An automatic billet loading system and method

Abstract

This application discloses an automatic billet loading system and method. The system uses a billet feeding device to transport pre-loading billets to the target feeding roller conveyor. A laser rangefinder detects the presence of billets in the loading waiting position; if a billet is present, a loading signal is sent to the control device. The control device can seamlessly switch between automatic control mode for the billet discharge area and automatic control mode for billet loading under the signal from the laser rangefinder. The automatic control module for billet loading starts and stops the target feeding roller conveyor to achieve automatic loading. After loading is complete, the billet feeding device moves to a safe position and switches back to automatic control mode for the billet discharge area. The automatic billet loading method provided in this application enables fully automatic control of the billet discharge area, avoiding equipment damage caused by human error, improving production efficiency, reducing operator workload, and lowering the probability of accidents.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of billet loading technology in continuous casting of steel, and in particular to an automatic billet loading system and method. Background Technology

[0002] Continuous casting, also known as continuous steel casting, involves transporting a ladle filled with refined molten steel to a turret. Once the turret is in the pouring position, the molten steel is poured into the tundish. From there, the tundish distributes the molten steel to various crystallizers via nozzles. The crystallizers allow the casting to take shape and solidify rapidly. A straightening machine, along with a crystallization vibration device, works together to pull the casting out of the crystallizer. After cooling, the casting is cut into slabs of a specific length, known as billets.

[0003] Currently, the feeding rhythm of continuously cast billets is determined according to the rolling requirements of steel rolling, and feeding operations must be carried out at any time during the production process. There are two existing methods for loading billets onto the line: direct loading onto the roller conveyor and loading onto the line via a loading platform. After loading, the billets are transported to the steel rolling mill via roller conveyors for rolling. The specific method used depends on the actual situation of each steel plant.

[0004] Using the direct roller conveyor method, such as Figure 1 As shown: The billet clamping crane 03 is manually operated to lift the billet 02 from the billet storage area to the upper roller conveyor group 01. When the billet 02 is completely placed on the upper roller conveyor group 01 and the billet clamping crane 03 is detached from the billet 02, the upper roller conveyor group 01 starts to send the billet 02 to the steel rolling mill.

[0005] Using a loading platform for online assembly, such as Figure 2 As shown: The billet clamping crane 03 is manually operated to lift the billet 02 from the billet storage area to the loading platform 04. After the billet 02 is completely placed on the loading platform 04 and the billet clamping crane 03 is detached from the billet 02, the loading platform 04 rises to its position and the pusher 05 is started to push the billet 02 to the billet online roller conveyor group 01. After the pusher 05 returns to its original position, the billet online roller conveyor group 01 is started to send the billet 02 to the rolling mill.

[0006] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, regardless of whether the billet is fed directly onto the continuous casting line via roller conveyor or through a loading platform, manual operation and observation by the billet operator are required on-site. This includes starting and stopping the roller conveyor and the roller conveyors before and after it, controlling the movement of the steel pusher on the loading platform, and confirming that the overhead crane clamps have been raised to a safe height. This significantly reduces the level of automation control in the continuous casting billet area and lowers the efficiency of continuous casting production.

[0007] Secondly, the on-site environment is harsh, involving high-temperature radiation and falling objects from heights. Prolonged shifts can cause some degree of harm to the health of each operator.

[0008] Furthermore, much of the production process information requires human verification, which places a heavy workload on operators and increases the risk of human error, causing damage to roller conveyors, loading platforms, and overhead cranes, thus increasing the risk of production accidents.

[0009] Therefore, it is urgent to propose a new technical solution to address the problems existing in the current technology. Summary of the Invention

[0010] This application provides an automatic billet loading system and method to solve the problems of high manual involvement, low production efficiency, and safety hazards in the existing billet loading process.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0012] On the one hand, this application provides an automatic billet loading system, including a control device and a billet feeding device and a laser rangefinder respectively connected to the control device;

[0013] The control device includes an automatic control and processing module for the billet discharge area and an automatic control and processing module for the billet loading line. The automatic control and processing module for the billet discharge area stores the automatic control and processing program for the billet discharge area, and the automatic control and processing module for the billet loading line stores the automatic control and processing program for the billet loading line.

[0014] The billet feeding device is used to transport the pre-loaded billet to the target feeding roller conveyor group;

[0015] The laser rangefinder is set above the target feeding roller conveyor group. The laser rangefinder detects the presence of the billet waiting in the online waiting position. The laser rangefinder is used to send a trigger signal to the control device to realize the automatic switching between the billet discharge area automatic control processing program and the billet online automatic control processing program.

[0016] Sensors are installed on the target feeding roller conveyor to detect whether there is material on the roller surface. The sensors are connected to the control device. The billet online automatic control processing module is used to control the start and stop of each roller conveyor group so that there is no material on the target feeding roller conveyor group and it stops waiting for material.

[0017] Once the billet is placed on the target feeding roller conveyor, the control device activates the billet discharge area automatic control processing module under the signal from the laser rangefinder.

[0018] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the billet feeding device includes a crane clamp, which lifts the pre-loaded billet from the billet stacking area to directly above the target feeding roller conveyor group and is automatically identified by a laser rangefinder.

[0019] Furthermore, the vertical distance between the laser rangefinder and the roller surface of the target feeding roller conveyor group is H1, the upper waiting position is a horizontal plane that is flush with the laser rangefinder, and the upper waiting position is located directly above the roller surface of the target feeding roller conveyor group.

[0020] Furthermore, the overhead crane clamps controllably transport the pre-loaded billet to the online waiting position. The laser rangefinder is connected to the control device. After detecting the billet, the laser rangefinder sends a billet loading signal to the control device to trigger the start of the billet online automatic control processing module.

[0021] Furthermore, let H0 be the maximum thickness of the billet on the target feeding roller conveyor. When the billet to be fed to the online waiting position is transported by the overhead crane clamp, the distance between the horizontal plane that is higher than H0 on the roller conveyor surface of the target feeding roller conveyor and the bottom of the overhead crane clamp is H2, where H2 ≥ 500 mm.

[0022] Furthermore, the horizontal distance between the laser rangefinder and the head of the longest fixed-length billet is L1, the horizontal distance between the laser rangefinder and the side of the widest billet is L2, and the laser signal angle of the laser rangefinder is a; let Lmin be the minimum fixed-length of the billet, Lmax be the maximum fixed-length of the billet, and L1 ≥ (Lmax - Lmin) / 2; let Wmax be the maximum width of the billet, and the distance between the laser rangefinder and the side of the widest billet is L2 ≥ 1000 mm; the laser signal angle a ranges from 0 to 45°.

[0023] Furthermore, let the measurement limit of the laser rangefinder be L3, and the minimum width of the cast billet be Wmin; L3=1.2*(L2+(Wmax-Wmin) / 2) / cos(a*pi / 180), where 1.2 is the safety factor, and pi=3.1415926.

[0024] Furthermore, when there is no billet on the target feeding roller conveyor, the billet loading automatic control processing module controls the target feeding roller conveyor to stop and controls the overhead crane clamp to descend, so that the billet is placed on the target feeding roller conveyor.

