| A sensor for measuring the forces occurring in the roll gap of an experimental rolling mill was designed, manufactured and tested. The sensor used was a cone shaped design, instrumented with strain gauges, buried approximately 0.020 inches below the surface of the roll in a sealed sensor block. A data acquisition system was developed using Labview. Testing was done based on Alcoa's specifications using several different lubricants, as well as a number of different surface finishes. The sensor produced excellent results for forces in the normal direction, giving a 1:1 ratio between the internally measured value and the roll separating bridge value. The torque readings had excellent consistency across all reductions, and when coefficients of friction were found based on these internally measured rolling forces, they corresponded well to previously measured values by other researchers. The shape of the friction and normal force curves also corresponded very well with previously measured data. Overall, the sensor responded well to different lubricants and surface finishes. |
