Abstract: A device and a method for positioning two baffles in the vicinity of each of two edges of a moving steel strip exiting a continuous line for dip-galvanizing a strip in a liquid galvanizing product such as liquid zinc. The baffles control turbulence to the side of the two strip edges. Each of the wipers is supported by a beam that is also longer than the strip width. The baffles are arranged on an arm having a width greater than the strip width, the arm having two movable ends, wherein each movable end adjacent to a strip edge is coupled, via two synchronization devices, to each of the respective adjacent ends of the two beams so that the movable end is instantly centered between the two adjacent ends.

Abstract: A method and device disclose how to drain a liquid coating metal from the two sides of a running steel strip. The method transfers a strip coated with a liquid coating metal, as it runs at the tank outlet, from a region not subjected to a magnetic field to another region subjected to a static magnetic field generated between the poles of magnetic members arranged opposite each other on either side of the strip and having field lines, or at least a main shell of the field lines, intersecting with the strip over at least one minimum longitudinal extent so that the liquid coating metal is correlatively subjected to a magnetic field variation generating on the liquid metal a force opposite to the running direction. Due to the low field variation, this magnetic braking effect generates little Foucault current in the strip.

Abstract: A device for cleaning a roll of a steel strip conversion plant is configured to move parallel to an axis of the roll. At least an even number N>0 of parallel spray nozzles are oriented perpendicular to the axis of the roll. A first number N/2 of the nozzles are fixed to a first arm of a supporting member and a second number N/2 of nozzles are fixed to a second arm of the supporting member. The supporting member is coupled to an actuator, and the actuator has a travel of at least 1/N of a length of the roll.

Abstract: A method for detecting defects of a material moving in a rolling mill generally comprises illuminating product, obtaining (ACQ) image thereof in at least one spectral band, in pre-processing the formed image, in detecting and extracting (DTEXTR) eventually suspected areas of the pre-processed image, and in classifying (CLASS) the suspected areas into one or several defect or defect-free categories. For hot-rolled materials, the product is inspected in three disjointed spectral bands, including infrared, red and, for instance, green band in such a way that the suspected areas are classified into one or several defect-free or defect categories including the surface and structural defects.

Abstract: A device for installing at least one roller in a liquid zinc bath in a galvanizing line used for the galvanization of a continuously-moving steel strip has a beam to which a first pair of arms is attached. The first pair of arms bears a bottom roller. The bottom roller is intended to be submerged in the liquid zinc bath towards a bottom roller operation position, relative to the naturally submerged position of the bottom roller, by way of a movement provided together with a first cylindrical bearing attached to each of the two ends of the beam and supporting the first pair of arms. A second cylindrical bearing is attached to each of the two ends of the beam and separate from the first cylindrical bearing on the same beam end section.

Abstract: A method for changing rollers in a roll stand adapted for bearing at least one working roller for a continuously-running steel-strip roll mill, includes providing the stand as part of a plurality of roll stands disposed in series along the roll mill in a continuous running direction. A rolling standby function in a free clamping position of the roller(s) is allocated to at least one dedicated stand among the plurality of stands. Original setpoint values controlling an adjustment of the roller clamping are individually allocated to the other stands in an active rolling position. In the case of a roller change when passing into the free clamping position of the stand, the original setpoint value of the stand and the original setpoint values of the stands remaining in an active rolling position are redistributed individually among each of the stands, including the dedicated stand.

Abstract: A system for guiding a mobile carriage in a frame. The frame has three parallel linear-guiding tracks including a first track extending centrally on the frame and second and third tracks arranged laterally of the first track. The carriage has at least two axes of rotation. A first axis drives at least a first wheel in the first guiding track and a second axis drives at least a second wheel and at least a third wheel, respectively, in the second and third guiding tracks. The two axes of rotation are perpendicular. The description also relates to an associated method. A primary object is to enable the end of a mobile beam, such as a beam carrying a device for wiping a galvanizing product off a steel strip, to perform a guided movement with a high degree of freedom while minimizing mechanical stresses.

Abstract: A rolling plant has a reversible rolling mill with two stands. Each upright of the stands rests on a support structure via a bearing surface and is fastened thereto by a bolt or shank integral with the structure and cooperating with the upright via a removable fastening device. The bearing surface of each upright is provided on the lower face of the upright, without extending beyond the lateral faces directed along the rolling direction of the uprights, and is formed with a hole opening into a hollow housing provided in the upright and having an orifice opening onto a lateral face of the upright. The bolt or shank extends through the hole and projects into the housing, and the removable fastening device is placed inside the housing.

Abstract: A method of drying and/or curing an organic coating on a continuously running metal strip, includes heating the strip by electromagnetic induction in a tunnel furnace having an enclosure with hot internal walls and heating the enclosure. The heating of the strip by electromagnetic induction is coupled with heating by infrared radiation and heating by convection with a combustion gas. The heating of the enclosure of the furnace is performed by convection using the same combustion gas used for heating the strip by convection. A device for implementing the method is also provided.

Abstract: A method for operating a continuous annealing or galvanizing line for a metal strip, uses a direct flame heating section with an upstream zone and a downstream zone. The direct flame heating section is followed by a radiant tube heating section. The metal strip is indirectly heated in the direct flame heating section. The heating of the metal strip is achieved in the upstream zone by combustion of a mixture of atmospheric air and fuel such that the temperature of the combustion gas is between 1250° C. and 1500° C., preferably close to 1350° C. and in the downstream zone, the heating of the metal strip is achieved by combustion of a superoxygenated substoichiometric mixture of air and fuel such that the temperature of the combustion gas achieved at the end of the upstream zone is maintained until the end of the downstream zone of the direct flame heating section.