[0025] Furthermore, after the photoelectric sensor on the target feeding roller assembly detects the billet, it sends a billet presence signal to the billet online automatic control processing module. After receiving the billet presence signal, the billet online automatic control processing module controls the overhead crane clamp to rise. When the overhead crane clamp rises to a safe height, the laser rangefinder detects the overhead crane clamp and sends a safety signal to the control device to trigger the start of the billet discharge area automatic control processing module.

[0026] On the other hand, based on the above technical solution, this application also provides another automatic billet loading system. The billet loading device in the above technical solution can be composed of a crane clamp, a loading platform, and a steel pusher, forming a loading platform loading method. The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0027] The billet feeding device includes a crane clamp, a feeding platform and a pusher. The crane clamp is used to clamp the billet and place it on the feeding platform. The feeding platform is equipped with a sensor to detect whether there is a billet on it. The feeding platform is set adjacent to the target feeding roller conveyor group. The pusher is set on the side of the feeding platform away from the target feeding roller conveyor group.

[0028] The overhead crane clamps lift the pre-lined billet from the billet stacking area to the online waiting position above the loading platform, and it is automatically identified by the laser rangefinder. The vertical distance between the laser rangefinder and the roller surface of the target loading roller group is H1, and the online waiting position is a horizontal plane that is flush with the laser rangefinder.

[0029] After receiving the signal from the laser rangefinder, the control device performs presence detection on the billet on the loading platform and checks whether the pusher is in the initial position.

[0030] If there is no billet on the loading platform and the pusher is in the initial position, the control device controls the overhead crane clamp to move down and place the billet on the loading platform. After the sensor on the loading platform detects the billet, it sends a billet presence signal to the control device. The overhead crane clamp is controlled to move up and is detected by the laser rangefinder. The loading platform is controlled to rise to the target height. The laser rangefinder sends a trigger signal to the control device to trigger the automatic billet loading control processing module to start.

[0031] When there is no billet on the target feeding roller conveyor, the billet loading automatic control processing module controls the target feeding roller conveyor to stop and controls the pusher to start. After the billet on the feeding platform is pushed onto the target feeding roller conveyor by the pusher, the pusher resets to its initial position. After the photoelectric sensor on the target feeding roller conveyor detects the billet, it sends a billet presence signal to the billet loading automatic control processing module, which triggers the billet exit area automatic control processing module to start.

[0032] In the two automatic billet loading systems described above, the sensor used to detect whether there is material on the roller surface of the target feeding roller group is a photoelectric sensor. An upstream roller group and a downstream roller group are respectively set on both sides of the target feeding roller group. The automatic billet loading control processing module is used to collect the start / stop signals of the upstream roller group, the billet presence signal of the target feeding roller group, and the billet presence signal of the downstream roller group. The upstream roller group includes a drive motor. The automatic billet loading control processing module obtains the start / stop signal characterizing the start / stop state of the upstream roller group by collecting the current or speed of the drive motor. A photoelectric sensor is installed on the downstream roller group to detect whether there is material on the roller surface. The automatic billet loading control processing module controls the start / stop state of each roller group according to the collected signals, so that there is no billet on the target feeding roller group.

[0033] Furthermore, based on the two automatic billet loading systems provided above, this application also provides two methods for achieving automatic billet loading.

[0034] The first method for automatically loading cast billets onto the production line includes the following steps:

[0035] S1: Identify the billet to be loaded: The laser rangefinder detects whether there is a billet to be loaded at the loading waiting position. If a billet to be loaded is detected, a billet loading signal is sent to the control device. The billet loading signal triggers the billet loading automatic control processing module to start. The billet loading automatic control processing module stores the billet loading automatic control processing program.

[0036] S2: Automatic Control of Continuous Casting Line: After the automatic control processing program for billet loading is started, the automatic control processing module for billet loading collects signals indicating the presence of material on the target feeding roller conveyor group, and controls the start and stop status of the target feeding roller conveyor group according to the collected signals; when there is no billet on the target feeding roller conveyor group and it is in a stopped state, the automatic control processing module for billet loading controls the overhead crane clamp to place the billet waiting position on the target feeding roller conveyor group, the target feeding roller conveyor group sends a billet presence signal to the automatic control processing module for billet loading, and the overhead crane clamp is stopped under control;

[0037] S3: Identification of continuous casting line completion: The billet loading automatic control processing module controls the overhead crane clamp to rise according to the received billet signal. When the laser rangefinder detects the overhead crane clamp, it sends a signal to the control device indicating that the overhead crane clamp has moved to a safe height. The signal triggers the billet exit area automatic control processing module to start. The billet loading automatic control processing module waits to be triggered to start again. The billet exit area automatic control processing module stores the billet exit area automatic control processing program.

[0038] The second method for automatically loading cast billets onto the production line includes the following steps:

[0039] L1: Identify the billet to be loaded: Use a laser rangefinder to detect whether there is a billet to be loaded at the loading waiting position. If a billet to be loaded is detected, determine whether there is a billet on the loading platform and whether the pusher is in the initial position.

[0040] L2: Automatic control of loading platform: If there is no billet on the loading platform and the pusher is in the initial position, the overhead crane clamp is controlled to move down to load the billet onto the loading platform; if there is a billet on the loading platform, or the pusher has not been reset to the initial position, the overhead crane clamp carries the billet and waits until there is no billet on the loading platform and the pusher is in the initial position.

[0041] L3: Automatic Control of Continuous Casting Line: When the sensor on the loading platform sends a billet presence signal, the overhead crane clamp moves upward under control and is detected by the laser rangefinder. The laser rangefinder sends a safety signal indicating that the overhead crane clamp has moved to the correct position. The loading platform is then raised to the target height under control. The automatic control processing program for billet loading in the billet loading line automatic control processing module is activated. The billet loading line automatic control processing module collects signals indicating the presence of material on the target loading roller conveyor group and controls the start / stop status of the target loading roller conveyor group based on the collected signals. When there is no billet on the target loading roller conveyor group and it is in a stopped state, the billet loading line automatic control processing module controls the pusher to start, pushing the billet on the loading platform onto the target loading roller conveyor group. The target loading roller conveyor group sends a billet presence signal to the billet loading line automatic control processing module, and the pusher is reset to its initial position under control. The billet loading line automatic control processing program automatically switches to the billet discharge area automatic control processing program.

[0042] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following advantages:

[0043] 1. This application provides an automatic billet loading system. The system mainly includes a control device and a billet feeding device and a laser rangefinder connected to the control device. The control device includes an automatic billet discharge area control processing module and an automatic billet loading control processing module, corresponding to two processing modes of the system. Under the control of the control device, the billet feeding device transports the pre-loading billet to the target feeding roller conveyor. The laser rangefinder can detect the presence of billets waiting to be loaded. The control device can seamlessly switch between the automatic billet discharge area control processing mode and the automatic billet loading control processing mode under the signal from the laser rangefinder. The automatic billet loading control processing module can start and stop the target feeding roller conveyor and achieve automatic billet loading. Using the automatic billet loading system provided in this application, no manual intervention is required during the automatic billet loading process. It achieves fully automatic control of the billet discharge area, avoiding equipment damage caused by human error, improving production efficiency, reducing the labor intensity of operators, and minimizing personnel injuries.

