Plant for treating sheet metal products such as slabs and the like and corresponding treatment method

Abstract

A plant (10) for processing plate-shaped metal products (50), characterized in that the plant (10) comprises at least one optical scanning station (11) for scanning the metal products (50) and a movement unit (12) for selectively moving the metal products (50) depending on the results of the optical scanning performed.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant and a corresponding method for the surface treatment of sheet metal products, in particular thin slabs with a thickness of less than 200 mm, discharged from a continuous casting machine. The plant and the method according to the invention are applied to detect surface defects in the slabs even at high temperatures (e.g. above 850°C) and to correct these defects. [Background technology]

[0002] In the steel industry, rolling flat metal products is known to produce high quality steel strip free of surface defects.

[0003] In particular, this type of strip has found advantageous industrial application in products for creating so-called "exposed steel", i.e. "exposed" surfaces, which are used, for example, in the automotive industry, but also in the manufacture of household appliances and other sectors where the absence of surface defects is important for commercial acceptance.

[0004] However, such strips can also be used for similar products for different applications, such as those used as structural steels in the automotive industry with complex chemical compositions, such as peritectic steels.

[0005] A known solution for producing high-quality strip from thin slabs by continuous casting involves surface deseaming (scarfing) of the slab itself in areas with surface defects, in which an oxygen torch is installed between the continuous caster and the subsequent rolling section, thereby removing a few millimeters of the product surface in order to remove the detected defects.

[0006] Obviously, not all slabs will have surface defects, so quality control and sorting must be carried out before scarfing and sending for rolling.

[0007] In this respect, both solutions are known, visually controlled by an operator and electronic display systems based on cameras or thermal cameras, but the resolution of electronic display systems has proven insufficient to recognize the various types of defects on the hot slabs resulting from continuous casting.

[0008] Therefore, these known defect detection systems are not always reliable, especially when the slab temperature exceeds 800 / 850°C. This reduced reliability leads to a decrease in the surface quality of the product at the end of rolling.

[0009] Furthermore, the scarfing step can take longer than the time to cast a new slab, making this operation difficult to perform in-line, so the slab to be scarfed must be removed from the main line and transported using a transfer section (shuttle) to a parallel circuit, possibly placed in an impoundment area, from where it is gradually removed and scarfed.

[0010] Another drawback of scarves is their significant environmental impact.

[0011] In fact, the oxygen nozzles used produce CO2 during combustion, and the removed materials are oxidized, making them difficult to recover, so the treated fumes must be properly captured and filtered in dedicated lines before being released into the atmosphere.

[0012] Plants for treating surface defects of metal products are already known in the prior art, providing a treatment system that replaces scarfing, as described, for example, in WO 2004 / 041457. However, even in known plants of this type, defects must be identified preventively by operator control or camera observation, which results in the aforementioned drawbacks associated with high slab temperatures and, as a result, a lower product quality at the end of rolling.

[0013] Other known solutions for detecting and removing defects in sheet metal products are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 114072, US Pat. No. 4,601,762 and US Pat. No. 6,184,924.

[0014] There is therefore a need to achieve a plant for processing plate-shaped metal products, such as slabs, which overcomes at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0015] To achieve this, it is necessary to solve the technical problem of minimizing and possibly eliminating surface defects on cast slabs prior to the normal rolling step, and minimizing the cost, time and environmental impact of surface treatment of defective slabs.

[0016] In particular, one of the objects of the present invention is to accurately identify surface defects in continuously cast thin slabs, even at high temperatures, and to intervene in a targeted and effective manner to perform the desired surface treatment of the slab itself, thereby improving the quality of the final product.

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide an effective surface treatment of identified slabs in an alternative manner to conventional scarfing to limit environmental impact and smoke generation, as well as to facilitate the recovery of reusable scrap.

[0018] Yet another objective is to prevent delays in production flow and the need for auxiliary equipment to move the slabs.

[0019] Applicant has invented, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to achieve these and other objects and advantages. Summary of the Invention

[0020] The invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims, while the dependent claims describe further features of the invention or variants of the main inventive idea.

[0021] In order to achieve the above object and to solve the above disclosed technical problem in a new and original way and also to achieve considerable advantages over the prior art, the plant for processing plate-shaped metal products according to the invention comprises at least one optical scanning means adapted to scan at least one surface of the metal product.

