Metal Rolling
What is Metal Rolling?
Metal rolling is the process of passing plate, sheet, or pipe through a set of powered rolls until it takes on a curved or cylindrical shape instead of staying flat. We control the gap and position of the rolls to bend the material a little further with each pass, so the final radius is consistent from one end of the piece to the other rather than tapering off partway through.
The same equipment that rolls a straight cylinder can also produce a cone. For cone work, we start from a pre-cut sector-shaped blank rather than a rectangular one, then set the rolls at an angle to each other so one side of the piece feeds through tighter than the other. That offset is what turns a flat blank into a tapered shape instead of a straight tube, and it is a step we plan out before the first pass rather than adjusting on the fly.
Our Metal Rolling Services
We offer a full range of rolling work out of our Abbotsford shop, including:
- Cylindrical rolling for tanks, tubes, and pipe sections
- Cone and tapered profile rolling for reducers, hoppers, and transition pieces
- Pipe and tube rolling, including bevelled ends for pipe, elbows, tees, flanges, and reducers
- Ring rolling for flanges, collars, and structural rings
- Plate rolling for curved panels and structural components
- Custom rolling solutions built around a client drawing or a rough sketch
We roll steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, and each material behaves a little differently on the rolls. Stainless work-hardens faster than mild steel, so we adjust roll pressure and the number of passes to avoid marking or over-hardening the surface. Aluminum needs a lighter touch and more careful roll alignment, since it scores more easily than steel and shows every pass mark in the finished piece.
Whether the job is a single small-scale part or a run of large structural components, we plan the rolling sequence around the finished part, not just the raw material, so the piece fits and welds the way it is supposed to on site.
The Metal Rolling Process
Before a piece ever touches the rolls, we prep the material: cutting it to the right blank size, cleaning the surface, and checking for any mill defects that would telegraph through once the piece is curved. From there, the plate or sheet feeds through the rolls in a series of passes, each one tightening the curve a little more until we hit the target diameter.
Through the passes, we check the radius against the drawing rather than relying on a single final measurement, since a rolled cylinder that drifts slightly on one pass will carry that error through every pass after it. Once the shape is right, the piece is ready for the next step in the job, whether that is seam welding into a closed cylinder, fitting to a flange, or moving straight into assembly with other rolled or fabricated components.
Metal Rolling From LWS Manufacturing & Welding
We have been rolling metal out of our Abbotsford shop since 1983, and that history shows up in how we plan a rolling job: we look at the finished weld and fit-up requirements before the first pass, not after. If you have a drawing, a rough sketch, or just a description of the part you need, bring it to us, and we will talk through material, roll approach, and lead time before any metal moves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size pipe or cylinder can be rolled?
The achievable diameter depends on the material thickness and the roll setup being used: thinner material rolls down to a tighter diameter, while heavier plate needs a larger minimum diameter to avoid cracking or an out-of-round finish. Send us your thickness, width, and target diameter, and we’ll tell you whether it is a straightforward roll or one that needs a different approach.
What is the difference between three-roll and four-roll rolling?
A three-roll setup bends material with one moving top roll against two bottom rolls, which leaves a short flat section at each end that has to be trimmed or accounted for in the weld joint. A four-roll setup pre-bends both ends before the main pass, so the cylinder comes off the machine with a consistent radius edge to edge.
Can you roll cones and tapered shapes, not just straight cylinders?
Yes. Cone rolling starts from a sector-shaped blank rather than a rectangle, and we set the rolls at an angle to each other so the material feeds through unevenly on purpose, producing the taper. It takes more planning up front than a straight cylinder, but the same equipment handles both.
Do you roll stainless steel and aluminum, or just carbon steel?
We roll steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. Stainless and aluminum both need adjusted roll pressure and pass counts compared to mild steel, since stainless work-hardens faster and aluminum marks more easily, so we set up the rolls differently for each material rather than running one setting for everything.
What information do you need from me before quoting a rolling job?
Material type and thickness, the flat blank or plate size, the target diameter or radius, and whether the piece is a straight cylinder, a cone, or a partial curve are the main details we need. A drawing is ideal, but a dimensioned sketch works too.
Do you weld the seam after rolling, or is that a separate step?
We can carry a rolled piece straight through to seam welding and finishing in-house, so a cylinder or ring leaves our shop as a finished, weldable component rather than a rolled shell you have to send elsewhere.
How does rolling fit in with your other forming services?
Rolling is one part of our forming work alongside die forming, extrusion, and bending on our brake presses. If a part needs a rolled section and a bent flange, or a rolled body with formed ends, we plan the whole sequence together so the piece goes together the way you expect at final assembly.
Our team is ready to answer all your questions
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