Load application device and method for controlling the operation of the load application unit

Abstract

The present invention provides a load-applying device that can suppress the application of inappropriate loads due to vertical loads acting on the load-applying device. [Solution] The load-applying device has a pair of load-applying units that apply a load in the width direction to a steel material, and a moving unit that moves the pair of load-applying units so that they are close to each other. The load-applying device has a fluctuation data acquisition unit that acquires fluctuation data relating to the load in the vertical direction in at least one of the load-applying units and the moving unit, an estimation information generation unit that generates estimation information that estimates the height direction displacement of the member corresponding to the fluctuation data based on the fluctuation data, and a load-applying unit that operates the pair of load-applying units to apply a load to the steel material based on the estimation information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a load applying device for applying a load in the width direction to a steel material and a method for controlling the operation of a load applying unit.

Background Art

[0002] As a load applying device for applying a load in the width direction to a steel material, for example, there is a width reduction device for reducing the width of a slab. The width reduction device is provided between a heating furnace and a rough rolling mill in a hot rolling line. The width reduction device has width reduction parts that move closer to each other from the width direction of the slab. When performing width reduction with the width reduction device, a load in an unintended direction along the vertical direction may act on the width reduction parts due to torsion of the slab or the like. When a load in the direction along the vertical direction acts on the width reduction parts, there is a risk of applying an inappropriate load to the equipment.

[0003] Conventionally, methods have been proposed to avoid such an inappropriate load being applied. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that when the predicted press load during width reduction of a slab exceeds the estimated upper limit press load calculated based on the torsion angle of the slab and the vertical load-bearing capacity of the width press equipment, the slab conveyance is stopped.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The method described in Patent Document 1 uses the value obtained when a load is applied in the vertical direction to the lower part of the width reduction, which makes it difficult to prevent problems from occurring. Furthermore, under certain conditions, even when the predicted press load during slab width reduction is less than or equal to the estimated upper limit press load, an excessive load in the vertical direction may occur at the lower part of the width reduction. In such cases, there is a problem in that slab transport cannot be stopped. Moreover, this problem is not limited to width reduction devices but occurs in various load application devices.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a load-applying device, etc., that can reduce inappropriate loads caused by loads acting in the vertical direction on the load-applying device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention has the following features.