[0022] Preferably, the optical scanning means may be arranged in operative succession along a common conveying axis between the continuous casting line and the rolling line.

[0023] Optical scanning, unlike typical human or electronic inspection, is not affected by high temperatures (even above 850°C). This is because optical scanning physically detects the surface of the metal product and identifies surface defects by actual structural changes, not visual identification. Therefore, the visual deformations that typically occur due to heat around the contours of the metal product are not significant in detecting actual surface defects.

[0024] This advantageous solution according to the invention allows the identification of virtually all surface defects that may occur on the surface of a metal product, improving the accuracy of the process and the quality of the final product.

[0025] Furthermore, integrating a plant to process flat metal products between the casting and rolling lines reduces inefficiencies and machine downtime, ensures a continuous flow of material to the rolling line, and significantly improves productivity throughout the production line.

[0026] Preferably the optical scanning means is equipped with laser technology, for example using a 3D laser scanner, to perform optical triangulation of the top and bottom surfaces of the metal product.

[0027] This technique detects surface defects such as dents, irregularities and other surface deformation elements and compares them with defect models present in an appropriate database, allowing the defects to be identified and classified so that they can be removed in a subsequent step.

[0028] According to one aspect of the invention, the plant also includes at least one control and command unit configured to perform an electronic comparison between the scan performed by the optical scanning means and a plurality of feedback images comprising, for example, qualitative parameters or known errors or defects resulting from market demand (i.e. know-how).

[0029] In this way, each detected defect is compared with the reference image and classified by type according to certain identification parameters and potential pre-programmed or programmable treatment interventions.

[0030] Furthermore, scans of the surface of the metal product are available and processed in the command and control unit, making it possible to precisely identify the location and extent of defects and optimize subsequent processing steps, saving the necessary time and costs.

[0031] According to another aspect of the invention, the control and command unit is in communication with at least a moving means provided in the plant and adapted to selectively move the metal products depending on the results of the feedback, in particular the moving means being adapted to move the metal products to a position offset relative to the conveying axis.

[0032] This obviously reduces both the time and cost of intervention to treat defective metal products.

[0033] According to one aspect of the invention where the metal product is produced by a continuous casting line, preferably the command and control unit is connected to the continuous casting line so that, depending on the results of the comparison, it can selectively modify operating parameters of the casting line itself to prevent the detected defects from forming upstream.

[0034] In this way, by correlating the detected data with production data that was running during the formation of the defective metal product, it becomes possible to proactively correct the underlying conditions that led to the occurrence of the statistically observed defect.

[0035] This advantageous solution according to the invention not only improves the accuracy and reliability of defect detection even at high temperatures, but also allows targeted intervention in the casting parameters to reduce the number of defects that may occur. Clearly, this aspect of the invention makes it possible to optimize the production of metal products and further improve the quality of the products produced.

[0036] According to one aspect of the invention, the plant comprises at least one station for conditioning, in particular by, but not limited to, polishing, the surface of the products determined to be defective and moved by the moving means. Preferably, the command and control unit is also connectable to the polishing station in order to optimize the operating parameters of the polishing station depending on the results of the electronic comparison, for example, on the degree, type or location of the specifically detected defects.

[0037] This advantageous solution allows for a localized grinding process, minimizing environmental impact and smoke generation, while also facilitating the recovery of scrap that can be reused.

[0038] The surface conditioning station is preferably arranged offset relative to the transport axis and cooperates with the moving means.

[0039] According to one aspect of the invention, the moving means comprises at least one first slider adapted to pick up an identified metal product from the continuous casting line and selectively move it towards the polishing station, the first slider typically being arranged downstream in the conveying direction of the optical scanning means and being selectively movable in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction for conveying the metal product towards the surface treatment station.

[0040] The slider is the moving section (shuttle) of the maintenance and / or heating tunnel furnace located downstream of the continuous caster.

[0041] According to some variants of the inventive concept, this movement can be towards a polishing station for "hot" surface treatment, or towards a cooling element, such as a lateral transfer device, which allows the metal product to be cooled for "cold" surface treatment.

