System and method for controlling threading of plate through a rolling mill

Abstract

A method of rolling a metal substrate 104 using a rolling mill 100 includes receiving historical parameters from a previous rolling operation and receiving substrate information for the metal substrate 104 to be rolled prior to rolling the metal substrate 104. The method also includes predicting starting parameters of the rolling mill 100 based on the historical parameters and the substrate information prior to rolling the metal substrate 104. The method may include rolling the metal substrate 104 using the rolling mill 100 by controlling the rolling mill based on the predicted starting parameters at least during the start of rolling the metal substrate 104. The rolling mill 100 for the metal substrate 104 may include at least one work station 102A, 102B and a controller 116 for predicting starting parameters of the rolling mill 100 based on the historical parameters and the substrate information prior to rolling the metal substrate 104.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 267,206, filed January 27, 2022, and entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING THREADING IN A ROLLING MILL," the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.

[0002] This application relates generally to metallurgy, and more specifically to a system and method for controlling threading in a rolling mill for metal substrates. [Background technology]

[0003] During metal processing, rolling may be used to reduce the thickness of a metal substrate (such as a stock sheet or strip of aluminum, aluminum alloys, or various other metals) by passing the metal substrate through a pair of work rolls. Depending on the desired properties of the final metal product, the metal substrate may be hot rolled and / or cold rolled. Hot rolling generally refers to a rolling process in which the temperature of the metal is above the recrystallization temperature of the metal. Cold rolling generally refers to a rolling process in which the temperature of the metal is below the recrystallization temperature of the metal.

[0004] In some cases, one or more operational inputs for controlling the initial flatness of the metal substrate may be erroneous and provided incorrectly, resulting in poor starts that negatively impact both the quality and productivity of the rolled metal substrate. For example, poor starts can cause the metal substrate to be scraped or scraped, resulting in ripples in the center of the metal substrate, and / or ripples on the edges of the metal substrate, which can interrupt production and / or result in material waste as the damaged portions need to be scraped or reworked. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the invention covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, and not by this Summary. This Summary is a high level overview of various embodiments and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used alone to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to the entire specification of this patent, any or all of the drawings, and appropriate portions of the claims.

[0006] According to certain embodiments, a method of rolling a metal substrate using a rolling mill includes receiving historical parameters from a previous rolling operation prior to rolling the metal substrate and receiving substrate information related to the metal substrate to be rolled. The method also includes predicting starting parameters of the rolling mill prior to rolling the metal substrate based on the historical parameters and the substrate information. The method may also include initiating the rolling operation by initially receiving the metal substrate at the rolling mill and controlling the rolling mill to have the predicted starting parameters at least during the initial receipt of the metal substrate at the rolling mill.

[0007] According to various embodiments, a method of rolling a metal substrate using a rolling mill includes receiving historical parameters from a previous rolling operation, receiving substrate information related to the metal substrate to be rolled, and predicting starting parameters of the rolling mill based on the historical parameters and the substrate information prior to rolling the metal substrate. The method includes rolling the metal substrate using the rolling mill by controlling the rolling mill based on the predicted starting parameters at least during the start of rolling the metal substrate.

[0008] According to some embodiments, a rolling mill for a metal substrate includes at least one work table with a pair of work rolls and a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one work table. In certain embodiments, the controller may receive historical parameters from a previous rolling operation before rolling the metal substrate with the at least one work table, and may receive substrate information regarding the metal substrate to be rolled before rolling the metal substrate with the at least one work table. The controller may also predict starting parameters of the rolling mill based on the historical parameters and the substrate information before rolling the metal substrate with the at least one work table. In some embodiments, the controller may control the at least one work table during the start of rolling the metal substrate with the rolling mill based on the predicted starting parameters.

[0009] The various embodiments described herein may include additional systems, methods, features, and advantages that may not necessarily be expressly disclosed herein, but will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. All such systems, methods, features, and advantages are intended to be included within this disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.

