A Windows™-Based Rolling Model for Long Products

A Microsoft Windows-based computer model, which enables prediction of temperatures, final microstructure and properties of hot-rolled steel, has been developed. Input parameters include chemistry and processing schedule. The model is based on a combination of a two-dimensional, finite difference, heat transfer model for the hot-rolling of long products, which was developed at McGill University, and a properties-prediction model assembled at the Metals Technology Laboratories of CANMET. The CANMET model was constructed based on the best information available in the literature and validated at CANMET. This model has proven to be effective for property prediction in low carbon (<0.2%) and Ti-Nb microalloyed steel used in plate rolling. It is being extended to include higher carbon steels and Ti-V alloys, and other types of rolling schedules, such as long products, which are characterized by short interpass times. The McGill/CANMET long products, heat transfer model has been developed with the objective of providing the model with an interface that would be intuitive to use. Therefore, a user-friendly, graphical interface was constructed. Thus, a potential user would need minimal instruction on how to use the model, as long as they have had experience with a mouse and menu-driven application.