Device and method for straightening and / or stretching metal strips
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- UMLAUF NORBERT
- Filing Date
- 2025-10-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-11
Smart Images
Figure EP2025079209_11062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] October 9, 2025
[0002] Device for straightening and / or stretching metal strips
[0003] The present invention relates to a device for straightening and / or stretching rolled material in the form of one or more rolled metal strips, and in particular slit strips, comprising an input-side drive and an output-side drive for the rolled material, wherein at least one of the drives is a linear drive, the linear drive having an upper, endless drive section and a lower, endless drive section which are guided parallel to each other over a common drive section for carrying the rolled material, and wherein the upper and the lower drive sections have a plurality of elastic contact elements arranged one behind the other in the drive direction for carrying the rolled material. The invention also relates to a method for straightening and / or stretching the rolled material with such a device.
[0004] Devices for rolling and straightening metal strips are used in rolling, straightening, and processing lines for metal strips. Metal strips are rolled and straightened for various purposes. In rolling, the strip is deformed by horizontal force and thereby thinned. In stretch straightening, the strip is straightened by tension, while in stretch-bend straightening, it is straightened by bending and tension. Particularly in stretch straightening, the aim is to keep the section of the strip subjected to tension as small as possible. The smaller the area of deformation, the more balanced the microstructure.
[0005] From US patent 9,242,284 A1, a device and a method for stretching rolled metal strips are known, in which the metal strip is stretched between two linear drives. A rolling stand can also be arranged between the two linear drives, thus enabling a combination of the rolling and stretching operations.
[0006] In contrast, the present invention aims to solve the problem of providing a device for straightening and / or stretching of the type mentioned above, with which it is possible to straighten or stretch the rolled material more effectively and thereby achieve a good, preferably improved, microstructure and a flatter strip.
[0007] This problem is solved according to the invention with a device according to claim 1 in that the device comprises a control and / or regulation with which a speed of the output-side drive is set which is higher than the speed of the input-side drive, and that the elastic contact elements allow an elongation of the rolled material within the conveying section beyond its yield strength.
[0008] The problem is also solved by a method for straightening and / or stretching a rolled material with a device according to the invention, wherein a speed difference between the input-side drive and the output-side drive is specified and the control adjusts the speed difference with an accuracy of + / - 0.01%, preferably with an accuracy of + / - 0.001%.
[0009] When rolled material is mentioned here and in the following, it refers to rolled material in the form of one or more metal strips.
[0010] When a linear drive is mentioned here and in the following, it refers to a drive for the rolled material that transmits the driving forces to the rolled material via a longer straight section of the drive, unlike a drive using rollers or cylinders, where the driving forces are transmitted to the rolled material via their curved surface. A principle for a suitable linear drive is disclosed, for example, in US 9,242,284 B2.
[0011] It was surprisingly discovered that it is possible to straighten and / or stretch the rolled material within the driving path of one or both drives. This occurs because the rolled material, within the driving path(s) of the drive(s), adapts to the speed difference between the two drives to the extent that it elongates beyond its yield strength.
[0012] This is made possible by the elastic elements being designed in such a way that they can elastically adapt over the distance they are carried to the increasing speed of the rolled material due to its elongation above the yield strength, by being positioned more or less perpendicular to the surface of the rolled material over the distance they are carried, according to the position of the contact point on the rolled material.Thus, an elastic contact element of an input-side drive, which has a braking function for the rolled material in relation to the output-side drive, is essentially perpendicular to the rolled material at the moment it first makes full contact with the rolled material within the conveying section, but will continuously tilt further in the direction of the transport direction as it travels along the conveying section due to the continuous stretching of the rolled material beyond its yield strength and the resulting continuously increasing speed of the contacted rolled material section within the conveying section relative to the input-side drive.In an output-side linear drive, which, unlike the input-side drive, has a pulling function on the rolled material, the elastic contact element will immediately tilt due to the slower movement of the rolled material as soon as it first makes full contact with it in the drive section. This tilt will continue to increase along the drive section as long as the drive rotates faster than the rolled material in that section. Of course, one of the two drives can also be designed with less elastic contact elements in such a way that permanent elongation is not possible in that drive.