[0042] According to some variants, whether a hot or cold surface treatment is carried out, a storage warehouse for metal products can be provided upstream of the polishing station, thus separating polishing time from production time and also allowing the supply of metal products from other casting lines or, more generally, other production lines.

[0043] Likewise, according to another advantageous variant of the invention, a separate storage warehouse can be provided downstream of the polishing station in order to allow the supply of different production or finishing lines.

[0044] According to another aspect of the invention, the transport means comprises at least one heating element arranged at the exit from the polishing station or possibly at the exit from another storage warehouse, in order to heat the treated metal products to a predetermined temperature and send them to a subsequent processing line, for example a rolling line.

[0045] Preferably, for this purpose the moving means may comprise at least a second slider suitable for moving the metal product from the heating element towards the subsequent rolling line.

[0046] According to another aspect of the present invention, the heating element comprises a furnace having a length at least twice the length of the slab, the furnace being composed of at least two induction modules, each preferably 6 MW, arranged primarily in the central region, such that the slab passes upstream of the induction modules and then downstream, thereby allowing for thorough heating of the leading and trailing edges. The heating element is designed for efficient heating and to heat the treated slab to a temperature of approximately 600-650°C.

[0047] According to another aspect of the invention, the heating element comprises a storage furnace located at the outlet of the heating furnace, which stores 10 to 20 stacked slabs awaiting delivery to the rolling line, depending on the operating time of the rolling line. The heating element is designed to maintain the slabs at a temperature of approximately 1000 to 1050°C.

[0048] According to another aspect of the invention, downstream of the storage furnace is a heating and homogenizing buffer furnace capable of accommodating at least three slabs in a row before being fed sequentially to the rolling line, the heating buffer furnace being designed to raise the temperature of the slabs to approximately 1150°C.

[0049] The present invention also relates to a method for treating a sheet metal product.

[0050] The method is carried out after a continuous casting process of a metal product and before a rolling process, the metal product advancing along a common conveying axis between the continuous casting line and the rolling line, and comprises at least one optical scanning step of scanning at least one surface of the metal product by optical scanning means, at least one processing step of electronically comparing the scan made in the scanning step with a plurality of feedback images by at least one control and command unit, at least one moving step of selectively moving the metal product in response to the feedback result by moving means in electronic communication with the control and command unit, and at least one surface conditioning step, such as a polishing step, in which at least the metal product moved in the moving step by the moving means is surface treated by a surface conditioning station.

[0051] Therefore, the method of the present invention is preferably integrated into conventional continuous casting and subsequent rolling processes to maximize production continuity and overall efficiency.

[0052] According to another aspect of the invention, the optical scanning step is performed using laser technology to perform optical triangulation on the surface of the metal product.

[0053] According to another aspect of the invention, upstream of the optical scanning step, there is provided at least one step of producing a metal product using a continuous casting line, wherein, depending on the results of the electronic comparison performed in the processing step, operating parameters of the continuous casting line are selectively altered to adjust subsequent steps of producing the metal product.

[0054] These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0055] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a plant for processing plate metal products in accordance with the invention in conjunction with a continuous casting line and a rolling line. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional view showing details of the plant of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of a first embodiment of the plant of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of a second embodiment of the plant of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a method for treating a plate metal product according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0056] It must be made clear that the phraseology and terminology used in this specification, as well as the figures of the accompanying drawings, have the sole function of better illustrating and explaining the invention, the scope of protection being defined by the claims, and that their function is to provide a non-limiting example of the invention itself.

[0057] To facilitate understanding, the drawings use the same reference numerals to indicate identical common elements whenever possible, and it is understood that elements and features of one embodiment may be combined or incorporated into other embodiments as appropriate without further description.

[0058] With reference to Figure 1, a plant 10 according to the invention is used for the surface treatment of sheet metal products, in this case thin slabs 50 (Figure 2), i.e. those with a thickness of less than 200 mm, intended in particular to form steel strips to be used, but not limited to, for "exposed" applications, preferably in the automotive, domestic appliance or similar industrial sectors.

[0059] In this case, the plant 10 is interposed between a continuous casting line 110, which produces thin slabs 50, and a rolling line 120, which rolls the processed slabs 50 until the desired rolled metal strip is obtained. The continuous casting line 110 and the rolling line 120 may be of a substantially conventional type and will not be described in detail and are only shown diagrammatically in the drawings.

