Method for producing flanged structural products directly from slabs

A method for producing a flanged product of predetermined dimensions and shape from a slab, said flanged product having a web to flange area ratio A.sub.w /A.sub.f, comprising the steps:

• a) introducing directly into a universal mill a slab having a cross section thickness t.sub.s and a predetermined cross section depth d.sub.s ;
• b) compressing between opposed web rolls in the universal mill a web portion of said slab to an intermediate thickness t.sub.n, at least one web roll having a roll width equal to a web depth d.sub.w of said predetermined dimensions of said flanged product;
• c) compressing by at least one flange roll in the universal mill, and substantially concurrently with step (b), said slab depth d.sub.s to an intermediate depth d.sub.n, the at least one flange roll compressing flange portions of said slab located in regions not compressed by the opposed web rolls and causing said flange portions to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to said web portion;
• d) adjusting incrementally at least one of the opposed web rolls in a direction to reduce said intermediate thickness t.sub.n, and compressing said slab with the opposed web rolls to incrementally further reduce said intermediate thickness t.sub.n ;
• e) adjusting incrementally the at least one flange roll in a direction to reduce said intermediate depth d.sub.n, and compressing said slab with the at least one flange roll to incrementally further reduce said intermediate depth d.sub.n and further extend said flange portions in a direction substantially perpendicular to said web portion;
• and
• f) repeating steps (d) and (e) until said intermediate thickness t.sub.n equals a web thickness t.sub.w of said predetermined dimensions of said flanged product.

A method for producing a wide flange product of predetermined dimensions and shape from a preheated slab, said wide flange product having a predetermined area ratio of web to flanges A.sub.w /A.sub.f, comprising the steps:

• a) introducing directly into a universal mill a preheated slab having extended length and having a cross section with a thickness t.sub.s and a predetermined width d.sub.s ;
• b) passing said slab between a first pair of opposed rolls in the universal mill, the first pair of opposed rolls having a width less than said slab width d.sub.s, said width of the first pair of rolls equalling an inside distance between said flanges of said wide flange product, the first pair of rolls compressing said slab thickness t.sub.s to an intermediate thickness t.sub.n ;
• c) passing said slab substantially concurrently between a second pair of opposed rolls in the universal mill, a rotating axis of the first roll pair being at a right angle to a rotating axis of the second roll pair, the second roll pair compressing said slab width d.sub.s to an intermediate width d.sub.n, portions of said slab, located in regions not compressed by the first roll pair, extending generally perpendicular to a direction of said passing of said slab between the rolls as a result of said compressings by the roll pairs;
• d) incrementally moving at least a roll of each of the roll pairs to reduce a first spacing between the first pair of rolls and to reduce a second spacing between the second pair of rolls;
• e) passing said slab simultaneously between the first and second pairs of rolls to incrementally further reduce said intermediate thickness t.sub.n and said intermediate width d.sub.n ;
• f) repeating steps d) and e) until said intermediate thickness t.sub.n equals a web thickness t.sub.w of said predetermined dimensions of said wide flange product, and until simultaneously said intermediate width d.sub.n equals a depth d of said predetermined dimensions of said wide flange product.

A method for producing a wide flange product having a web and flanges, comprising the steps:

• a) introducing directly into a universal mill a preheated slab having extended length, a cross section thickness t.sub.s and a cross section width d.sub.s ;
• b) passing said slab between a first pair of opposed rolls within the universal mill, the first pair of opposed rolls having a width less than said slab width d.sub.s and approximately equalling an inside distance between said flanges of said wide flange product, the first pair of rolls compressing said slab thickness t.sub.s to an intermediate thickness t.sub.n ;
• c) passing said slab concurrently between a second pair of opposed rolls within the universal mill, a rotating axis of the first roll pair being at a right angle to a rotating axis of the second roll pair, the second roll pair compressing said slab width d.sub.s to an intermediate width d.sub.n, portions of said slab, located in regions not compressed by the first roll pair, extending generally perpendicular to a direction of said passing of said slab between the rolls as a result of said compressing by the roll pairs;
• d) incrementally moving at least a roll of each of the roll pairs to reduce a first spacing between the first pair of rolls and to reduce a second spacing between the second pair of rolls;
• e) passing said slab simultaneously between the first and second pairs of rolls to incrementally further reduce said intermediate thickness t.sub.n and said intermediate width d.sub.n.