How to choose hot rolled aluminum ingots

With the continuous advancement of production technology, rolling equipment is developing towards large-scale, and the specifications of ingots are increasing. Ingots produced by iron molds and water-cooled mold casting methods cannot meet the needs of modern large-scale production and have been gradually replaced by semi-continuous casting. The ingots produced by semi-continuous casting have good quality and high tensile strength.
When selecting the size of the ingot, the thickness of the ingot should be considered first, followed by the width length or weight. Large-sized ingots are beneficial to improving product quality and yield, but the increase in the size of the ingot is limited by the alloy process performance, production method, product specifications, equipment conditions, and operator technical level. Therefore, the selection of ingot rules should be comprehensively considered based on various factors.

When selecting the thickness of the ingot, it is necessary to consider the rolling equipment and casting conditions. If the conditions such as the power of the hot rolling mill or the opening of the rolling mill permit, the thicker ingot should be selected as much as possible. The minimum thickness of the ingot is not only limited by the casting conditions, but also by the minimum processing rate of the aluminum plate If the processing rate of the aluminum plate is insufficient, the organization and performance of the aluminum plate cannot meet the requirements of the technical standards.

When selecting the ingot width, casting conditions and process conditions must be considered. Casting conditions must take into account the limitation of the ingot width-to-thickness ratio, which generally does not exceed 7. Process conditions must consider the method used for hot rolling, such as cross-rolling, forward rolling, or cross-forward rolling. To prevent cracking of the rolled piece, hard aluminum alloys generally use the cross-rolling method. At this time, the width of the ingot becomes the length of the rolled piece. The ingot length should be an integer multiple of the required width of the rolled piece, plus the head and tail length and saw cut length of the sawing. Soft aluminum alloys are generally rolled forward because of their good plasticity. At this time, the width of the ingot should meet the required width of the rolled piece. The ingot length is mainly based on the length of the rolling roller in front of the rolling mill, whether the hot rolling mill has a coiling device, and the maximum allowable weight of the reel.