Roll forming is a fabrication
technique that fashion strips of raw material into finished products. The distinguishing
factor of the process is the use of long strips of materials that are pressed
into the desired shape. Other necessary functions of the process are cutting
the strips into required lengths and quality control of the final product so
that the process could be amended to rectify the problem.
The process of roll
forming could be used for a wide range of materials such as plastics and
metals. Almost all metals and a significant number of plastics could be used as
the input material for the process.
Unlike many fabrication
processes, roll forming
is a continuous process. This means that the machinery and the process will function
without break as long as the supply of raw material is maintained. In many
cases, the machinery operates continuously for several days and produce the desired
output quantity in one go.
Plastic is an ideal
material for roll forming procedure because of its thermal properties. The
machine uses heat as means to make plastic more malleable. The pressure of the
rollers and the heat of the system ensure that the plastic is at the optimal
stage for compression into the desired shape.
The process starts with
long strips of plastic. The initial stage of the machine is a fully adjustable
cutter that cuts the longer strips into more manageable portions. Once these
strips are cut they are passed through a system of rollers and forming plates.
At this point, the strips of plastics are under pressure and are already subject
to heat.
Once the strip has been
formed into the desired shape, a quality control professional examines the
product and suggest adjustments. In many cases, there is no need for
adjustments and the process goes through smoothly.