[0013] The contact between the rolled material and the elastic contact elements is preferably completely slip-free, but this is not necessarily required. Preferably, the elastic contact elements are designed to carry the rolled material along, essentially without slippage, at a predetermined contact pressure generated by the linear drive, up to an elongation of at least 0.1%, preferably at least 2%, and particularly preferably at least 3%.
[0014] In order to effectively transfer the braking forces of an input-side linear drive or the tensile forces of an output-side linear drive to the rolled material, an advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention comprises at least 3, preferably 10 to 20 elastic elements arranged in pairs opposite each other in a drive section for transporting the rolled material, and / or in that the drive section has a length of 200 to 3000 mm, preferably 500 to 1500 mm and particularly preferably 800 to 1200 mm.
[0015] Elastic contact elements have proven particularly suitable when made of, or consisting of, a rubber or other elastomeric material with a Shore A hardness according to DIN 7619-1 + 2 (2012-02) in the range of 70 to 110, preferably in the range of 80 to 100. Elastomers with a 100% modulus according to DIN 53504 (2017-03) of 3 to 15 N / mm² have also proven particularly suitable for elastic contact elements. 2 , especially from 4.5 to 12 N / mm 2 and / or a 300% modulus of 5 to 40 N / mm² 2 , especially from 8 to 35 N / mm 2 preferably, the elastic contact elements are formed with or consist of an elastomer that has a thickness of 35 to 65 mm, preferably a thickness of 45 to 55 mm.
[0016] Preferably, the device according to the invention is designed such that the elastic contact elements allow a permanent stretching of the rolled material within the conveying area of at least 0.1%, preferably at least 3%, particularly preferably at least 5%, and / or up to 10%, preferably up to 20% and particularly preferably up to 30%.
[0017] Linear drives have proven particularly effective and suitable for the efficient transport of rolled material at high strip tensions. In this respect, it is preferred, though not necessary, that both drives of the device according to the invention are designed as linear drives, wherein both linear drives preferably each have an upper, endless drive section and a lower, endless drive section, which are guided parallel to each other over a common drive section for carrying the rolled material in a preferably stationary frame, and wherein each upper and each lower drive section has a plurality of elastic contact elements arranged one behind the other in the drive direction for carrying the rolled material, and wherein the elastic contact elements of both linear drives allow the rolled material to be stretched within the drive section beyond its yield strength.
[0018] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, guide rollers are provided between the two drives, which can act on the rolled material on both sides as needed. When the guide rollers are used to support the straightening or stretching process, the flow process in the rolled material shifts from the area of the drive section to the area between the guide rollers in order to achieve permanent stretching. This can be particularly advantageous when a very high permanent stretching is required, which cannot be achieved within the drive section(s) of the drive(s), or with large metal strip cross-sections and a high yield strength of the rolled material.
[0019] It has also been found that the device according to the invention is ideally suited for simultaneously straightening or permanently stretching strips guided side by side through the drives, since the elasticity of the contact elements ensures that each strip undergoes the same stretching. In this respect, it is also a considerable advantage if one or more splitting shears are provided between the two drives for splitting a metal strip into two or more slit strips, whereby the straightening or stretching then takes place predominantly in the drive section of the output drive, or optionally in straightening rollers if these are engaged.
[0020] It is also advantageous to have an annealing furnace immediately before and / or after the device for straightening and / or drawing the rolled material. Performing the straightening and / or drawing immediately after heating and, if necessary, quenching the rolled material in an annealing furnace is beneficial because the rolled material may be distorted after the annealing treatment, thus positively influencing its microstructure. However, straightening and / or drawing before annealing can also be extremely beneficial, as it homogenizes the microstructure before the annealing process, resulting in a better microstructure than if the rolled material had not been straightened or drawn beforehand. The process parameters of the annealing process (temperature, duration, and cooling rate) can thus be essentially tailored to the desired microstructure formation.
