Numerical Analysis of Roughness Transfer Mechanism during Skin-Pass Rolling

Abstract:

Skin-pass rolling is a finishing process characterized by very small thickness reductions, primarily applied to control surface texture and mechanical properties of rolled steel strips. A key outcome of this process is the transfer of surface roughness from the work roll to the strip, which is governed by local contact conditions at the roll–strip interface. In this study, roughness transfer during skin-pass rolling of DX56 steel sheets is investigated using a combined macro–micro finite element modeling approach supported by pilot-mill experiments. Rolling trials were conducted to measure thickness reduction and resulting surface roughness under different rolling forces and entry tensions. A macro-scale rolling model was first employed to estimate effective friction coefficients by reproducing the experimentally observed thickness reductions for each rolling condition. These calibrated friction coefficients were subsequently applied in a micro-scale finite element model incorporating an electro-discharge textured (EDT) roll surface to analyze local contact pressure, plastic strain accumulation, and roughness transfer mechanisms. The results show that increasing rolling force leads to higher contact pressures, longer roll bites, and enhanced asperity-scale plastic deformation, resulting in increased roughness transfer. Entry tension modifies the stress distribution within the roll bite, which facilitates localized yielding without inducing plastic deformation prior to roll entry. The simulations capture the qualitative trends of surface roughness evolution observed experimentally, demonstrating the capability of the proposed finite element framework to analyze roughness transfer mechanisms in skin-pass rolling.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1184)
• Pages: 43-52
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-06WuSM
• Online since: April 2026
• Authors: Hamed Aghajani Derazkola*, Leon Jacobs, Stamatis Kiakidis, Ton van den Boogaard, Javad Hazrati
• Keywords: Finite Element Model, Roughness Transfer, Skin-Pass Rolling

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