Abstract: The invention relates to a process for levelling continuously moving metal strips exclusively by tensile rolling levelling. The strip to be levelled is subjected to two successive tensile rolling operations in the direction in which it moves. In the first tensile rolling operation the tensile rolling levelling is performed with relatively low tensile stressing and considerable rolling deformation, while over the second tensile rolling distance the strip is subjected to only slight bending with substantially higher tensile stressing. The result of these successive different kinds of stretching-and-rolling levelling is a flat strip which maintains its flatness even after a prolonged storage period.

Abstract: To obtain flat component strips from a cold-rolled metal strip inexpensively and with the minimum use of technical apparatus, slitting shears 5 are disposed between sets of tensioning drums 3, 4; 11, 12, more particularly between the inlet side set of tensioning drums 3, 4 and a straightening unit 6 of a stretch flattening apparatus for a metal strip 1. This arrangement of the slitting shears eliminates the additional stretch flattening of the component strips otherwise required after the metal strip itself has already been stretch flattened. The component strips between the two sets of tensioning drums 3, 4; 11, 12 also acquire the same length.