[0044] 2. The automatic billet loading system and method provided in this application play an important role in promoting unmanned operation technology in the continuous casting billet unloading area. After the implementation of this solution, billet loading will not require manual operation, and the number of billet unloading operators can be reduced by 1-2 after actual production implementation. It greatly reduces major production accidents caused by improper billet loading operation, resulting in a significant reduction in equipment damage and casting machine shutdown accidents. It not only reduces equipment maintenance costs and labor costs, but also improves the production efficiency of continuous casting. Attached Figure Description

[0045] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. It should be understood that the specific shapes and structures shown in the drawings should not generally be regarded as limiting conditions for implementing this application; for example, based on the technical concepts disclosed in this application and the exemplary drawings, those skilled in the art are able to easily make conventional adjustments or further optimizations to the addition / reduction / classification, specific shapes, positional relationships, connection methods, and size ratios of certain units (components).

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of billet loading using the direct roller conveyor method.

[0047] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of billet loading using a loading platform.

[0048] Figure 3 This is a front view schematic diagram illustrating the layout of the automatic billet loading system provided in this application in one embodiment;

[0049] Figure 4 This is a top view schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of the automatic billet loading system provided in this application in one embodiment;

[0050] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the automatic billet loading method provided in this application in Embodiment 1;

[0051] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the automatic billet loading method provided in this application in Embodiment 2.

[0052] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0053] 01. Roller conveyor assembly; 02. Casting billet; 03. Casting billet clamping crane; 04. Loading platform; 05. Steel pusher;

[0054] 1. Casting billet; 2. Roller conveyor group one; 3. Roller conveyor group two; 4. Roller conveyor group three; 5. Photoelectric sensor; 6. Laser rangefinder; 7. Overhead crane clamp. Detailed Implementation

[0055] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0056] In the description of this application: unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. The terms "first," "second," "third," etc., in this application are intended to distinguish the objects referred to and do not have any special meaning in terms of technical connotation (e.g., they should not be construed as an emphasis on importance or order). Expressions such as "comprising," "including," and "having" also mean "not limited to" (certain units, components, materials, steps, etc.).

[0057] The terms used in this application, such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and "middle," are generally used to facilitate intuitive understanding by referring to the accompanying drawings, and are not absolute limitations on the positional relationships in the actual product. Changes in these relative positional relationships, without departing from the technical concept disclosed in this application, should also be considered within the scope of this application.

[0058] Example 1

[0059] This application provides an automatic billet loading method that can be used regardless of whether the billet is loaded directly onto a roller conveyor or onto a loading platform.

[0060] The loading method using a loading platform involves an additional step of transferring the billet on the loading platform compared to the direct loading method using a roller conveyor. Therefore, the direct loading method using a roller conveyor is simpler. For ease of explanation, this embodiment will use the direct loading method using a roller conveyor to provide a detailed description of the automatic billet loading method provided in this application.

[0061] The layout of the automatic billet loading system can be referenced. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, where Figure 3 Main view, Figure 4 This is a top view. The billet loading system shown in the figure includes: roller conveyor group 1 (2), roller conveyor group 2 (3), and roller conveyor group 3 (4). The three roller conveyor groups are arranged in a straight line. The overhead crane clamp (7) in the figure is used to pick up and clamp the billet and load the billet onto roller conveyor group 2 (3).

[0062] See Figure 5 The implementation process of the automatic billet loading method provided in this application can be divided into three main steps: S1, identifying the billet to be loaded; S2, automatic control of continuous casting loading; and S3, identifying the completion of continuous casting loading. Specifically: Step S1, identifying the billet to be loaded, is a prerequisite for automatic loading, automatically determining whether material has arrived and waiting for loading; Step S2, automatic control of continuous casting loading, automatically determines whether there is material on each of the three roller conveyor groups shown in the diagram, and whether material is being transported, and automatically determines when to release material through detection; Step S3, identifying the completion of continuous casting loading, marks the completion of a loading cycle, after which the next loading / unloading cycle can begin.

[0063] The following is combined Figure 5 The implementation process of the above three steps will be explained in detail.

[0064] Step S1: Identify the billet to be fed online: When the billet is transported to the top of the target feeding roller group and can be detected by the laser rangefinder 6, the laser rangefinder 6 sends a billet feeding signal to the control device. The control device is equipped with an automatic billet discharge area control processing module and a billet online automatic control processing module. The billet feeding signal triggers the billet online automatic control processing module to start.

[0065] The billet unloading area automatic control processing module stores the billet unloading area automatic control processing program to provide the billet unloading area automatic control processing mode; the billet loading line automatic control processing module stores the billet loading line automatic control processing program to provide the billet loading line automatic control processing mode.

[0066] like Figure 3 The billet loading device used to transport billet 1 is the overhead crane clamp 7. The overhead crane clamp 7 lifts the pre-loaded billet from the billet stacking area to directly above roller conveyor group 2 3 (roller conveyor group 2 3 is the target loading roller conveyor group in the figure) and is automatically detected and identified by the laser rangefinder 6. The specific implementation process is as follows:

[0067] ① The overhead crane clamp 7 lifts the billet to a certain height H1 from the roller conveyor surface of roller conveyor group 2 3 and waits; where: height H1 refers to the distance between the roller conveyor surface and the laser rangefinder 6. This height value is a safety value to ensure that the net height H2 between the bottom of the overhead crane clamp 7 and the upper surface of the maximum billet thickness H0 is ≥ 500mm, and to ensure that the laser rangefinder 6 can detect the billet at the waiting position.

[0068] ② The billet waiting position triggers the laser rangefinder 6 to send a billet feeding signal. The control device recognizes that there is a billet waiting to be fed online through the received billet feeding signal. The billet discharge area automatic control processing module stops running, the billet online automatic control processing module starts, the billet discharge area automatic control processing mode automatically switches to the billet online automatic control processing mode and proceeds to step S2.

[0069] Step S2: Automatic control of continuous casting line: After the billet loading automatic control processing module is started, it collects the signals from each roller conveyor group used to determine the presence of material, and controls the start and stop of each roller conveyor group according to the collected signals, so that there is no material on the target feeding roller conveyor group and it stops waiting for material; the billet loading automatic control processing module controls the overhead crane clamp 7 to move down and place the billet on the target feeding roller conveyor group. The target feeding roller conveyor group sends a billet presence signal to the billet loading automatic control processing module, and the overhead crane clamp 7 stops under control.

[0070] The signals on each roller conveyor group used to determine the presence of material can be used to characterize whether each roller conveyor group has started. The following section combines... Figure 3 , 4Explain the specific implementation process of step S2:

[0071] ① The signal indicating whether roller conveyor group 2 has started can be determined by the motor current or speed. If the roller conveyor group is running, it should be stopped before restarting. If roller conveyor group 2 is stopped, it should be stopped immediately. In actual production, if there is a billet being transported from roller conveyor group 2 to roller conveyor group 3, it should be stopped after roller conveyor group 2 has been completely transported to roller conveyor group 3 and then restarted.

