H-beam production involves two primary methods:
Hot-Rolling Process:
Step 1: Heating: Steel billets are heated to 1,100–1,300°C in a reheating furnace.
Step 2: Rolling: Passed through rolling mills to form the H-shape, with multiple passes for precision.
Step 3: Cooling: Air-cooled or water-cooled to stabilize the microstructure.
Step 4: Straightening: Mechanically straightened to meet dimensional tolerances.
Advantages: High production speed (50–100 tons/hour) and uniform quality.
Welding Process:
Step 1: Cutting: Flanges and webs are cut to size from steel plates.
Step 2: Assembly: Components are aligned and clamped.
Step 3: Welding: Submerged arc welding (SAW) or gas metal arc welding (GMAW) joins the parts.
Step 4: Inspection: Non-destructive testing (UT, MT) for weld quality.
Advantages: Customizable dimensions (e.g., flanges up to 1,000 mm wide).