[0010] This specification refers to the following accompanying figures, in which the use of like reference numbers in different figures is intended to indicate the same or similar components. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a rolling mill according to an embodiment prior to rolling a metal substrate. [Diagram 2] 2 shows the rolling mill of FIG. 1 during the start of rolling. [Diagram 3] 2 shows the rolling mill of FIG. 1 during rolling. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a method of rolling a metal substrate, according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Described herein are systems and methods for controlling a rolling mill at least during the start of rolling. In some embodiments, the systems and methods provided herein may predict one or more start parameters of the rolling mill prior to rolling and, optionally, control at least the start of the rolling operation based on the predicted start parameters. In certain embodiments, the start parameters are based on one or more historical parameters of the rolling mill, including, but not limited to, historical parameters of the rolling mill during a previous rolling operation. In various embodiments, the start parameters are based on the one or more historical parameters and also based on information about the metal substrate being rolled. In some optional embodiments, the historical parameters may be updated after each rolling operation and the start parameters for the subsequent rolling operation may be based on the updated historical parameters. In certain embodiments, the predicted start parameters may be used to predict a probability of start failure and, optionally, the systems and methods described herein may control the rolling mill based on the probability that it is below a predefined threshold. In certain embodiments, the systems and methods provided herein may minimize and / or prevent the occurrence of bad starts during rolling of a metal substrate, which may increase productivity and reduce material waste. Various other benefits and advantages may be realized by the systems and methods provided herein, and the above-mentioned advantages should not be considered limiting.

[0013] Figures 1-3 illustrate an example metal casting system 100, according to various embodiments. Specifically, Figure 1 illustrates the rolling mill 100 prior to rolling a metal substrate 104. Figure 2 illustrates the rolling mill 100 during the start of a rolling operation of the metal substrate 104, and Figure 3 illustrates the rolling mill 100 during rolling of the metal substrate 104.

[0014] In the example of FIGS. 1-3, the rolling mill 100 is a cold rolling mill, but in other examples, the rolling mill 100 can be a hot rolling mill, if desired. The rolling mill 100 includes at least one work table 102 for processing the metal substrate 104. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the rolling mill 100 includes two work tables 102A-102B. However, in other embodiments, the rolling mill can include any number of work tables 102, if desired, including, but not limited to, a single work table 102, three work tables 102, four work tables 102, or any other desired number of work tables 102, if desired. Each of the work tables 102 includes a pair of work rolls 106A-B and backup rolls 108A-B that support the work rolls 106A-B. In some embodiments, each of the work tables 102 may include one or more intermediate rolls, and the number of intermediate and backup rolls 108A-B should not be considered limiting. A roll gap 110 is defined between the work rolls 106A-B of each of the work tables 102, and during processing of the metal substrate 104, the metal substrate 104 passes through the roll gap 110 between the work rolls 106A-B and advances along a pass line in the processing direction (represented by arrow 113). As the metal substrate 104 passes through the roll gap 110, the thickness of the metal substrate 104 may decrease.

[0015] In various embodiments, the rolling mill 100 includes a controller 114 communicatively coupled to the worktable 102 of the rolling mill 100. The controller 114 may be a variety of computing or processing devices, and may include one or more processors and / or one or more memories, as desired. In certain embodiments, the controller 114 may be programmable using conventional computer components, and in various embodiments, the controller 114 includes a processor that executes code stored in a tangible computer readable medium in a memory (or elsewhere, such as a portable medium, on a server, or in the cloud, among other media) to cause the controller 114 to receive and process data and perform actions and / or control components of the rolling mill 100.

[0016] The controller 114 may be any device capable of executing code, which is a set of instructions to process data and perform actions such as controlling industrial equipment. As non-limiting examples, the controller 114 may take the form of a digitally implemented and / or programmable PID controller, a programmable logic controller, a microprocessor, a server, a desktop or laptop personal computer, a laptop personal computer, a handheld computing device, and a mobile device. Examples of processors include any desired processing circuitry, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable logic, a state machine, or other suitable circuitry. The processor may include one processor or any number of processors. The processor may access code stored in a memory. The memory may be any non-transitory computer readable medium configured to tangibly embody code and may include electronic, magnetic, or optical devices. Examples of memory include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), flash memory, floppy disks, compact disks, digital video devices, magnetic disks, ASICs, configured processors, or other storage devices. The instructions may be stored in the memory or processor as executable code. The instructions may include processor-specific instructions generated by a compiler and / or interpreter from code written in any suitable computer programming language. Optionally, the controller 114 includes a user interface 116 for receiving input from a user. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 114 may include other alternative interfaces that allow the controller 114 to communicate with devices and / or systems external to the controller 114.

