Cropping control system for hot mill operation

Abstract

A cropping system for cropping a metal slab (102) includes at least one of a cropping length (1035, 524) system and a slab positioning system. The cropping length (1035, 524) system includes optical sensors (118A, 118B, 318A, 318B, 518) for detecting defects at an end (1031) of the metal slab (102), and the cropping length (1035, 524) system can determine a cropping position of the metal slab (102) based on the detected defects. The slab positioning system includes optical sensors (118A, 118B, 318A, 318B, 518) for measuring the position of an end (1031) of the metal slab (102) relative to a cropping device of the cropping system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 364,684, filed on May 13, 2022, entitled CROPPING CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HOT MILL OPERATIONS, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This application generally relates to metal processing, and more specifically, to systems and methods for controlling the cropping of metal slabs, particularly, but not limited to, during hot mill operations.

Background Art

[0003] Metal processing of metal slabs, such as hot mill operations, often requires cropping of one or both ends of the metal slab (commonly referred to as the head and tail of the metal slab) to remove defects such as rollover and / or delamination.

[0004] Conventionally, the length of the specific end to be cropped is determined by the operator based on their assessment of the defect, and the slab is manually positioned under the cropping device for cropping without any other guidance. Although the operator may be skilled in making such an assessment and positioning of the slab, the existing technology is prone to operator error or subjectivity, and the cropping length can vary depending on the operator.

[0005] Other conventional operations may measure the speed of the slab, and thus the length of the slab under the cropping device, using an encoder on the rollers of the roller table. However, since the metal slab slides on the rolls, an error in length calculation occurs, making the encoder inaccurate. Further, other conventional techniques have included Doppler to measure the length of the metal slab. Such techniques are inaccurate and unreliable because the surface roughness of the metal slab causes errors in speed calculation and such devices cannot measure a metal slab moving at low speeds that may be required for proper metal slab positioning. Therefore, existing techniques are susceptible to issues of accuracy and repeatability accuracy, leading to increased material waste (e.g., by overcropping the metal slab) and / or defects remaining in the slab (e.g., by undercropping the metal slab), which can cause problems during subsequent metal processing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Embodiments subject to this patent application are defined by the following claims, not by this summary of the invention. This summary of the invention is a high-level overview of various embodiments and introduces some of the concepts further described in the section on forms for carrying out the following invention. This summary of the invention is not intended to identify the important 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 is intended to be understood by reference to the entire specification of this patent, any or all of the drawings, and the appropriate portions of each claim.

[0007] According to certain embodiments, a cropping system for cropping a metal slab includes a slab positioning system. The slab positioning system includes an optical sensor for measuring the position of an end of the metal slab relative to a cropping device of the cropping system. The slab positioning system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the optical sensor. The controller may generate a position control response based on the measured position of the end of the metal slab from the optical sensor.

[0008] According to some embodiments, a cropping system for cropping a metal slab includes a slab positioning system. The slab positioning system includes an optical sensor for detecting an end of the metal slab and a controller communicatively coupled to the optical sensor. In some embodiments, the controller receives visual data including the detected end of the metal slab from the optical sensor, measures the length of a target region of the end of the metal slab based on the received visual data, and may generate a position control response based on the measured length of the target region of the end of the metal slab.

[0009] According to various embodiments, a method of cropping a metal slab by a cropping system includes receiving from an optical sensor a measured position of an end of the metal slab relative to a cropping device of the cropping system and controlling the end of the metal slab relative to the cropping device based on the measured position of the end of the metal slab.

[0010] According to certain embodiments, a cropping system for cropping a metal slab includes a cropping length system. The cropping length system includes an optical sensor for detecting a defect within an end of the metal slab and a controller communicatively coupled to the optical sensor. The controller may determine a cropping position within the metal slab based on the defect detected by the optical sensor.

[0011] According to various embodiments, a method of cropping a metal slab by a cropping system includes receiving, from an optical sensor, detection of a defect within an end of the metal slab, determining a cropping position within the metal slab based on the defect detected by the optical sensor, and controlling the metal slab with respect to a cropping device of the cropping system based on the determined cropping position.

[0012] According to some embodiments, a cropping system for cropping a metal slab includes a cropping length system and a slab positioning system. The cropping length system includes a first optical sensor for detecting a defect within an end of the metal slab. The slab positioning system includes a second optical sensor for measuring the position of an end of the metal slab with respect to a cropping device of the cropping system. In some embodiments, the cropping system includes a controller that can determine a cropping position within the metal slab based on a defect detected from the first optical sensor and can determine an actual position of the cropping position with respect to the cropping device based on a measured position of the end of the metal slab from the second optical sensor. In some embodiments, the controller can generate a position control response based on the actual position of the cropping position with respect to the cropping device.

