Stability analysis of chatter on a tandem rolling mill

A great difficulty in designing and operating a rolling mill is the accurate prediction of the onset of chatter. The lack of both precise rolling process models and of analytical methods for the investigation of mill stability have forced designers and users to rely on experience and trial-and-error, which are time consuming and cost demanding. In this paper, a comprehensive rolling process model is introduced to form the foundation of chatter analysis that includes a range of possible process variations. Analytical chatter models for both single- and multiple-stand rolling mills are constructed which account for interactions between mill structure and rolling process, as well as between adjacent stands. Stability analysis is performed to formulate criteria for rolling mill design and operation. Finally, simulations and experiments are presented in order to verify some basic components of the rolling process model that constitute the proposed chatter models.