[0021] In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, means for detecting the tensile stress are provided in order to measure the tensile stress distribution across the width of the rolled material. In particular, when the tensile stress is measured on both longitudinal sides of the rolled material, the tensile stress distribution across the width of the rolled material can be determined with sufficient accuracy. For example, force measuring bearings for determining the tensile stress applied to the rolled material can be provided in the bearing of a linear drive or, optionally, in both linear drives, particularly in the bearing of the drive shafts of a linear drive. Such force measuring bearings are well known.For example, they can be designed such that a gap is provided in the bearing shell of a rolling bearing, and a strain gauge is attached to both sides of the gap, so that a change in the gap width due to a change in the tensile stress introduced into the rolled material can be measured. With load-measuring bearings, highly dynamic measurement of the tensile stress in the rolled material is possible.
[0022] Preferably, the at least one linear drive has at least one adjusting device with which the position of the linear drive relative to the rolled material can be changed during operation and, in particular, pivoted about an axis substantially orthogonal to the drive direction. By pivoting the linear drive, it becomes possible to change and adjust the tensile stress distribution across the width of the rolled material. This allows, for example, the early compensation of a saber-like shape that forms in the rolled material during rolling, especially if the adjusting device is coupled to a control device and the adjusting device is actuated depending on the tensile stress distribution measured across the width of the rolled material.
[0023] As already indicated by the reference to US 9,242,284 B2 above, a linear drive particularly suitable for the device according to the invention has an upper and a lower drive that act on the rolled material from above and below, respectively, and that are held in a frame, and the upper and lower drives can be positioned within the stationary frame relative to the frame. In particular, the linear drive can have at least one first actuating device for the upper and lower drives, with which the upper and lower drives can be displaced in a direction transverse to the drive direction, and at least one second actuating device for the upper and lower drives, with which the upper and lower drives can be pivoted about a substantially vertical axis.The adjusting device for pivoting the upper and lower drives is preferably designed such that a pivoting of the linear drive by at least + / - 0.1°, preferably by at least + / - 10°, and particularly preferably by at least + / - 20° is possible. By means of one or both adjusting devices on one or both of the linear drives, it becomes possible to control and change the direction of the tensile stress exerted by the linear drive on the rolled material relative to the longitudinal direction of the rolled material, in order to straighten the rolled material or to minimize or avoid a sabering error.
[0024] Preferably, one or more measuring devices, particularly laser-based ones, are provided for acquiring information on the speed, warping, flatness, and / or form defects of the rolled material. All measured data can also be incorporated into the control of the drive speeds.
[0025] By straightening or stretching within the drive path of an input or output linear drive, or within the drive paths of both the input and output linear drives, not only can the microstructure be significantly improved, but also the flatness and evenness of the resulting metal strip or slit strips and the sabering can be significantly improved, as well as residual stresses being reduced or completely eliminated particularly effectively.
[0026] The problem underlying the invention is also solved by a method for straightening and / or stretching a rolled material with a device according to the invention in that a speed difference between the input-side drive and the output-side drive is specified and the control system regulates the speed difference with an accuracy of + / - 0.01%, preferably with an accuracy of + / - 0.001%. The set speed difference in percent essentially corresponds to the degree of permanent stretching achieved in the rolled material, at least when the elastic elongation of the rolled material during straightening / stretching and any slippage of the rolled material in the drive section(s) are neglected.
[0027] The method preferably also provides that the direction of the tensile stress exerted on the rolled material by the linear drive is controlled and changed relative to the longitudinal direction of the rolled material in order to align the rolled material within one or both of the drive sections or to minimize or avoid a saber error.
[0028] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to figures illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention.
