http://www.machineconcepts.

com/education-
training

Equipment Differences
Difference between a Flattener, Straightener,
and Leveler

Flattener

Design characteristics:
 Work rolls supported by bearings on the ends of the rolls only
 Normally fewer number or rolls (4 to 7)
 Relatively large diameter rolls
 Typically capable of 10% to 20% of material in yield
Operational characteristics:
 Only capable of removing coil set and maybe reduce some cross bow
 Typically used for heavier gage materials
 When working the material hard a flattener can actually induce edge wave
 Straightener

Design characteristics:
 Work rolls are supported by backup bearings along the full face
 Normally a larger number of rolls (10 to 20+)
 Close roll spacing with smaller diameter rolls
 Typically capable of 50% to 70% of material in yield
 Normally designed for narrow strip (less than 36") but can be designed for wider strip
 In general a much more precision machine than a flattener
Operational characteristics:
 Removes coil set and cross bow and maybe some edge wave and center buckle
 Typically used for lighter gage materials but can be designed for heavy gage
 Rolls stay straight no matter how hard you work the material (within the machine
design limits)
 Shape Correction Leveler

Design characteristics:
 Work rolls are supported by backup bearings along the full face of the work rolls
 Backup bearing rails either top or bottom can be adjusted up and down individually to
bow or bend the work rolls
 Normally a larger number of rolls (10 to 20+)
 Close roll spacing with smaller diameter rolls
 Typically capable of 50% to 80% of material in yield
 Normally designed for wider strip (greater than 36")
 In general a much more precision Machine
Operational characteristics:
 Removes coil set, cross bow, edge wave, center buckle, and combinations
 Machines have been built for all gage materials but more common for .015" to .250"
 Requires operator expertise to set up and operate properly
How bending the work rolls can correct strip shape
By bending the work rolls you can selectively work some zones of the strip (from edge
to edge) more than other zones causing elongation. The basic principle is to elongate
the short zones to match the length of the long zones.

Elongation occurs due to working the material and differential path length thru the
leveler.

Typical roll bending to eliminate center buckle. The short edges are worked harder
than the long center.

Typical roll bending to eliminate edge wave. The short center is worked harder than
the long edges.
 Tension Leveler

Design characteristics:
 Work rolls are supported by backup bearings along the full face of the work rolls top
and bottom to keep them straight. Normally intermediate rolls are used also
 Spread center distance between rolls with fewer number of work rolls, typically five
 Bridle sections before and after leveler section to pull very high strip tension through
leveler. All material is stretched beyond yield point
 Leveler section is normally very long with the bridles, takes a lot of space
 Very expensive equipment and high operating cost due to the very high tension
requirements
 In general a much more precision machine
Operational characteristics:
 Removes coil set, cross bow, edge wave, center buckle, combinations of defects, and
internal stress. Can also remove some camber as well
 Typically built for light gage material only
 Normally does not require much operator expertise to run
 Working metal strips through rolls

What happens when Metal Strip is worked through Rolls? To correct shape we need to
know the physical properties of the material.

 Thickness
 Width
 Yield strength - Stress or force it takes to permanently deform the material
 Modulus of elasticity - Ratio of strain (material deformation) to stress (force on the
material)
 Shape defect - Type of defect and severity

To illustrate these material properties a STRESS/STRAIN chart shows steel at two

different yield points and steel and aluminum with the same yield point.

When material is wrapped around a roll or bent into a curve the outer portion is
stretched and the inner portion is compressed.
When the strip is under little or no tension the effective bend radius of the material is
not necessarily determined by the roll diameter. The bend radius is actually
determined by the roll centers and penetration of the work rolls, basically a 3 point arc.

Feathering out the penetration:

 Tension on the strip:

 Reduce Bend Radius

 Tension adds to bending stress
 Shift neutral axis
Shape Defects
Virtually all shape defects in flat rolled strip are caused by non uniform dimensions and
most can be corrected. When flat metal strip is really flat all the dimensions of the strip
are equal. This means that thickness is uniform, the length of the strip is uniform from
edge to edge and in line with the strip. If any of these dimensions are not uniform the
strip tends to have bad shape.

Coil Set

Top side is longer than the bottom side in line with the length of the strip. Easy to
correct.

Cross Bow

Top or bottom side is longer than the other side. Length differential can be in line with
the strip or from edge to edge. Relatively easy to correct.
Edge Wave

Edges are longer than the center across the width and in line with the strip. More
difficult to correct but can be corrected.

Center Buckle

Center is longer than the edges across the width and in line with the strip. More
difficult to correct but can be corrected.

Camber

From edge to edge the strip gradually gets longer, basically a large arc. Can be
improved but very difficult to completely correct.
Crown

Thickness is greater in the center than the edges. Cannot be corrected with a leveler

Internal Stress
Strip appears flat but apposing internal deformities are present and cancel e ach other
out until released. Internal stress is a shape defect usually in the form of coil set, edge
wave, or center buckle that is not apparent until the material is cut, punched, or
processed later. Can be corrected but difficult to detect.

Shape Defect Measurement

In order to quantify a shape defect a unit of measurement is required. The most
common industry standard for measuring shape is the "I Unit".

I UNIT = (H / 2L) * 100,000