[0017] Optionally, the rolling mill 100 may include one or more sensors 118 for detecting one or more parameters of the rolling mill 100 and / or the metal substrate 104 during and / or after the rolling operation of the metal substrate 104. In embodiments in which one or more sensors 118 are included, the one or more sensors 118 may be communicatively coupled to the controller 114. In some embodiments, information detected by the one or more sensors 118 during and / or after the rolling operation may be used as historical parameters of the rolling mill 100, as described in more detail below. The one or more sensors 118 may be of various types of sensors, as desired, including, but not limited to, flatness sensors, roll tilt sensors, roll bending sensors, strip speed sensors, load sensors, gage sensors, mill profile sensors, combinations thereof, and / or various other sensors or combinations of sensors, as desired. The number and locations of the sensors 118 shown in FIGS. 1-3 should not be considered limiting.

[0018] 1-3, a method of rolling a metal substrate 104 using a rolling mill 100 generally includes receiving a supply (e.g., coil) 120 of metal substrate 104, as shown in FIG. 1. With reference to FIG. 2, during start-up of rolling, the metal substrate 104 is first fed to work station 102A. After start-up of rolling, as shown in FIG. 3, the metal substrate 104 is fed to work station 102B and threaded initially through roll gap 110 while being unwound from coil 120. Work stations 102A-B that process the metal substrate 104 may optionally reduce the metal substrate 104 from an initial gauge or thickness to a final gauge or thickness. As described in more detail below, in certain embodiments, to avoid and / or minimize a false start (e.g., during the stage shown in FIG. 2), the rolling mill 100 may predict start-up parameters of the rolling mill 100 based on a prior rolling and control the rolling mill 100 based on the predicted start-up parameters.

[0019] A method 400 of controlling the rolling mill 100 is described in detail below with reference to Figure 4. In some embodiments, one or more of the steps of the method 400 described in detail below may be performed by the controller 114 and / or as otherwise desired.

[0020] At block 402, the method 400 includes receiving and / or accessing historical parameters of the rolling mill 100 from a previous rolling operation. In various embodiments, block 402 is performed prior to rolling the metal substrate 104 (e.g., during the rolling stage shown in FIG. 1). In various embodiments, the historical parameters may be parameters of the rolling mill 100 from a previous rolling operation. In certain embodiments, the historical parameters may be received from one or more sensors 118 during a previous rolling operation, may be accessed from a storage device, system, or memory, may be input by a user, and / or may be received in other manners, as desired. In various embodiments, the historical parameters may be parameters of the rolling mill 100 and / or parameters of a previously rolled metal substrate. As some non-limiting examples, the historical parameters may include, but are not limited to, work roll bending of work tables 102A-B, roll tilt of work rolls 106A-B, rolling load, threading or rolling speed, roll gap size, roll gap shape, flatness of pre-rolled metal substrate, profile of pre-rolled metal substrate, number of backup rolls 108A-B, thickness of pre-rolled metal substrate, combinations thereof, and / or various other parameters from previous rolling operations, as desired. In some embodiments, the historical parameters may optionally be updated after each rolling operation of the rolling mill 100. In such embodiments, the historical parameters may optionally be updated continuously over the operational life of the rolling mill 100.

