Sensing Thickness Patents (Class 72/9.2)
  • Patent number: 8584498
    Abstract: The present invention provides a mandrel mill and the like that is capable of not only enhancing the elongation ratio of the pipe or tube, but also suppressing a pinhole defect from occurring. The first means of the present invention provides a mandrel mill comprising a plurality of rolling stands in which two grooved rolls R11, R12 are disposed, respectively, the mandrel mill being characterized in that the roll diameter ratio for the first rolling stand and the second rolling stand is set at a value of 4.6 or over. The second means of the present invention provides a mandrel mill comprising a plurality of rolling stands in which three grooved rolls R21, R22 and R23 are disposed, respectively, the mandrel mill being characterized in that the roll diameter ratio for the first rolling stand and the second rolling stand is set at a value of 2.8 or over.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventor: Akihito Yamane
  • Patent number: 8516869
    Abstract: In a multi-staged cold-rolling line, a strip is rolled. An actual rolling force of a last rolling stage of the cold-rolling line is detected and fed to a force control unit which determines a control parameter using the actual rolling force and a target rolling force and outputs a control parameter. An actual thickness is detected directly downstream of the last rolling stage and is sent to a thickness control unit which acts on the last rolling stage. Another actual strip thickness is detected directly upstream of the last rolling stage. Enter and exit speeds of the last rolling stage are detected and with a pre-determined final strip thickness following the last rolling stage fed to a setpoint determination unit which determines a target thickness which is used as a setpoint for another thickness control unitacting on the next to last rolling stage and receiving the other actual thickness value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hans-Joachim Felkl
  • Patent number: 8490447
    Abstract: In a method and a control device for adjusting a state of a rolling stock, particularly a near-net strip, defined at least by an out-of-parallel condition and/or a curvature of the rolling stock, the rolling stock is transitioned from an initial into an intermediate state by a roll stand and by impressing a stress onto the rolling stock by an additional processing device, and the rolling stock is transitioned from the intermediate into a final state by at least one processing aggregate. By determining whether rolling stock should be fed into the at least one processing aggregate, the intermediate state requiring a non-zero out-of-parallel condition and/or curvature in order to achieve a predetermined final state, and the roll stand and/or the processing device are controlled and/or regulated as a function thereof to adjust the required intermediate state, the shape reliability of an ultimately parallel, non-curved rolling stock can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Matthias Kurz, Birger Schmidt, Klaus Weinzierl
  • Patent number: 8459073
    Abstract: A method for measuring flatness of a sheet material in which a light and dark pattern composed by a light portion and a dark portion is projected onto a surface of the sheet material running in a longitudinal direction, a pattern image is acquired by photographing the light and dark pattern by an image pickup device having an image pickup visual field larger than a width of the sheet material, and the flatness of the sheet material is measured by analyzing the acquired pattern image. A staggered pattern is used for the projecting step and for light to be specularly reflected for receipt by the image pickup device. Calculating the flatness also includes steps of setting a shape measurement line, averaging picture element concentrations, calculating a distribution of the concentrations, and calculating the flatness based on surface shape using the distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshito Isei, Tomoya Kato, Masahiro Osugi
  • Patent number: 8459075
    Abstract: A cold-rolling train has a plurality of rolling stands and a strip feeding device to which an initial setpoint speed is sent to feed the cold strip to the first stand at an initial actual speed corresponding to the initial setpoint speed. A first setpoint speed is sent to the first stand so that associated rolls rotate. Between the first and next passed-through rolling stand is a thickness detection device detecting a first actual thickness. A base output signal is determined using the first actual and setpoint thicknesses and is used to adjust the first setpoint speed, but not the initial setpoint speed, conforming the first actual to the first setpoint thickness. Between the feeding device and the first rolling stand is an initial thickness detection device detecting an initial actual thickness. The initial setpoint speed is adjusted by a initial feed-forward controller to adjusted a setpoint product mass flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hans-Joachim Felkl
  • Patent number: 8413474
    Abstract: The monitoring apparatus of production conditions in a piercing-rolling mill for piercing and rolling a billet B to produce a pipe S comprises an ultrasonic thickness meter which is installed on an exit side of the piercing-rolling mill and measures a thickness of the pipe S produced by the piercing-rolling mill, a thermometer which is installed on the exit side of the piercing-rolling mill and measures a surface temperature of the pipe S produced by the piercing-rolling mill, and a computing and displaying device which is connected to the ultrasonic thickness meter and the thermometer and displays a thickness distribution in a circumferential direction of the pipe S based on the thickness of the pipe S measured by the ultrasonic thickness meter, and a surface temperature distribution in a circumferential direction of the pipe S based on the surface temperature of the pipe S measured by the thermometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 8386066
