Visualization system and method for harsh production environments during metalworking

Abstract

A metal processing system for a metal substrate includes a vision system for providing visual data about the metal substrate in a harsh environment that may at least partially obscure the metal substrate in the visible spectrum due to the generation of fumes, mists, etc. during metal processing.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 371,795, filed August 18, 2022, and entitled VISUALIZATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HARSH PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENTS DURING METAL PROCESSING, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] This application relates to metal processing of metals such as, but not limited to, aluminum and aluminum alloys. More particularly, this application relates to systems and methods for visualization of metal strips in harsh production environments during metal processing. [Background technology]

[0003] Metalworking systems for metal substrates may include several locations where harsh environments are created due to the processes being performed. Such harsh environments may limit an operator's visibility of the metal substrate and / or the processes being performed on the metal substrate, which can create problems due to the inability to see the metal substrate and / or the processes. As an example, rolling mills present harsh environments with heavy fumes that severely limit, if at all, visualization of the rolling process. This limited visibility can create problems, including, but not limited to, flatness challenges during threading and / or surface quality challenges. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, rather than this Summary. This Summary is a broad 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 each claim.

[0005] According to certain embodiments, a metal processing system includes a harsh environment vision system that obscures at least a portion of a metal substrate in the visible spectrum, the vision system including at least one camera for detecting the metal substrate in the harsh environment and providing visual data of the metal substrate in the harsh environment.

[0006] According to some embodiments, a metal processing system includes a workstation for processing a metal substrate, the workstation generating a harsh environment during metal processing. The harsh environment may include fumes or mist that at least partially obscure the metal substrate at the workstation. The metal processing system also includes a vision system having at least one camera for detecting the metal substrate within the harsh environment at the workstation and providing visual data of the metal substrate within the harsh environment at the workstation.

[0007] According to various embodiments, a method of processing a metal substrate using a metal processing system includes moving the metal substrate in a harsh environment that obscures at least a portion of the metal substrate in the visible spectrum, the method also includes detecting the metal substrate in the harsh environment using at least one camera of a vision system, and providing visual data of the metal substrate in the harsh environment using the at least one camera.

[0008] The various embodiments described herein may include additional systems, methods, features, and advantages that may not necessarily be explicitly 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.

[0009] This specification makes reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the use of like reference numerals in different drawings is intended to indicate like or similar components. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a metal processing system having a visualization system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an end view of another metal processing system having a visualization system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3A] 1 is a photograph of a portion of a metal processing system using a visible spectrum camera. [Figure 3B] 3B is a photograph of the position of FIG. 3A using a visualization system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3C] 3B is a photograph of the position of FIG. 3A using another visualization system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a photograph of a portion of a metal processing system using a visualization system according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a photograph of a portion of a metal processing system using a visualization system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a photograph of a portion of a metal processing system using a visualization system according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Described herein are visualization systems and methods for harsh environments during metal processing. In certain embodiments, the visualization systems and methods described herein may be useful for metal processing of aluminum and aluminum alloys, although in other embodiments, any type of metal substrate may be processed. The visualization systems and methods described herein enable visualization of areas of a metal processing system that are normally hidden or lurking in the visible spectrum (e.g., due to fumes, mists, etc.). In certain embodiments, the visualization system includes one or more infrared cameras. The infrared cameras may be configured to detect different spectral ranges from near-infrared (NIR) to long-wave infrared (LWIR), and in certain embodiments, at least one camera is optionally an LWIR camera or a short-wave infrared (SWIR) camera. Visual data from the one or more infrared cameras can be provided to an operator of the metal processing system to improve visualization of the process being performed compared to conventional techniques. The systems and methods described herein may also facilitate detection of problems or issues with metal substrates and / or equipment that would normally be lurking in the visible spectrum during metal processing. In some embodiments, visual data from a visualization system may be used by a control system to generate one or more control responses, such as, without limitation, generating alerts, performing analytics, and / or controlling equipment. Various other benefits and advantages may be realized by the systems and methods provided herein, and the aforementioned advantages should not be considered limiting.