[0013] The various embodiments described herein can include additional systems, methods, features, and advantages which, although not necessarily explicitly disclosed herein, will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. All such systems, methods, features, and advantages are intended to be included within the present disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.

[0014] This specification refers to the following accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals in different drawings are intended to identify like or similar components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]

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[0016] This specification describes a system and method for cropping a metal slab. In some embodiments, the system and method provided herein may be particularly useful for cropping metal slabs of aluminum or aluminum alloys, but in other embodiments, the system and method described herein may be used with any type of metal slab as needed. In some embodiments, the system and method described herein provide improved identification of defects within the ends (e.g., the head or tail of the metal slab) of the metal slab, and determination of the cropping length based on the detected defects. Additionally, or alternatively, the disclosed system and method may provide improved measurement of the cropping length on the metal slab. In certain embodiments, the system and method provided herein may generate or cause various output responses based on the determined cropping length or a measurement of the cropping length. The disclosed system and method may provide a cropping operation optimized to improve accuracy and minimize waste compared to conventional cropping systems. Various other benefits and advantages may be realized by the system and method provided herein, and the above advantages should not be considered limiting.

[0017] Figures 1A - 1B and 2A - 2B show a cropping system 100 for a metal slab 102 and by a cropping control system 112, according to various embodiments. In certain embodiments, the cropping system 100 can optionally be downstream of a hot rolling mill 101, but in other embodiments, the cropping system 100 can be provided at other locations as desired. In addition to the cropping control system 112, the cropping system 100 generally includes one or more cropping devices 104 and one or more supports 106. The one or more supports 106 can be various devices or mechanisms suitable for supporting the metal slab 102 when the metal slab 102 moves through the cropping system 100 (represented by arrow 111). In the illustrated embodiment, the one or more supports 106 include a plurality of rollers 108, and rollers 108 such as those can be supported by a table or other support structure. The cropping device 104 can be various devices or mechanisms suitable for cropping or shearing the metal slab 102 as desired, including but not limited to a heavy shear or a light shear.

[0018] In certain embodiments, such as the result of rolling by the hot rolling mill 101, at least one of the head end 103 or the tail end 105 of the metal slab 102 may have defects and / or need to be cropped in other ways before the metal slab 102 can be further processed. In such embodiments, a cropping control system 112 can be used to improve the cropping operation performed by the cropping device 104. In various embodiments, the cropping control system 112 includes a controller 114 and one or more of a slab positioning system (see, for example, FIGS. 1A-1B, FIGS. 2A-2B, and FIGS. 3-9) and / or a cropping length system (see, for example, FIGS. 10-14). Accordingly, the slab positioning system 116 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and in other embodiments, the cropping system 100 may include only the cropping length system, or both the slab positioning system and the cropping length system. As discussed in detail below, the slab positioning system of the cropping control system 112 can be utilized to determine and / or control the position of the metal slab 102 relative to the cropping device 104 for the cropping operation, and the cropping length system can be utilized to determine and / or control the specific amount of the end to be cropped during the cropping operation.

[0019] The controller 114 of the cropping control system 112 may include one or more processing units and / or one or more memory devices. The processing unit of the controller 114 may be a combination of various suitable processing devices or devices including, but not limited to, one or more application specific integrated circuits, digital signal processors, digital signal processing devices, programmable logic devices, field programmable gate arrays, processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units, and / or combinations thereof. One or more memory devices of the controller 114 may be any machine-readable medium accessible by a processor, including, but not limited to, any type of long-term, short-term, volatile, non-volatile, or other storage medium, and is not limited to any particular type of memory or number of memories, or the type of medium on which the memory is stored. Further, as disclosed herein, the terms "storage medium", "storage", or "memory" can represent one or more memories for storing data, including read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic RAM, core memory, magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, and / or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable medium" includes, but is not limited to, portable or fixed storage devices, optical storage devices, wireless channels, and / or various other storage media capable of storing and / or transmitting instructions and / or data.

[0020] In certain embodiments, the controller 114 optionally comprises a related user interface, including but not limited to a graphical user interface or a human machine interface, whereby the controller 114 can obtain information from and / or provide information to the user. In such embodiments, the user interface and / or the human machine interface may be on the controller 114 itself or at a remote location from the controller 114. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 114 may optionally comprise various communication modules so that the controller 114 can receive and / or transmit information as needed. Non-limiting examples of communication modules can include systems and mechanisms that enable wired communication and / or wireless communication (e.g., short range, cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, Bluetooth® low energy, etc.).

[0021] In certain embodiments, the controller 114 is communicatively coupled to the cropping device 104 and the cropping length system and / or the slab positioning system to control the cropping operation based on information from the cropping length system and / or the slab positioning system, as described in detail below.

