Control process for continuous skin pass operation for metal strip

A method of controlling a continuous skin-pass and reduction operation for a metal strip, comprising the steps of:

• passing a strip through a gap between working rollers of at least two successive rolling stands, only an upstream one of said stands, as viewed in a direction of movement of the strip, providing substantial thickness reduction of the strip;
• determining an extension rate of the strip provided by the upstream stand;
• determining a tension of the strip downstream of said upstream stand;
• adjusting the speed of the working rollers of the upstream stand compared to the speed of the working rollers of a downstream one of said stands according to the determination of the extension rate;
• and
• adjusting the squeezing force of the upstream stand according to the downstream tension determination,
• wherein a response time to the step of adjustment of the squeezing force is longer than a response time to the step of adjusting the speed of the working rollers.