[0072] ② To determine whether there is a casting billet on roller conveyor group 2 (3), the photoelectric sensor 5 (or photoelectric switch) on it can be used for detection. After the photoelectric sensor detects a casting billet signal, it then checks whether there is a casting billet on roller conveyor group 3 (4) (this can also be determined by the photoelectric sensor). When a casting billet is detected on roller conveyor group 3 (4), roller conveyor group 2 (3) is prohibited from starting. When no casting billet is detected on roller conveyor group 3 (4), roller conveyor group 2 (3) and roller conveyor group 3 (4) start sequentially. When the casting billet on roller conveyor group 2 (3) leaves roller conveyor group 2 (3)... At time 3, the photoelectric sensor sends a signal that the billet has left, and roller conveyor group 2 3 is prohibited from restarting. When the photoelectric sensor does not detect the billet, roller conveyor group 2 3 is directly prohibited from restarting. In actual production, there is a billet on roller conveyor group 2 3, and there is also a billet on roller conveyor group 3 4. Roller conveyor group 2 3 is prohibited from starting. When the billet on roller conveyor group 3 4 leaves, roller conveyor group 2 3 and roller conveyor group 3 4 start one after the other. When the billet on roller conveyor group 2 3 leaves roller conveyor group 2 3, roller conveyor group 2 3 is prohibited from restarting.

[0073] ③ The overhead crane clamp 7 slowly descends, placing the billet on the overhead crane clamp 7 onto the roller conveyor group 3. When the photoelectric sensor on the roller conveyor group 3 is triggered, a billet signal is emitted, the overhead crane stops descending after a delay, and proceeds to step S3.

[0074] Step S3: Identify completion of continuous casting line: The billet loading automatic control processing module controls the overhead crane clamp 7 to rise according to the received billet signal. When the laser rangefinder 6 detects the overhead crane clamp 7, it sends a signal to the control device indicating that the overhead crane clamp 7 has moved to a safe height. This signal triggers the billet area automatic control processing module to start. The billet loading automatic control processing module waits to be triggered to start again.

[0075] Specifically, the overhead crane clamp 7 slowly rises. When the distance between the bottom of the clamp and the upper surface of the billet is ≥H1 (e.g., 1500mm), the laser rangefinder 6 detects a signal that the overhead crane clamp 7 has been raised to a safe height. The billet loading automatic control processing mode automatically switches to the billet unloading area automatic control processing mode, and the billet automatic loading control program ends.

[0076] The method for determining the installation location of the laser rangefinder 6 in this application will be explained below.

[0077] The installation position of the laser rangefinder 6 has requirements for height H1, horizontal distance L1 from the head of the longest fixed-length cast billet, horizontal distance L2 from the side of the widest cast billet, and laser signal angle a.

[0078] (1) Height H1 refers to the distance between the roller surface of the target feeding roller group and the laser rangefinder 6. This height value is a safety value. Among them, the overhead crane clamp 7 lifts the billet to a height H1 above the target feeding roller group and waits. At this time, the net height H2 between the bottom of the overhead crane clamp 7 and the upper surface of the billet with the maximum thickness H0 (i.e., the upper surface of the thickest billet) is ≥ 500mm. Therefore, the determination of height H1 is related to net height H2.

[0079] (2) The value of L1 is related to the fixed length of the billet: Let Lmin be the minimum fixed length of the billet, and Lmax be the maximum fixed length of the billet:

[0080] L1≥(Lmax-Lmin) / 2.

[0081] (3) The value of L2 is related to the width of the billet: Let Wmax be the maximum width of the billet, and the distance L2 from the laser rangefinder 6 to the side of Wmax is ≥1000mm.

[0082] (4) The value of the laser signal angle a is mainly to detect the billet in the upper waiting position and to detect the crane clamp 7 after the billet is placed on the roller table.

[0083] This angle value depends on the clamp spacing of the overhead crane clamp 7, the shape and size of the clamp, and the fixed length of the billet. Generally, the value range of the laser signal angle α is 0 to 45°.

[0084] Let the measurement limit of the laser rangefinder 6 be L3, and the minimum width of the cast slab be Wmin, then:

[0085] L3 = 1.2 * (L2 + (Wmax - Wmin) / 2) / cos(a * pi / 180), where 1.2 is the safety factor, pi = 3.1415926, and pi is π.

[0086] The following are the production parameters related to continuous casting.

[0087] (1) The fixed length of the billet produced by continuous casting is Lmin = 8000mm, Lmax = 12000mm, the maximum billet thickness is H0 = 210mm, the minimum billet width is Wmin = 1000mm, and the maximum billet width is Wmax = 1400mm. In this embodiment, the fixed length of the billet actually produced is L = 11000mm, the billet width is W = 1300mm, and the billet thickness is H0 = 210mm.

[0088] (2) In this embodiment, the clamping distance of the overhead crane clamp 7 is 4000mm, and the safety distance H2 between the bottom of the clamp and the upper surface of the billet is 1000mm > 500mm.

[0089] (3) Installation location of laser rangefinder 6:

[0090] Height H1 = 1500 mm;

[0091] Horizontal position L1 = 2200mm > (Lmax - Lmin) / 2 = (12000 - 8000) / 2 = 2000mm;

[0092] The horizontal installation angle is a = 30° < 45°; after testing, this angle can ensure that the laser rangefinder 6 can detect the billet in the upper waiting position, and can detect the overhead crane clamp 7 after the billet is placed on the roller conveyor.

[0093] The distance between the laser rangefinder 6 and the side of the maximum billet width Wmax = 1400mm is L2 = 1200mm > 1000mm. Since the actual production billet width W = 1300mm, the actual distance between the laser rangefinder 6 and the side of the billet width is 1200mm + 100mm = 1300mm > 1000mm.

[0094] The limit distance L3 of the laser rangefinder 6 is set as follows:

[0095] L3=1.2*(L2+(Wmax-Wmin) / 2) / cos(a*pi / 180)

[0096] =1.2*(1200+(1400-1000) / 2) / cos(30*pi / 180)

[0097] =1940mm;

[0098] The actual billet width W = 1300mm, and the distance from the laser rangefinder 6 to the detection point is:

[0099] 1300 / cos(30*pi / 180)=1501mm <L3=1940mm。

[0100] As can be seen, the installation, positioning, and limit distance setting of the laser rangefinder 6 in this application need to take into account factors such as the fixed length of the cast billet, the width of the cast billet, the clamp spacing, the external dimensions of the clamp, and the safe height of the clamp, and are obtained through precise calculation.

[0101] Example 2

[0102] This embodiment describes in detail a method for automatically loading billets according to this application, using a loading platform for billets.

[0103] like Figure 2 The billet is fed using a loading platform. The billet clamping crane 03 is manually operated to lift the billet 02 from the billet storage area to the loading platform 04. When the billet 02 is completely placed on the loading platform 04 and the billet clamping crane 03 is detached from the billet 02, the loading platform automatically rises to the set height, the steel pusher 05 starts, and pushes the billet 02 to the billet loading roller group 01. When the steel pusher 05 returns to its original position, the billet loading roller group 01 starts to send the billet 02 to the rolling mill.