[0022] Slab positioning system In various embodiments, the cropping control system 112 includes a slab positioning system for determining and / or controlling the position of the metal slab 102 relative to the cropping device 104 during the cropping operation. Such slab positioning systems can result in improved detection and / or control of the metal slab 102 relative to the cropping device 104.

[0023] Figures 1A - 1B and 2A - 2B show a cropping control system 112 according to an example of a slab positioning system 116. As shown in Figures 1A - 1B and 2A - 2B, in certain embodiments, the slab positioning system 116 includes one or more optical sensors 118 positioned relative to the cropping device 104 to measure the position of the end of the metal slab 102 relative to the cropping device 104. In Figures 1A - 1B and 2A - 2B, the slab positioning system 116 is shown measuring the head end 103 of the metal slab 102, and the slab positioning system 116 is described from the perspective of measuring the head end 103. However, the slab positioning system 116 may similarly be used to measure the position of the tail end 105 of the metal slab 102.

[0024] In the embodiment of Figures 1A - 1B and 2A - 2B, the slab positioning system 116 includes two optical sensors 118A - 118B, where the optical sensor 118A is provided upstream from the cropping device 104 and the optical sensor 118B is provided downstream from the cropping device 104. However, in other embodiments, any number of optical sensors 118 may be utilized. The one or more optical sensors 118 may be various types of optical sensors including, but not limited to, laser - based optical sensors, cameras for various wavelengths as desired (e.g., ultraviolet cameras, visible light cameras, infrared cameras, etc.), machine vision cameras, combinations thereof, and / or other optical sensors as desired. In some non - limiting examples, the optical sensor 118 may, although not necessary in other embodiments, acquire and / or output visual data of the metal slab 102.

[0025] In the embodiments of FIGS. 1A-1B and FIGS. 2A-2B, the optical sensors 118A-118B are laser-based sensors. In this embodiment, each of the optical sensors 118A-118B is installed above the pass line of the metal slab 102 and is optionally placed at the center of the support 106. As best shown in FIGS. 1B and 2B, each of the optical sensors 118A-118B generates a sensing region 120 (e.g., a laser) in a plane extending parallel to the rolling direction 111. In certain embodiments, the optical sensors 118A-118B can automatically provide measurements of the position of the head end 103 of the metal slab 102 relative to the cropping device 104. In some examples, the optical sensors 118A-118B can use the projected laser line to measure the cross-sectional 3D geometry of portions or surfaces of the metal slab 102 and / or other components. In other embodiments, the optical sensors 118A-118B can automatically measure the head end 103 using other techniques as desired. By way of example, the optical sensor 118A can measure the position of the head end 103 of the upstream metal slab 102 from the cropping device 104 (FIGS. 1A-1B), and the optical sensor 118B can measure the position of the head end 103 of the downstream metal slab 102 from the cropping device 104 (FIGS. 2A-2B). In various embodiments, based on the detected position of the head end 103 relative to the cropping device 104 from the optical sensor 118, the controller 114 of the cropping control system 112 can generate a position control response. In some embodiments, the position control response from the controller 114 based on the detected position from the slab positioning system 116 can include generating an alert (e.g., text, audio, image, etc.) on a display of a human-machine interface associated with the controller 114. In such embodiments, the alert can include the detected position of the head end 103 and optionally, the alert can include a comparison (or other indication) of the detected position to the desired position of the head end 103 relative to the cropping device 104.

[0026] Additionally or alternatively, the position control response from the controller 114 may include controlling the position of the metal slab 102 relative to the cropping device 104. In such embodiments, the position control response may include actuating positioning devices such as, but not limited to, the roller 108. In such embodiments, by actuating the positioning devices, the metal slab 102 may be moved upstream or downstream relative to the cropping device 104 as desired and / or such that the metal slab 102 is in a desired (e.g., predetermined, or sensed) position relative to the cropping device 104. As a non-limiting example, based on detection by the optical sensor 118A with the head end 103 upstream of the cropping device 104, the controller 114 may actuate the positioning devices such that the metal slab 102 moves downstream. In such embodiments, the metal slab 102 may optionally move downstream until the head end 103 is detected by the optical sensor 118B as being downstream of the cropping device 104 and / or until the head end 103 is in a desired position downstream of the cropping device 104. As another non-limiting example, based on detection by the optical sensor 118B with the head end 103 downstream of the cropping device 104 but at a distance shorter or greater than a desired distance relative to the cropping device 104, the controller 114 may control the positioning device to move the metal slab 102 upstream or downstream to position the metal slab 102 in a desired position. Based on the position information from the slab positioning system 116 by the optical sensor 118, various other position controls may be implemented by the controller 114, and the foregoing examples should not be considered limiting.