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for suppressing the influence of roll eccentricities on the run-out thickness of a rolled stock, which runs through a rolling stand, roll eccentricities being identified by using a process model and taken into consideration in the determination of a correction signal for at least one final control element, preferably a final control element for the adjustment position, of the rolling stand, wherein the measured tensile force upstream of the rolling stand is fed to the process model to identify the roll eccentricities. According to the invention, variations in tensile force are fed back in a targeted manner to reduce the effects of periodic roll eccentricities on the rolled stock, whereas all other sources of variation are eliminated. A process model of the rolling nip and the rolls, preferably based on the observer principle, produces reliable data on the roll eccentricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Josef Hofbauer, Martin Niemann, Bernhard Weisshaar, Dietrich Wohld
  • Patent number: 8365562
    Abstract: Apparatus and method of controlling strip geometry in casting strip having a rolling mill. A target thickness profile is calculated as a function of the measured entry thickness profile of the strip while satisfying profile and flatness parameters. A differential strain feedback from longitudinal strain in the strip is calculated by a control system by comparing the exit thickness profile with the target thickness profile, and a control signal is generated to control a device capable of affecting the geometry of the strip processed by the hot rolling mill. A feed-forward control reference and/or sensitivity vector may also be calculated as a function of the target thickness profile, and used in generating the control signal sent to the control device. The control device may be selected from one or more of the group consisting of a bending controller, gap controller and coolant controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Britanik, Tino Domanti, Terry L. Gerber, Jason A. Mueller, Glen Wallace, Harold Bradley Rees
  • Patent number: 8307678
    Abstract: A gauge control apparatus reduces deviation of an actual plate thickness from a target plate thickness on the delivery side of a rolling mill, in all speed ranges, and produces good products by controlling plate thickness considering changes in the oil film thickness of oil film bearings of backup rolls and the deformation resistance of a rolled material with respect to rolling speeds. The gauge control apparatus computes an oil film thickness compensation value to compensate for increase and decrease of the gap resulting from a change in thickness of the oil film bearing attributable to rolling speeds, an acceleration compensation value to compensate for increase and decrease of plate thickness on the delivery side of the rolling mill resulting from a change in deformation resistance of the rolled material attributable to rolling speeds, and deviation of the predicted plate thickness from the target plate thickness, in consideration of the computed compensation values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Minoru Tachibana
  • Patent number: 8302440
    Abstract: A thickness control apparatus of a reversing rolling mill has an entry thickness gauge that measures the thickness of the material to be rolled, and entry material speed detector that detects the speed of the material to be rolled. Measured thickness measured by the entry thickness gauge is tracked on the basis of the speed of the material to be rolled detected by the entry material speed detector. A mill delivery thickness calculator calculates thickness on the delivery side of the reversing rolling mill on the basis of the thickness on the entry side and the roll gap detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Tezuka, Masashi Tsugeno
  • Patent number: 8205474
    Abstract: Apparatus and method of controlling strip geometry in casting strip having a rolling mill. A target thickness profile is calculated as a function of the measured entry thickness profile of the strip while satisfying profile and flatness parameters. A differential strain feedback from longitudinal strain in the strip is calculated by a control system by comparing the exit thickness profile with the target thickness profile, and a control signal is generated to control a device capable of affecting the geometry of the strip processed by the hot rolling mill. A feed-forward control reference and/or sensitivity vector may also be calculated as a function of the target thickness profile, and used in generating the control signal sent to the control device. The control device may be selected from one or more of the group consisting of a bending controller, gap controller and coolant controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Britanik, Tino Domanti, Terry L. Gerber, Jason A. Mueller, Glen Wallace, Harold Bradley Rees
  • Patent number: 8185232
    Abstract: The present invention provides a learning method of rolling load prediction which uses a prediction error of a rolling load at an actual pass of a stock in hot rolling to correct a predicted value of rolling load at a subsequent rolling pass. The method comprises changing a gain for multiplying with the prediction error of the rolling load at the actual pass in accordance with a thickness of the stock to thereby set the learning coefficient of the rolling load prediction and improve the precision of the prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Higo, Yosuke Mizoguchi, Kazutsugu Igarashi, Yasushi Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 8151612