[0008] [1] A load-applying device having a pair of load-applying parts for applying a load in the width direction to a steel material, and a moving part for moving the pair of load-applying parts so that they are close to each other, A fluctuation data acquisition unit that acquires fluctuation data relating to the load in the vertical direction in at least one of the load application unit and the moving unit, An estimation information generation unit generates estimation information that estimates the height-direction displacement of the member corresponding to the said fluctuation data based on the said fluctuation data, A load-applying unit that operates the pair of load-applying units to apply a load to the steel material based on the estimated information, A load-applying device having the following features. [2] The moving part comprises a wheel portion, an axle portion that pivotally supports the wheel portion and extends in the left-right direction when viewed from the direction of movement of the load-applying part, and a guide portion that guides the direction of movement of the wheel portion. The aforementioned fluctuation data is data obtained based on the strain of the axle portion, as described in [1], the load application device. [3] The load-applying device according to [2], wherein the fluctuation data is data obtained based on at least one of a first strain in a first direction perpendicular to the contact surface of the wheel portion with the guide portion and a second strain in a second direction parallel to the contact surface and perpendicular to the first direction. [4] The aforementioned fluctuation data is A first load fluctuation data that includes at least one of the load fluctuation data at one of the load-applying units and the load fluctuation data at one of the moving units that moves the load-applying unit, The second load fluctuation data includes at least one of the load fluctuation data in the other load-applying unit and the load fluctuation data in the other moving unit that moves the other load-applying unit, The load application device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the estimation information generation unit generates the estimation information based on the first load fluctuation data and the second load fluctuation data. [5] The moving part has a wheel portion, an axle portion that pivotally supports the wheel portion, and a guide portion that guides the direction of movement of the wheel portion. The aforementioned fluctuation data is generated according to the contact state between the wheel portion and the guide portion, as described in any of [1] to [4]. [6] A method for controlling the operation of a pair of load-applying parts that apply a load in the width direction to a steel material, A fluctuation data acquisition step for acquiring fluctuation data relating to the load in the vertical direction in at least one of the pair of load-applying units and a moving unit that moves the pair of load-applying units closer to each other, An estimation information generation step generates estimation information that estimates the height-direction displacement of the member corresponding to the said fluctuation data, based on the said fluctuation data. A load application step is performed by operating the pair of load-applying units based on the estimated information to apply a load to the steel material. A method for controlling the operation of a load-applying unit, comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the load applying device and the like according to the present invention, there is provided a variation data acquisition unit that acquires variation data regarding a load in a direction along the vertical direction in at least one of the load applying unit and the moving unit. Further, the load applying device includes an estimation information generation unit that generates estimation information for estimating a displacement in the height direction of a member corresponding to the variation data based on the variation data, and a load applying unit that operates the pair of load applying units based on the estimation information to apply a load to the steel material. As a result, it becomes possible to detect that a load in a direction along the vertical direction that affects the load applying device acts on the load applying unit or the like. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an inappropriate load from being applied to the equipment.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a width reduction device. [Figure 2] It is an explanatory diagram showing an installation state of an axle portion, a wheel portion, and a guide portion of the moving portion in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an axle portion. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory diagram showing a circumferential strain contour of an axle portion when a load is applied to a wheel portion. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram showing a circumferential strain contour of an axle portion when a load of a wheel portion is applied to the axle portion. [Figure 6] It is a graph showing a displacement at an open end of a mounting hole and a displacement of a wall surface along the axial direction of the mounting hole and at a position where the strain is maximum. [Figure 7] It is a graph showing a circumferential strain of a mounting hole. [Figure 8] It is a functional block diagram of a width reduction device. [Figure 9] It is a processing flow of an operation control method of a load applying unit. [Figure 10] It is a graph showing an example of a load of a wheel portion when width reduction is performed by a width reduction device and a press load when width reduction is performed. [Figure 11] A graph showing another example of the load on the wheel part when width reduction is performed by a width reduction device and the press load when width reduction is performed. [Figure 12] A graph showing the load on the wheel part when width reduction is performed by a width reduction device and the press load when width reduction is performed in the embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention. The load applying device is a device that applies a load in the width direction to a steel material. The load applying device is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include, for example, a width reduction device that performs width reduction on a slab, a press correction machine that applies a load to a shaped steel from the left and right directions, a forging device that continuously applies a load by impact to a steel material from the left and right directions, and the like. In the present embodiment, the load applying device will be described by taking the width reduction device as an example.

[0012] FIG. 1 shows an outline of the width reduction device. As shown in FIG. 1, the width reduction device 100 has a pair of width reduction parts 20a and 20b that perform width reduction on a slab 10 as a steel material, and moving parts 30a and 30b that move the pair of width reduction parts 20a and 20b closer to each other. The width reduction device 100 has a conveying part 40 that conveys the slab 10 in a predetermined conveying direction D1. The width reduction device 100 is connected to a control part 50 that controls the operation of the width reduction device 100.

[0013] The pair of width reduction parts 20a and 20b are also referred to as so-called dies, and are arranged to face each other. The pair of width reduction parts 20a and 20b are formed symmetrically, and in the conveying direction D1, the interval between the pair of width reduction parts 20a and 20b is formed so as to gradually narrow. The pair of width reduction parts 20a and 20b apply a load in the width direction to the slab 10. Therefore, the pair of width reduction parts 20a and 20b function as a pair of load applying parts.

[0014] The movable parts 30a and 30b are provided on the respective width-pressure lower parts 20a and 20b. The movable parts 30a and 30b include inner blocks 31a and 31b that support the width-pressure lower parts 20a and 20b, outer blocks 32a and 32b provided opposite the inner blocks 31a and 31b, screws 33a and 33b that connect the inner blocks 31a and 31b, crankshafts 34a and 34b that connect the outer blocks 32a and 32b, and connecting rods 35a and 35b that connect the outer blocks 32a and 32b.

[0015] The screws 33a and 33b have blades that are spirally formed in their axial direction. As the screws 33a and 33b rotate, the distance between the inner blocks 31a and 31b and the outer blocks 32a and 32b increases or decreases, adjusting the opening of the width-pressure lower parts 20a and 20b, i.e., the distance between the width-pressure lower parts 20a and 20b.

[0016] Axle portions 36a, 36b, and 36c are press-fitted into the inner blocks 31a, 31b and the outer blocks 32a, 32b, extending in the left-right direction when viewed from the direction of movement of the width-pressure lower parts 20a, 20b. The axle portions 36a, 36b, and 36c are arranged along the opposing direction D2 of the inner blocks 31a, 31b and the outer blocks 32a, 32b. The axle portions 36a, 36b, and 36c are provided on one side and the other side of the inner blocks 31a, 31b and the outer blocks 32a, 32b which are arranged in the conveying direction D1. In other words, in one moving part 30a, 30b, six axle portions 36a, 36b, and 36c are provided.