[0027] Figures 3 and 4 show another cropping system 300, which is substantially similar to the cropping system 100 and includes a slab positioning system 316. The slab positioning system 316 is substantially similar to the slab positioning system 116, except that the slab positioning system 316 includes different types of optical sensors 318A-318B. However, similar to the optical sensors 118A-118B, the optical sensors 318A-318B are laser-based sensors installed above the pass line of the metal slab 102 and generate a sensing region 320 in a plane extending parallel to the rolling direction 111. In these embodiments, similar to the optical sensors 118A-118B, the optical sensors 318A-318B can automatically provide measurements of the position of the head end 103 of the metal slab 102 relative to the cropping device 104. Figure 3 shows the optical sensor 318A, which measures the position of the head end 103 of the upstream metal slab 102 from the cropping device 104, and Figure 4 shows the optical sensor 318B, which measures the position of the head end 103 of the downstream metal slab 102 from the cropping device 104. Similar to the cropping system 100, the cropping system 300 may include a controller 114 to control at least a portion of the positioning and / or cropping operation of the metal slab 102 based on information from the slab positioning system 316.

[0028] FIG. 5 shows another cropping system 500, which is substantially similar to the cropping system 100 and includes a slab positioning system 516. Compared with the slab positioning system 116, the slab positioning system 516 includes an optical sensor 518 which is a laser velocimeter that directs a laser 520 onto the metal slab 102. In this embodiment, the optical sensor 518 can be provided at a known distance 522 from the cropping device 104. In such embodiments, based on the known distance 522 and the scan distance or length 524 measured by the optical sensor 518, the controller 114 can determine the position of the head end 103 relative to the cropping device 104. As a non-limiting example, if the known distance 522 is 250 cm and the scan length 524 is 275 cm, the controller can determine that the position of the head end 103 is 25 cm downstream from the cropping device 104. Similar to the slab positioning system 516, various position control responses can be implemented based on the determined position of the head end 103.

[0029] FIGS. 6 and 7 show another cropping system 600, which is substantially similar to the cropping system 100 and includes a slab positioning system 316. Compared with the slab positioning system 116, the slab positioning system 616 includes a camera 618 having a sensing area 620. The camera 618 can include, but is not limited to, an optical or video camera, a single or multi-stereo camera, an RGB-D camera, and / or other types of cameras as desired, and can be various types of cameras as desired. Although a single camera 618 is shown, in other embodiments, the slab positioning system 616 can include multiple cameras, and in such embodiments, the cameras need not be of the same type. Further, the camera(s) 618 can be provided at various positions or orientations as desired.

[0030] In certain embodiments, camera 618 may be calibrated using various techniques or mechanisms as desired such that a defined portion of the visual data from camera 618 (e.g., pixels within an image or video) corresponds to known measurements (e.g., millimeters). In such embodiments, camera 618 may detect a portion of metal slab 102 within sensing region 620, and the length or position from head end 103 may be automatically determined based on the calibration. FIG. 7 shows an example of metal slab 102 and the detected portion (red line 628) of metal slab 102 using slab positioning system 616. In embodiments such as slab positioning system 616 that include an optical or video camera, various auxiliary devices, techniques, or mechanisms may be utilized to facilitate detection of metal slab 102 on support 106 and / or improve the accuracy of the detected metal slab 102. Non-limiting examples of such auxiliary devices, techniques, or mechanisms include filters for enhancing the contrast between metal slab 102 and support 106, lighting devices for highlighting metal slab 102, lighting devices for enhancing the contrast between metal slab 102 and support 106, combinations thereof, and / or other devices, techniques, or mechanisms as desired.

[0031] In various embodiments, in addition to detecting the position of the head end 103 of the metal slab 102, the slab positioning system 616 with a camera 618 may optionally be enabled to define a cropping region. As a non-limiting example, based on visual data from the camera 618, the controller 114 may define a region to be cropped on the visual data. Additionally or alternatively, the visual data may be provided to an operator (e.g., on a human-machine interface), and the operator may provide an identification of a portion of the metal slab 102 to be cropped. In such embodiments, the controller may use calibrated visual data from the camera 618 to determine the cropping region identified by the operator. Additionally or alternatively, the slab positioning system 616 with a camera 618 may be enabled to estimate the volume of the metal slab 102 to be cropped. As an example, based on a known or detected thickness of the metal slab 102 and the defined cropping region, the controller 114 may use calibrated visual data from the camera 618 to determine the volume to be cropped.