[0012] 1 illustrates a metal processing system 100 with a workstation 102 that provides a harsh environment 104 during processing (processing movement represented by arrow 101) of a metal substrate 106. As used herein, harsh environment refers to an environment in which portions of the workstation 102 and / or metal substrate 106 are obscured and / or otherwise unobservable in the visible spectrum due to dense fumes 108, mist, water on the metal, oil on the metal, and / or other environmental conditions caused by processing metal using the workstation 102 in the metal and / or surrounding environment.

[0013] 1, the workstation 102 is a rolling mill 110 having workstands 112A-112B for rolling the metal substrate 106. Each workstand 112A-112B includes a work roll 113A-113B and a backup roll 115A-115B. In other embodiments, the workstation 102 may be a rolling mill having other configurations as desired, and / or the workstation 102 may be other equipment and / or locations in the metal processing system 100 as desired, such as, but not limited to, a pouring pit for ingots, an ingot preparation area in a preheating furnace, a scrap bin, and / or a process station and / or combination of process stations.

[0014] According to various embodiments, the metal processing system 100 includes a visualization system 114 for generating visual data of the workstation 102 and / or metal substrate 106 within the harsh environment 104. The visualization system 114 includes at least one camera 116, and in certain embodiments, the visualization system 114 may include multiple cameras. In various embodiments, one or more of the cameras 116 are infrared (or thermal) cameras that use infrared radiation to create images or visual data. A visualization system 114 with an infrared camera as one or more of the cameras 116 allows the metal substrate 106 and / or equipment on the workstation 102 to be visualized through dense fumes 108 and / or other environmental conditions (e.g., water on metal, oil on metal, etc.) in the harsh environment 104. The infrared camera can detect different ranges of infrared radiation, such as, but not limited to, NIR, SWIR, mid-wave infrared (MWIR), and / or LWIR. In one non-limiting example, the camera 116 is an LWIR camera. If multiple cameras 116 are included, the cameras 116 may be the same type of infrared camera or different types of infrared cameras, as desired. Optionally, one or more of the thermal cameras 116 may include various filters to further modify the visual data using infrared radiation.

[0015] The one or more cameras 116 may be located at various positions relative to the equipment of the workstation 102 and / or relative to the metal substrate 106, as desired. As a non-limiting example, in FIG. 1 , the camera 116 is located above the metal substrate 106 at an inter-stand position 118. FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the metal processing system 100; in comparison to FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 illustrates a visualization system 114 with two cameras 116. In FIG. 2 , the cameras 116 are located offset from edges 120, 122 of the metal substrate 106. In other embodiments, other numbers and / or positions of cameras 116 may be utilized, as desired.

[0016] Optionally, the visualization system 114 includes one or more controllers 124 (processing units and / or memory devices) communicatively coupled to the one or more cameras 116 using various communication technologies as desired. The processing unit of the controller may be various suitable processing devices or combinations of devices, including, but not limited to, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units, and / or combinations thereof. The one or more memory devices of the controller 124 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 are not limited to any particular type or number of memories or the type of medium on which the memory is stored. Additionally, as disclosed herein, the terms "storage medium," "storage device," or "memory" can refer to 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 that contain or convey instruction(s) and / or data and can store them.

[0017] In certain embodiments, controller 124 optionally includes an associated user interface 126, including but not limited to a graphical user interface, that enables controller 124 to obtain information from and / or provide information to a user via user interface 126. If included, user interface 126 may be located within controller 124 itself or may be located remotely from controller 124, such as, but not limited to, another location within metal processing system 100. Additionally or alternatively, controller 124 may optionally include various communication modules to enable controller 124 to receive information and / or transmit information to user devices and / or other locations, as desired. Non-limiting examples of communication modules may include systems and mechanisms that enable wired and / or wireless communication (e.g., Industrial Ethernet, Profibus®, short range, cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE), GigE Vision® interface, Short Form Factor Pluggable Plus (SFP+), CoaXPress (CXP), Camera Link (CL), USB3 Vision (Universal Serial Bus 3), embedded vision applications, etc.).

