Abstract: A rolling mill rotating entry system (RES) with at least one front end-driven drum that indexes alignment of the RES guide path and drum with the bar stock transfer guide path. The front end drive system is offset from the bar stock transfer path, so that the bar stock has sufficient clearance to enter the guide path. The front end drive system facilitates desired indexed alignment of the RES guide path and the bar stock transfer path without the need for front end braking or damping systems that are customarily used with rear driven drums in known RES systems. Other RES embodiments include a rear drive system that drives the drum in tandem with the front drive system.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and related methods for forming a market response model (“MRM”) for modeling the probability of winning a price quote to a prospect or customer. Such a MRM may thereafter be used to estimate the probability of winning a bid to sell a product or service to a particular customer at a particular price against specific competition. In preferred embodiments, the process of developing a particular MRM for use in optimizing a bid entails the steps of acquiring historical data; creating an analysis data set from the historical data; exploring the data sets and identifying segments; defining an MRM structure using the segments; and validating the MRM. Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and related methods for forming a MRM for modeling the probability of winning a price quote to a prospect or customer.