[0032] Figures 8 and 9 show another cropping system 800, which is substantially similar to the cropping system 100 and includes a slab positioning system 816. Compared to the slab positioning system 116, the slab positioning system 816 includes a thermal camera 818 having a sensing region 820. As best shown in FIG. 9, a thermal image or video from the thermal camera 818 can facilitate the detection of the metal slab 102 because the metal slab 102 is highlighted in the thermal image by being significantly hotter than its environment. In this embodiment, the head end 103 of the metal slab 102 can be detected based on the first detection of the highlighted head end 103. As described above, regardless of the particular slab positioning system used by the cropping control system 112, the controller 114 can use information from the slab positioning system to generate one or more position control responses.

[0033] Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, a method of controlling a cropping operation using a slab positioning system 116 may include receiving, by a controller 114, a detected position of a head end 103 (and / or a tail end) of a metal slab 102 from one or both of optical sensors 118A-118B. The method includes generating, by the controller 114, a position control response based on the detected position of the head end 103. In some embodiments, generating the position control response includes generating an alert or alarm to an operator using a human machine interface and / or controlling a position of the metal slab 102 relative to the cropping device 104. The method may include cropping the metal slab 102 by the cropping device 104 based on the metal slab 102 being in a desired position relative to the cropping device 104. Various other processes may be performed using the slab positioning system 116 and the control processes described above should not be considered limiting.

[0034] Cropping length system In certain embodiments, as described above, the cropping control system 112 includes a cropping length system for determining and / or controlling an amount that a particular end needs to be cropped during a cropping operation. The cropping length system may comprise the slab positioning system described herein, although in other embodiments it need not.

[0035] Figures 10 to 13 show an example of a cropping system 1000 in which a cropping control system 112 includes a cropping length system 1026. In certain embodiments, the cropping length system 1026 includes one or more optical sensors 1028 positioned relative to the pass line of the metal slab 102 (e.g., as defined by the support 106 in FIGS. 11 to 13) for measuring the ends of the metal slab 102. In the embodiments of FIGS. 10 to 15, the optical sensor 1028 is shown as measuring the head end 103, but the cropping length system 1026 may similarly measure the tail end 105.

[0036] In the embodiments of FIGS. 10 to 13, the cropping length system 1026 includes two optical sensors 1028A to 1028B. The one or more optical sensors 1028 may be various types of optical sensors as desired, including but not limited to laser-based optical sensors, thermal (e.g., infrared) cameras, visible light cameras, cameras of other wavelengths, machine vision cameras, combinations thereof, and / or other optical sensors as desired. In some non-limiting examples, the optical sensor 1028 may, although not necessary in other embodiments, acquire and / or output visual data of the metal slab 102. In the embodiments of FIGS. 10 to 14, the optical sensors 1028A to 1028B are laser-based sensors with a sensing region 1030 (e.g., a laser). In some examples, the optical sensors 1028A to 1028B may use a projected laser line to measure the cross-sectional 3D geometric shape of a portion or surface of the metal slab 102 and / or other components. In the embodiments of FIGS. 10 to 14, as best shown in FIG. 10, by configuring the optical sensors 1028A to 1028B to measure the head end 103 in the thickness direction, the cropping length system 1026 may be able to detect and / or measure defects within the metal slab 102, such as the delamination cavity 1029 within the head end 103 of the metal slab 102.

[0037] As best shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the optical sensors 1028A-1028B are provided on the opposite side of the pass line of the metal slab 102. The optical sensors 1028A-1028B may be provided at various heights relative to the pass line as desired, and the height of the sensors shown in FIG. 11 should not be considered limiting. Further, the optical sensors 1028A-1028B do not need to be at the same height. The optical sensors 1028A-1028B may similarly be provided at various distances relative to the pass line of the metal slab 102, and the distances shown are not to be considered limiting.

[0038] In some embodiments, as best shown in FIG. 12, the optical sensors 1028A-1028B are optionally oriented at an oblique angle with respect to the width direction of the metal slab 102. As a non-limiting example, one or both of the optical sensors 1028A-1028B may be provided at an angle of 30° to less than 90°, such as 45° to less than 90°, such as 60° to less than 90° with respect to the width direction of the metal slab 102. In other embodiments, one or both of the optical sensors 1028A-1028B may be provided at a right angle (or 90°) with respect to the width direction of the metal slab 102.

[0039] In certain embodiments, the optical sensors 1028A - 1028B may automatically provide measurements of the head end 103 of the metal slab 102. In various embodiments, as shown in FIG. 13, the optical sensors 1028A - 1028B may provide measurements of at least a portion 1033 of the delamination cavity 1029 within the head end 103. As shown in FIG. 13, in some embodiments, the optical sensors 1028A - 1028B may not be able to measure up to the end 1031 of the delamination cavity 1029 (i.e., the end 1031 is hidden from light detection). In such embodiments, if the detected portion 1033 is determined to be the cropping length, a portion of the delamination defect remains in the metal slab 102 and problems may occur during subsequent processing of the metal slab 102. In various embodiments, the actual length 1035 of the delamination cavity 1029 may be determined by the controller 114 (and / or the operator) by adding an adjustment value 1037 for the hidden length to the portion 1033 measured by the optical sensors 1028A - 1028B. In various embodiments, the adjustment value 1037 may be determined statistically, as desired, by modeling and / or using other techniques. In certain embodiments, the adjustment value 1037 may be pre - determined, while in other embodiments, the adjustment value 1037 may be determined based on a portion 1033 of the delamination cavity 1029 and / or other characterizations or properties of the metal slab 102.