[0021] At block 404, the method 400 includes receiving and / or accessing information regarding the metal substrate 104 to be rolled prior to rolling the metal substrate 104 at the rolling mill 100. In various embodiments, block 404 includes receiving a coil 120 of metal substrate 104 at the rolling mill 100, and optionally, block 404 includes receiving a coil 120 of metal substrate 104, where the metal substrate 104 is aluminum or an aluminum alloy, such as a 1xxx series aluminum alloy, a 2xxx series aluminum alloy, a 3xxx series aluminum alloy, a 4xxx series aluminum alloy, a 5xxx series aluminum alloy, a 6xxx series aluminum alloy, a 7xxx series aluminum alloy, or an 8xxx series aluminum alloy, etc. In other embodiments, the coil 120 may be received at any time prior to the start of rolling at block 408, as described below. In some embodiments, the substrate information regarding the metal substrate 104 may be detected (e.g., using sensors and / or other devices as desired), provided by a user (e.g., using the user interface 116 on the controller 114), and / or received in other manners as desired. In various embodiments, the substrate information regarding the metal substrate 104 may include, without limitation, an initial gauge of the metal substrate 104 before rolling, a target end gauge of the metal substrate 104, a composition of the metal substrate 104, a width of the metal substrate 104, a temperature of the metal substrate 104 before rolling, combinations thereof, and / or various other information regarding the metal substrate 104 before rolling, as desired.

[0022] At block 406, the method 400 includes predicting one or more start parameters of the rolling mill 100 prior to rolling the metal substrate 104. In certain embodiments, block 406 includes predicting one or more start parameters of the rolling mill based on the historical parameter(s) from block 402 and the substrate information from block 404. The one or more start parameters can be various start parameters of the rolling mill 100, as desired. The start parameters include, but are not limited to, work roll tilt, work roll bending, strip threading speed, roll gap size and / or shape, rolling load distribution, combinations thereof, and / or various other start parameters, as desired. As two non-limiting examples, the start parameters can be work roll tilt and / or work roll bending.

[0023] In embodiments where the rolling mill 100 includes multiple work tables, the start parameters may be predicted for each of the work tables. In embodiments with multiple work tables, the predicted start parameters for one work table need not be the same as the predicted start parameters for another work table. As a non-limiting example, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the controller 114 may predict a tilt set point for the work roll 108A of the work table 102A (18.4 μm) and a tilt set point for the work roll 108A of the work table 102B (−112.6 μm). As a further non-limiting example, the controller 114 may predict a bend set point for the work roll 108A of the work table 102A (−41%) and a bend set point for the work roll 108A of the work table 102A (−25%). In some non-limiting examples, the block 406 optionally includes predicting at least two start parameters for each of the work tables 102 of the rolling mill. If desired, various other starting parameters and / or combinations of starting parameters may be predicted based on historical parameters and substrate information.

[0024] Optionally, block 406 may include determining a probability of a poor start based on the predicted start parameters. In such embodiments, block 406 may optionally include comparing the predicted start parameters to historical data from good starts and poor starts (as determined by controller 114 and / or a user). In other embodiments, various other techniques may be used to determine the probability of a poor start using the predicted start parameters. In some embodiments, when block 406 includes determining a probability of a poor start, block 406 may further include comparing the probability to a predefined threshold. The predefined threshold may be a variety of thresholds, as desired. As some non-limiting examples, the predefined threshold may be 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and / or any other threshold, as desired. In other embodiments, the threshold may be less than 5% and / or greater than 30%. As described in more detail below, controller 114 may control mill 100 according to the predicted start parameters based on the probability being equal to or less than the predefined threshold.

[0025] At block 408, the method 400 includes controlling the start of rolling the metal substrate 104 based on the predicted start parameters (e.g., the stage of rolling shown in FIG. 2). In some embodiments, block 408 may include controlling the rolling mill 100 such that the rolling mill 100 operates with the predicted start parameters. As a non-limiting example, block 408 may include controlling the work tables 102A-B such that the work rolls 106A-B have work roll bends and work roll tilts that match the predicted work roll bends and work roll tilts from block 406. In embodiments where the method 400 includes determining a probability of a bad start at block 406, the method may optionally not proceed to block 408 unless the determined probability is equal to or less than a predefined threshold.

