How to start rolling ?

The rolling is very dependent on the material used, the thickness and the radius to be achieved. The operator's experience is an important element that allows parts to be rolled according to the desired tolerance requirements.

The manufacturers who embark on rolling, first by investing in a rolling machine, then by operating it, often do not have sufficient experience in the company. It is moreover skills which are also very difficult to find outside the company!

In this context, how to get started in a rolling activity?
 

To answer this question, Metal-Interface interviewed Etienne Camus and Françoise Vilbois from AMB Picot, a company specialized in the design and manufacture of rolling machines and software associated with these machines.

To introduce, Etienne Camus explains that «the lack of experience in the field of rolling must be compensated by software solutions.»

 

The results of rolling depends of many parameters, including:

• the nuance of material,

• the thickness,

• the angle to roll

• the mechanical features of the material.

The rolling software must therefore rely on a database and algorithms to anticipate the foreseeable reaction of the sheet metal on the rolling machine.

This database must integrate the most common material data on steel, stainless steel, aluminium, as well as the possibility of adding different materials, such as composites.

The software should guide step by step the operator who lacks experience, and allow the more experienced rollers to make the corrections to improve the quality of the program.

Etienne Camus adds that, « in the software we propose, EASYROLL (Picot Patent), the corrections automatically go back to the database and algorithms in order to improve the results. So the programs are improving as we go along!

We have also entered into a partnership with the manufacturer of composite panels, 3A Composites, to enrich our database for façade builders and users of Alucobond."

The number of rolls on a rolling machine has an impact on the precision of the parts, but also on the requirement from a programming point of view.

Thus, with a 3-rolls roll bending machine, the level of precision is optimal because each roller ensures the forming of the sheet metal. In comparison, a 4-rolls rolling machine tends to laminate the sheet metal. Indeed, one of the rolls is used to maintain the material, and thus exerts pressure on the part.

However, the use of a 3-rolls machine is more demanding because the material is less held. Hence the importance of the software to program this type of roll bending machine!

AMB PICOT proposes to discover its rolling machines and software for rolling at the Euroblech from 9 March 2021 to 12 March 2021, Hall 11, Stand A26.
 

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