Abstract: A method for preprocessing data for strip material, i.e. metal or paper strips, provides data records for a strip surface according to coordinates with information about a condition of the strip, its surface or anomalies. Some data records are grouped and stored in cells based on grouping rules. The cells are configured on a screen or other medium similarly to the strip surface. Contents of the cells can be electronically processed or linked to other cells or data and may be one-dimensional or contain and provide source data, grouping rules or processing formulae. The cells are in rows and columns of a spreadsheet. Preprocessing of the surface data allows statements about an achievable quality of an end product based on the material and the end product, even during production of the material, and simultaneous use of the surface data simply in production planning and quality management.

Abstract: A surface of a long flat product is observed in a production process by way of a surface inspection system. The entire surface is plotted, on the basis of the observation data, as a surface map with established surface characteristics in the, form of surface data and the surface characteristics are classified according to the different types and/or sizes and/or frequency and registered in the surface map according to their position. Production data and product data are jointly fed to a data processing unit in which they are analyzed to determine correlations between them. Rules dealing with the dependence of product data upon given production data are determined so that process parameters can be regulated in line with the rules thus determined to obtain a desired quality. Interrelationships can be recognized between process parameters and the emergence of surface errors, for instance in continuous casting and rolling facilities for steel sheets.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for detecting, identifying and relocating defects in a material strip of great length. In order to enable defects to be relocated reliably and quickly with relatively little effort, the material strip is checked for defects, and position indicators are applied to the material strip continuously over its length. In the event of a defect being observed, an associated defect position indicator is stored, and during the subsequent relocation of a defect, a current starting position indicator is established, and the material strip is moved over a conveying length which is calculated from the established starting position indicator and the stored defect position indicator.