[0026] In certain embodiments, controlling the start of rolling in block 408 optionally includes presenting the predicted start parameters to a user, as desired, using the user interface 116 and / or other mechanisms. In such embodiments, block 408 may optionally allow a user to override the predicted start parameters and instead control the rolling mill 100 using start parameters entered by the user.

[0027] After rolling begins, the controller 114 may continue to control the mill 100 according to predicted start parameters and / or as otherwise desired as the metal substrate 104 is rolled during steady state rolling. Optionally, one or more sensors 118 may monitor or detect the mill and / or the metal substrate 104 being rolled, and such data may be stored as new historical data for a subsequent rolling operation and / or may be used to update previous historical data as new historical data for a subsequent rolling operation. In some embodiments, updating previous historical data may enable tracking of the performance of the mill 100, and such performance history may optionally be used as historical parameters in addition to or in combination with historical parameters from previous rolling operations.

[0028] Provided below is a collection of example embodiments, including at least some explicitly listed as "exemplary" to provide further explanation of various example embodiments according to the concepts described herein. These examples are not intended to be mutually exclusive, exhaustive, or limiting, and the present disclosure is not limited to these example examples, but rather encompasses all feasible modifications and variations within the scope of the issued claims and their equivalents.

[0029] Example 1. A method of rolling a metal substrate using a rolling mill, the method including: receiving historical parameters from a previous rolling operation prior to rolling the metal substrate; receiving substrate information related to the metal substrate to be rolled; predicting starting parameters of the rolling mill based on the historical parameters and the substrate information; and initiating a rolling operation, the initiating the rolling operation including initially receiving the metal substrate at the rolling mill; and controlling the rolling mill to have the predicted starting parameters at least during the initial reception of the metal substrate at the rolling mill.

[0030] Example 2. The method of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein predicting the starting parameters includes predicting a first starting parameter and a second starting parameter for a work table of the rolling mill.

[0031] Example 3. The method of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein the first starting parameter comprises a bend set point for a work roll of the rolling mill and the second starting parameter comprises a tilt set point for the work roll of the rolling mill.

[0032] Example 4. The method of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein predicting the starting parameters includes predicting a first starting parameter for a first work station of the rolling mill and predicting a second starting parameter for a second work station of the rolling mill.

[0033] Example 5. The method according to any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein the first starting parameter is a bend set point for a work roll of the first work table or a tilt set point for the work roll of the first work table, and the second starting parameter is a bend set point for a work roll of the second work table or a tilt set point for the work roll of the second work table.

[0034] Example 6. The method of any of the preceding or following examples or a combination of examples, wherein the first start parameter and the second start parameter are set points of the same type.

[0035] Example 7. The method of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein initiating the rolling operation includes initiating a cold rolling operation.

[0036] Example 8. The method of any of the preceding or following examples or a combination of examples, further comprising, prior to rolling the metal substrate, determining a probability of a start failure based on the predicted start parameters, the historical parameters, and the substrate information, and initiating the rolling operation comprises initiating the rolling operation based on the determined probability being less than a predefined threshold.

[0037] Example 9. A method of rolling a metal substrate using a rolling mill, the method including: receiving historical parameters from a previous rolling operation prior to rolling the metal substrate, receiving substrate information related to the metal substrate to be rolled, predicting starting parameters of the rolling mill based on the historical parameters and the substrate information, and rolling the metal substrate using the rolling mill by controlling the rolling mill based on the predicted starting parameters at least during the start of rolling the metal substrate.

[0038] Example 10. The method of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein predicting the starting parameters includes predicting a first starting parameter and a second starting parameter for a work table of the rolling mill.

[0039] Example 11. The method of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein the first starting parameter comprises a bend set point for a work roll of the rolling mill and the second starting parameter comprises a tilt set point for the work roll of the rolling mill.

[0040] Example 12. The method of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein predicting the starting parameters includes predicting a first starting parameter for a first work station of the rolling mill and predicting a second starting parameter for a second work station of the rolling mill.