[0029] They show
[0030] Fig. 1a shows the basic structure of a straightening and / or stretching line according to the invention with switchable stretching-bending straightener in a side view,
[0031] Fig. lb shows the straightening and stretching line of Fig. 1a with added stretching-bending judge;
[0032] Fig. 2 shows the basic structure of a straightening and / or stretching line according to the invention with switchable multi-roll straightener;
[0033] Fig. 3 shows the basic structure of a linear drive as depicted in figures 1a, 1b and 2 in a side, partially cutaway view;
[0034] Fig. 4 schematically shows the behavior of elastic contact elements of the linear drive in the drive path between an upper drive and a lower drive of a linear drive;
[0035] Fig. 5 shows the basic structure of the linear drive shown in Figure 3 in a cutaway, schematic view;
[0036] Fig. 6 shows a partially cutaway top view of an actuator for the linear drive of Figures 3 and 4;
[0037] Fig. 7a shows a partially cutaway top view of the linear drive of Figure 2 in a first operating position;
[0038] Fig. 7b shows a partially cutaway top view of the linear drive of Figure 2 in a different operating position;
[0039] Fig. 8 shows a top view of a straightening and / or stretching line with a metal strip cut into a slit strip;
[0040] Fig. 9a shows a cross-section through the upper and lower chain carriages of a linear drive with slit belts located between the elastic elements of the chain carriages; Fig. 9b shows a schematic top view of the linear drive of Fig. 9a with slit belts guided through the linear drive;
[0041] Fig. 10 shows an alternative setup of a straightening and / or stretching line according to the invention;
[0042] Fig. 11 shows another alternative setup of a straightening and / or stretching line according to the invention;
[0043] Fig. 12 shows a further alternative setup of a straightening and / or stretching line according to the invention with an annealing furnace; and
[0044] Fig. 13 shows another alternative setup of a straightening and / or stretching line according to the invention with an annealing furnace.
[0045] Figures 1a and 1b illustrate the basic structure of an embodiment of a straightening and / or stretching line according to the invention for a metal strip 1 or of slit strips 2, one of which is shown by way of example. The metal strip 1 is guided by a first, input-side linear drive 3 and a second, output-side linear drive 4, which are the main components of the straightening and / or stretching line. The transport direction of the metal strip 1 in Fig. 1 is from left to right.
[0046] Directly behind the input-side linear drive is a measuring device 5 for determining the position of the metal belt 1, whose measurement signals are used for belt tracking control. In the transport direction behind the measuring device
[0047] Following section 5 is a cutting device 6, which can optionally be an edging shear and / or a slitting shear. The edging shear is used to cut off the right and left edges of a metal strip 1, which are often of poor quality and are recycled as scrap. The slitting shear is used to divide the metal strip 1 into two or more so-called slit strips 2. The slit strips 2 can each have the same width or different widths. Provided the cutting device
[0048] Figure 6, which includes a trimming shear, also includes a scrap cutter 7 that cuts the trimming cut into small sections, making the trimming cut easier to handle as scrap. Downstream of the cutting device 6 in the transport direction is a switchable bending and straightening machine 8, here in the form of a stretch-bend-straightener with two bending rollers acting on the metal strip 1 or the slit strips 2. In Figure 1a, the stretch-bend-straightener is inactive; its bending rollers do not contact the metal strip 1 or the slit strips 2. In Figure 1b, the stretch-bend-straightener is engaged, and its bending rollers act on the metal strip 1 or the slit strips 2. Downstream of the bending and straightening machine, in the transport direction, is the output-side linear drive 4 and another measuring device, arranged directly behind it, for determining the position of the metal strip 1 or the slit strips 2.
[0049] Following the output linear drive 4 and the measuring device 9 are a slit strip accumulator (not shown here), another linear drive 13, a measuring device for determining the position of the metal strip 1 or the slit strips 2, and a winding reel 15 on which the metal strip 1 is wound into a coil or the slit strips into several coils, including an upstream pair of rollers 15a for holding the end of the exiting metal strip 1 or the ends of the exiting slit strips 2. The slit strip accumulator and the subsequent linear drive 13 are provided when slit strips 2 are to be straightened or stretched in the line. Due to possible differences in the straightening or stretching of adjacent slit strips 2, the tolerance can be, for example, + / - 0.Due to variations in thickness (0.05%), and especially due to differences across the width of the metal strip 1 from which the slit strips 2 were produced (e.g., caused by a warp in the metal strip 1 as a result of a rolling process), the thickness of the various slit strip bundles on the winding reel 15 can vary. This affects the winding speed of each individual slit strip 2 onto the winding reel 15. Thicker slit strips 2 are wound up faster at the same rotational speed of the winding reel 15 because the outer diameter of the slit strip bundle on the winding reel 15 increases more rapidly with greater thickness. The linear drive 13 acts as a brake for the slit strips 2 to ensure the most constant tension possible when winding the slit strips onto the winding reel 15. The slit strip buffer acts as a buffer for the slit strips that are wound up more slowly due to their thickness.It is located where, in figures aa and bb, the slit band 2 is guided in a loop.