[0018] A controller 124 of the visualization system 114 is communicatively coupled to the one or more cameras 116 such that the controller 124 receives visual data from the cameras 116. The controller 124 may generate various control or output responses based on the visual data from the cameras 116. In some embodiments, the output response may include providing a visual image of the workstation 102 and / or metal substrate 106 within the harsh environment 104 (e.g., via the user interface 126, via another interface, via a user device, etc.) thereby allowing an operator to view the equipment and / or metal substrate 106. Additionally or alternatively, the control response may include generating an alert or notification in the user interface 126 and / or another interface based on the visual data and / or the control response may include controlling equipment of the workstation 102 and / or metal processing system 100.

[0019] In some embodiments, the control response generated by the controller 124 may be based on various analyses of the visual data from the one or more cameras 116. By way of non-limiting example, the controller 124 may generate a control response based on detecting flatness issues in the visual data, detecting metal substrate edges in the visual data, strip concentration measurements in the visual data, detecting metal substrate defects using the visual data, substrate temperature gradients using the visual data, detecting roll thermal camber using the visual data, combinations thereof, and / or other analyses as desired. Various other analyses may be performed by the controller 124 as desired, and the foregoing examples should not be considered limiting.

[0020] The output response from the controller 124 may provide the operator of the metal processing system 100 with improved visualization of the harsh environment 104, which may enable improved control of the metal substrate 106 and / or the workstation 102 during metal processing. Such improved visualization and control may improve the quality of the metal substrate 106. In certain embodiments, the output response from the controller 124 may be used to automatically control various equipment associated with the workstation 102 to further improve control of the processing and quality of the metal substrate 106.

[0021] 1 , a method of processing a metal substrate 106 using a metal processing system 100 may include moving the metal substrate 106 in a processing direction 101 through a harsh environment 104. The method includes detecting the metal substrate 106 in the harsh environment 104 using one or more cameras 116 and providing visual data using the detected infrared radiation. In certain embodiments, the method includes processing the metal substrate 106 using a workstation 102, and in one non-limiting example, the method includes rolling the metal substrate 106 using a rolling mill 110 as the workstation 102. In some embodiments, detecting the metal substrate 106 in the harsh environment 104 includes using an LWIR camera as the camera 116. Optionally, the method includes generating a control response based on the visual data from the camera 116. In some embodiments, generating a control response includes one or more of providing the visual data to an operator using the user interface 126 and / or other interfaces, generating an alert or alarm to the operator, and / or controlling equipment of the workstation 102 and / or equipment of the metalworking system 100 based on the visual data. Various other processes may be implemented using the controller 124, and the control processes described above should not be considered limiting.

[0022] As previously mentioned, FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the metal processing system 100 in which the visualization system 114 includes two cameras 116 instead of a single camera 116, and the cameras 116 are offset from the edges 120, 122 of the metal substrate 106.

[0023] 3A-3C are photographs of an interstand position 318 of a rolling mill 310. FIG. 3A is an image 301A using a visible spectrum camera. FIG. 3B is an image 301B using a first thermal camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3C is an image 301C using a second thermal camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated by comparing FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C with FIG. 3A, images 301B and 301C can provide visualization of the metal substrate 306, while in image 301A, the metal substrate is not visible due to dense fumes 308.

[0024] Figure 4 is an image 401 of a metal substrate 406 from a visualization system according to an embodiment. As illustrated in Figure 4, defects such as, but not limited to, delamination 409 can be detected and visualized, thereby allowing an operator to control the process of the metal processing system as needed or desired.

