Hot-rolling method of steel piece joint during continuous hot-rolling

A method for continuously hot-rolling a series of successive pieces of steel into a continuous strip, each of said pieces having a leading end and a rear end, wherein a rear end of a preceding steel piece and a leading end of a succeeding steel piece is butted and joined together, forming a joint therebetween and a non-stationary zone on either side of said joint, said butt-joined steel pieces being finish rolled by a continuous hot rolling mill facility provided with a plurality of rolling stands, each of said stands having a work roll that applies a force to said joint, the method comprising the steps of:

• estimating a variation of the rolling force experienced during a rolling of the joint of the steel pieces at the non-stationary zone caused by said joint;
• calculating a change in the bending force of the work roll during rolling the joint, said calculation determined from the estimated variation of the rolling force;
• determining a bending force pattern for changing the bending force:
• said pattern taking account of said changing force;
• and
• rolling the joint of the steel pieces by regulating the bending force in response to said bending force pattern over at least one stand, while tracking the joint immediately after joining.