    Abstract: An elongation rolling control method is provided which can manufacture a hollow shell of high dimensional accuracy and can suppress rolling problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 8136215
    Abstract: An uncoiling device having an uncoiler for uncoiling a strip is described. The uncoiler is arranged downstream from a thickness measuring device which measures the thickness of the strip. The thickness measuring device is arranged downstream from a straightening device which straightens the strip. The straightening device is arranged downstream from a machining device which further machines the strip. The thickness of the strip is transmitted to a control device which controls the straightening machine and/or the machining device in accordance with the measured thickness of the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Bertram Schulze
  • Patent number: 8050792
    Abstract: A method and a device for optimization of flatness control in the rolling of a strip using any number of mill stands and actuators. A mill model is used represented by a mill matrix that includes information of the flatness effect of each actuator. Each actuator's flatness effect is translated into a coordinate system having a dimension less than or equal to the number of actuators used. The actual flatness values are monitoring/sampling across the strip. A vector of the flatness error/deviation is computed as the difference between the monitored/sampled strip flatness and a reference flatness vector. The flatness error is converted into a smaller parameterized flatness error vector. A dynamic controller is used to calculate optimized actuator set-points in order to minimize the parameterized flatness error, thereby achieving the desired strip flatness. Also a system for optimization of flatness control in rolling a strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: ABB AB
    Inventor: Pontus Bergsten
  • Publication number: 20110174033
    Abstract: An elongation rolling control method is provided which can manufacture a hollow shell of high dimensional accuracy and can suppress rolling problems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki IWAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20110174034
    Abstract: An elongation rolling control method is provided which can manufacture a hollow shell of high dimensional accuracy and can suppress rolling problems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki IWAMOTO
  • Patent number: 7937978
    Abstract: An elongation rolling control method is provided which can manufacture a hollow shell of high dimensional accuracy and can suppress rolling problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 7849722
    Abstract: Apparatus and method of controlling strip geometry in casting strip having a rolling mill. A target thickness profile is calculated as a function of the measured entry thickness profile of the strip while satisfying profile and flatness operating requirements. A differential strain feedback from longitudinal strain in the strip is calculated by a control system by comparing the exit thickness profile with the target thickness profile, and a control signal is generated to control a device capable of affecting the geometry of the strip processed by the hot rolling mill. A feed-forward control reference and/or sensitivity vector may also be calculated as a function of the target thickness profile, and used in generating the control signal sent to the control device. The control device may be selected from one or more of the group consisting of a bending controller, gap controller and coolant controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Britanik, Tino Domanti, Terry L. Gerber, Jason A. Mueller, Glen Wallace, Harold Bradley Rees
  • Publication number: 20100229612
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for operating a mill train, in particular used in a cold-rolling mill. The mill train includes operating rolls with a roll gap disposed in-between through which a rolled strip is guided. With the method of at least one embodiment, the thickness and the roll-in speed of the rolled strip are measured in front of the roll gap. The roll-out speed of the rolled strip after the roll gap is reconstructed with the aid of the tangential speed of the operating rolls. The thickness after the roll gap is then determined with the aid of the thickness and the roll-in speed in front of the roll gap and the reconstructed roll-out speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Inventor: Luis Rey-Mas
  • Patent number: 7707865
    Abstract: A flaw detection apparatus and flaw detection method for automatically detecting the occurrence of a flaw in a mother tube manufactured by rolling a hollow shell using a mandrel mill are provided. A flaw detection apparatus (100) according to the present invention includes a wall thickness gauge (1) which is installed on the exit side of a mandrel mill (M) and which measures the tube wall thickness in each of the reducing directions of a hollow shell (P) in the #1-#5 stands of the mandrel mill, rolling load measuring devices (2) which measure the rolling load in the #1-#5 stands, and a decision unit (3) which determines whether there are flaws in the mother tube based on the measured value of the tube wall thickness in each of the reducing directions of the hollow shell (P) and the measured value of the rolling load in each stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20100050721