[0017] Wheels 37a, 37b, and 37c are provided on each axle portion 36a, 36b, and 36c. Each wheel portion 37a, 37b, and 37c is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable around the axis of the axle portion 36a, 36b, and 36c. Hereinafter, wheel portion 37a will also be referred to as the inner wheel, wheel portion 37b as the middle wheel, and wheel portion 37c as the outer wheel.

[0018] The conveying section 40 has a plurality of conveying rolls 41 arranged along the conveying direction D1.

[0019] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the installation configuration of the axle, wheel, and guide parts of the movable parts 30a and 30b in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the axle part 36a is formed in a cylindrical shape.

[0020] The axle portion 36a is embedded at one end in the inner blocks 31a and 31b. The wheel portion 37a is attached to the other end of the axle portion 36a via a bearing 38. A mounting hole 39 is formed at the other end of the axle portion 36a, drilled from its end face along the axial direction D3.

[0021] In Figure 2, the guide section 60 is fixed to the equipment housing 70. The wheel section 37a is in contact with the guide section 60. That is, the wheel section 37a is subjected to the load acting on a wheel, indicated by the dotted line in Figure 2, i.e., a normal force. The normal force, which is the load on the wheel section 37a, is substantially the same as the force that the axle section 36a receives through the wheel section 37a. The guide section 60 is installed along the opposing direction D2 of the inner blocks 31a, 31b and the outer blocks 32a, 32b. The wheel section 37a moves along the installation direction of the guide section 60. The moving sections 30a and 30b reciprocate on the guide section 60 via the wheel section 37a.

[0022] Furthermore, the axle portions 36b, 36c and wheel portions 37b, 37c differ from the axle portions 36a and wheel portions 37a only in that they are provided on the outer blocks 32a, 32b. For this reason, the description of the configurations in which these are provided will be omitted, and the same will apply in the following description.

[0023] Figure 3 shows an enlarged cross-section of the axle portion 36a. As shown in Figure 3, a strain gauge 80 for measuring the strain of the axle portion 36a is provided in the mounting hole 39 of the axle portion 36a. The strain gauge 80 is communicated with the control unit 50. The strain gauge 80 is preferably provided in at least one of the six axle portions 36a, 36b, and 36c. In this figure, an example in which the strain gauge 80 is provided on the axle portion 36a is described.

[0024] The rigidity of the axle portion 36a decreases as the diameter and depth of the mounting hole 39 increase. Consequently, the strain and stress of the axle portion 36a increase as the diameter and depth increase. Increased strain is desirable because it improves the accuracy of the fluctuation data described later. Furthermore, increased stress makes the wheel portions 37a to 37c more susceptible to yielding or fatigue failure.

[0025] The axle sections 36a to 36c are provided with stepped sections for positioning the bearings 38 of the wheel sections 37a to 37c, and grease holes H1 for lubricating the bearings 38. The diameter and depth of the mounting holes 39 should be set considering the stress effects on these parts.

[0026] For example, the mounting hole 39 can be sized such that the stresses in the grease hole H1, the stepped portion with a stepped outer diameter, the wall portion, the bottom portion, and the open end portion are evaluated by FEM calculations, and these portions do not yield and fatigue failure does not occur. In FEM calculations, it is preferable to perform the calculations under the most severe conditions that can be assumed for the load on the wheel portion. Such conditions include, for example, the case where the contact between the movable parts 30a and 30b and the guide portion 60 is released, the movable parts 30a and 30b lift off the ground, and then land on the wheel portion 1. In FEM calculations, it is preferable to use the values ​​when the total weight of the movable parts 30a and 30b acts on the wheel portion 1 under such conditions.

[0027] Figure 4 shows the circumferential strain contour of the axle when a load is applied to the wheel. Figure 5 shows the circumferential strain contour of the axle when the load from the wheel is applied to the axle. Figures 4 and 5 are images obtained through simulation.

[0028] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, when viewing the axle from the front, compressive strain occurs at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions in the circumferential direction, and tensile strain occurs at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions. The arrows shown in Figure 5 schematically represent the loads that the axle receives from the wheel. In this way, when subjected to a load in the vertical direction (hereinafter also referred to as a vertical load), strain occurs in each part as a result.