[0041] Example 13. The method of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein the first start parameter is a bend set point for a work roll of the first work table or a tilt set point for the work roll of the first work table, and the second start parameter is a bend set point for a work roll of the second work table or a tilt set point for the work roll of the second work table.

[0042] Example 14. The method of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, further comprising, prior to rolling the metal substrate, determining a probability of a start failure based on the predicted start parameters, the historical parameters, and the substrate information, and rolling the metal substrate comprises rolling the metal substrate based on the determined probability being less than a predefined threshold.

[0043] Example 15. A rolling mill for a metal substrate, comprising at least one work table including work rolls, and a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one work table, the controller configured to: receive historical parameters from a previous rolling operation before rolling the metal substrate with the at least one work table; receive substrate information regarding the metal substrate to be rolled before rolling the metal substrate with the at least one work table; predict starting parameters of the rolling mill based on the historical parameters and the substrate information before rolling the metal substrate with the at least one work table; and control the at least one work table during start of rolling the metal substrate with the rolling mill based on the predicted starting parameters.

[0044] Example 16. The rolling mill of any of the preceding or following examples or a combination of examples, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a probability of a start failure prior to the rolling of the metal substrate based on the predicted start parameters, the historical parameters, and the substrate information, and control the rolling mill based on the determined probability being less than a predefined threshold.

[0045] Example 17. The rolling mill of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein the starting parameters include a first starting parameter and a second starting parameter for the work table of the rolling mill.

[0046] Example 18. The rolling mill of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein the first starting parameter comprises a bend set point for the work roll and the second starting parameter comprises a tilt set point for the work roll.

[0047] Example 19. The rolling mill of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein the work table is a first work table, the work rolls are first work rolls, the rolling mill comprises a second work table with a second work roll, and the starting parameters include a first starting parameter for the first work table and a second starting parameter for the second work table.

[0048] Example 20. The rolling mill of any of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein the rolling mill is a cold rolling mill.

[0049] Although the subject matter of the embodiments has been described herein with specificity to meet statutory requirements, this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be construed as implying a particular order or arrangement among or between the various steps or elements, unless the order of the individual steps or arrangement of the elements is explicitly described. In particular, directional references such as "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "front", and "rear" are intended to refer to the orientation of the components and directions as shown and described in the figure (or figures) to which they refer. In the drawings and description, like numerals are intended to represent like elements.

[0050] All ranges disclosed herein should be understood to encompass any subranges contained therein. For example, a stated range of "1 to 10" should be considered to include any subranges having a minimum value of 1 to a maximum value of 10 (and inclusive). That is, all subranges begin with a minimum value of 1 or more (e.g., 1 to 6.1) and end with a maximum value of 10 or less (e.g., 5.5 to 10). Unless otherwise indicated, when referring to a compositional amount of an element, the term "maximum" means that the element is optional and includes a zero percent composition of that particular element. Unless otherwise indicated, all compositional percentages are weight percent (wt%).

[0051] While the systems and methods described herein may be suitable for any type of metal, they may be particularly suitable for use with aluminum or aluminum alloys. Reference is made herein to alloys identified by AA numbers and other related designations, such as "series" or "7xxx." For an understanding of the numbering systems most commonly used to name and identify aluminum and its alloys, please refer to "International Alloy Designations and Chemical Composition Limits for Wrought Aluminum and Wrought Aluminum Alloys" or "Registration Record of Aluminum Association Alloy Designations and Chemical Compositions Limits for Aluminum Alloys in the Form of Castings and Ingot" (both published by The Aluminum Association).

