Aug 22 2006
Pohang Works succeeded in testing the world`s first endless hot rolling process using two overlapping bars on August 7, 2006.
POSCO has been teamed with a Japanese supplier to develop bar-joining technology since 1996 and, in March 2006, succeeded in testing the endless rolling technique at the Hot Strip Mill II.
The endless rolling technique is a type of shear distortion that uses the shear heat from cutting the bar with a knife to join the materials.
The endless rolling process operates by joining two bars with no delay time in between the rolling of them.
Unlike Japan`s welding method, the shear distortion joining is a solid phase welding using shear force, which accompanies high speed shear distortion, to join two bars. This method does not require a highly complicated facility and allows joining to occur in a short period of time. In addition, it is expected to be able to work on many different steel materials. Tests have revealed that while the technique improvements in joining and cropping processes are still needed, the existing facility is reliable enough to perform basic joining.
Pohang Works and the Technology Research Center are planning to make continuous efforts to stabilize and apply this endless rolling technique to product development.