How was the tandem rolling mill born?

The rolling industry is in constant development, as the needs of the goldsmith and industrial sectors are always changing. Thanks to an in-depth study of the market and a proactive dialogue with its target, Invimec has provided a huge contribution to the technological development in this field, designing an innovative solution which is nowadays of common use: the tandem rolling mill.

Wire rolling mills are well-known across the goldsmith sector for their high productivity and performances, but they have not always been as efficient. Over the course of the next few paragraphs, we will retrace their evolution, highlighting the extent to which they have profoundly modified production processes and techniques.

Rolling mills and the goldsmith sector in the ‘70s and ‘80s in Italy
Goldsmith production started developing in Italy after World War II in an area between Vicenza (Veneto), Valenza (Piedmont) and Arezzo (Tuscany), but the first motorized rolling mills appeared only in the ‘70s. Thanks to this technology, it was finally possible to obtain wire of better quality, guarantee the repetitiveness of its mechanical characteristics, and speed up the production processes. Even though this was a considerable step forward, the production process remained strongly dependent on the operator’s skills, who had to manually perform the strip and wire rod reduction.

In the mid-80s, the Italian goldsmith production kept growing rapidly, with Italy becoming the first country in the world for worked gold (about 25% of global world production).
In this period, the rising demand set new production standards: it was no longer possible to rely on human skills, something more was needed. In response to these new requirements, Invimec designed and manufactured the first wire rolling mills with automated tandem systems, marking a real turning point in the sector. The benefits offered by these new machines made them real game-changers.

Reduced processing times
Tandem rolling mills make it possible to carry out several wire section reductions at the same time. This also reduces the number of annealing operations required and consequently the overall processing time.

Greater operator safety
Unlike early rolling mills, tandem rolling mills are a lot more compact, and the threading process is performed inside the machine, ensuring worker safety. Since the machine is automatic, the operator can focus on other tasks while the material is being rolled or profiled.

Superior and consistent quality of the rolled wire over time
Wire quality is mechanically guaranteed. Automation reduces human errors and potential material loss in the working process.

Flexibility
The tandem rolling mills allow the wire or strip to be pulled out of intermediate stands to obtain different sizes from the same machine, if so required.

In conclusion
Tandem rolling mills are nowadays vital machines not only for large companies but also in medium and small goldsmith and industrial productions. The needs of the sector evolve rapidly, sometimes even unexpectedly (just think of the social distancing imposed by the pandemic). Invimec's strength lies in its drive for continuous innovation and in its ability to always listen and respond to market demands, offering its tried and true know-how and experience.

Read the full article >>