[0104] Although this embodiment uses a loading platform for billet feeding, the layout of the automatic billet loading system can still be referenced. Figure 3 and Figure 4 ,in Figure 3 This is the main view of the automatic billet loading system. Figure 4 This is a top view of the automatic billet loading system. The billet loading system shown in the figure includes: roller conveyor group 1 (2), roller conveyor group 2 (3), and roller conveyor group 3 (4). The three roller conveyor groups are arranged in a straight line. The overhead crane clamp (7) in the figure is used to pick up and clamp the billet and load the billet onto the loading platform.

[0105] Compared to Example 1, this example uses a loading platform for billet loading. The implementation process of the automatic billet loading method provided in this example is still divided into three main steps: L1, identifying the billet to be loaded; L2, automatic control of the loading platform; L3, automatic control of continuous casting loading. Specifically: Step L1, identifying the billet to be loaded, is a prerequisite for automatic loading, automatically determining whether material has arrived and waiting for loading; Step L2 automatically determines whether the loading platform can hold material. Once material is placed on the loading platform and the overhead crane clamps move to a safe position, the loading platform moves to a set height, and the automatic control of continuous casting loading is initiated; Step L3, the automatic control of continuous casting loading, automatically determines whether there is material on each of the three roller conveyor groups shown in the diagram, and whether material is being transported. Through detection, it can automatically determine when to start the steel pusher to load the billet.

[0106] The following is combined Figure 6 The implementation process of the above three steps will be explained in detail.

[0107] Step L1: Identify the billet: When the billet is transported to the target loading platform and can be detected by the laser rangefinder 6, the laser rangefinder 6 sends a billet arrival signal to the control device. The control device determines whether there is a billet on the loading platform and whether the pusher is in the initial position.

[0108] See corresponding Figure 2 , Figure 3The billet feeding device for transporting billet 1 includes a crane clamp 7, a feeding platform and a pusher. The crane clamp clamps the billet and places it on the feeding platform. The feeding platform is equipped with a sensor to detect whether there is a billet on it. The feeding platform is arranged adjacent to the target feeding roller conveyor group. The pusher is arranged on the side of the feeding platform away from the target feeding roller conveyor group.

[0109] A waiting position for loading is formed above the loading platform. A laser rangefinder is used to detect whether there are pre-loading billets in the waiting position. If a pre-loading billet is detected, it is determined whether there are billets on the loading platform and whether the pusher is in the initial position.

[0110] Step L2: Automatic control of loading onto the loading platform: When there is no billet on the loading platform and the steel pusher is in the initial position, the overhead crane clamp 7 lifts the billet to be loaded from the billet stacking area to the loading platform. When the billet is completely placed on the loading platform and the overhead crane clamp 7 is detached from the billet, the overhead crane clamp 7 rises and triggers the laser rangefinder 6. The loading platform is then raised to the set height, and the automatic control process for loading the billet is started.

[0111] Step L3: Automatic Control of Continuous Casting Line: When the feeding roller group is detected to be without billets and has stopped running (stationary state), the pusher is started under control. The pusher pushes the pre-loaded billets on the feeding platform to roller group two 3 (roller group two 3 is the target feeding roller group in the figure), and the presence of billets is automatically detected and identified by the photoelectric switch on roller group two 3. The pusher resets to the initial position, and the automatic control program for billet loading automatically switches to the automatic control program for billet unloading area. The specific implementation process is as follows:

[0112] ① The overhead crane clamp 7 lifts the billet to a certain height H1 from the surface of the loading platform and waits; where: height H1 refers to the distance between the roller conveyor surface and the laser rangefinder 6. This height value is a safety value to ensure that the net height H2 between the bottom of the overhead crane clamp 7 and the upper surface of the maximum billet thickness H0 is ≥ 500mm, and to ensure that the laser rangefinder 6 can detect the billet waiting at the online position.

[0113] ② When the billet in the online waiting position is triggered, the laser rangefinder 6 sends a billet arrival signal. The control device identifies that there is a billet waiting to be loaded by receiving the billet arrival signal. Then, the control device uses the sensors on the loading platform to determine whether there is a billet on the loading platform, and uses the sensors used to monitor the position of the pusher to determine whether the pusher is in the initial position. If it is determined that there is no billet on the loading platform and the pusher is in the initial position, the overhead crane clamp moves down to place the billet on the loading platform. The sensor on the loading platform sends a billet presence signal, and then the overhead crane clamp moves up to a safe distance, is detected by the laser rangefinder and sends a safety signal. After that, the loading platform is controlled to rise to the target height. The billet presence signal and the safety signal trigger the automatic control processing program for billet loading in the control device to start.

[0114] ③ After the billet loading automatic control processing module is started, it collects the signals from each roller conveyor group used to determine the presence of material, and controls the start and stop of each roller conveyor group according to the collected signals, so that there is no material on the target feeding roller conveyor group and it stops waiting for material; the billet loading automatic control processing module controls the pusher to start, pushing the billet on the feeding platform to the target feeding roller conveyor group. The target feeding roller conveyor group sends a billet presence signal to the billet loading automatic control processing module, and the pusher is controlled to reset to the initial position. The billet waste loading automatic control processing program in the control device is switched to the waste area exit automatic control processing program.

[0115] The signals on each roller conveyor group used to determine the presence of material can be used to characterize whether each roller conveyor group has started. The following section combines... Figure 3 , 4 Explain the specific implementation process of step S2:

[0116] ① The signal indicating whether roller conveyor group 2 has started can be determined by the motor current or speed. If the roller conveyor group is running, it should be stopped before restarting. If roller conveyor group 2 is stopped, it should be stopped immediately. In actual production, if there is a billet being transported from roller conveyor group 2 to roller conveyor group 3, it should be stopped after roller conveyor group 2 has been completely transported to roller conveyor group 3 and then restarted.

[0117] ② To determine whether there is a casting billet on roller conveyor group 2 (3), the photoelectric sensor 5 (or photoelectric switch) on it can be used for detection. After the photoelectric sensor detects a casting billet signal, it then checks whether there is a casting billet on roller conveyor group 3 (4) (this can also be determined by the photoelectric sensor). When a casting billet is detected on roller conveyor group 3 (4), roller conveyor group 2 (3) is prohibited from starting. When no casting billet is detected on roller conveyor group 3 (4), roller conveyor group 2 (3) and roller conveyor group 3 (4) start sequentially. When the casting billet on roller conveyor group 2 (3) leaves roller conveyor group 2 (3)... At time 3, the photoelectric sensor sends a signal that the billet has left, and roller conveyor group 2 3 is prohibited from restarting. When the photoelectric sensor does not detect the billet, roller conveyor group 2 3 is directly prohibited from restarting. In actual production, there is a billet on roller conveyor group 2 3, and there is also a billet on roller conveyor group 3 4. Roller conveyor group 2 3 is prohibited from starting. When the billet on roller conveyor group 3 4 leaves, roller conveyor group 2 3 and roller conveyor group 3 4 start one after the other. When the billet on roller conveyor group 2 3 leaves roller conveyor group 2 3, roller conveyor group 2 3 is prohibited from restarting.

