Patents by Inventor Thomas Daube

Thomas Daube has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11814722
    Abstract: A method and a vacuum-coating system (10) for coating a strip-shaped material (11), in particular made of metal, are disclosed. Thereby, the strip-shaped material (11) is moved over a conveying section (12) in a transport direction (T) and vacuum-coated within a coating chamber (14) in which a vacuum is applied. When viewed in the transport direction (T) of the strip-shaped material (11), at least one trimming shear (38) is arranged upstream of the coating chamber (14), with which the strip-shaped material (11) is trimmed at at least one strip edge, preferably at both strip edges, in order to produce a constant width for the strip-shaped material (11) over its longitudinal extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: SMS group GmbH
    Inventors: Lutz Kümmel, Thomas Daube
  • Publication number: 20230251639
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system (1) for controlling a production plant (3) consisting of a plurality of plant parts (2), in particular a metallurgical production plant for producing industrial goods such as metal semi-finished products and/or metal end products, wherein each plant part (2) has an input quality window (4), an output quality window (5) and a process window (6), wherein the input quality window (4) of a plant part (2) defines the quality characteristics of the input product that are required by the plant part (2) and the output quality window (5) of a plant part (2) defines the quality characteristics of the output product that are allowed by the plant part (2) after processing the input product, wherein, in a production plant (3) consisting of the plurality of plant parts (2), the output quality window (5) of an upstream plant part (2) corresponds to the input quality window (4) of the downstream plant part (2), wherein the process window (6) defines the setting values (7) that can be impl
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: SMS group GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas DAUBE, Holger BEHRENS, Lutz KÜMMEL, Ulrich SOMMERS
  • Patent number: 11549168
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating a metal strip after it has exited from a coating container with a liquid coating material, for example zinc is provided. The apparatus includes a blow-off device arranged above the coating container having an air outlet gap for blowing off excess parts of the still liquid coating material from the surface of the metal strip after the passing of the metal strip through the coating container. An electromagnetic stabilizer is arranged above the blow-off device and has a plurality of individual magnets for stabilizing the metal strip after leaving the coating container and the blow-off device. In order to further increase the efficiency of the apparatus, at least some of the magnets of the stabilizer are formed as pot magnets with pot coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Fontaine Engineering und Maschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Pascal Fontaine, Dominique Fontaine, Thomas Daube, Michael Zielenbach
  • Publication number: 20220316050
    Abstract: A method for coating a metal strip by means of a metallic substrate in a strip coating system, wherein the coating is carried out according to the principle of physical vapor deposition and the layer thickness is set via the parameters of the strip speed and the vaporization rate. It is provided according to the invention that in the event of a layer thickness change and/or a width change of the metal strip, the vaporization rate and the strip speed are changed simultaneously, so that the layer thickness change can be implemented directly independently of the thermal vaporization process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: SMS group GmbH
    Inventors: Lutz KÜMMEL, Thomas DAUBE
  • Publication number: 20220275530
    Abstract: An electroplating method and a system for electrolytically coating a steel strip, in particular for the automotive sector, with a coating based on zinc and/or a zinc alloy utilizes pulse technology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: SMS group GmbH
    Inventors: Henry GÖRTZ, Thomas DAUBE, Frank PLATE, Walter TIMMERBEUL
  • Publication number: 20220258221
    Abstract: In a method for the online determination of at least one rolling parameter when rolling a rolling material rolled along a rolling line in a rolling mill including at least two rolls on a roll stand, the rolling material is guided past or through at least one measuring device during the rolling, which interacts with a rolling material variable of the rolling material, the rolling material variable being changeable along the length of the rolling material, and outputs a measurement signal, wherein: (i) the measurement signal is transferred into the frequency space, and the rolling parameter is determined from the measurement signal transferred into the frequency space, and/or (ii) a frequency inherent in the change of the rolling material variable is determined from the measurement signal, and the rolling parameter is determined on the basis of the determined frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: SMS group GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas DAUBE, Thomas NERZAK, Joerg HIMMEL, Annette JOBST, Mario RADSCHUN
  • Publication number: 20220195558
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the heat treatment of a metallic product (P), in particular a strip or sheet, in which the product (P) is controlled and/or regulated by means of a control and/or regulating device (100) controlled and/or regulated furnace device (110) is carried out at a predetermined speed in a conveying direction (F), the product (P) being heated up to a first point (I) and then up to a second location (H) or is cooled down to a third location (III).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Ulrich SOMMERS, Thomas DAUBE, Alexandre LHOEST, Holger BEHRENS
  • Patent number: 11255009
