Effects of operation parameters of cold rolling on surface finish of aluminum

The quality of cold-rolled aluminum products is dependent on a low surface roughness and a high surface finish. Accordingly, the present study develops a mixed lubrication model to examine the effects of the main rolling parameters. Cold rolling experiments are then performed on laboratory-scale high-speed cold mill system to evaluate the surface roughness and surface gloss of aluminum sheets processed under different operation conditions. The gloss measurements show that a lower proportion of protrusion of the bearing area ratio leads to a higher gloss of the rolled surface. Overall, the present theoretical and experimental results show that the surface quality of cold-rolled aluminum sheets can be enhanced through the use of a higher reduction rate or a lower roll speed.