    Abstract: A thickness control apparatus of a reversing rolling mill has an entry thickness gauge that measures the thickness of the material to be rolled, and entry material speed detector that is detects the speed of the material to be rolled. Measured thickness measured by the entry thickness gauge is tracked on the basis of the speed of the material to be rolled detected by the entry material speed detector. A mill delivery thickness calculator calculates thickness on the delivery side of the reversing rolling mill on the basis of the thickness on the entry side and the roll gap detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Tezuka, Masashi Tsugeno
  • Publication number: 20090277241
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for controlling a roll gap when rolling a strip (1) in a rolling mill including at least two rolls (3a-b,4a-b), and at least two roll gap actuators (6,7) that independently control the size of the roll gap. The device is adapted to receive information on the amount of wedge shape (POSactOS,POSactDS) in the strip thickness profile across the strip width, and to control said actuators, based on said information on the amount of wedge shape in the strip thickness profile, such that the relative reduction of the strip on both sides of the rolling mill become essentially the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Inventor: Lars Jonsson
  • Publication number: 20090139290
    Abstract: Apparatus and method of controlling strip geometry in casting strip having a rolling mill. A target thickness profile is calculated as a function of the measured entry thickness profile of the strip while satisfying profile and flatness parameters. A differential strain feedback from longitudinal strain in the strip is calculated by a control system by comparing the exit thickness profile with the target thickness profile, and a control signal is generated to control a device capable of affecting the geometry of the strip processed by the hot rolling mill. A feed-forward control reference and/or sensitivity vector may also be calculated as a function of the target thickness profile, and used in generating the control signal sent to the control device. The control device may be selected from one or more of the group consisting of a bending controller, gap controller and coolant controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: NUCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard BRITANIK, Tino DOMANTI, Terry L. GERBER, Jason A. MUELLER, Glen WALLACE, Harold Bradley REES
  • Publication number: 20090120149
    Abstract: Methods and an apparatus for monitoring and conditioning strip material are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes a plurality of sensors positioned across a width of a strip material, each of the plurality of sensors corresponding to a different one of a plurality of longitudinal zones along the width of the strip material. The example apparatus also includes a material condition monitor to determine a plurality of wave heights of the strip material based on information received from the plurality of sensors. Each of the wave heights corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of longitudinal zones. The material condition monitor is also to determine whether a measured portion of the strip material is substantially flat based on a comparison of each of the wave heights to a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventor: John Dennis Clark
  • Patent number: 7530250
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for straightening a metal strip (1) which is guided in the direction of transportation (R) through a straightening machine (2) and is straightened. In the straightening device (2), the metal strip (1) is impinged upon by a straightening force (F) which is applied by a plurality of straightening rollers (3) in the direction (N) which is perpendicular to the surface of the metal strip (1). According to the invention, prior to the metal strip (1) entering into the straightening machine (2), the thickness (d) of the metal strip (1) is determined and the position (a) of the straightening rollers (3) in the direction (N) which is perpendicular to the surface of the metal strip (1) is taken into account according to the determined thickness (d).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: SMS Demag AG
    Inventors: Hans-Georg Hartung, Andreas Gramer, Ralf-Hartmut Sohl, Peter de Kock, Bodo Falkenhahn
  • Patent number: 7444847
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for increasing the process stability, particularly the absolute thickness precision and the installation safety during the hot rolling of steel of nonferrous materials, with small degrees of deformation (f) or no reductions while taking the high-temperature limit of elasticity (Re) into account when calculating the set rolling force (Fw) and the respective setting position (s). The process stability can be increased with regard to the precision of the yield stress (kf,R) and the set rolling force (Fw) at small degrees of deformation (f) or small reductions, during which the high temperature limit of elasticity (Re) is determined according to the deformation temperature (T) and/or the deformation speed (phip) and is integrated into the function of the yield stress (kf) for determining the set rolling force (Fw) via the relation (2) Re=a+eb1+b2·T.phipc, in which: Re represents the high temperature; phip represents the deformation speed, and; a, b, c represent coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: SMS Demag AG
    Inventors: Peter Lixfeld, Ulrich Skoda-Dopp, Harald Wehage, Wolfgang Grimm, Alexander Borowikow, Holger Blei
  • Patent number: 7333925