[0060] The continuous casting line 110 may include, for example, a continuous caster, a feed means for advancing the cast metal product, and a maintenance and / or heating tunnel furnace 14 located downstream of the continuous caster.

[0061] The plant 10 according to the invention generally comprises optical scanning means, in this case a scanning station 11, movement means, in this case a moving unit 12, and a surface conditioning station, in this particular example a polishing station 13. The plant 10 is also provided with a command and control unit (hereinafter processing unit 15) configured to command, control and coordinate the functioning of stations 11 and 13 and of the moving unit 12.

[0062] The scanning station 11 is preferably arranged between the continuous casting line 110 and the rolling line 120. More specifically, the continuous casting line 110, the scanning station 11, and the rolling line 120 are preferably arranged along a common conveying axis X of the slab 50.

[0063] The scanning station 11 is preferably located upstream of the tunnel furnace 14 of the continuous casting line 110 .

[0064] On the other hand, the polishing station 13 is preferably located offline, i.e., off-line from the transport axis X. In this way, the transport of defect-free slabs 50 can continue without interruption or slowdown during the process, while the slabs 50 to be treated follow a different preferred path than the slabs 50 sent directly to the rolling line 120.

[0065] 2, the scanning station 11 comprises a structure, in this case fashioned as a portal 16, which is positioned substantially across an imaginary axis of movement of the slab 50, and the scanning station 11 also comprises a plurality of slide rollers 17 on which the slab 50 is guided for movement. In any case, the structure can be flag-like, robotic arm, articulated, or other.

[0066] The movement axis preferably coincides with the transport axis X of the slab 50. Thus, each slab 50 emerging from the caster of the continuous casting line 110 passes successively through the scanning station 11 and can subsequently be subjected to selective conditioning at a surface conditioning station (in this case, the polishing station 13).

[0067] The portal structure 16 is configured to support a plurality of laser scanners 19, shown only diagrammatically in the drawings, positioned and configured to perform three-dimensional triangulation of the exterior surface of the slab 50. The scanners 19 generally form an optical scanning means.

[0068] Advantageously, the scanner 19 is arranged to scan substantially all surfaces of the slabs 50 passing through the portal structure 16 so that all surfaces of each slab 50 can be inspected.

[0069] This laser scan performed by the scanner 19 is by definition not affected by the high temperatures of the slab 50 exiting the casting line 110, which are in excess of 850°C.

[0070] In effect, each scanner 19 inspects the surface of the slab 50 by scanning the surface of the slab 50 and detecting pits, irregularities or other surface elements without identifying the image.

[0071] The detected data is sent to the processing unit 15, which performs a comparison with an internal database containing thousands of images corresponding to predefined errors / defects or implementables.

[0072] This operation primarily makes it possible to precisely locate defects on the surface of the slab 50, identify their coordinates X, Y, Z, and classify the type of defect.

[0073] In this manner, by understanding which areas of the slab 50 are defective, the polishing station 13 can be programmed to perform specific treatments only in the identified areas, saving time and removed material.

[0074] Furthermore, classification of defect types helps identify their causes.

[0075] In this manner, by recording the casting parameters of each slab 50, if a particular type of defect is detected in a particular slab 50, it can be traced back to the parameters that produced it, so that the causes that led to the defect can be investigated and appropriate modifications can be made to the casting line 110 to prevent such a situation from occurring in the future.

[0076] According to an advantageous solution of the present invention, the processing unit 15 is programmed with a self-learning algorithm, which estimates and predicts the quality of the resulting slab 50 based on the correlation between the parameters and the duration of the casting.

[0077] Thus, in this advantageous solution according to the invention, scanning the product allows further validation of the predictions, allowing further optimization of the control of the process parameters and the resulting predictions.

[0078] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the plant 10 according to the invention is suitable for low-temperature surface treatment of defective slabs 50, i.e. at temperatures between about 100°C and ambient temperature (conventionally about 20°C).

