilizing dedicated motors, heavy-duty precision gearboxes, and position feedback. The screwdowns can be operated together for overall roll-position adjustment or independently for roll-parallelism correction. Digital roll-position references can be displayed through a touchscreen HMI for convenient and repeatable machine setup. These position values provide a reference for roll position and do not constitute direct measurement of finished material thickness.
Heated Entry Table – A heated entry table can be incorporated to help maintain workpiece temperature immediately before the material enters the rolls. The system can be configured for temperatures up to approximately 700°F (371°C) and can include an insulated removable stainless-steel cover and material-pushing arrangement where appropriate. This option can be particularly useful for warm rolling of lower-temperature alloys and applications where maintaining workpiece temperature between heating and rolling is important.
Custom Grooved Roll Sets – Additional or replacement roll sets can be supplied with groove sequences designed around the customer's material, starting geometry, intermediate reductions, and desired finished profile. Groove configurations can include modified-square, oval, round, rectangular, and other application-specific profiles where appropriate. Roll material, hardness, surface finish, and groove geometry can be selected around the intended application.
Spare Rolls, Tooling & Replacement Parts – Additional grooved roll sets, specialized tooling, guides, bearings, drive components, and recommended replacement parts can be supplied to support future maintenance, alternate applications, or additional groove configurations.
Custom Engineering & System Integration – IRM can engineer additional equipment and functionality around the mill, including contact or non-contact thickness gauging, custom entry and exit material handling, guides, automated feeding and handling equipment, specialized guarding, instrumentation and sensors, HMI and control functionality, automation, communications, and integration with customer equipment or facility systems.

PROCESS CAPABILITY

The Ruesch 6" x 11" 2-High Rod Laboratory Rolling Mill provides a versatile platform for laboratory research, process development, material testing, and small-batch rod rolling. The installed roll set incorporates 10 modified-square grooves ranging from approximately 0.825" down to 0.372", providing a progressive series of passes for controlled cross-sectional reduction and shaping.

The mill can be used to develop reduction schedules, evaluate material behavior through successive rolling passes, conduct process trials, and investigate the effects of rolling parameters on material and finished-section characteristics. Additional grooved roll sets can be supplied where different starting sections, intermediate reductions, or finished profiles are required.

For repeated elevated-temperature rolling, the optional Heated Roll Package is recommended to reduce the temperature differential between the heated workpiece and roll surfaces and help minimize thermal shock.

Actual rolling performance, reduction capability, finished dimensions, surface condition, and dimensional results will vary based on material properties, starting geometry, temperature, reduction schedule, lubrication, roll condition, groove fill, material spread, and other process variables. IRM can assist with machine selection, application evaluation, and material testing where appropriate to establish a suitable equipment configuration for the intended process.

SAFETY

IRM rolling mills are industrial metal-processing machines intended for operation by trained and qualified personnel. Machines are supplied with guarding and safety features appropriate to the specified configuration; however, final safeguarding requirements may vary based on the installation, material-handling arrangement, and intended application.

The customer is responsible for ensuring that the completed installation and operation comply with applicable safety requirements and for providing any additional site- or application-specific safeguarding required for its use.

WARRANTY

New and IRM factory-refurbished equipment is supplied with IRM's standard one-year limited warranty, covering defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service. See IRM's Standard Terms and Conditions for complete warranty terms, limitations, and exclusions.

REPRESENTATIVE IMAGES

Images shown are representative of the machine and may depict the equipment before refurbishment, optional equipment, or a different configuration. Actual equipment may vary in appearance, paint, guarding, controls, accessories, and other details based on the final refurbished machine configuration and selected options.