    Abstract: A complex Fourier transform is performed on measured values of wall thickness at points in a cross section of a pipe in an axial direction, types of thickness deviation are classified, thickness deviation amount is calculated from the absolute value of the complex Fourier component, the position of a thick or thin portion of thickness deviation is calculated from the phase of the complex Fourier component, and manufacturing conditions of the pipe are adjusted based on these variables. The relationship r·exp(j?) between the thickness deviation amount r and phase ? of a first-order thickness deviation obtained for cross sections in the axial direction is subjected to a complex Fourier transform as a function of pipe longitudinal direction, the thickness deviation is further classified by the frequency of twist of the thickness deviation, and an action is taken to prevent the thickness deviation according to the classified thickness deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihito Yamane
  • Patent number: 7293440
    Abstract: A wedge setup/control method for plate material rolling ensures that the work side and drive side are equal in the rolled plate thickness. The wedge setup/control method, which is used in reversible rolling of a plate material with a rough mill for hot rolling, includes preparing a wedge meter on the outlet side of the rough mill to measure the plate thickness in the direction of the plate width; performing calculations on a wedge measured by the wedge meter, using the influence coefficient of the wedge for roll gap leveling of the rough mill; determining amount of roll gap leveling control; and exercising feedback control to apply the amount of roll gap leveling control to the roll gap leveling of the rough mill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Tokujiro Horikawa, Kazuyuki Maruyama, Minoru Choka, Masaru Miyokawa, Yoshiharu Ambe
  • Publication number: 20070220939
    Abstract: Apparatus and method of controlling strip geometry in casting strip having a rolling mill. A target thickness profile is calculated as a function of the measured entry thickness profile of the strip while satisfying profile and flatness operating requirements. A differential strain feedback from longitudinal strain in the strip is calculated by a control system by comparing the exit thickness profile with the target thickness profile, and a control signal is generated to control a device capable of affecting the geometry of the strip processed by the hot rolling mill. A feed-forward control reference and/or sensitivity vector may also be calculated as a function of the target thickness profile, and used in generating the control signal sent to the control device. The control device may be selected from one or more of the group consisting of a bending controller, gap controller and coolant controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: NUCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard Britanik, Tino Domanti, Terry L. Gerber, Jason A. Mueller, Glen Wallace, Harold Bradley Rees
  • Patent number: 7185520
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for correcting the thickness of a metal strip during rolling comprising a roll stand with adjusting elements to regulate the thickness of the strip and at least one take-up coiler. The object to provide a method and a device to correct the thickness of a metal strip during rolling using a roll stand which ensures the production of rolled strip with a reduced thickness tolerance is solved according to method by the fact that an average strip thickness of a strip section is determined from at least one strip length measurement and the measurement of the dedicated rotation of the take-up coiler and the adjusting elements of the roll stand are controlled at least depending on the average strip thickness of the strip section. With the method according to the invention the adjusting elements can be controlled almost independently of the ambient conditions of the roll stand so that the thickness tolerances of the rolled strip can be effectively reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Aluminium Norf GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Pampel, Günter Pampel, Manfred Jeude
  • Patent number: 7093469
    Abstract: A complex Fourier transform is performed on measured values of wall thickness at points in a cross section of a pipe in an axial direction, types of thickness deviation are classified, thickness deviation amount is calculated from the absolute value of the complex Fourier component, the position of a thick or thin portion of thickness deviation is calculated from the phase of the complex Fourier component, and manufacturing conditions of the pipe are adjusted based on these variables. The relationship r·exp(j?) between the thickness deviation amount r and phase ? of a first-order thickness deviation obtained for cross sections in the axial direction is subjected to a complex Fourier transform as a function of pipe longitudinal direction, the thickness deviation is further classified by the frequency of twist of the thickness deviation, and an action is taken to prevent the thickness deviation according to the classified thickness deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihito Yamane
  • Patent number: 7086260
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for controlling the final thickness of a rolled product (B) at the outlet of a rolling mill including at least two roll stands (1–5) operating in tandem and associated with a general speed control system of the different stands, and to a device for controlling the reduction in thickness and in tension of the product (B) in each space (10–50) between two successive stands. According to the invention, the control device performs, in real time, dynamic balance, between the different stands (1–5), of the torques applied, in each stand, on the working rolls (T, T?), without any noticeable disturbance of the final thickness h5 of the product (B) at the outlet of the plant. The invention enables, in particular, to optimise the productivity of a tandem rolling mill, without any engine overloading risks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Vai Clecim