[0040] In various embodiments, based on the measurements from the optical sensors 1028A - 1028B and / or the determined actual length 1035 of the delamination cavity 1029 within the head end 103, the controller 114 of the cropping control system 112 may generate a length control response. In some embodiments, the length control response may include generating an alert (e.g., text, audio, image, etc.) on a display of a human - machine interface associated with the controller 114. In such embodiments, the alert may include the determined cropping length or the distance from the head end 103 at which cropping needs to be performed by the cropping device. Additionally or alternatively, the length control response from the controller 114 may include controlling the cropping device 104 such that the metal slab 102 is cropped at the determined cropping length. Optionally, such control may optionally include providing the determined cropping length to a slab positioning system, which may position the metal slab based on the determined cropping length. Based on the determined cropping length information from the cropping length system 1026, various other position controls may be implemented by the controller 114, and the foregoing examples should not be considered limiting.

[0041] A method of controlling a cropping operation using a cropping length system 1026 can include receiving, by a controller 114, a measured length of at least a portion 1033 of a delamination cavity 1029 from one or both of optical sensors 1028A-1028B. Optionally, the method can include determining an actual delamination cavity length, which can be a minimum cropping length, by adding an adjustment value to the measured cavity length. In some embodiments, the method can include determining, by the controller 114, the adjustment value based on modeling or other techniques as desired. The method can include generating, by the controller 114, a length control response based on the determined cropping length of the head end 103. In some embodiments, generating the length control response can include alerting or alarming an operator using a human machine interface and / or controlling the position of the metal slab 102 relative to the cropping device 104 such that the cropping device 104 crops the metal slab at the determined cropping length. Optionally, the method can include controlling the position of the metal slab 102 using one or more of the slab positioning systems described herein. Various other processes can be performed using the cropping length system 1026, and the foregoing control processes should not be considered limiting.

[0042] Exemplification An aggregate of exemplary embodiments is provided below, including at least some that are explicitly enumerated as "exemplifications" to provide further description of various exemplary embodiments according to the concepts described herein. These exemplifications are not intended to be mutually exclusive, exhaustive, or restrictive, and the present disclosure is not limited to these exemplary illustrations, but rather includes all possible modifications and variations within the scope of the issued patent claims and their equivalents.

[0043] Example 1. A cropping system for cropping a metal slab, the cropping system including a slab positioning system, the slab positioning system including an optical sensor configured to measure the position of an end of the metal slab relative to a cropping device of the cropping system, and a controller communicatively coupled to the optical sensor and configured to generate a position control response based on the measured position of the end of the metal slab by the optical sensor.

[0044] Example 2. The optical sensor is a first optical sensor configured to measure the position of the end of the metal slab upstream from the cropping device, and the slab positioning system further includes a second optical sensor configured to measure the position of the end of the metal slab downstream from the cropping device, the cropping system according to any preceding or subsequent example or combination of examples.

[0045] Example 3. The optical sensor is positioned above a pass line of the metal slab through the cropping system, and the optical sensor is configured to measure the metal slab in a plane parallel to a processing direction of the metal slab, the cropping system according to any preceding or subsequent example or combination of examples.

[0046] Example 4. The optical sensor is a laser-based optical sensor, the cropping system according to any preceding or subsequent example or combination of examples.

[0047] Example 5. The optical sensor is a thermal camera, the cropping system according to any preceding or subsequent example or combination of examples.

[0048] Example 6. The cropping system according to any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combinations of examples, wherein the controller is configured to position the metal slab relative to the cropping device or, as the position control response, generate a display on a human machine interface.

[0049] Example 7. The cropping system according to any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combinations of examples, wherein the optical sensor is a machine vision camera positioned above the pass line of the metal slab through the cropping system.

[0050] Example 8. A cropping system for cropping a metal slab, the cropping system including a slab positioning system, the slab positioning system including an optical sensor configured to detect an end of the metal slab and a controller communicatively coupled to the optical sensor, the controller receiving visual data including the detected end of the metal slab from the optical sensor, measuring a length of a target region of the end of the metal slab based on the received visual data, and generating a position control response based on the measured length of the target region of the end of the metal slab.