[0118] Example 3

[0119] This embodiment provides an automatic billet loading system, which can realize the above-mentioned automatic billet loading method by using the automatic billet loading system provided in Embodiment 1.

[0120] The automatic billet loading system provided in this embodiment mainly includes: a control device and a billet feeding device and a laser rangefinder 6, which are respectively connected to the control device.

[0121] The billet feeding device is used to transport the pre-loaded billet to the target feeding roller conveyor. In this embodiment, the billet feeding device can use the overhead crane clamp 7 for direct roller conveyor feeding.

[0122] When using the overhead crane clamp 7 for direct roller conveyor loading, the system architecture and loading process of the automatic billet loading system provided in this embodiment are as follows:

[0123] The laser rangefinder 6 is positioned above the target feeding roller conveyor group. The laser rangefinder 6 performs presence detection on the casting billet waiting in the online waiting position. The determination of the installation position of the laser rangefinder 6 can be found in the description of the above embodiment one.

[0124] After the laser rangefinder 6 detects the billet, it sends a billet feeding signal to the control device. When the billet is placed on the target feeding roller group, the laser rangefinder 6 detects the overhead crane clamp 7 that has moved to a safe height and sends a safety signal to the control device.

[0125] Sensors are installed on the target feeding roller conveyor to detect whether there is material on the roller conveyor surface. The sensors are connected to the control device.

[0126] The control device includes an automatic control processing module for the billet discharge area and an automatic control processing module for the billet loading line. The billet arrival signal is used to trigger the start of the automatic control processing module for the billet loading line, and the safety signal is used to trigger the start of the automatic control processing module for the billet discharge area.

[0127] In this embodiment, the vertical distance between the laser rangefinder 6 and the roller surface of the target feeding roller conveyor group is H1, the upper waiting position is a horizontal plane that is flush with the laser rangefinder 6, and the upper waiting position is located directly above the roller surface of the target feeding roller conveyor group.

[0128] In this embodiment, the overhead crane clamp 7 is controlled to transport the pre-lined billet to the line waiting position, and the laser rangefinder 6 sends a billet loading signal to the control device.

[0129] In this embodiment, the maximum thickness of the billet on the target feeding roller conveyor is recorded as H0. When the billet to be fed online is transported to the online waiting position by the crane clamp 7, the distance between the horizontal plane that is higher than H0 of the roller conveyor surface of the target feeding roller conveyor and the bottom of the crane clamp 7 is H2, where H2≥500mm.

[0130] In this embodiment, the sensor used to detect whether there is material on the roller conveyor surface is a photoelectric sensor.

[0131] In this embodiment, an upstream roller conveyor group and a downstream roller conveyor group are respectively set on both sides of the target feeding roller conveyor group. The billet loading automatic control processing module is used to collect the start and stop signals of the upstream roller conveyor group, the billet existence signal of the target feeding roller conveyor group, and the billet existence signal of the downstream roller conveyor group.

[0132] In this embodiment, the billet loading automatic control processing module controls the start and stop status of each roller conveyor group according to the collected signals, so that there are no billets on the target loading roller conveyor group.

[0133] In this embodiment, when there is no billet on the target feeding roller conveyor group, the billet loading automatic control processing module controls the target feeding roller conveyor group to stop and controls the overhead crane clamp 7 to descend, so that the billet is placed on the target feeding roller conveyor group.

[0134] In this embodiment, the upstream roller conveyor group includes a drive motor. The billet loading automatic control processing module obtains start / stop signals that characterize the start / stop status of the upstream roller conveyor group by collecting the current or speed of the drive motor.

[0135] In this embodiment, a photoelectric sensor is installed on the downstream roller conveyor to detect whether there is material on the roller conveyor surface.

[0136] In this embodiment, after the overhead crane clamp 7 places the billet onto the target feeding roller assembly, the photoelectric sensor on the target feeding roller assembly sends a billet presence signal to the billet online automatic control processing module. The billet online automatic control processing module controls the overhead crane clamp 7 to rise. When the overhead crane clamp 7 rises to a safe height, the laser rangefinder 6 sends a safety signal to the control device, and the billet online automatic control processing mode automatically switches to the billet exit area automatic control processing mode.

[0137] Example 4

[0138] This embodiment provides an automatic billet loading system, which can realize the above-mentioned automatic billet loading method by using the automatic billet loading system provided in Embodiment 2.

[0139] This embodiment uses a loading platform for roller conveyor loading. The system architecture and loading process of the automatic billet loading system provided in this embodiment are as follows:

[0140] The billet feeding device includes an overhead crane clamp, a feeding platform, and a pusher. The overhead crane clamp holds the billet and places it onto the feeding platform. The feeding platform is equipped with sensors to detect whether there is a billet on it. The feeding platform is located adjacent to the target feeding roller conveyor group, and the pusher is located on the side of the feeding platform away from the target feeding roller conveyor group. The overhead crane clamp lifts the pre-loading billet from the billet stacking area to the loading waiting position above the feeding platform, and it is automatically identified by a laser rangefinder.

[0141] The laser rangefinder 6 is positioned above the target feeding roller conveyor group. The laser rangefinder 6 performs presence detection on the casting billet waiting in the online waiting position. The determination of the installation position of the laser rangefinder 6 can be found in the description of the above embodiment one.

[0142] After receiving the signal from the laser rangefinder, the control device performs presence detection on the billet on the loading platform and checks whether the pusher is in the initial position.

[0143] If there is no billet on the loading platform and the steel pusher is in the initial position, the overhead crane clamp will be moved downwards under control to place the billet on the loading platform. After the sensor on the loading platform detects the billet, it sends a billet signal to the control device. The overhead crane clamp will be moved upwards under control and detected by the laser rangefinder. The loading platform will be raised to the target height under control. The laser rangefinder sends a signal to the control device to trigger the start of the billet loading automatic control processing module.

[0144] When there is no billet on the target feeding roller conveyor, the billet loading automatic control processing module controls the target feeding roller conveyor to stop and controls the steel pusher to start. After the billet on the feeding platform is pushed onto the target feeding roller conveyor by the steel pusher, the steel pusher returns to its initial position. After the photoelectric sensor on the target feeding roller conveyor detects the billet, it sends a billet presence signal to the billet loading automatic control processing module, which triggers the billet exit area automatic control processing module to start.

[0145] A sensor is also installed on the target feeding roller conveyor to detect whether there is material on the roller surface. This sensor is also connected to the control device signal. When the pusher pushes the billet onto the target feeding roller conveyor, the sensor detects the billet and sends a billet presence signal to the control device, which then controls the pusher to reset to its initial position.

[0146] The control device includes an automatic control processing module for the billet discharge area and an automatic control processing module for the billet loading line. The billet arrival signal is used to trigger the start of the automatic control processing module for the billet loading line, and the safety signal is used to trigger the start of the automatic control processing module for the billet discharge area.

[0147] In this embodiment, the vertical distance between the laser rangefinder 6 and the roller surface of the target feeding roller group is H1, and the waiting position is a horizontal plane that is flush with the laser rangefinder 6, located directly above the surface of the feeding platform.