[0050] In addition, further measuring devices 16 are optionally arranged at various points along the straightening and / or stretching line, with which information on the speed, sabering, flatness and / or form defects of the metal strip or the slit strips can be recorded.
[0051] In Figures 1a and 1b, the metal strip 1 without a loop is also shown in the area of the loop of the slit strip 2. It is self-evident that either the metal strip 1 or the slit strip 2 can be guided through the line behind the cutting device 6. Two strips are shown on the winding reel. This is intended to illustrate the strip path once with a small coil diameter and once with a large coil diameter. The basic setup of another embodiment of a straightening and / or stretching line according to the invention, shown in Figure 2, differs from the setup in Figures 1a and 1b only in that the bending-straightening machine 8 is designed here as a multi-roll bending straightener.
[0052] The stretching of a metal strip along the straightening and / or stretching line according to the invention is achieved by setting the speed of the output drive, here the linear drive 4, significantly higher than the speed of the input drive, here the linear drive 3, such that the desired stretching is achieved. With a slip-free drive, this means that the speed in the output drive must be 1% higher than that of the input drive if a permanent stretching of 1% is to be achieved, disregarding the elastic elongation of the material to be stretched.
[0053] As can be seen particularly in Figure 3, the linear drives have an upper drive with an upper circulating chain 21 (shown only schematically in Figures 1, 1a, and 2) and a lower drive with a circulating chain 22. The circulating chains 21 and 22 run in chain guides and are each driven by two servo motors 25, 26, 27, and 28, which are arranged on either side of a drive shaft 31 and 32 of the respective drives and transmit the drive torque to the circulating chains 21 and 22 via gears 33 and 34. The drive shafts 31 and 32 are mounted on the chain guides. A tensile stress applied to the metal band 1 is determined by force measuring bearings 35 and 36, which, as can be seen in Figure 3, are arranged on the sides of the drive area of the linear drive defined by the circulating chains 21 and 22.
[0054] The metal strip 1 is guided between the upper and lower circulating chains 21, 22 of the linear drives. Elastic contact elements 37, 38 are arranged on the chain links 35, 36 of the circulating chains 21, 22. In the sections where the circulating chains 21, 22 run parallel to each other, they form a driving section with the elastic contact elements 37, 38, within which a metal strip 1 or slit strips can be guided. In this case, there are eleven pairs of elastic contact elements that guide the metal strip within the driving section. If, for example, the elastic contact elements and the associated chain links 35, 36 have a length of 100 mm in the transport direction and are positioned close together in the transport direction, the total length of the driving section is 1100 mm.The elasticity and height of the elastic contact elements are selected such that they can follow a permanent stretching of the metal strip 1 or slit strips within the conveying section of 3% or even significantly more without slippage. Figure 4 shows a snapshot of the positions of the elastic contact elements 37, 38 and the lower circulating chains of an input-side linear drive, which, relative to the output-side drive, has a braking function for the rolled material. At the moment when an elastic contact element 37, 38 first makes full contact with the rolled material within the conveying section (far left in the figure), it is essentially perpendicular to the rolled material. As it travels along the conveying section, it becomes increasingly inclined in the direction of the material's transport.This occurs because the section of rolled material contacted by the elastic contact element stretches continuously along the drive section, thus increasing its speed relative to the chain carrying the elastic contact element. The tilting of the elastic element accelerates as long as the relative speed increases due to the continuous stretching of the stretching section of rolled material relative to the chain. In an output-side linear drive, which pulls the rolled material compared to an input-side drive, essentially the same process occurs, with the sole difference being that the elastic contact elements tilt immediately upon first making full contact with the rolled material in the drive section, due to the fact that the rolled material is slower than the chain.The tilt will continue to increase along the drive section as long as the drive runs faster than the rolled material in the drive section.
