SOP – Rolling Mill
SOP Title: REVISION / EFFECTIVE DATE
Materials Science and Engineering SOP
Rev. 3.
Rolling Mill January 29, 2024.
General Process Description
• This piece of equipment must be used in the presence of 2 people both of
whom are properly trained on this specific piece of equipment.
• At NO time should any part of the body be within 7cm of the Roller!
• This piece of equipment reduces the thickness of a metallic specimen by
passing the specimen between two rolls; pressure is applied to the
specimen, reducing its thickness.
• All work described in this SOP will have to be conducted in JHE 134.
• You MUST have WHMIS training prior to working in the lab; users must be
properly trained on this piece of equipment.
• Site Specific Training must be performed by MSE Technical Staff.
• Contact Person is Ed McCaffery Laboratory Manager (Room JHE 248 ext
24985).
Link for McMaster University Health and Safety
• Employee Health and Safety
Hazards of Rolling Mill
• The major risk of this equipment is the pinch area between the rolls.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• This piece of equipment MUST be used by 2 people both having been
properly trained to use the Rolling Mill.
• Before using the Rolling Mill, ensure that you will at least meet the
following protective requirements:
o Safety Glasses
o Closed-toe shoes with socks
o Long pants (no shorts!)
o Lab coat (Optional: Sleeves rolled up)
o No loose pieces of clothing, long sleeve shirts need to have the
arms rolled up
o Long Hair must be tied back and placed into cap (if no cap is
available the user cannot use this piece of equipment).
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SOP – Rolling Mill
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) cont.
o Push Bar, and Pull Bar (Fingerless Tongs)
o Hot Rolling:
o Fingerless Tongs for picking up hot sample.
o Thermal Gloves.
• Before proceeding you must have read and are familiar with the safe
operations of the Rolling Mill.
Engineering / Ventilation Controls
• Not applicable to this piece of equipment.
Special Handling Procedures and Storage Requirements
• Make sure when inserting the specimen into the rollers that you use a
Push Bar and Not Your Hands.
• When retrieving the specimen from the roller use the Pull Bar (Fingerless
Tongs) and Not Your Hands.
Accident Procedures
• If you are injured, depending on the severity of the injury either go to room
357 (Alisha Digba) for first aid and fill out an incident report with your
supervisor or if the injury is severe contact Campus Safety (88) or (905)
522 - 4135 and receive medical attention immediately.
• Personal Injury:
o Minor Injury:
▪ Shut off Rolling Mill.
▪ Go to the nearest first aid station (JHE-357) for first aid.
▪ Contact your supervisor and fill out an incident report.
o Major Injury:
▪ Shut off Rolling Mill.
▪ Lock Out Rolling Mill.
▪ Contact Campus Safety (88) or (905) 522 - 4135 (Phone is
outside in the hallway beside JHE 128).
▪ Second person will inform Supervisor and Technical Staff of
accident.
▪ Do not clean the area if an accident occurs, the emergency
response team must assess the accident scene to assess
what occurred.
• If an injury does occur, make sure the rolling mill is shut off (and locked
out).
• Contact Campus Safety Ext (88) or 905-522-4135, then Ed McCaffery Ext
24895.
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SOP – Rolling Mill
Waste Disposal
• Not Applicable
Training requirements
• Prior to entering and working in the laboratory, you must have completed
WHMIS training; you are required to also take Specific Workplace Training
through UHS.
• You must have written and have signed the safety reports by your
supervisor.
• After each year the safety report must be updated.
• Any person conducting work in JHE 134 using this SOP must receive
training on the contents of this SOP.
Approval Required
• All research staff, students, and Graduate students must be trained prior
to starting work with the Rolling Mill.
• Working after normal laboratory hours (8:30 am - 4:30 pm) is strictly
prohibited!
• You must have two people who have been trained by the MSE technical
Staff to operate the Rolling Mill.
Decontamination
• Wipe down area (NOT ROLLERS) when finished.
Designated Area
• Upon leaving a designated work area, remove any personal protective
equipment worn and wash hands.
• After each use (or day), wipe down the immediate work area (Not Rollers).
• At the end of each project, thoroughly decontaminate the designated area
before resuming normal laboratory work in the area.
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SOP – Rolling Mill
Precise Process Description
• This is a 2-person machine.
• Ensure the Safety Shield is in place for both entrance and exit.
• Ask for the Lock Out Key from the MSE Technical Staff
• Inspect the rollers make sure that there are no defects on the surface.
• Check to see which way the rollers are turning by looking at the rolling
direction switch (Forward/ Reverse).
• Before starting make sure the sample can just fit through the rollers.
• Remove the lock from the Main Breaker and turn main power breaker on.
• It is essential that you wear Safety Glasses.