[0148] In this embodiment, the maximum thickness of the billet on the target feeding roller conveyor is recorded as H0. When the billet to be fed online is transported to the online waiting position by the crane clamp 7, the distance between the horizontal plane that is higher than H0 of the roller conveyor surface of the target feeding roller conveyor and the bottom of the crane clamp 7 is H2, where H2≥500mm.

[0149] In this embodiment, the sensor used to detect whether there is material on the roller conveyor surface can be a photoelectric sensor.

[0150] In this embodiment, an upstream roller conveyor group and a downstream roller conveyor group are respectively set on both sides of the target feeding roller conveyor group. The billet loading automatic control processing module is used to collect the start and stop signals of the upstream roller conveyor group, the billet existence signal of the target feeding roller conveyor group, and the billet existence signal of the downstream roller conveyor group.

[0151] In this embodiment, the billet loading automatic control processing module controls the start and stop status of each roller conveyor group according to the collected signals, so that there are no billets on the target loading roller conveyor group.

[0152] In this embodiment, when there is no billet on the target feeding roller conveyor group, the billet loading automatic control processing module controls the target feeding roller conveyor group to stop, and controls the steel pusher to push the billet on the feeding platform onto the target feeding roller conveyor group.

[0153] In this embodiment, the upstream roller conveyor group includes a drive motor. The billet loading automatic control processing module obtains start / stop signals that characterize the start / stop status of the upstream roller conveyor group by collecting the current or speed of the drive motor.

[0154] In this embodiment, a photoelectric sensor is installed on the downstream roller conveyor to detect whether there is material on the roller conveyor surface.

[0155] In this embodiment, after the steel pusher pushes the billet onto the target feeding roller assembly, the photoelectric sensor on the target feeding roller assembly sends a billet presence signal to the billet online automatic control processing module. The billet online automatic control processing module then controls the steel pusher to reset its action, and the billet online automatic control processing mode automatically switches to the billet exit area automatic control processing mode.

[0156] In summary, the automatic billet loading system provided in this application eliminates the need for manual intervention during the automatic billet loading process, enabling fully automatic control of the billet discharge area. This avoids equipment damage caused by human error, while also improving production efficiency, reducing the labor intensity of operators, and minimizing the occurrence of personnel injuries.

[0157] The automatic billet loading system and method provided in this application play an important role in promoting unmanned operation technology in the continuous casting billet unloading area. After the implementation of this solution, billet loading will not require manual operation, and the number of billet unloading operators can be reduced by 1-2 after actual production implementation. It greatly reduces major production accidents caused by improper billet loading operation, resulting in a significant reduction in equipment damage and casting machine shutdown accidents. It not only reduces equipment maintenance costs and labor costs, but also improves the production efficiency of continuous casting.

[0158] The automatic billet loading system and method provided in this application use a laser rangefinder to automatically identify the loaded billets. The control device is equipped with an automatic control processing module for the billet discharge area and an automatic control processing module for billet loading. The automatic control processing module for the billet discharge area is equipped with an automatic control processing program for the billet discharge area, and the automatic control processing module for billet loading is equipped with an automatic control processing program for billet loading. Under the signal triggering action of the laser rangefinder, the programs in the two modules can seamlessly switch, achieving fully automatic control throughout the process without the need for manual intervention.

[0159] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way (as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features). For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described; these embodiments not explicitly written should also be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0160] The present application has been described in a relatively specific and detailed manner above through general descriptions and specific embodiments. It should be understood that, based on the technical concept of the present application, several conventional adjustments or further innovations can be made to these specific embodiments; however, as long as they do not depart from the technical concept of the present application, the technical solutions obtained by these conventional adjustments or further innovations also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. An automatic billet loading system, characterized in that, It includes a control device and a billet feeding device and a laser rangefinder, which are respectively connected to the control device; The control device includes an automatic control processing module for the billet discharge area and an automatic control processing module for the billet loading line. The automatic control processing module for the billet discharge area stores the automatic control processing program for the billet discharge area, and the automatic control processing module for the billet loading line stores the automatic control processing program for the billet loading line. The billet feeding device is used to transport the pre-loaded billet to the target feeding roller conveyor group; The laser rangefinder is positioned above the target feeding roller conveyor group. The laser rangefinder detects the presence of the billet waiting at the online waiting position. The laser rangefinder is used to send a trigger signal to the control device to automatically switch between the automatic control processing program for the billet discharge area and the automatic control processing program for the billet online. The target feeding roller conveyor is equipped with a sensor to detect whether there is material on the roller conveyor surface. The sensor is connected to a control device. The billet loading automatic control processing module is used to control the start and stop of each roller conveyor group so that there is no material on the target feeding roller conveyor group and it stops waiting for material. After the billet is placed on the target feeding roller assembly, the control device activates the billet discharge area automatic control processing module under the signal of the laser rangefinder. The billet feeding device includes a crane clamp, which lifts the pre-loaded billet from the billet stacking area to directly above the target feeding roller conveyor group and is automatically identified by the laser rangefinder. The vertical distance between the laser rangefinder and the roller surface of the target feeding roller conveyor group is H1. The upper waiting position is a horizontal plane that is flush with the laser rangefinder and is located directly above the roller surface of the target feeding roller conveyor group. The overhead crane clamp is controlled to transport the pre-loaded billet to the loading waiting position. The laser rangefinder is signal-connected to the control device. After the laser rangefinder detects the billet, it sends a billet loading signal to the control device to trigger the start of the billet loading automatic control processing module. Let H0 be the maximum thickness of the billet on the target feeding roller conveyor group. When the billet to be fed to the line is transported to the waiting position by the crane clamp, the distance between the horizontal plane that is higher than H0 of the roller conveyor group and the bottom of the crane clamp is H2, where H2≥500mm. The horizontal distance between the laser rangefinder and the head of the longest fixed-length billet is L1, the horizontal distance between the laser rangefinder and the side of the widest billet is L2, and the laser signal angle of the laser rangefinder is a. Let Lmin be the minimum fixed length of the cast billet, Lmax be the maximum fixed length of the cast billet, and L1 ≥ (Lmax - Lmin) / 2; Let Wmax be the maximum width of the billet, and the distance L2 between the laser rangefinder and the side of the widest billet be ≥ 1000 mm; The laser signal angle α ranges from 0 to 45°.

2. The automatic billet loading system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Let L3 be the measurement limit value of the laser rangefinder and Wmin be the minimum width of the cast billet. L3 = 1.2 * (L2 + (Wmax - Wmin) / 2) / cos(a * pi / 180), where 1.2 is the safety factor and pi = 3.1415926.

3. The automatic billet loading system according to claim 2, characterized in that, When there is no billet on the target feeding roller conveyor group, the billet online automatic control processing module controls the target feeding roller conveyor group to stop and controls the overhead crane clamp to descend, so that the billet is placed on the target feeding roller conveyor group. After the photoelectric sensor on the target feeding roller conveyor detects the billet, it sends a billet presence signal to the billet loading automatic control processing module. Upon receiving the billet presence signal, the billet loading automatic control processing module controls the overhead crane clamp to rise. When the overhead crane clamp rises to a safe height, the laser rangefinder detects the overhead crane clamp and sends a safety signal to the control device to trigger the start of the billet discharge area automatic control processing module.