[0025] Figure 5 is an image 501 of a backup roll 515 from a visualization system according to an embodiment. As illustrated in Figure 5, characteristics of the backup roll 515, such as roll thermal camber and cold spots, can be detected and visualized, thereby enabling an operator to control the operation of the metalworking system as needed or desired.

[0026] FIG. 6 is an image 601 of a workstation 602 from a visualization system according to an embodiment, showing a non-limiting example of an output response to an operator including a strip gradient measurement 617 of a metal substrate 606.

[0027] Provided below is a collection of exemplary embodiments, including at least some explicitly listed as "exemplary," that provide further explanation of various exemplary embodiments in accordance with 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 illustrations, but rather encompasses all feasible modifications and variations within the scope of the issued claims and their equivalents.

[0028] Example 1. A metal processing system including a vision system for harsh environments that conceals at least a portion of a metal substrate within the visible spectrum, the vision system including at least one camera configured to detect the metal substrate within the harsh environment and provide visual data of the metal substrate within the harsh environment.

[0029] Example 2. The metal processing system of any preceding or following example or combination of examples, wherein the at least one camera is a thermal camera configured to detect the metal substrate based on infrared emissions of the metal substrate in the harsh environment.

[0030] Example 3. The metal processing system of any preceding or following example or combination of examples, wherein the at least one camera is a long wavelength infrared camera.

[0031] Example 4. The metal processing system of any preceding or following example or combination of examples, wherein the at least one camera is a short wavelength infrared camera.

[0032] Example 5. The metal processing system of any preceding or subsequent example or combination of examples, further including a rolling mill for processing the metal substrate, the rolling mill generating the harsh environment during rolling of the metal substrate.

[0033] Example 6. The metal processing system of any preceding or subsequent example or combination of examples, wherein the at least one camera is a long wavelength infrared camera.

[0034] Example 7. The metal processing system of any preceding or subsequent example or combination of examples, wherein the vision system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one camera, the controller configured to receive the visual data from the at least one camera and generate a control response based on the visual data.

[0035] Example 8. The metal processing system of any preceding or subsequent example or combination of examples, wherein the controller is configured to control a portion of metal processing equipment of the metal processing system based on the visual data as the control response.

[0036] Example 9. The metal processing system of any preceding or following example or combination of examples, wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert on a user interface as the control response.

[0037] Example 10. The metal processing system of any preceding or subsequent example or combination of examples, wherein the controller is configured to detect at least one characteristic of the metal substrate in the harsh environment and generate the control response based on the detected at least one characteristic.

[0038] Example 11. A metal processing system comprising: a workstation for processing a metal substrate, the workstation generating a harsh environment during metal processing, the harsh environment including fumes that at least partially obscure the metal substrate at the workstation; and a vision system including at least one camera configured to detect the metal substrate within the harsh environment at the workstation and provide visual data of the metal substrate within the harsh environment at the workstation.

[0039] Example 12. The metalworking system of any preceding or following example or combination of examples, wherein the workstation is a rolling mill.

[0040] Example 13. The metal processing system of any preceding or following example or combination of examples, wherein the at least one camera is configured to detect the metal substrate based on infrared emissions of the metal substrate.

[0041] Example 14. The metal processing system of any preceding or subsequent example or combination of examples, wherein the at least one camera is a long wavelength infrared camera.

[0042] Example 15. The metal processing system of any preceding or following example or combination of examples, wherein the at least one camera is a short wavelength infrared camera.

[0043] Example 16. A method for processing a metal substrate using a metal processing system, the method comprising: moving the metal substrate in a harsh environment that obscures at least a portion of the metal substrate in the visible spectrum; detecting the metal substrate in the harsh environment using at least one camera of a vision system; and providing visual data of the metal substrate in the harsh environment using the at least one camera.

[0044] Example 17. The method of any preceding or following example or combination of examples, wherein moving the metal substrate includes rolling the metal substrate with a rolling mill of the metal processing system.