[0079] In this embodiment, the transfer unit 12 includes a first slider 20 constituting a transfer section (shuttle) of the maintenance and / or heating tunnel furnace 14 located downstream of the continuous caster. The first slider 20 picks up the defective slab 50 from the scanning station 11, transports it to the entrance of the lateral transfer device 21, and drops it off there. A first auxiliary slider 20', which is normally offline, moves to the location of the first slider 20, thereby providing continuity to the tunnel furnace 14 without creating an empty space and moving slabs that do not need to be processed toward the rolling line 120. The first auxiliary slider 20' again gives way to the first slider 20 when the first slider 20 has to pick up another slab to be processed.

[0080] The size and function of the transfer device 21 are such that the slab 50 is cooled from a temperature of about 870-950°C to a temperature of about 20-50°C, for example by controlled cooling.

[0081] Furthermore, in this case, a first storage warehouse 22 for storing slabs 50 can be provided immediately at the exit of the transfer device 21. From this warehouse, previously stored slabs 50 or slabs 50 coming from outside the casting line 110 can also be taken out for processing.

[0082] By means of a first slider 20 forming part of the transfer unit 12 , the slabs 50 stored in the warehouse 22 are conveyed in turn towards the polishing station 13 .

[0083] The grinding station 13 preferably comprises a rotary disc grinder 25 which is of a substantially known type and which is shown only diagrammatically in the drawings. The rotary disc grinder 25 has the advantage, compared to scarfing operations, that it does not burn and oxidise the steel. This means that there are no smoke or CO2 emissions and scrap can be recovered and reused as scrap in the smelting process.

[0084] Furthermore, since the slab 50 is at approximately ambient temperature, the grinder 25 can without any problems perform specific operations within the area indicated by the processing unit 15 to process the surface of the slab 50 in accordance with the data provided by the scanning station 11.

[0085] Preferably, a second grinder 25 b can be provided, in which case the second grinder 25 b is separate from the grinder 25 and is suitable for specifically intervening on the second surface of the slab 50 .

[0086] The tilting device or other elements not shown do not preclude the possibility that the same grinder 25 can carry out work on all defective surfaces of the slab 50, or similarly, that two grinders 25 and 25b can be installed opposite each other and can intervene on different surfaces of the same slab 50 simultaneously, or that two or more grinding stations 13 can be used to carry out different grinding interventions or to carry out work on multiple slabs 50 in parallel.

[0087] A second storage warehouse 26 may be provided downstream of the polishing station 13 to selectively store processed slabs 50 so that they can be sent to the rolling line 120 at a second time, and also to allow slabs 50 from external sources that may have been purchased or processed in other areas to be introduced into the rolling line 120.

[0088] The moving unit 12 also includes a heating furnace 27 located downstream of the second warehouse 26 and the polishing station 13, and the heating furnace 27 is configured to receive and move the treated slabs 50 back and forth in order to heat the treated slabs 50 over their entire length to a temperature close to that suitable for rolling.

[0089] Advantageously, applicant has experimented to find that the length of the furnace 27 should be at least twice, and preferably at least three times, the length of the slab 50 in order to achieve effective heating and raise the temperature of the treated slab 50 to about 600-650°C. Preferably, the furnace 27 can include two to three induction modules 27' or simple inductors, each preferably 6 MW, arranged in series primarily in its central region, so that the slab 50 can be passed upstream and then downstream of the same inductor to fully heat the leading and trailing edges.

[0090] The duration of the heating cycle can vary depending on the thickness of the slab 50 and the difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures, so for a low temperature cycle the duration of the heating cycle will be approximately 1 hour.

[0091] In a preferred embodiment, taking advantage of the reduced thickness of the slab 50, the furnace 27 uses a transverse flow induction module 27', or alternatively a vertical flow module, or a combination of the two.

[0092] Furthermore, the furnace 27 may also be provided with an active power supply by means of an electric heating element preferably made of the metal alloy known as Resistohm alloy (FeCrAl).

[0093] In a particularly advantageous solution shown in the drawings, a storage furnace 29 is provided at the outlet of the heating furnace 27, and the treated and heated slabs 50 are kept at a predetermined temperature in the storage furnace 29 to await delivery to the rolling line 120, depending on the operation timing of the rolling line 120. The storage furnace 29 can accumulate 10 to 20 treated and heated slabs 50 in a pile and keep them at a temperature of 1000 to 1050°C.

