Method and installation for producing aluminum can sheet

Abstract

A method of producing aluminum can sheet includes: providing a body made of an aluminum alloy type AA3004, AA3104 or other aluminum alloy; heating the body to a homogenization temperature; hot rolling said body in a hot rolling mill to produce a hot rolled sheet, said hot rolled sheet exiting the hot rolling mill at a hot rolling exit temperature, wherein the hot rolling exit temperature is selected to substantially avoid recrystallization of the hot rolled sheet; cold rolling the hot rolled sheet in a cold rolling mill to apply a cold reduction to produce a cold rolled sheet with a cold mill exit gauge smaller than a hot mill exit gauge; annealing the cold rolled sheet in an intermediate temperature range selected to allow recrystallization and obtain a recrystallized annealed sheet; cold rolling the recrystallized annealed sheet to produce a cold rolled sheet with a final gauge.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A method of producing aluminum can sheet comprising:
 providing a body made of an aluminum alloy type AA3004, AA3104 or other aluminum alloy suitable for making aluminum can sheet;   heating the body to a homogenization temperature;   hot rolling said body in a hot rolling mill to produce a hot rolled sheet, said hot rolled sheet exiting the hot rolling mill at a hot rolling exit temperature with a hot mill exit gauge, wherein the hot rolling exit temperature is selected to substantially avoid recrystallization of the hot rolled sheet;   cold rolling the hot rolled sheet in a cold rolling mill to apply a cold reduction to produce a cold rolled sheet with a cold mill exit gauge smaller than the hot mill exit gauge;   annealing the cold rolled sheet in an intermediate temperature range selected to allow recrystallization of the cold rolled sheet to obtain a recrystallized annealed sheet; and   cold rolling the recrystallized annealed sheet to apply a cold reduction to produce a cold rolled sheet with a final gauge.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises:
 about 0.05-0.60 wt % Si, preferably 0.15-0.5 wt % Si;   about 0.10-0.80 wt % Fe, preferably 0.25-0.70 wt % Fe;   about 0.70-1.50 wt % Mn, preferably 0.80-1.40 wt % Mn;   about 0.80-1.50 wt % Mg, preferably 0.90-1.30 wt % Mg;   about 0.05-0.25 wt % Cu, preferably 0.10-0.25 wt % Cu;   up to 0.10 wt % Ti;   up to 0.25 wt % Zn; and   up to 0.15 wt % impurities, each of the impurities at less than 0.05 wt %;   with the remainder as Al.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein a single stand reversing mill is the hot rolling mill. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the single stand reversing mill is utilized in two different operation modes, wherein a first operation mode includes one or more flat passes and a second operation mode, utilized after the first operation mode, includes one or more coiling passes producing coiled sheet having the hot mill exit gauge. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the hot rolling exit temperature is 200° C. to 320° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein a cold reduction between 5% and 70% is applied in the cold rolling mill rolling the hot rolled sheet. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein annealing the cold rolled sheet is performed in a batch furnace. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein a total reduction of more than 70% is applied to the aluminum sheet between hot mill exit gauge and the final gauge. 
     
     
         21 . An installation that produces aluminum can sheet according to the method according to claim  1 , comprising:
 a preheating furnace for heating a body made of an aluminum alloy to a homogenization temperature;   a hot rolling mill arranged downstream of the preheating furnace for hot rolling said body to produce a hot rolled sheet, the hot rolling mill configured so that a hot rolled sheet exits the hot rolling mill at a hot rolling exit temperature with a hot mill exit gauge, wherein the hot rolling exit temperature is selected to substantially avoid recrystallization of the hot rolled sheet;   a cold rolling mill arranged downstream of the hot rolling mill and configured to receive the hot rolled sheet and to apply a cold reduction to produce a cold rolled sheet with a cold mill exit gauge smaller than the hot mill exit gauge;   an annealing furnace arranged downstream of the cold rolling mill for annealing the cold rolled sheet in an intermediate temperature range selected to allow recrystallization of the cold rolled sheet to obtain a recrystallized annealed sheet; and   a cold rolling mill arranged downstream of the annealing furnace for cold rolling the recrystallized annealed sheet to apply a cold reduction to produce a cold rolled sheet with a final gauge.   
     
     
         22 . The installation according to  claim 21 , wherein the hot rolling mill is configured so that the hot rolling exit temperature is 200° C. to 320° C. 
     
     
         23 . The installation according to  claim 21 , wherein hot rolling mill is configured as a single stand reversing mill. 
     
     
         24 . The installation according to  claim 21 , wherein the annealing furnace is configured as a batch furnace.