    Inventor: Michel Abi-Karam
  • Patent number: 7076979
    Abstract: In a method and a device for producing curved lengths of spring band steel in order to produce precisely toleranced, dimensionally stable bending radii, the spring band steel (10) pass through a bending unit (20), which is comprised of three support points (23-25) spaced apart from one another, and passes through a reverse bending unit (22), which is disposed after the bending unit (20) in the advancing direction of the spring band steel (10) and is comprised of a fourth support point (32), and in a cutting unit (21), the curved and recurved lengths of spring band steel (11) are cut from the spring band steel (10). The central support point (24) of the bending unit (20) and the fourth support point (32) of the reverse bending unit (22) are embodied so that they can be moved and are controlled in their advancing in relation to the spring band steel (10) by means of a numerical control unit (20) in accordance with predetermined programs (FIG. 1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Wilhelm, Thomas Blum, Julius Mazurkiewicz, Theo Troester
  • Patent number: 7031797
    Abstract: Input variables, which describe a metal strip prior to and after the passage of a rolling stand, are fed to a material flow model. The material flow model determines online a rolling force progression in the direction of the width of the strip and fees said progression to a roller deformation model. The latter determines roller deformations from said progression and feeds them to a desired value calculator, which calculates the desired values for the controlling elements of profile and surface evenness using the calculated roller deformations and a contour progression on the runout side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Johannes Reinschke, Friedemann Schmid, Marco Miele
  • Patent number: 7028518
    Abstract: A method of producing a seamless steel tube to enable it to suppress not only the deviations in wall thickness occurring in the direction of reduction in a mandrel mill but also the derivations in thickness occurring at places deviating from the direction of reduction: measuring the wall thicknesses within the circumferential directions of a seamless steel tube 14 rolled in a production line comprising a mandrel mill 11 consisting of a plurality of reduction stands 111 to 115 having reduction rolls disposed in succession with the directions of reduction varied each other, and controlling, separately and individually based on the results of the measurement, the positions of both ends of each axis of the reduction rolls 114, 115 in the final reduction stands of the mandrel mill 11 so that the deviations in wall thickness can be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Sasaki, Akihito Yamane
  • Patent number: 6945083
    Abstract: The eccentricity of a hollow billet is measured at the outlet of an inclined-roll rolling mill by launching an ultrasonic pulse into the billet from a laser of a measuring device and measuring the transit time of an echo pulse also utilizing a laser and an optical analyzer. The measuring device is moved, during travel of the hollow billet along a path from the rolling mill linearly into the direction of travel or angularly around the hollow billet to eliminate the effect of the internal helical formation of the eccentricity on the measurements. The wall thickness measurements are evaluated by a computer and subjected to Fourier analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: SMS Meer GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Sauerland, Karl Heinz Häusler
  • Patent number: 6856855
    Abstract: A method of controlling the thickness of sheets manufactured by the extrusion of a material from a die having a plurality of thickness adjusting means by repeating, at specified timings, the following steps of 1) measuring the distribution of thickness of the sheets in lateral direction, 2) evaluating a predicted future variation in sheet thickness by using a specified evaluation function and based on a process model representing a relation between the amount of operation and the sheet thickness and sheet thickness measured values and leading an operating amount time series to minimize the evaluation function, and 3) outputting at least the initial amount of operation of the led operating amount time series to the thickness adjusting means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Hajime Hirata, Masatsugu Uehara, Yasuhiro Nakai, Jiro Terao
  • Patent number: 6839605
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for diagnosing faults in hot strip finishing rolling, which diagnoses thickness faults in hot strip finishing rolling, using preset data and real-time data on rolling and control conditions, equation models representing control and physical phenomena and a database constructed based on operation experiences. The present invention comprises: a Supervisory Control Computer (SCC); an actually measured data collection unit; an exit side thickness gauge loaded-on determination unit; a part identification unit; an on-gauge ratio calculation unit; a primary fault determination unit; a secondary fault determination unit; and a confidence rate evaluation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignees: Posco Co., Ltd., Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Cheol-Jae Park, Seong-Cheol Hong, Kwan-Soo Kim, Kyu-Bum Han, Young-Jun Jo, Seong-Gap Choi, Wakamiya Yoshinori, Nitta Isoko, Inami Haruki
