The Cost of Steel Roll Formers
Roll forming is a metal fabrication technique that shapes steel into your desired product. The process combines multiple operations into one, cutting out secondary work that would be required with other fabrication methods.
It reduces end flare on high-strength steels such as dual-phase and martensitic because the leading and trailing edges are held in each forming station. It also increases productivity versus precut.
Cost
The cost of steel roll formers depends on a number of factors. The number of rolls, complexity of the tooling, and additional features like automation or material handling can all affect the final price. Additionally, a regular maintenance schedule can keep production running smoothly and reduce the chance of costly downtime.
One of the biggest costs is the tooling itself, which can be expensive and time consuming steel roll formers to set up. This is especially true for complex profiles that require multiple raft sets to form different cross sections of the same product. Ideally, it is best to consult with a reputable, experienced roll forming machine supplier to avoid any unexpected delays or problems.
In addition to its high efficiency, roll forming also saves money by eliminating the need for secondary processes. Traditional downstream processes like punching, clinching, and thread inserts can be integrated into the line, which decreases human labor and overhead costs. Additionally, fewer metals are required for the process than for typical bending operations.
A quality steel roll forming machine should be properly maintained to ensure optimal performance and long lifespan. This includes regular inspections, cleaning, lubrication, and calibration. It is also important to develop a routine maintenance schedule for the machine and its components to prevent breakdowns and extend its life. The frequency of these maintenance tasks will depend on the specific machine specifications.
Precision
Roll forming is an ideal solution for complex metal components with tight tolerances. The process is easy to control, which allows for precise dimensions and sharp contours. It is also possible to work with a variety of shapes and materials, including ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
Tolerances in steel roll forming are determined by several factors, including the number of bends in a part and the mechanical properties of the material. For example, the tensile strength of the material influences springback. The angular change of the profile increases with increased tensile strength, but this can be reduced by selecting the appropriate tool set-up for the specific material.
Another factor that impacts tolerance is the length of the piece. Long pieces tend to have a wavy, curvilinear shape that can impact the precision of the finished product. However, this can be eliminated by tension-leveling the coil before feeding it into the machine.
Equipment setup and adjustment remains a significant problem for most roll forming manufacturers. Formal training in these areas is often lacking, and the task is left to employees to observe and learn through on-the-job experience. This can result in poor workmanship and small roll forming machine damage to the machine and tools. Even the slightest change in material thickness can alter the settings on critical forming stations, and require time-consuming resets.
Flexibility
Roll forming is a highly flexible manufacturing process for producing metal components. It uses long coils of flat metal that are fed through a line of successive rollers to create a desired cross-sectional profile. It is particularly well suited to high-volume production because of its ability to shape multiple parts in parallel. This can reduce cycle times and increase productivity. It also eliminates the need for secondary operations such as cutting, punching, and notching.
The flexibility of steel roll forming is enhanced by using rafted systems, where the roll tooling for each pass is preloaded and preset on a set of shafts. This reduces the number of mistakes that could be made by an operator when manually changing between different profiles. It also increases productivity because it allows fabricators to make changes more quickly.
A key challenge when working with roll forming lines is controlling part quality. Defects like camber, bow, and twist can arise when the material yields differently in different locations on the strip. These defects can be caused by changes in path lengths, differences in the tensile strength of different areas, and variations in the elongations of the material.
To minimize these defects, the machine must be adjusted properly. This requires a good understanding of the material properties, as well as the correct adjustment procedures. In addition, it is important to have a suitable maintenance schedule to prevent damage to the shears and other parts of the machine. Another problem is end flare, which can occur when one section of the strip stretches more than the other. This can be reduced by adjusting the shear and by adding antiflare fixtures to the mill.
Durability
Steel roll forming has an advantage over other metalworking processes in that it produces one to three percent scrap, making it a cost-effective process. However, it still requires a large upfront investment to purchase and install the equipment and establish a skilled team. The high-precision production capability of the process allows for secondary operations like cutting, punching, embossing, and clinching to be performed directly on the line. This reduces the need for a separate post-processing step that significantly increases the overall cost of the finished product.
A major challenge with roll forming is dealing with material variations. Even a small change in material thickness from coil to coil can affect setting and tooling clearance on most forming stations, which requires time consuming resets. Additionally, physical properties such as yield, tensile, and hardness often vary, making it difficult to achieve desired tolerances.
Another major challenge is the tendency of a metal strip to spring back after bending. This occurs because bending puts the metal into a complicated state of stress, with transverse and longitudinal stresses acting on different parts of the strip. This is why it is important to design sufficient overbend into the roll tooling for each pass.
This challenge can be mitigated by using tools with a consistent profile and ensuring that the profile is aligned with the forming stand. Additionally, a proper maintenance schedule can minimize damage and wear on the forming rolls.
