Costly maintenance and production delays were being incurred by latch mechanisms that retained the work rolls of a hot strip mill finishing mill. The existing design consisted of a three-piece housing that lost hydraulic re-tension and would not endure the harsh environment. The modification was to provide a one-piece latch housing in stainless steel to withstand corrosion and wear.

The work involved modifying the main housing that secures the latch and also modification to the hydraulic feed points. To prove the new design, finite element analysis was used to ensure that each proposed improvement was safe and robust enough to allow smooth manufacture, installation and operation.