  • Patent number: 6408222
    Abstract: A strip thickness control method in a twin roll strip casting device having a fixed roll and a horizontally movable roll, the method including the steps of: measuring a movement value Gj(&thgr;) of journals of the fixed and movable rolls and a movement value Gg(&thgr;+&pgr;) of barrels of the rolls; predicting a movement value Mfcr(&thgr;) of a roll nip of the fixed roll and a movement value Mmer(&thgr;) of a roll nip of the movable roll from the movement values Gj(&thgr;) and Gg(&thgr;+&pgr;); calculating a difference value between the movement values Mfcr(&thgr;) and Mmcr(&thgr;) to obtain an amount of variation Mdiff(&thgr;) of a gap between the fixed and movable rolls; and controlling thickness of a strip to minimize the amount of variation Mdiff(&thgr;) of the gap between the rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignees: Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology
    Inventors: Yoon Ha Kim, Hi Jung Lee, Dae Sung Lee
  • Patent number: 6305206
    Abstract: A pass schedule calculation apparatus calculates pass schedule and inputs the schedule to a preset apparatus which is plate thickness control means. The present apparatus controls a draft motor before rolling to set an appropriate initial roll clearance, and instructs a control target value to a plate thickness control apparatus and rolling speed control apparatus to perform control. A method of determining the pass schedule comprises: obtaining a product of a function which includes a pass rolling parameter and has a correlation of monotonic increase with respect to each pass draft amount, and another function including a rolling parameter which increases with the number of passes; using the product of the functions as a function substantially independent of a rolling speed; solving optimization problem of the parameter for equalizing the function value in the respective passes to calculate each pass draft amount; and using the draft amount as a draft schedule to determine the rolling pass schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yujirou Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6286348
    Abstract: A strip thickness controller for a rolling mill, which is capable of reducing a delivery-side strip thickness deviation due to an eccentricity of a backup roll even in a rolling mill incapable of easily performing a kiss-roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kunio Sekiguchi, Yosuke Tonami, Takashi Chujo
  • Patent number: 6263714
    Abstract: A control system is provided for a rolling mill that feeds sheet material from an unwind reel to a rewind reel, passing it between a pair of work rolls. The control system includes a speed sensor for sensing speed of the sheet material and a sensor for measuring material thickness. A force controller controls force exerted on the sheet material by the work rolls. A tension controller controls tension on the unwind reel. A programmed controller is operatively connected to the speed sensor, the force controller and the tension controller, and stores information representing cyclical deviations in thickness of the sheet material and controls the force controller and the tension controller using the stored information and the sensed speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignees: Telepro, Inc., Spectrum Systems Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: James Johnson, David Knapp, A. J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6240757
    Abstract: A process for rolling a metal strip, in particular a steel strip, using a cold-rolling train, which is followed by an annealing section and a temper pass section, the outflow thickness, i.e., the setpoint thickness of the metal strip at the outflow from the cold-rolling train being determined as a function of the setpoint hardness and the setpoint thickness of the metal strip at the outflow from the temper pass section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Roland Brüstle, Eckhard Wilke
  • Patent number: 6216504
    Abstract: Set values of a gauge-alteration-in-rolling amount after the next (i+1)-th stand and subsequent stands are modified, using the rolling results obtained when a leading end of a succeeding material passes through the i-th stand and the gauge results of the leading end portion of the succeeding material detected by the i-th stand outlet side gauge detector. The gauge results of the leading end of the succeeding material on the i-th stand outlet side is tracked up to the (i+1)-th stand, to thereby control the rolling speed of the i-th stand so as to make constant a mass-flow from the leading end of the succeeding material on the (i+1)-th stand inlet side. Thereby, the reverse off gauge caused at the succeeding stand, by turning on the AGC of the preceding stand, can be prevented and the gauge can be controlled to a desired value from the coil leading end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignees: Kawasaki Steel Corporation, Hitachi Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kurakake, Hisashi Tsuchida, Yutaka Saito, Satoshi Hattori
  • Patent number: 6176112
    Abstract: A method of dynamic adjustment of the roll gap in a roll stand of a mill train having multiple stands for rolling a strip, with a strip stock, i.e., a loop, between two roll stands being adjusted or limited by a loop or a strip stock control, with the dynamics in adjustment of the roll gap being limited as a function of state variables of the mill train, in particular state variables of the loop or strip stock control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ralf Sykosch, Matthias M{umlaut over (u)}ller