Levelers FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions About Levelers


What Are Some Common Features of Levelers?


Shape control equipment such as levelers are at the heart of most manufacturer’s coil processing and feeding lines. Important factors when selecting the best machine for your needs is to determine what you are looking for in roll diameter, roller pitch, and the number of work rolls. It is also good to know work rolls can be backed up for more precise flatness and zone control. By creating a closer roller pitch and smaller leveling roller diameter, depending on the material’s thickness and yield, you can better maximize your results. Unlike a typical straightener, a good leveler will remove more than a cross bow or coil set.


Newer levelers offer some optional features that include automatic roll positioning for different thicknesses and materials, so operators do not have to remember individual settings. The built-in computer system recognizes specific coils if you need to do rebooks (allowing for minor equipment adjustments an operator may still have to make for individual coils produce dead-flat material). Another option may include an automatic roll calibration control option, which simplifies adjustments for newly reground roll diameters following roll changes.


What Are Levelers on Cut-to-Length (CTL) Lines?


The most common use for leveling equipment is on cut-to-length lines. In some lines, the leveler comes after the shear, which means the material is leveled in plate or sheet form. Newer lines, however, have fewer problems when leveling the coil before shearing.


Except on very heavy-gauge lines, stopping and starting a leveler with every length of feed into a shear is a bad idea as it will cause excessive wear on the leveler’s drive train and possibly leave set marks on cold-rolled surfaces. Instead, most lines will use looping pits or flying shears with the leveler first going slow, then fast. Because levelers have a limited range for maximum or minimum material thickness, using two levelers—a big one and a smaller one—is common to extend the capacity of a cut-to-length line. Because minimum thickness rises with yield strength, and maximum width lessens, these lines need a fair amount of capacity overlap between their two levelers.


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