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for coating a metal strip with the aid of a coating device. Within the coating device, the strip first runs through a coating container with a liquid coating agent and then a stripping nozzle device for stripping off excess coating agent from the surface of the strip. After the stripping nozzle device, the strip typically runs through a strip stabilizing device with a plurality of magnets on both broad sides of the strip. A form control deviation is determined as the difference between a determined actual form of the strip and a specified desired form of the strip and this form control deviation is used for activating the magnets of the strip stabilizing device in order to transform the actual form of the strip into the desired form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Fontaine Engineering und Maschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Behrens, Lutz Kümmel, Thomas Daube, Gernot Richter, Babak Taleb-Araghi, Pascal Fontaine, Michael Zielenbach
  • Publication number: 20220049339
    Abstract: Within a coating device, a metal strip first runs through a coating container with a liquid coating agent and then a stripping nozzle device for stripping off excess coating agent from the surface of the strip. After the stripping nozzle device, the strip runs through a strip stabilizing device with a plurality of magnets on both broad sides of the strip. A form control deviation is determined as the difference between an actual form of the strip and a desired form of the strip and this form control deviation is used for activating the magnets in order to transform the actual form of the strip into the desired form. The magnets of the strip stabilizing device may be moved in the widthwise direction of the strip into a traversing position in relation to the magnets on the respectively opposite broad side of the strip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Applicant: Fontaine Engineering und Maschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Behrens, Lutz KÜMMEL, Thomas DAUBE, Gernot Richter, Babak Taleb-Araghi, Pascal Fontaine, Michael ZIELENBACH
  • Patent number: 11230749
    Abstract: A method for operating an annealing furnace to anneal a metal strip provides that, initially, at least one target material property (MPTarget) is specified for a point or a section of the metal strip after passing through the annealing furnace. In addition, information (E) on the metal strip is provided before or in the annealing furnace. A calculation of a target temperature distribution (TTarget) and/or a target speed (VTarget) of the metal strip in the annealing furnace is then carried out with the assistance of a computer-aided model as a function of the target material properties and the specified information. The target temperature distribution and/or target speed calculated in this manner is/are subsequently set in the annealing furnace in order to transfer the material property of the metal strip behind the annealing furnace to the desired target material property MPTarget.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: SMS group GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Daube, Markus Jaenecke, Lutz Kümmel, Ulrich Sommers, Alexandre Lhoest
  • Publication number: 20210238726
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a vacuum-coating system (10) for coating a band-type material (11), in particular made of metal. For this, the band-type material (11) is moved, via a conveying section (12), in a transport direction (T) and is vacuum-coated within a coating chamber (14), in which a vacuum is applied. As seen in the transport direction (T) of the band-type material (11), at least one flatness optimization device (39) is arranged upstream of the coating chamber (14), through which flatness optimization device the band-type material (11) can be guided. In this way, a desired flatness is generated for the band-type material (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: SMS group GMBH
    Inventors: Lutz KÜMMEL, Thomas DAUBE
  • Publication number: 20210207264
    Abstract: A method and a vacuum-coating system for coating a band-type material, in particular made of metal. For this, the band-type material is moved, via a conveying section, in a transport direction and is vacuum-coated within a coating chamber, in which a vacuum is applied. A position of the band-type material is adjusted and/or aligned as relates to a center of the conveying section by means of at least one band position control device, which is arranged within the coating chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: SMS group GMBH
    Inventors: Lutz KÜMMEL, Thomas DAUBE
  • Publication number: 20210207262
    Abstract: A method and a vacuum-coating system (10) for coating a strip-shaped material (11), in particular made of metal, are disclosed. Thereby, the strip-shaped material (11) is moved over a conveying section (12) in a transport direction (T) and vacuum-coated within a coating chamber (14) in which a vacuum is applied. When viewed in the transport direction (T) of the strip-shaped material (11), at least one trimming shear (38) is arranged upstream of the coating chamber (14), with which the strip-shaped material (11) is trimmed at at least one strip edge, preferably at both strip edges, in order to produce a constant width for the strip-shaped material (11) over its longitudinal extension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: SMS group GmbH
    Inventors: Lutz KÜMMEL, Thomas DAUBE
  • Publication number: 20210189540