[0045] Example 18. The method of any preceding or following example or combination of examples, wherein detecting the metal substrate comprises detecting the metal substrate in the infrared spectrum.

[0046] Example 19. The method of any preceding or following example or combination of examples, wherein the at least one camera is a long-wavelength infrared camera, and detecting the metal substrate includes detecting the metal substrate in the long-wavelength infrared spectrum.

[0047] Example 20. The method of any preceding or following example or combination of examples, further comprising generating a control response based on said visual data by controlling a portion of equipment or generating an alert in a user interface.

[0048] While the subject matter of the embodiments has been described with particularity herein to satisfy 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 to imply a particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements, unless the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described. References to directions such as "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" are intended to refer to the orientation illustrated and described in the figure(s) to which the components and directions refer, among other things. Throughout this disclosure, reference numerals accompanied by a letter refer to specific instances of an element, while reference numerals without an accompanying letter refer to elements generally or collectively. Thus, by way of example (not shown), device "12A" refers to an example of a class of devices that may collectively be referred to as device "12," any one of which may be referred to generically as device "12." In the drawings and the description, like numerals are intended to represent like elements. As used herein, the meanings of "a," "an," and "the" include singular and plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0049] The above-described 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-described embodiment(s) without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of the present disclosure. All such modifications and variations 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 employed in this 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 or the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A metal processing system including a vision system for harsh environments that conceals at least a portion of a metal substrate within the visible spectrum, the vision system including at least one camera configured to detect the metal substrate within the harsh environment and to provide visual data of the metal substrate within the harsh environment.

2. The metal processing system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one camera is a thermal camera configured to detect the metal substrate based on its infrared emissions in the harsh environment.

3. The metal processing system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one camera is a long wavelength infrared camera.

4. The metal processing system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one camera is a short wave infrared camera.

5. The metal processing system of claim 1 , further comprising a rolling mill for processing the metal substrate, the rolling mill generating the harsh environment during rolling of the metal substrate.

6. The metal processing system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one camera is a long wave infrared camera or a short wave infrared camera.

7. 10. The metal processing system of claim 1, wherein the vision system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one camera, the controller configured to receive the visual data from the at least one camera and generate a control response based on the visual data.

8. The metal processing system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to control a portion of a metal processing device of the metal processing system based on the visual data as the control response.

9. The metal processing system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert on a user interface as the control response.

10. The metal processing system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to sense at least one characteristic of the metal substrate in the harsh environment and generate the control response based on the sensed at least one characteristic.

11. a workstation for processing a metal substrate, the workstation generating a harsh environment during metal processing, the harsh environment including fumes that at least partially obscure the metal substrate in the workstation; a vision system including at least one camera configured to detect the metal substrate in the harsh environment at the workstation and provide visual data of the metal substrate in the harsh environment at the workstation; , a metalworking system.

12. The metalworking system of claim 11 , wherein the workstation is a rolling mill.

13. The metal processing system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one camera is configured to detect the metal substrate based on infrared emissions of the metal substrate.

14. The metal processing system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one camera is a long wavelength infrared camera.

15. The metal processing system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one camera is a short wave infrared camera.

16. 1. A method of processing a metal substrate using a metal processing system, comprising: moving the metal substrate in a harsh environment that obscures at least a portion of the metal substrate in the visible spectrum; detecting the metal substrate in the harsh environment using at least one camera of a vision system; using the at least one camera to provide visual data of the metal substrate in the harsh environment; The method comprising:

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein moving the metal substrate comprises rolling the metal substrate with a rolling mill of the metal processing system.

18. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein detecting the metal substrate comprises detecting the metal substrate in the infrared spectrum.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one camera is a long wavelength infrared camera, and detecting the metal substrate comprises detecting the metal substrate in the long wavelength infrared spectrum.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising generating a control response based on the visual data by controlling a piece of equipment or generating an alert in a user interface.

Images