Controlling the profile of sheet during rolling thereof

A method of controlling the profile of a sheet material workpiece rolled by upper and lower working rolls comprising the steps of:

• first determining the profile in the axial direction of each working roll that varies during the time interval between one changing of the working rolls and another;
• second determining on the basis of the determined roll profiles, the relationship between the amounts of shifting in the roll position and the configuration of the gap between the upper and lower rolls in the axial direction, so as to determine the amount of shift in the roll position that will provide the smoothest possible configuration for said gap in the axial direction within the area of contact between the work and the working rolls;
• and
• shifting the positions of the upper and lower working rolls axially and in opposite directions in accordance with the amount of shift determined to provide the smoothest possible configuration for said gap in the axial direction.