Rolling mill coil-forming laying head with path or pipe components formed by laser sintering process

Abstract

A rolling mill coil-forming apparatus includes a rotating quill that supports an elongated path hollow structure, such as a laying head pipe, for receiving elongated material after it has been rolled. Any portion of the elongated path/pipe structure, including the entire structure is formed by a laser sintering (LS) process. Coil-forming apparatus elongated path/pipe components formed by a laser sintering process can be constructed in any three dimensional compound curve shape that can replicate the smooth, continuous curve elongated material transport path of known laying pipes, or any other desired path. Laser sintering path component fabrication processes facilitate construction of asymmetrical structures that cannot be readily fabricated with bent symmetrical wall pipe, tubing or other conduits. The LS fabricated structures facilitate formation of zones within the component, such as including by way of example wear-resistant zones, material stand off or material transport guide zones, or friction reducing zones.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.