[0055] Figure 5 illustrates in particular the operation of the actuating devices for positioning the linear drive shown in Figure 3. The linear drive has a stationary frame 41 with side posts 42, 43. As can also be seen in the sectional view in Figure 6, rotary columns 44, 45 are mounted in the side posts 42, 43. As can be seen in particular in Figure 6, each of the rotary columns 44, 45 has an outer wall 46 open on opposite sides over a long section. In this section, the inner wall of each of the rotary columns 44, 45 is designed as a guide 47. Actuators 48, 49 are provided at the lower ends of the rotary columns 44, 45 for pivoting them. The angular position of the rotary columns 44, 45 can be adjusted over a relatively wide range (two possible positions are shown in Figure 6).The upper drive is held by an upper crossbeam 51, and the lower drive by a lower crossbeam 52. Guide columns 53 and 54 are mounted on the lower crossbeam on both sides of the circulating chains 11 and 12. The upper crossbeam 51 is mounted on these guide columns for vertical displacement. The upper crossbeam 51 can be positioned vertically relative to the lower crossbeam 52 by means of hydraulic cylinders 55 and 56, which are supported at the top of the frame 41. The lower crossbeam 52 rests on sliding bearings 57 and 58, which are located in the area of the guide columns 53 and 54 beneath the lower crossbeam 52. The guide column 53, and thus the entire linear drive, can be adjusted transversely to the direction of travel by means of an actuator 59, the drive rod of which is connected to the guide column 53.
[0056] Support rollers 61, 62, 63, 64 are provided at the ends of the upper crossbeam 51 and the lower crossbeam 52, which are guided in the guides 46, 47 of the pivot columns 44, 45 in a horizontal plane. The support rollers 61, 62 of the upper crossbeam 51 are vertically displaceable in the pivot columns 44, 45.
[0057] In combination with the actuators 48, 49, which adjust the position of the guides of the rotary columns 44, 45, and the actuator 59 acting transversely to the transport direction, it becomes possible to pivot the entire linear drive on a substantially semicircular path segment around a virtual center point, which is located, in particular, in the middle of the rolled material. The radius of the virtual circular path segment and the position of the virtual center point are adjustable within wide limits, in particular such that the virtual center point M can be located on either side of the linear drive. As a result, it is particularly possible to position the virtual center point in front of the respective linear drive in the transport direction, as shown in Figures 7a and 7b.
[0058] Figures 9a and 9b schematically show how eight adjacent slit strips 2 are held between an elastic contact element 37, which is arranged on a chain link 39 of the upper circulating chain 21, and an elastic contact element 38, which is arranged on a chain link 40 of the lower circulating chain 22. In Figure 9a, the slit strips 2 are shown largely in plan view, although the chain links 39, 40 and the elastic contact elements 37, 38 are shown in a section transverse to the transport direction of the slit strips 2. Figure 9b schematically shows the eight adjacent slit strips 2 in plan view as they travel through the drive section with ten pairs of elastic contact elements 37, 38 arranged one behind the other in the transport direction.Line 71 is intended to schematically show that, starting from a central slit strip extending to both sides of the transport direction arrow and thicker than the adjacent slit strips due to the convexity of a rolled metal strip, the deflection of the elastic contact elements at the end of the conveying section is slightly (the representation here is exaggerated) less than the deflection of the elastic contact elements at the slit strips which become marginally but steadily thinner towards the edges.
[0059] Figures 10 to 13 show alternatives to the construction of the alignment and / or stretching line according to the invention as shown in Figures 1a, 1b, and 2a. Identical reference numerals in these figures denote line components that correspond to those of the lines in Figures 1a, 1b, and 2a.