Abstract: A measuring method and a device are adapted for the positioning of a wheel for mash seam resistance welding in the butt-joining of steel strips on continuous processing lines. A rotary roller which is fastened to a movable frame is positioned in a measuring position. The measuring position is vertically below a reference wheel. The reference wheel is continuously vertically lowered so that its lower surface comes into contact with the rotary roller and produces a bearing force on the roller. The roller is continuously moved in the direction of lowering. A distance between an index, which is secured to a measuring arm of the frame, and an articulated column of the frame is repeatedly measured during the continuous movement. The distance is compared with a distance threshold for each of the repeated measurements until the wheel reaches a first operating position in which the distance is equal to a predefined factor of the distance threshold.

Abstract: A method produces a hardened galvanization of a continuously-running rolled steel strip. The strip is immersed in a coating tank containing a bath of a liquid metal mixture, e.g. zinc and aluminum, to be deposited on the strip, and permanently circulated between the coating tank and a preparation device. The temperature of the liquid mixture is deliberately lowered in order to reduce the iron solubility threshold and sufficiently high for initiating, in the preparation device, the fusion of at least one Zn—Al ingot in an amount necessary for compensating for the liquid mixture used for deposition on the strip. The device is implemented so that the circuit for circulating the liquid mixture is thermally optimized.

Abstract: An installation for the hardened galvanization of a continuously-moving rolled steel strip, includes a coating tank receiving a liquid metal mixture containing, for example, zinc and aluminum to be deposited on the strip which is immersed in the mixture. The liquid mixture is permanently circulated between the coating tank and a preparation device, in which the temperature of the liquid mixture is deliberately lowered in order to reduce an iron solubility threshold and is sufficiently high for initiating fusion of at least one ingot containing a zinc-aluminum Zn—Al alloy in a so-called fusion zone of the preparation device, in an amount necessary to compensate for the liquid mixture used for deposition on the strip. The installation includes a loop for circulating the liquid mixture that is thermally optimized.

Abstract: The pickling of a continuously running steel strip and, more particularly, a pickling method, includes centralized control of all of the pickling operations. The invention further includes an apparatus for implementing the pickling process.

Abstract: A method is provided for adjusting the thickness of the welding bead of two bands obtained by butt welding by means of a laser beam without using filler material. The bands are clamped in jaws, both cut edges being spaced apart by a reference distance. Then the mobile jaw is moved along a travel. Said travel differs from said reference distance by an offset calculated in relation to the thickness of the bands, and while taking into account the degree of accuracy of the positioning and of the cut of said edges. The offset is counted as positive or negative, in order to obtain a final welding position such that it exists, between the edges, an actual allowance, positive or negative, adapted to the thickness of the bands.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new method for managing the feeding of a new coil into a continuous inline processing plant of a band-type product, in particular for passing short coils through the production line. According to the invention, the global duration for performing the general connection process of a new coil (11?) is divided into at least two time periods (T1, T3) realized in at least two successive portions (3, 4) of the inlet section (1) of the plant and the junction cycle is broken down into two separate phases S1, S2 between which a variable band length is set aside in at least one intermediate accumulator (5) in order to provide a time interval (T2) of variable duration between said time periods of the connection process. The invention applies especially to continuous etching lines of steel bands.

Abstract: A method for guaranteeing the oxidation of a strip designed to prevent the selective oxidation of alloy elements of the steel in a continuous steel strip galvanizing annealing furnace having a pre-heating section and a hold section and provided only with radiant tubes. The oxidation of the strip is designed to prevent the selective oxidation of elements of the steel alloy. The novel method includes the following steps: installation of at least one modified tube capable of injection an oxidizing medium at least one point in the oven heating section and/or at least one point in the hold section and injection of the oxidizing medium by means of the modified tube(s), the oxidizing medium having a composition such that in the conditions of the temperature of the oxidizing medium and the steel strip and as a function of the chemical composition of the strip said medium has a dew point which guarantees an in-depth oxidation of the alloy elements of the steel strip.

Abstract: In the continuous deposition of a coating on strip-type substrate, a thickness of the coating depends on the condition of various actuators. A first preliminary phase of the process includes developing a pre-setting model, a second preliminary phase includes developing an adjustment model, an intermediate pre-setting step during which the actuators are set statically, a step of measuring the thickness of the coating, and an adjustment step during which the actuators are dynamically controlled by a predictive control based on the adjustment model in order to reduce any potential difference between the coating measured thickness and a target value of the thickness.

Abstract: A device for guiding a strip through a liquid contained in a tank, includes an immersed diverting roller, in particular a roller immersed in a bath of liquid metal such as zinc, mounted rotatably about an axis on two aligned supporting shafts extending through two respective side walls of the tank, and each rotating in a centering bearing positioned outside of the tank. Each bearing of one shaft of the roller includes two rotary supporting members mounted in a fixed housing and spaced apart from each other, namely an outer supporting member and an inner supporting member. The housing of the bearing is held against a support plane formed on the wall and perpendicular to the axis of a hole through which the shaft passes. The wall has measures for centering the housing on the axis.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a device for controlling the overlapping of levelling rollers in a planishing machine comprising two levelling trains each bearing a series of rollers (4, 4?) with parallel axes. The invention is particularly applicable to sheets and strip products of great thickness and high hardness requiring little roller overlap. The method is characterized in that it consists in measuring at least the overall value of the torques transmitted to the planishing rollers by the motors, in determining the actual value of the torques used for planishing the product, in comparing the determined value with the reference value of the torque provided by the presetting model and in acting on the members (3, 3?) regulating the roller overlap to maintain the value of the thus determined torque at the reference value (Refc).