Rolling method for strip rolling mill and strip rolling equipment

A rolling method for a rolling facility including a pair of upper and lower work rolls for rolling a strip of material, intermediate rolls for supporting each of the work rolls, back-up rolls for supporting each of the intermediate rolls, a work roll drive mechanism for moving the work rolls in directions of work roll axes, and an intermediate roll drive mechanism for moving the intermediate rolls in directions of intermediate roll axes, wherein each of the work rolls is provided with a tapered portion near one end thereof and the tapered portions of the work rolls are arranged on opposite sides of roll bodies thereof with respect to the work roll axis directions, comprising the steps of:

• performing reversible rolling by reversing a rolling direction of the strip of material;
• during all rolling passes in the reversible rolling, fixing axial positions of the work rolls at desired positions so that the work rolls are not axially moved and surface defects are prevented from being caused in the strip of material by strip edge marks in surfaces of the work rolls;
• and
• performing the rolling while positioning points at which the tapered portions of the work rolls start within a width of the strip of material and while changing axial positions of the intermediate rolls to control a thickness distribution in a width direction of the strip of material so that an edge drop of the strip of material is improved.