[0060] The alignment and / or stretching line of Figure 10 differs from those of Figures 1a, 1b, and 2 essentially only in that there is no input-side linear drive. The metal strip 1 is braked by a pair of rollers 14a, which has a drive and ensures that the metal strip is unwound from a reel 14. However, the reel 14 and the driven pair of rollers 14 are shown here only as examples of other ways of supplying the metal strip without a linear drive, in which the metal strip is braked relative to the linear drive 4.
[0061] The straightening and / or stretching line of Figure 11 differs from those of Figures 1a, 1b, and 2 essentially only in that two output-side linear drives 4 and 4 are arranged in series to significantly increase the strip tension at the desired drive speed. The use of two or more output-side linear drives is advantageous when, for example, the thickness of the metal strip to be straightened or stretched is so great that a very substantial strip tension is required to achieve the desired permanent stretch. The use of multiple output-side linear drives is also advantageous, for example, when the strip tension of a single linear drive is insufficient to adequately counteract the braking forces of the cutting device and / or the bending-straightening machine, should it be engaged to achieve very high degrees of stretch.
[0062] The straightening and / or stretching line of Figure 12 differs from those of Figures 1a, 1b, and 2 essentially only in that an annealing furnace 82, including an associated cooling section, is provided for the continuous heat treatment of the metal strip or slit strips. It is possible, and can be extremely advantageous, to have the annealing furnace and cooling section immediately follow the outfeed drive of the straightening and / or stretching line, since the subsequent annealing process is particularly effective for microstructure formation in a straightened or stretched metal strip or slit strip. A linear drive 83 for drawing the metal strip or slit strips through the annealing furnace can be arranged within the cooling section. A particular advantage also arises if the straightening and / or stretching line is not designed according to the invention such that the straightening or stretching takes place within the drive section of one or both linear drives.
[0063] The straightening and / or stretching line of Figure 13 also differs from those of Figures 1a, 1b, and 2 essentially only in that an annealing furnace 92, including an associated cooling section 93, is provided for the continuous heat treatment of the metal strip, with the annealing furnace 92 and cooling section 93 being arranged directly upstream of the input linear drive 3. This also allows for a significant improvement in the microstructure. A particular advantage also arises if the straightening and / or stretching line is not designed according to the invention such that the straightening or stretching takes place within the drive section of one or both linear drives.
[0064] Reference symbol list
[0065] Metal band 41 fixed frame input-side linear drive 42 post output-side linear drive 43 post
[0066] Measuring device 44 rotary column
[0067] Cutting device 45° rotating column
[0068] Scrap cutter 46 Outer wall
[0069] Bending and straightening machine 47 guide
[0070] Measuring device 48 Actuator
[0071] Linear actuator 49 Actuator
[0072] Unwinding reel 51 upper crossbeam a roller pair with drive 52 lower crossbeam
[0073] Winding reel 53 Guide column a Roller pair 54 Guide column
[0074] Measuring device 55 Hydraulic cylinder circulating chain 56 Hydraulic cylinder circulating chain 57 Plain bearing
[0075] Servomotor 58 plain bearings
[0076] Servomotor 59 Actuator cylinder
[0077] Servomotor 61 support roller
[0078] Servomotor 62 support roller
[0079] Drive shaft 63 Support roller
[0080] Drive shaft 64 support roller
[0081] Gear 71 schematic representation of the
[0082] Gear deflection of an elastic
[0083] Force measuring bearing contact element
[0084] Force measuring bearing 82 Annealing furnace elastic contact element 83 Cooling section elastic contact element 84 Linear drive
[0085] Chain link 92 annealing furnace
[0086] Chain link 93 Cooling section
[0087] 94 Linear drive
Claims
October 9, 2025 Patent claims 1. Device for straightening and / or stretching rolled material in the form of one or more rolled metal strips and, in particular, slit strips, comprising an input-side drive and an output-side drive for the rolled material, wherein at least one of the drives is a linear drive, the linear drive having an upper, endless drive section and a lower, endless drive section which are guided parallel over a common drive section for carrying the rolled material, and wherein the upper and the lower drive sections have a plurality of elastic contact elements arranged one behind the other in the drive direction for carrying the rolled material, characterized in that the device includes a control and / or regulation system with which a speed of the output-side drive is set which is higher than the speed of the input-side drive.and that the elastic contact elements allow the rolled material to be stretched beyond its yield strength within the conveying section.