• You must wear closed toe shoes and long pants.
• Before rolling, familiarize yourself with the controls (note which button
stops the rollers in case of an emergency, you don’t want to press the
wrong button in a panic).
• Engage the motor by pressing the green start button.
• Place the sample onto the rolling table, push the specimen into the roller
using a push bar:
o DO NOT PUSH SAMPLE WITH YOUR HAND.
o Do Not use a Finger Tong to Push the sample into the rollers.
• The push bar MUST be longer than 7 inches.
• No individual should be in front of the exit when the sample is being
placed into the roller.
• Adjust the hand wheel screw counterclockwise to close the rollers together
and clockwise to separate the rollers.
• Once the specimen has been rolled use pull bar (it is a bar with a small
hook on the end) or fingerless tongs to pull the sample away from the
rollers.
• Between each rolling step measure the sample with a caliper.
• When rolling is complete turn off Rolling Mill by pressing the RED push
button.
• Turn off main power at the breaker.
• Lock out the breaker.
• Wipe down area if necessary to oil rollers follow the “Cleaning Roller
Procedure”
• Return the Lock out Key to the MSE Technical staff.
• Watch the Video Tutorial (Rolling Mill) at
[Link]
Rolling_Mill.mp4
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SOP – Rolling Mill
Precise Process Description cont.
Hot Rolling:
• Follow the previous instructions (Precise Process Description)
• Turn on the furnace to the desired temperature.
• Wearing proper PPE
o Safety Glasses
o Thermal Gloves
o Tongs to insert and remove the sample from the furnace.
o Long Pants.
• Place the sample on the Rolling Mill Feed Table.
• Using the Push Bar; push the sample into rollers.
• The second person will be standing to the side; when the sample exits the
rollers retrieve the sample and either place it back into the furnace or
place it back onto the Entrance Feed Table for another pass.
• Once rolling is complete, the rolling mill will be turned off.
• The main breaker will be shut off.
• The main breaker will be locked out.
Cleaning Rollers to Prevent Contamination:
If it is necessary to clean the rollers follow these instructions:
• There must be two people while cleaning this piece of equipment.
• Turn the power off at the main breaker using left hand and lock out.
• Open the rollers to have a minimum 5cm gap between rolls.
• Using a flat head screwdriver remove the guard over the drive shaft, then
using an adjustable wrench remove the plastic hand guards.
• When you need to rotate the lower roller, attach the pipe wrench to the
drive shaft and rotate the rollers.
• Use appropriate cleaning material to remove any debris from the rolls.
• If you need to oil the rollers use a clean paper towel and add oil to it; rub
the oil-soaked paper towel around the rollers.
• Before operation; Re-secure all of the guarding for the rolling mill by
tightening the screws and bolts.
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SOP – Rolling Mill
LOCK OUT TAG OUT PROCEDURE
When rollers need to be changed, cleaned for contamination or routine
maintenance need to be done to the Rolling Mill, the machine MUST be
LOCKED OUT AND TAGGED OUT! This work can only be done by the
MSE Technical Staff.
1. Turn off power to main breaker on wall using your left hand.
2. Put your own lock into the lock out hole, and place tag with lock.
3. Check the power is now off first by pressing the start button on the
Rolling Mill.
4. Perform the maintenance to the machine.
5. Restore guarding back to machine ensure everything is secure.
6. Once maintenance is complete remove lock and tag turn on main
breaker with left hand, and press start button to Rolling Machine to
make sure the machine is working normally.
7. Follow “Precise Process Description”.
Laboratory Accident Response Procedures
Health Threatening Situation - In the event of an imminent or actual health-
threatening emergency (threatening local or public health, safety, or welfare; or
the environment outside the immediate area):
1) Call Campus Safety Ext (88) or (905) 522-4135 and proceed with local
notifications, below.
2) If necessary activate local alarm system.
3) Remain in the area to advise responders.
Health Threatening Situation – In the event of a major injury:
1) Notify McMaster Responders: Dial (88) or (905) 522-4135
(24 hours/day, 7 days/week), then
2) Provide local notifications:
Name Phone Number Title
Ed McCaffery Ext 24985 Lab Manager
Campus Safety Ext (88) or 905-522-4135 Campus Security
Local Response Situation – In the event of a minor incident:
1) Go to room 357 and receive First aid.
2) Make sure the power is turned off, an incident report must be completed
by you and your supervisor.
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SOP – Rolling Mill
Disclaimer: The SOP as written contains our best understanding at this time on
how to work safely with this piece of equipment. When new information is found
that would improve the safe use of this equipment it will be added in a timely
manner. As it stands we cannot be held liable for misuse or abuse of these
instructions through negligence on the user’s part or based on the content of
these notes.
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