It’s understandable if your mind is stuck on a 3-roll plate rolling machine. It's undeniably a super-useful machine, but there’s a catch. These machines work best for thin metal plates, but the accuracy of rolling drops gradually afterward. This is where 4 roll plate rolling machines step in. They are highly precise and faster for thicker metal plates up to 150mm.
What we have shared is just one of the benefits of 4 roll plate bending machine. There are many more, and we will share them with you today. For basics, let’s first dive deep into the spectacular 4-roll plate rolling machine.
The 4-Roll Plate Rolling Machines: What They Are and How They Work?
All plate rolling machines have one idler roll, which is on top. A 4-plate rolling machine has one idler and three moving rolls. These rolls use mechanical and hydraulic power to roll metal plates.
Workshops worldwide use these machines to process metal plates into cones, cylinders, and arcs. Every large metal structure with a circular or round shape needs metal plates rolled according to requirements.
Here’s an image of the working mechanism of 4 roll plate rolling machine. We have explained all the steps for your understanding.
Step 1: The metal plate is fed between the top and bottom rolls of the machine.
Step 2: The right bottom roll moves down, creating space for the metal plate to pass through. At the same time, the left bottom roll moves up. This makes the metal plate roll due to the pressure and idler roll on the top.
Steps 3, 4 & 5: Rolling process continues. Metal plate nears its journey of serving purpose after being rolled and used in a final product.
Step 6: Both ends of the metal plate meet, and a cylindrical structure is achieved. You don’t always have to roll till a cylinder is formed. The requirements for angles and diameters would change depending on the plate rolling job you take on.
One thing to note is how much time-saving 4 roll bending machine can be. It allows operators to pre-bend and roll the end in half the time compared to the 3-roll plate rolling machine. That’s a great feature for any workshop. A 4-roll plate rolling machine has numerous other benefits too.
Benefits of 4 Roll Plate Rolling Machine
What do you expect your plate rolling machine to do for you? Save your time or produce the best results for you? How about one that does both and is also ridiculously easy to operate?
Let's roll into the 7 key benefits of a 4 roll plate rolling machine.
1) Easy Operation
The 4-roll plate rolling machine is widely acclaimed among operators for its inherent ease of operation. It is equipped with a secure sheet clamping mechanism which provides continuous support through the rolling process. Even novice operators can achieve precise pre-bending and tapering functions akin to seasoned operators.
2) Higher Efficiency
A 4-roll plate rolling machine is a big investment. As a workshop owner, you want to make the most out of your machine. With the availability of pre-bending, the received flat end has a small straight edge less than 1.5 times the thickness of a metal plate. Thus, you complete your production in half the time compared to a 3-roll plate rolling machine with the flattest end possible.
3) Higher Accuracy
One thing that keeps this machine on top of its 3-roll counterparts is the accuracy in the final results of the rolling job. More rolls add to precision and ensure the trajectory of rolling is maintained throughout the cycle. Independent axis present on either side further enhances accuracy and precision.
4) Cost-Effective Production
The machine's ability to perform pre-bending and rolling in a single pass eliminates the need for separate steps. So, the overall rolling time is reduced. There is no additional handling required. Precise control over the bending process ensures accurate and consistent results, reducing the likelihood of errors or rework. Generally, the waste is generated during post-rolling operations. No post-rolling operations mean no extra waste or cost for metal plates.
5) Rolling Different Shapes Easily
The additional rolls on the 4-roll plate rolling machine facilitate effortless cone rolling. Angular contact bearings, housed in chocks, enable the bottom and side rollers to tilt. It ensures the precise formation of a compact cone. The 4 plate rolling machine is equipped with a rotating cone shoe. This shoe securely holds the workpiece in position while conducting a rolling job.
The 4-roll plate rolling machine can assist in producing various shapes, including:
Cylinders
Tubes
Tubes with variable diameters
Semicircles
Half-pipes
Cones with different apex angles
Off-center cones
Elliptical shapes
Elliptical and Oval
Transitions between different shapes.
6) Solid Build Quality
The 4-roll plate rolling machine is made of thick steel plates and equipped with premium-grade components. It is required, given how easily a 4-roll plate rolling machine handles a heavy workload. Experienced and expert plate-bending machine manufacturers like us, Himalaya Machinery, use cutting-edge components and parts that can be replaced anywhere in the world. Factory-specific components and parts are best for selling machines in the local area.
7) Versatility
We kept this benefit for the last as it would fit anywhere. (See what we did there?) As thin as 2mm metal plates which a 3-roll plate rolling machine would handle nicely, to 150mm, which 3-roll cousins would never, are rolled with precision and accuracy with the help of a 4-roll plate rolling machine.
The benefits of a 4 roll plate rolling machine are not limited to the above-listed ones, but they are most certainly the key benefits, as we stated. You'd be curious which industry needs a 4-roll plate rolling machine the most. Worry not; we've got you covered.
Applications of 4-Roll Plate Rolling Machines
Are you wondering what these 4 roll plate rolling machines help produce? Large windmills, oil and water tanks, silos, rockets, and every metal equipment with rolled or bent metal plates are produced using a plate rolling machine. All industries around the world can utilize this machine. Some of them can do very well with other machines too.
But, if your workshop forms metal structures for any of the industries listed below, it is about time you invested in a 4-roll plate bending machine.
Use Case 1 - Ship Building: Shipbuilding requires a manufacturer to bend, roll, and curve the metal plates to form the different parts such as ship hulls, decks, bulkheads, and the propeller.
Use Case 2 - Rocket Shell Fabrication: It is as obvious as it seems. The body of the rocket is cylindrical, the tip of the rocket is a cone, and it also has cylindrical structures that work as boosters. Rockets are expensive, and a manufacturer wouldn’t use less precise or less accurate machines to manufacture them.
Use Case 3 - Wind Energy: Large poles, big wings, and other inner structures of windmills and win turbines require thick metal plates to be forged in desired shapes. A 4-roll plate rolling machine is a go-to choice for such manufacturers.
Use Case 4 - Oil and Railway Tanks: These tanks go through extremities of weather and friction due to transport. To build these structures from thick metal plates, services of 4-roll plate rolling machines are utilized at their best.
Several other industries, such as silo manufacturers, Earthmoving, and pressure vessel manufacturers, use 4-roll plate rolling machines to produce efficiently and, most importantly, in half the time, 3-roll bending machines would.
Wrapping Up!
While there is no problem with 3-roll plate rolling machines being used for thinner metal plates, increasing metal plate thickness asks for a 4-roll plate rolling machine. So why have two different machines when one will work just fine? Be it efficiency, accuracy, time-saving, or versatility, the 4-roll plate rolling machine stands out as the best choice for any workshop owner. If you are looking to buy a plate rolling machine, we, Himalaya Machinery, would love to help you.