2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastic contact elements are designed to carry the rolled material essentially without slippage up to an elongation of at least 0.1%, preferably at least 2% and particularly preferably at least 3%.
3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by at least 3, preferably 10 to 20 elastic elements arranged in pairs opposite each other in a conveying section for transporting the rolled material, and / or in that the conveying section has a length of 200 to 3000 mm, preferably 500 to 1500 mm and particularly preferably 800 to 1200 mm.
4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic contact elements are formed with or consist of an elastomer having a Shore hardness A according to DIN 7619-1 + 2 (2012-02) in the range of 70 to 110, preferably in the range of 80 to 100.
5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic contact elements are formed with or consist of an elastomer having a 100% modulus according to DIN 53504 (2017-03) from 3 to 15 N / mm 2 , especially from 4.5 to 12 N / mm 2 and / or a 300% modulus of 5 to 40 N / mm² 2 , especially from 8 to 35 N / mm 2 exhibits.
6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic contact elements are formed with or consist of an elastomer having a thickness of 35 to 65 mm, preferably a thickness of 45 to 55 mm.
7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic contact elements enable a permanent stretching of the rolled material within the conveying area of at least 0.1%, preferably at least 3%, particularly preferably at least 5%, and / or up to 10%, preferably up to 20% and particularly preferably up to 30%.
8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that both drives are designed as linear drives.
9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that both linear drives each have an upper, endless drive part and a lower, endless drive part which are guided parallel over a common drive section for taking the rolled material along, and wherein the respective upper and the respective lower drive part have a plurality of elastic contact elements arranged one behind the other in the drive direction for slip-free driving of the rolled material, and wherein the elastic contact elements of both linear drives allow the rolled material to be stretched within the drive section beyond its yield strength.
10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that guide rollers are provided between the two drives, which can act on the rolled material on both sides of the rolled material if required.
11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more splitting shears are provided between the two drives for splitting a metal strip into two or more slit strips.
12. Device for treating metal strip with a device for straightening and / or stretching rolled material according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an annealing furnace is provided immediately before and / or immediately after the device for straightening and / or stretching rolled material.
13. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that means for detecting the tensile stress are provided in order to measure the tensile stress distribution over the width of the rolled material.
14. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one linear drive (4, 5) has at least one adjusting device with which the position of the linear drive relative to the rolled material can be changed during operation and in particular pivoted about an axis that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of drive.
15. Device according to claim 14, characterized in that the linear drive (4, 5) has an upper and a lower drive which act on the rolled material from above and below respectively and which are held in a frame (41), and the upper and lower drives can be positioned within the stationary frame relative to the frame.
16. Device according to claim 15, characterized in that at least one first actuating device is provided for the upper and lower drive, with which the upper and lower drive can be displaced in a direction transverse to the drive direction, and at least one second actuating device is provided for the upper and lower drive, with which the upper and lower drive can be pivoted about a substantially vertical axis.
17. Device according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the actuating device is designed to allow the linear drive to pivot by at least + / - 0.1°, preferably by at least + / - 10° and particularly preferably by at least + / - 20°.
18. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by at least one measuring device for recording information on the speed, sabering, flatness, and / or shape defects of the rolled material.
19. Method for straightening and / or stretching a rolled material with a device according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 18, characterized in that a speed difference between the input-side drive and the output-side drive is specified and the control adjusts the speed difference with an accuracy of + / - 0.01%, preferably with an accuracy of + / - 0.001%.
20. Method according to claim 19, characterized in that the direction of the tensile stress exerted on the rolled material by the linear drive is controlled and changed relative to the longitudinal direction of the rolled material in order to align the rolled material within the at least one conveying section or to minimize or avoid a saber error.
21. Method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that the straightening and / or stretching of the rolled material takes place immediately before and / or after annealing and quenching the rolled material.