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating a metal strip after it has exited from a coating container with a liquid coating material, for example zinc is provided. The apparatus includes a blow-off device arranged above the coating container having an air outlet gap for blowing off excess parts of the still liquid coating material from the surface of the metal strip after the passing of the metal strip through the coating container. An electromagnetic stabilizer is arranged above the blow-off device and has a plurality of individual magnets for stabilizing the metal strip after leaving the coating container and the blow-off device. In order to further increase the efficiency of the apparatus, at least some of the magnets of the stabilizer are formed as pot magnets with pot coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: Fontaine Engineering und Maschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Pascal Fontaine, Dominique Fontaine, Thomas Daube, Michael Zielenbach
  • Patent number: 10982307
    Abstract: A method for operating a coating device for coating a metal strip. The corresponding coating device has an electromagnetic strip-stabilizing device having a plurality of electromagnetic actuators or coils for applying forces to the metal strip. In order to ensure that the strip-stabilizing device is operated only within the operating limits thereof, the magnitudes of the set currents for the actuators or the coils are compared with a specified current threshold value or the forces applied to the metal strip by the actuators are compared with a specified force threshold value and the correction roller is moved into such an adjustment position that the magnitudes of the set currents are below the current threshold value or the magnitudes of the forces are below the force threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: FONTAINE ENGINEERING UND MASCHINEN GMBH
    Inventors: Lutz Kümmel, Thomas Daube, Holger Behrens, Dominique Fontaine, Michael Zielenbach
  • Publication number: 20200131599
    Abstract: A method for operating an annealing furnace to anneal a metal strip provides that, initially, at least one target material property (MPTarget) is specified for a point or a section of the metal strip after passing through the annealing furnace. In addition, information (E) on the metal strip is provided before or in the annealing furnace. A calculation of a target temperature distribution (TTarget) and/or a target speed (VTarget) of the metal strip in the annealing furnace is then carried out with the assistance of a computer-aided model as a function of the target material properties and the specified information. The target temperature distribution and/or target speed calculated in this manner is/are subsequently set in the annealing furnace in order to transfer the material property of the metal strip behind the annealing furnace to the desired target material property MPTarget.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas Daube, Markus Jaenecke, Lutz Kümmel, Ulrich Sommers, Alexandre Lhoest
  • Publication number: 20190194791
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for coating a metal strip with the aid of a coating device. Within the coating device, the strip first runs through a coating container with a liquid coating agent and then a stripping nozzle device for stripping off excess coating agent from the surface of the strip. After the stripping nozzle device, the strip typically runs through a strip stabilizing device with a plurality of magnets on both broad sides of the strip. A form control deviation is determined as the difference between a determined actual form of the strip and a specified desired form of the strip and this form control deviation is used for activating the magnets of the strip stabilizing device in order to transform the actual form of the strip into the desired form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Holger Behrens, Lutz Kümmel, Thomas Daube, Gernot Richter, Babak Taleb-Araghi, Pascal Fontaine, Michael Zielenbach
  • Publication number: 20190062887
    Abstract: A method for operating a coating device for coating a metal strip. The corresponding coating device has an electromagnetic strip-stabilizing device having a plurality of electromagnetic actuators or coils for applying forces to the metal strip. In order to ensure that the strip-stabilizing device is operated only within the operating limits thereof, the magnitudes of the set currents for the actuators or the coils are compared with a specified current threshold value or the forces applied to the metal strip by the actuators are compared with a specified force threshold value and the correction roller is moved into such an adjustment position that the magnitudes of the set currents are below the current threshold value or the magnitudes of the forces are below the force threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Lutz KÜMMEL, Thomas DAUBE, Holger BEHRENS, Dominique FONTAINE, Michael ZIELENBACH
  • Patent number: 10197533
    Abstract: A measuring device that is able to function even in rough environments, for example under great heat or in environments in which water or steam is found, as is the case in rolling mills, among other environments, has a housing, a central measuring device that passes through the housing in a straight line, and a measuring coil that is disposed in the housing and encloses the measuring opening. The device has a coil carrier that is disposed in the housing radially outside of the measuring coil and carries the measuring coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: SMS group GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Nerzak, Hermann Josef Klingen, Guido Sonnenschein, Thomas Daube, Eduard Stecklein
  • Publication number: 20170016857
    Abstract: A measuring device that is able to function even in rough environments, for example under great heat or in environments in which water or steam is found, as is the case in rolling mills, among other environments, has a housing, a central measuring device that passes through the housing in a straight line, and a measuring coil that is disposed in the housing and encloses the measuring opening. The device has a coil carrier that is disposed in the housing radially outside of the measuring coil and carries the measuring coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Applicant: SMS group GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas NERZAK, Hermann Josef KLINGEN, Guido SONNENSCHEIN, Thomas DAUBE, Eduard STECKLEIN