Producing high-quality strip (thickness >16 mm) at the OAO MMK 2000 broad-strip mill

Improvement of relatively thick strip (16–20 mm) produced on the OAO MMK 2000 broad-strip mill is considered. Artificial neural networks may be used to optimize broad-strip hot rolling, so as to obtain the required mechanical properties of the strip produced. High surface quality of the strip may be ensured on the basis of finite-element models for predicting the behavior of surface defects on rolling and hence identifying effective rolling conditions.