[0052] The above-mentioned aspects are merely possible examples of implementations and are described merely for a clear understanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-mentioned embodiment(s) without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of the present disclosure. All such modifications and modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of the present disclosure, and all possible claims directed to individual aspects or combinations of elements or steps are intended to be supported by the present disclosure. Moreover, although specific terms are used in the present specification and the following claims, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limiting the described embodiments, nor the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for rolling a metal substrate using a rolling machine, comprising the steps of: Before rolling the metal substrate, receiving historical parameters from a previous rolling operation; receiving substrate information relating to the metal substrate being rolled; predicting starting parameters of the rolling mill based on the historical parameters and the substrate information; and initiating a rolling operation, the initiating operation including initially receiving the metal substrate at the rolling mill and controlling the rolling mill to have the predicted starting parameters at least during initial receipt of the metal substrate at the rolling mill.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein predicting the starting parameters comprises predicting a first starting parameter and a second starting parameter for a work table of the rolling mill.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first starting parameter comprises a bend set point for a work roll of the rolling mill and the second starting parameter comprises a tilt set point for the work roll of the rolling mill.

4. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting the starting parameters comprises predicting a first starting parameter for a first work station of the rolling mill and predicting a second starting parameter for a second work station of the rolling mill.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first start parameter is a bend set point for the work rolls of the first work table or a tilt set point for the work rolls of the first work table, and the second start parameter is a bend set point for the work rolls of the second work table or a tilt set point for the work rolls of the second work table.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first start parameter and the second start parameter are set points of the same type.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the rolling operation comprises initiating a cold rolling operation.

8. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to rolling the metal substrate, determining a probability of a start failure based on the predicted start parameters, the historical parameters, and the substrate information, and initiating the rolling operation comprises initiating the rolling operation based on the determined probability being less than a predefined threshold.

9. A method for rolling a metal substrate using a rolling machine, comprising the steps of: Before rolling the metal substrate, receiving historical parameters from a previous rolling operation; receiving substrate information relating to the metal substrate being rolled; predicting starting parameters of the rolling mill based on the historical parameters and the substrate information; rolling the metal substrate using the rolling mill by controlling the rolling mill based on the predicted start parameters at least during the start of rolling of the metal substrate; The method comprising:

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein predicting the starting parameters comprises predicting a first starting parameter and a second starting parameter for a work table of the rolling mill.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first starting parameter comprises a bend set point for a work roll of the rolling mill and the second starting parameter comprises a tilt set point for the work roll of the rolling mill.

12. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein predicting the starting parameters comprises predicting a first starting parameter for a first work station of the rolling mill and predicting a second starting parameter for a second work station of the rolling mill.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first start parameter is a bend set point for the work roll of the first work table or a tilt set point for the work roll of the first work table, and the second start parameter is a bend set point for the work roll of the second work table or a tilt set point for the work roll of the second work table.

14. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, prior to rolling the metal substrate, determining a probability of a start failure based on the predicted start parameters, the historical parameters, and the substrate information, and rolling the metal substrate comprises rolling the metal substrate based on the determined probability being less than a predefined threshold.

15. A rolling machine for metal substrates, comprising: At least one work table including a work roll; a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one work surface, the controller comprising: receiving historical parameters from a previous rolling operation prior to rolling the metal substrate using the at least one worktable; receiving substrate information regarding the metal substrate to be rolled prior to rolling the metal substrate using the at least one worktable; predicting starting parameters of the rolling mill based on the historical parameters and the substrate information prior to rolling the metal substrate using the at least one worktable; controlling the at least one work table during the start of rolling of the metal substrate using the rolling mill based on the predicted start parameters; The rolling machine is configured to perform the above steps.

16. 16. The rolling mill of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a probability of a start failure prior to the rolling of the metal substrate based on the predicted start parameters, the historical parameters, and the substrate information, and control the rolling mill based on the determined probability being less than a predefined threshold.

17. 16. The rolling mill of claim 15, wherein the start parameters include a first start parameter and a second start parameter for the work table of the rolling mill.

18. 18. The rolling mill of claim 17, wherein the first starting parameter comprises a bend set point for the work roll and the second starting parameter comprises a tilt set point for the work roll.

19. 16. The rolling mill of claim 15, wherein the work table is a first work table, the work rolls are first work rolls, the rolling mill comprises a second work table with a second work roll, and the starting parameters include a first starting parameter for the first work table and a second starting parameter for the second work table.

20. 16. The rolling mill of claim 15, wherein the rolling mill is a cold rolling mill.

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