[0051] Example 9. The cropping system according to any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combinations of examples, wherein the optical sensor is a machine vision camera positioned above the pass line of the metal slab through the cropping system.

[0052] Example 10. The cropping system according to any of the preceding or subsequent examples or combinations of examples, wherein the optical sensor is a thermal camera.

[0053] Example 11. A method of cropping a metal slab by a cropping system, the method comprising receiving, from an optical sensor, a measured position of an end portion of the metal slab with respect to a cropping device of the cropping system; and controlling the end portion of the metal slab with respect to the cropping device based on the measured position of the end portion of the metal slab.

[0054] Example 12. The method according to any one of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein the optical sensor is a first optical sensor upstream of the cropping device, and the method further comprises receiving, from a second optical sensor downstream of the cropping device, a measured position downstream of the cropping device of the end portion of the metal slab with respect to the cropping device.

[0055] Example 13. The method according to any one of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, further comprising cropping the metal slab based on the measured position of the end portion of the metal slab.

[0056] Example 14. A cropping system for cropping a metal slab, the cropping system including a cropping length system, the cropping length system including an optical sensor configured to detect a defect within an end portion of the metal slab, and a controller communicatively coupled to the optical sensor and configured to determine a cropping position within the metal slab based on the defect detected by the optical sensor.

[0057] Example 15. The cropping system according to any one of the preceding or following examples or combinations of examples, wherein the optical sensor is a laser-based optical sensor.

[0058] Exemplification 16. The cropping system according to any one of the preceding or subsequent exemplifications or combinations of exemplifications, wherein the optical sensor is attached at an angle between the rolling direction and the width direction defined by the cropping system for the metal slab.

[0059] Exemplification 17. The cropping system according to any one of the preceding or subsequent exemplifications or combinations of exemplifications, wherein the angle is from 45° to less than 90° (including both ends) with respect to the width direction.

[0060] Exemplification 18. The cropping system according to any one of the preceding or subsequent exemplifications or combinations of exemplifications, wherein the optical sensor is configured to detect the defect within the thickness direction of the metal slab.

[0061] Exemplification 19. The optical sensor is a first optical sensor, the cropping length system further includes a second optical sensor, the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are each configured to detect the defect within the thickness direction of the metal slab, the first optical sensor is at a first angle between the rolling direction and the width direction defined by the cropping system for the metal slab, and the second optical sensor is at a second angle different from the first angle and between the rolling direction and the width direction. The cropping system according to any one of the preceding or subsequent exemplifications or combinations of exemplifications.

[0062] Exemplification 20. The controller is configured to determine the cropping position by determining the total length of the defect, and the controller is configured to determine the total length of the defect by determining the measured length of the defect based on the detection by the optical sensor and adding the hidden length of the defect to the measured length of the defect. The cropping system according to any one of the preceding or subsequent exemplifications or combinations of exemplifications.

[0063] Exemplification 21. The cropping system according to any one of the preceding or subsequent exemplifications or combinations of exemplifications, wherein the hidden length of the defect is a predetermined estimated hidden length.

[0064] Exemplification 22. A method of cropping a metal slab by a cropping system, the method comprising: receiving, from an optical sensor, detection of a defect within an end portion of the metal slab; determining a cropping position within the metal slab based on the defect detected by the optical sensor; and controlling the metal slab with respect to a cropping device of the cropping system based on the determined cropping position.

[0065] Exemplification 23. The method according to any one of the preceding or subsequent exemplifications or combinations of exemplifications, further comprising detecting the defect within the end portion of the metal slab by the optical sensor while the optical sensor is mounted at an angle between a rolling direction and a width direction defined by the cropping system for the metal slab.

[0066] Exemplification 24. Determining the cropping position includes determining a total length of the defect, and determining the total length of the defect includes determining a measured length of the defect based on the detection by the optical sensor, and adding a hidden length of the defect to the measured length of the defect to determine the total length of the defect. The method according to any one of the preceding or subsequent exemplifications or combinations of exemplifications.

[0067] Exemplification 25. The method according to any one of the preceding or subsequent exemplifications or combinations of exemplifications, wherein determining the total length of the defect further includes determining the hidden length of the defect based on modeling.

[0068] Example 26. A cropping system for cropping a metal slab, comprising a cropping length system including a first optical sensor configured to detect a defect within an end portion of the metal slab, a slab positioning system including a second optical sensor configured to measure a position of the end portion of the metal slab relative to a cropping device of the cropping system, a controller configured to determine a cropping position within the metal slab based on the detected defect from the first optical sensor, determine an actual position of the cropping position relative to the cropping device based on the measured position of the end portion of the metal slab from the optical sensor, and generate a position control response based on the actual position of the cropping position relative to the cropping device, said cropping system.

