Billet rolling mill equipped with a manipulator subassembly and method for controlling such a rolling mill

A method for controlling a rolling mill comprising two shaping rolls for shaping a blank to be shaped, each shaping roll being provided with at least one rolling tool and rotated about an axis of rotation by at least one respective drive motor, and a manipulator subassembly for moving the blank with respect to the shaping rolls, the manipulator subassembly comprising a clamp for gripping the blank, a carriage for moving the clamp at least along one direction of rolling of the blank and at least one linear motor for moving the carriage along the direction of rolling, wherein the method comprises operations implemented by powering a primary magnetic element of the linear motor and comprising:

• a first operation of accelerating the blank, in order to insert same between the rolling tools, at a speed synchronized with the speed of the rolling tools, followed by
• a second operation of selectively exerting on the blank in the process of being rolled, either a tensile force which tends to extract the blank from a gap defined between the rolling tools, or a braking force which tends to limit a speed of ejection of the blank.

A billet rolling mill comprising two shaping rollers for shaping a blank to be shaped, each shaping roll being provided with at least one rolling tool and rotated about an axis of rotation by at least one respective drive motor, and a manipulator subassembly for moving the blank with respect to the shaping rolls, the manipulator subassembly comprising a clamp for gripping the blank, a carriage for moving the clamp at least along a direction of rolling of the blank and at least one linear motor for moving the carriage along the direction of rolling, wherein

• the direction of rolling is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rolling tool and
• the linear motor is configured for accelerating the blank, so as to insert the blank between the rolling tools at a speed synchronized with the speed of the rolling tools, and to selectively exert on the blank either a tensile force which tends to extract the blank from a gap defined between the rolling tools, or a braking force which tends to limit a speed of ejection of the blank,
• a center distance between the axes of rotation of the shaping rolls is adjustable by a cam mechanism which exerts a force on the shaping rolls tending to reduce the center distance, and an elastic system which exerts a force on the shaping rolls tending to increase the center distance.