[0094] Furthermore, a heating and homogenizing buffer furnace 30 is preferably provided downstream of the storage furnace 29, and the heating and homogenizing buffer furnace 30 is capable of accommodating at least three slabs 50 in a row and raising the temperature of the slabs 50 themselves to approximately 1150°C before the slabs 50 are sequentially sent to the rolling line 120.

[0095] The heating and homogenization buffer furnace 30 heats the slab 50 by means of three to four induction modules 30' (preferably 6 MW each) arranged in series at the exit terminal segment.

[0096] Downstream of the heated buffer furnace 30, the transfer unit 12 includes a second slider 31 substantially similar to the first slider 20 but with a substantially opposite function, i.e., to pick up the treated slabs 50 heated to the rolling temperature and return them to the production line for feeding the rolling line 120. A second auxiliary slider 31' may also be provided. The second auxiliary slider 31', like the first auxiliary slider 20', ensures continuity to the tunnel furnace 14 while the second slider 31 is offline.

[0097] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the plant 10 according to the invention is suitable for heat treating the defective slab 50 at a temperature below 800°C so as not to damage the grinding wheel or shorten its service life.

[0098] In this embodiment, the first slider 20 of the moving unit 12 is adapted to pick up the defective slab 50 as it leaves the scanning station 11 and transport it directly to the polishing station 13. In this case, the operational function of the first slider 20 is to allow the removed slab 50 to cool appropriately before being sent to the polishing station 13.

[0099] The slab 50 is then preferably surface treated on the top, bottom, and possibly the edges as described above, and then sent to the furnace 27 where it is heated to a temperature approaching that suitable for rolling. In this embodiment, starting with a hotter slab 50, the heating cycle can last approximately 30 minutes.

[0100] Although not specifically shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, storage warehouses 22 and 26 may also be provided upstream and downstream of the polishing station 13.

[0101] Unlike the previously described low temperature cycle solutions, in this case the storage warehouses 22 and 26 may be suitably insulated or heated by active electric heating elements of a substantially known type.

[0102] At the end of heating, the slab 50 is passed to a storage furnace 29 and from there to a heating furnace 30 of the type already described, which ensures that the slab 50 reaches a temperature of about 1150°C suitable for rolling.

[0103] With reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. 5, the operation of the plant 10 described so far, corresponding to the method according to the invention, comprises the following steps:

[0104] First, a thin slab 50 is produced by a conventional continuous casting process.

[0105] Once the casting step is complete, each slab 50 is subjected to a laser scan, which allows for the detection of surface defects even when the slab 50 is hot after it leaves the continuous caster.

[0106] Depending on the comparison of the performed scan with the feedback image provided to the processing unit 15, it is decided whether the mobile unit 12 is activated or not.

[0107] Indeed, if no defects are detected, the slab 50 is sent to rolling to produce the desired coil of strip.

[0108] On the other hand, if a defect is detected, the slab 50 is moved to the polishing station 13 for defect correction, and simultaneously, modifications to the casting parameters are prescribed to prevent, or at least reduce, the occurrence of the same defect.

[0109] At this point, once any imperfections have been corrected, the slab 50 is sent to rolling to produce the desired coil of strip.

[0110] According to an advantageous variant of the main inventive idea, at the end of rolling, an additional automatic quality check by an optical system can be provided to verify the persistence of some defects.

[0111] In this case, since the rolled strip is substantially cold, systems other than laser scanning can also be used, for example camera-based systems.

[0112] This verification allows errors present in the finished product to be compared with the scan of the initial slab 50 to determine whether the defects are due to casting. Indeed, if the scan downstream of casting shows no defects, but the scan downstream of rolling does, it can be inferred that the parameters of the rolling itself need to be modified to prevent the occurrence of undesired defects.

[0113] It will be apparent that modifications and / or additions of components or steps may be made to the plant 10 and method described hereinabove without departing from the field and scope of the present invention, as defined by the claims.

[0114] Although the invention has been described with reference to some particular examples, it is clear to those skilled in the art that other equivalent forms of plants for processing plate-shaped metal products, such as slabs, and corresponding processing methods can also be realized, which have the characteristics set out in the claims and which are all included in the field of protection defined by the claims.

