Frequently Asked Questions
FORM ROLLING FLAT DIE SPECIALISTS
What type of equipment do I need for special roll-forming?
Flat-die Form Rolling can be accomplished with any type of “Thread
Rolling” equipment that you currently have in-house. There are also
numerous Flat Die Machine manufacturers from which to choose. Rol-
Flo custom designs and manufactures tooling for all types, sizes &
models of Flat-Die Rollers.
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Can my part be roll-formed?
This is where Rol-Flo Engineering’s expertise first comes into play.
With 25 years of focused study in the area of Form Rolling Technology,
our engineers can quickly and efficiently determine a part’s feasibility
for the form-rolling process. Typically our clients will mail, fax or
email us a drawing of the part to be formed and we do the rest.
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What type of information does Rol-Flo require for quotation
purposes?
Typically our clients will mail, fax or e-mail us a drawing of the part
to be formed. On this drawing or on a separate note the following
information should be provided:
a. Prints that are completely legible.
b. All notes translated into English.
c. The detail you are interested in roll-forming.
d. Tolerances on dimensions.
e. Material of part being formed.
f. Types & Sizes of rollers available.
g. A part or inquiry number for referencing.
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What size roller do I need?
The engineering department at Rol-Flo will determine and advise the
optimum size roller for your particular part requirements. There are
many variables that determine how many revolutions a part will
require to accomplish the required formation.
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How many parts will one set of forming dies produce?
This will be directly related to the type of material being rolled, the
form being produced, the condition of the roller, the set-up expertise,
type of coolant being utilized, how often the roller is stopped and
started, etc. For increased and optimum tool life, materials having a
tensile range from 60,000 to 85,000 PSI (420 / 595 N/mm) are ideal
and should be used wherever the part design allows it. Under optimum
conditions mild carbon steel will yield on average anywhere from
250,000 to 500,000 pieces per set of point forming or groove forming
dies.
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Can the worn dies be re-ground?
This is highly dependant on the type of form being rolled and the
severity of the wear. Often sever fatigue cracks (hairline fractures) run
deeply into the grain structure and cannot be detected by the naked
eye. The minimal savings obtained by re-surfacing is often lost in the
decreased tool life. For a proper determination to be made for your
particular case, a set of worn dies can be sent back to Rol-Flo for
analysis.
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What types of materials can be rolled?
Today every type of material considered to be “cold-heading quality” is
being rolled, from aluminum to titanium. For optimum results,
materials having a tensile range from 60,000 to 85,000 PSI (420 / 595
N/MM) are ideal and should be used wherever the part design allows
it. If the product application dictates a higher tensile strength, an
annealing cycle prior to the form rolling operation may be necessary.
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Is there a cost to receive a quotation?
All quotations are free of charge and are typically offered within 48
hours of receiving a properly detailed part drawing.
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How long does it take to receive a set of special forming
tools?
Generally all special forming tools are custom made and the delivery
time is stated on the quotations. Upon the receipt of a customers
purchase order, the process is immediately started and the Ship Date
is stated when the order is Confirmed. For repetitive orders, a pre-
fixed schedule can be arranged so that the required sets of dies can be
shipped on a monthly basis.
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How can we be sure the dies will work?
With 25 years of focused study and thousands of successfully
designed tooling, Rol-Flo Engineering has an extensive historical
database of proven die designs. These proven designs allow us to
provide you tooling with the best possible chance for success. In
instances where a design has not been proven we have in-house rolling
equipment and technicians that allow us to prove and fine-tune a die
design. Cold-headed blanks are sent to us for testing and upon
completion, we provide a Development Report along with rolled
samples, assuring the customer’s set-up personnel what can be
obtained
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Do you make any standard thread die tooling?
Although our specialty lies in the area of designing and
manufacturing special form rolling tools we also can offer standard
thread dies and are very competitive with all types of knurl rolling. We
custom design knurl TPI for optimum number of teeth and tracking.
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Do you provide the replacement production tooling?
We have a full production tool shop and provide all your replacement
tools as well as offering you competitive pricing on all your current
tooling use.
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How much do the tools cost?
Tooling cost will vary depending on the complexity of the part being
formed, the size of roller, the tooling material required and the
quantity of tool order. Often a 25% or more savings can be realized
when purchasing (6) or more pair of tooling. Our freely offered
quotations provide all the specific tooling costs and price break
quantities. There are no “hidden” fees to worry about.
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