[0069] The subject matter of the embodiments is described herein with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The subject matter for which a patent is claimed may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in combination with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be construed as implying a particular order or arrangement between various steps or elements, except when the order of individual steps or the arrangement of elements is explicitly described. References to directions such as "up", "down", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "front", and "rear" are intended to refer to the orientation illustrated and described in one (or more) of the figures to which the components and directions refer. Throughout this disclosure, reference numerals with letters refer to specific examples of elements, and reference numerals without letters refer to elements generally or collectively. Thus, by way of example (not shown), a device "12A" refers to an instance of a device class collectively referred to as device "12", any one of which may be generically referred to as device "12". In the drawings and description, like numerals are intended to represent like elements. As used herein, the meanings of "a", "an", and "the" include references to both singular and plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0070] The above-described aspects are merely possible examples of embodiments and are described merely to clearly understand the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments(s) without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of the disclosure, and all possible claims to individual aspects or combinations of elements or steps are intended to be supported by the disclosure. Further, certain terms are used in this specification and the following claims, but they are used only in a general and descriptive sense and not for the purpose of limiting the described embodiments or the following claims.

Claims

1. A cropping system for cropping a metal slab, wherein the cropping system includes a slab positioning system, The slab positioning system, An optical sensor configured to measure the position of an end portion of the metal slab relative to a cropping device of the cropping system, A controller communicably coupled to the optical sensor and configured to generate a position control response based on the measured position of the end portion of the metal slab by the optical sensor, and the cropping system.

2. The optical sensor is a first optical sensor configured to measure the position of the end portion of the metal slab upstream from the cropping device, and the slab positioning system further includes a second optical sensor configured to measure the position of the end portion of the metal slab downstream from the cropping device. The cropping system according to claim 1.

3. The optical sensor is positioned above a pass line of the metal slab through the cropping system, and the optical sensor is configured to measure the metal slab in a plane extending in a direction parallel to a processing direction of the metal slab. The cropping system according to claim 1.

4. The optical sensor is a laser-based optical sensor. The cropping system according to claim 1.

5. The optical sensor is a thermal camera. The cropping system according to claim 1.

6. The controller is configured to position the metal slab relative to the cropping device or to generate a display on a human-machine interface as the position control response. The cropping system according to claim 1.

7. The cropping system according to claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is a machine vision camera positioned above a pass line of the metal slab passing through the cropping system.

8. A cropping system for cropping a metal slab, the cropping system including a slab positioning system, The slab positioning system, an optical sensor configured to detect an end of the metal slab, a controller communicatively coupled to the optical sensor, and including, The controller, receives visual data including the detected end of the metal slab from the optical sensor, measures a length of a target region of the end of the metal slab based on the received visual data, and generates a position control response based on the measured length of the target region of the end of the metal slab. The cropping system configured as such.

9. The cropping system according to claim 8, wherein the optical sensor is a machine vision camera positioned above a pass line of the metal slab passing through the cropping system.

10. The cropping system according to claim 8, wherein the optical sensor is a thermal camera.

11. The cropping system according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to position the metal slab relative to a cropping device or generate a display on a human machine interface as the position control response.

12. The cropping system according to claim 8, further including a cropping device for cropping the metal slab.

13. A cropping system for cropping a metal slab, the cropping system including a cropping length system, the cropping length system comprising an optical sensor configured to detect defects at an end of the metal slab, a controller communicatively coupled to the optical sensor and configured to determine a cropping position within the metal slab based on the defect detected by the optical sensor, the cropping system comprising the above.

14. The cropping system according to claim 13, wherein the optical sensor is a laser-based optical sensor.

15. The cropping system according to claim 13, wherein the optical sensor is mounted at an angle between a rolling direction and a width direction defined by the cropping system for cropping the metal slab.

16. The cropping system according to claim 15, wherein the angle is from 45° to less than 90°, or 90°, with respect to the width direction.

17. The cropping system according to claim 13, wherein the optical sensor is configured to detect the defect in the thickness direction of the metal slab.

18. The optical sensor is a first optical sensor, the cropping length system further includes a second optical sensor, the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are each configured to detect the defect in the thickness direction of the metal slab, the first optical sensor is at a first angle between a rolling direction and a width direction defined by the cropping system for cropping the metal slab, and the second optical sensor is at a second angle different from the first angle and between the rolling direction and the width direction. The cropping system according to claim 13.

19. The controller is configured to determine the cropping position by determining the total length of the defect, The controller determines the total length of the defect, Based on the detection by the optical sensor, determine the measured length of the defect, Add the hidden length of the defect to the measured length of the defect to determine the total length of the defect, The cropping system according to claim 13, which is configured to be determined by.

20. The cropping system according to claim 19, wherein the hidden length of the defect is a predetermined estimated hidden length.

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