Reduction is the measure of how much a metal's thickness or area is decreased during a forming pass, such as rolling, drawing, or forging. It is usually expressed as a percentage. In cold rolling mills, tracking the reduction is critical because high reduction percentages drastically increase work hardening and the required rolling force.
Heard on the job
We're aiming for a 20 percent reduction on this first pass through the cold mill.
Do not mix it up with
- Reduce: Reduce refers to the chemical extraction of metal from ore, while reduction in a mill context refers to physically thinning the metal.