HOT ROLLING WITH FLEXIBLE CONFIGURATION OF THE ROLL STANDS

A hot rolling line has at least one first and one last roll stand (1a, 1d). A first and a second metal strip (2, 5) are rolled one after the other in the hot rolling line. Portions of the metal strips (2, 5) each pass first through the first, and only afterwards through the last, roll stand (1a, 1d) of the hot rolling line. The last roll stand (1d) is retooled between rolling of the first metal strip (2) and rolling of the second metal strip (5) from a four-high roll stand to a six-high roll stand or vice versa so that the last roll stand (1d) is configured for rolling the first metal strip (2) as a four-high roll stand with work rolls (3) and backup rolls (4) and for rolling the second metal strip (5) as a six-high roll stand with work rolls (6), intermediate rolls (7) and backup rolls (4).