4. The automatic billet loading system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The billet feeding device includes a crane clamp, a feeding platform and a steel pusher. The crane clamp is used to clamp the billet and place it on the feeding platform. The feeding platform is equipped with a sensor to detect whether there is a billet on it. The feeding platform is arranged adjacent to the target feeding roller conveyor group. The steel pusher is arranged on the side of the feeding platform away from the target feeding roller conveyor group. The overhead crane clamps lift the pre-lined billet from the billet stacking area to the online waiting position above the loading platform, and are automatically identified by the laser rangefinder. The vertical distance between the laser rangefinder and the roller surface of the target loading roller group is H1, and the online waiting position is a horizontal plane that is flush with the laser rangefinder. After receiving the signal from the laser rangefinder, the control device performs presence detection on the billet on the loading platform and detects whether the pusher is in the initial position. If there is no billet on the loading platform and the steel pusher is in the initial position, the control device controls the overhead crane clamp to move down and place the billet on the loading platform; after the sensor on the loading platform detects the billet, it sends a billet presence signal to the control device, the overhead crane clamp is controlled to move up and is detected by the laser rangefinder, the loading platform is controlled to rise to the target height, and the laser rangefinder sends a trigger signal to the control device to trigger the automatic control processing module for billet loading to start. When there is no billet on the target feeding roller conveyor, the billet loading automatic control processing module controls the target feeding roller conveyor to stop and controls the steel pusher to start. After the billet on the feeding platform is pushed onto the target feeding roller conveyor by the steel pusher, the steel pusher returns to its initial position. After the photoelectric sensor on the target feeding roller conveyor detects the billet, it sends a billet presence signal to the billet loading automatic control processing module, and the billet discharge area automatic control processing module is triggered to start.

5. The automatic billet loading system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The sensor used to detect whether there is material on the roller surface of the target feeding roller assembly is a photoelectric sensor; An upstream roller conveyor group and a downstream roller conveyor group are respectively set on both sides of the target feeding roller conveyor group. The billet online automatic control processing module is used to collect the start and stop signals of the upstream roller conveyor group, the billet existence signal of the target feeding roller conveyor group, and the billet existence signal of the downstream roller conveyor group. The upstream roller conveyor group includes a drive motor, and the billet loading automatic control processing module obtains a start / stop signal characterizing the start / stop status of the upstream roller conveyor group by collecting the current or speed of the drive motor. The downstream roller conveyor is equipped with photoelectric sensors for detecting whether there is material on the roller conveyor surface. The billet loading automatic control processing module controls the start and stop status of each roller conveyor group according to the collected signals, so that there are no billets on the target loading roller conveyor group.

6. A method for automatically loading cast billets using the automatic billet loading system described in claim 3, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Identify the billet to be loaded: Detect whether there is a billet to be loaded at the loading waiting position using a laser rangefinder. If a billet to be loaded is detected, a billet loading signal is sent to the control device. The billet loading signal triggers the start of the billet loading automatic control processing module. The billet loading automatic control processing module stores the billet loading automatic control processing program. S2: Automatic Control of Continuous Casting Line: After the automatic control processing program for billet loading is started, the automatic control processing module for billet loading collects signals indicating the presence of material on the target feeding roller conveyor group, and controls the start and stop status of the target feeding roller conveyor group according to the collected signals; when there is no billet on the target feeding roller conveyor group and it is in a stopped state, the automatic control processing module for billet loading controls the overhead crane clamp to place the billet waiting position on the target feeding roller conveyor group, the target feeding roller conveyor group sends a billet presence signal to the automatic control processing module for billet loading, and the overhead crane clamp is stopped under control; S3: Identification of continuous casting line completion: The billet loading automatic control processing module controls the overhead crane clamp to rise according to the received billet signal. When the laser rangefinder detects the overhead crane clamp, it sends a signal to the control device indicating that the overhead crane clamp has moved to a safe height. The signal triggers the billet exit area automatic control processing module to start. The billet loading automatic control processing module waits to be triggered to start again. The billet exit area automatic control processing module stores the billet exit area automatic control processing program.

7. The method for automatically loading billets using an automatic billet loading system according to claim 6, characterized in that, An upstream roller conveyor group and a downstream roller conveyor group are respectively set on both sides of the target feeding roller conveyor group. The billet online automatic control processing module is used to collect the start and stop signals of the upstream roller conveyor group, the billet existence signal of the target feeding roller conveyor group, and the billet existence signal of the downstream roller conveyor group. In step S2, firstly, the billet loading automatic control processing module collects the start and stop signals of the upstream roller conveyor group. If the upstream roller conveyor group is running, it waits for the upstream roller conveyor group to stop running before prohibiting the upstream roller conveyor group from starting again; if the upstream roller conveyor group is in a stopped state, it directly prohibits the upstream roller conveyor group from starting again. Secondly, the automatic control processing module for billet loading determines whether there is a billet on the target feeding roller conveyor. If there is a billet on the target feeding roller conveyor, it continues to determine whether there is a billet on the downstream roller conveyor. If a billet is detected on the downstream roller conveyor, the target feeding roller conveyor is prohibited from starting. If no billet is detected on the downstream roller conveyor, the target feeding roller conveyor and the downstream roller conveyor are started sequentially. If a billet on the target feeding roller conveyor is detected to have left the roller conveyor surface, the target feeding roller conveyor is prohibited from starting again. If no billet is detected on the target feeding roller conveyor, the target feeding roller conveyor is directly prohibited from starting again.

8. A method for automatically loading cast billets using the automatic billet loading system described in claim 4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: L1: Identify the billet to be loaded: Use a laser rangefinder to detect whether there is a billet to be loaded at the loading waiting position. If a billet to be loaded is detected, determine whether there is a billet on the loading platform and whether the pusher is in the initial position. L2: Automatic control of loading platform: If there is no billet on the loading platform and the pusher is in the initial position, the overhead crane clamp is controlled to move down to load the billet onto the loading platform; if there is a billet on the loading platform, or the pusher has not been reset to the initial position, the overhead crane clamp carries the billet and waits until there is no billet on the loading platform and the pusher is in the initial position. L3: Automatic Control of Continuous Casting Line: When the sensor on the loading platform sends a billet presence signal, the overhead crane clamp is controlled to move upward and is detected by the laser rangefinder. The laser rangefinder sends a safety signal indicating that the overhead crane clamp has moved to the correct position. The loading platform is controlled to rise to the target height, and the automatic control processing program for billet loading in the billet loading line automatic control processing module is started. The billet loading line automatic control processing module collects signals indicating the presence of material on the target loading roller group and controls the start and stop status of the target loading roller group according to the collected signals. When there is no billet on the target loading roller group and it is in a stopped state, the billet loading line automatic control processing module controls the pusher to start, pushing the billet on the loading platform onto the target loading roller group. The target loading roller group sends a billet presence signal to the billet loading line automatic control processing module, and the pusher is controlled to reset to the initial position. The billet loading line automatic control processing program automatically switches to the billet discharge area automatic control processing program.

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