Development of a Continuous Rolling Process for Titanium Wires

摘要

Manufacturing grade-2 titanium rods and wires imposes significant challenges on a continuous, high-speed rolling process due to its narrow operating temperature window. Certain manufacturers therefore adopted reversing rolling processes to obtain better control of both temperature and quality. This study utilizes numerical simulations to develop the optimal working condition, which facilitated a steel wire production line to successfully roll 18mm and 9mm titanium wire rods. The product dimensions satisfied JIS product specifications with the required surface and microstructure qualities. The results demonstrated that numerical simulation was an excellent complimentary tool in providing guidelines on challenging rolling procedures. The success of the production not only lowered product costs but also promoted a more efficient manufacturing process.