[0115] In the following claims, references in parentheses are for the purpose of readability only and should not be considered as limiting factors with regard to the field of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A plant (10) for treating sheet metal products (50), comprising: an optical scanning means (11) operable to be arranged in succession along a common conveying axis (X) between the continuous casting line (110) and the rolling line (120), the optical scanning means (11) being configured to scan at least one surface of said metal product (50); at least one control and command unit (15) configured to perform an electronic comparison between the scan performed by the optical scanning means (11) and a plurality of feedback images, the control and command unit (15) configured to communicate with at least the moving means (12) to selectively move the metal products (50) to offset positions relative to the conveying axis (X) depending on the results of the feedback; at least one surface conditioning station (13) arranged downstream of said optical scanning means (11) and suitable for superficially treating at least said metal products (50) moved by said moving means (12); A plant (10) comprising at least:

2. The optical scanning means (11) is equipped with laser technology and performs an optical triangulation of the surface of the metal product (50).

2. The plant (10) according to claim 1 .

3. The optical scanning means (11) is a 3D laser 3. The plant (10) according to claim 2.

4. The surface conditioning station is a polishing station (13). A plant (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The command and control unit (15) is electronically connected to the continuous casting line (110) for selectively modifying operating parameters of the continuous casting line (110) in response to the results of the electronic comparison. A plant (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The command and control unit (15) is electronically connected to the polishing station (13) for selectively altering operating parameters of the polishing station (13) in response to the results of the electronic comparison.

5. The plant (10) according to claim 4.

7. The moving means (12) comprises at least one first slider (20) adapted at least for picking up the metal product (50) from the continuous casting line (110) and selectively moving the metal product (50) towards the polishing station (13). A plant (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The moving means (12) comprises at least one cooling member (21) disposed between the first slider (20) and the polishing station (13).

8. The plant (10) according to claim 7.

9. The moving means (12) is arranged at the outlet from the polishing station (13) and comprises at least one heating element (27, 29, 30) capable of heating the treated metal product (50) to a predetermined temperature. A plant (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The moving means (12) comprises at least one second slider (31) suitable for moving the metal product (50) from the heating element (27, 29, 30) towards the rolling line (120). The plant (10) according to claim 9 .

11. The heating element (27, 29, 30) comprises a heating furnace (27) having a length at least twice the length of the slab (50), the heating furnace (27) being composed of at least two induction modules, each of which is preferably 6 MW, the induction modules being mainly arranged in the central region thereof, and the slab (50) being passed upstream of the induction module and then downstream thereof, so that the leading and trailing edges can be completely heated. The plant (10) according to claim 9 .

12. The heating element includes a storage furnace (29) disposed at the outlet of the heating furnace (27), and the storage furnace (29) is configured to stack and store 10 to 20 slabs (50) awaiting delivery to the rolling line (120) depending on the operating time of the rolling line (120). Plant (10) according to claims 9 and 11.

13. Downstream of the storage furnace (29) is a heating and homogenizing buffer furnace (30) capable of accommodating at least three slabs (50) in a row before being sent sequentially to the rolling line (120). Plant (10) according to claims 9 and 12.

14. A method for treating a sheet metal product (50), comprising: The method is carried out after a continuous casting process and before a rolling process of a metal product (50), the metal product (50) advancing along a common conveying axis (X) between a continuous casting line (110) and a rolling line (120), The method comprises: at least one optical scanning step of scanning at least one surface of said metal product (50) by optical scanning means (11); at least one processing step in which at least one control and command unit (15) performs an electronic comparison of the scan performed in the scanning step with a plurality of feedback images; at least one moving step of selectively moving said metal product (50) in response to the results of said feedback by means of moving means (12) in electronic communication with said control and command unit (15); at least one surface conditioning step, such as a polishing step, in which at least the metal product (50) moved in the moving step by the moving means (12) is surface-treated by a surface conditioning station (13); A method comprising:

15. The optical scanning step is performed using laser technology to perform optical triangulation on the surface of the metal product (50).

15. The method of claim 14.

16. upstream of the optical scanning step, there is provided at least one step of manufacturing the metal product (50) using the continuous casting line (110); The method further comprises: In response to the results of the electronic comparison performed in the processing step, operating parameters of the continuous casting line (110) are selectively altered in subsequent manufacturing steps.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15.

Images