[0029] Here, the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions are located in a first direction perpendicular to the guide portion 60, which is the ground contact surface, where the wheel portions 37a to 37c are positioned. The 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions are located in a second direction parallel to the guide portion 60, which is the ground contact surface, and perpendicular to the first direction.

[0030] The strain is greatest at the 3 o'clock position, near the bottom of the mounting hole 39. Hereafter, the strain occurring at the 0 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions will be referred to as the first strain, and the strain occurring at the 3 o'clock position will be referred to as the second strain.

[0031] Figure 6 shows the displacement at the opening end of the mounting hole 39 and the displacement of the wall surface along the axial direction of the mounting hole 39 at the position where the strain is maximum. Figure 6 was created by simulation. The units of the values ​​shown in Figure 6 are mm.

[0032] As shown in Figure 6, all graphs change in a U-shape, convex to the right. Therefore, it can be seen that the axle is deformed in an elliptical shape. It is preferable to measure the circumferential strain at at least one of the 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions, and it is preferable to measure it at both the 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. That is, it is preferable that the strain gauge 80 is provided at the 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions in the circumferential direction of the mounting hole 39. By measuring the strain at both the 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions, such deformation can be accurately measured.

[0033] Figure 7 shows the circumferential strain at the 0, 3, and 6 o'clock positions. Note that st, shown on the vertical axis of Figure 7, represents strain, or elastic strain. As shown in Figure 7, the longitudinal distribution of circumferential strain shows that at the 3 o'clock position, the absolute value changes significantly as you move away from the opening. The absolute value is maximum near the bottom of the mounting hole 39, and the change becomes smaller in this vicinity.

[0034] When considering the conversion of strain to the load on the wheel section, the strain gauge 80 should be placed in a position where the change in absolute value is small. By placing the strain gauge in such a position, it is possible to reduce the noise obtained from the strain gauge 80.

[0035] Therefore, when measuring strain at the 3 o'clock position in the circumferential direction, it is advisable to place the strain gauge 80 near the bottom of the mounting hole 39. Furthermore, the strain gauge 80 is generally about 10 mm square in size. For this reason, the strain gauge 80 should be placed at a distance from the bottom corresponding to its size, for example, about 10 mm away.

[0036] Furthermore, the first strain is maximum at the open end. Near the open end, the change in strain is also small. When measuring the first strain, it is preferable to place the strain gauge 80 near the open end of the mounting hole 39. The strain gauge 80 should be placed at a distance from the open end corresponding to the size of the strain gauge 80, for example, about 10 mm away.

[0037] In this way, by measuring strain with the strain gauge 80, it is possible to measure the amount of strain corresponding to the load in the vertical direction. Therefore, by observing the fluctuation in the amount of strain measured by the strain gauge 80, it is possible to observe the fluctuation in the load in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, an example using the amount of strain observed by the strain gauge 80 as fluctuation data will be described.

[0038] Furthermore, referring again to Figure 1, if either wheel portion 37a or wheel portion 37c becomes non-contact with the guide portion 60, there is a high probability that wheel portion 37b, located between these wheel portions 37a and 37c, will also become non-contact with the guide portion 60.

[0039] Furthermore, the connecting rods 35a and 35b, which have higher rigidity than other components, are provided in pairs along the transport direction D1. Therefore, when one of the wheel sections, which are provided in a pair along the transport direction D1, becomes non-contact, there is a high probability that the other will also become non-contact.

[0040] Cases in which the wheel portions 37a and 37c are not in contact with the guide portion 60 include (1) a case in which either wheel portion 37a or wheel portion 37c is not in contact. In addition, in this case, (2) a case in which the wheel portions 37a and 37c located on either of the width-pressure lower portions 20a and 20b arranged in the opposing direction D2 are not in contact with the guide portion 60. Cases (1) and (2) each include two embodiments, so a total of four cases can be assumed. Therefore, it is preferable to provide the strain gauge 80 at four locations on the pair of wheel portions 37a and the pair of wheel portions 37c. By providing the strain gauge 80 in this manner, it is possible to detect non-contact, i.e., contact, between the wheel portion and the guide portion 60 in both case (1) and case (2).

[0041] Figure 8 shows the functional blocks of the width reduction device 100. The width reduction device 100 includes an input / output unit 91, a storage unit 92, and a control unit 50. The input / output unit 91, the storage unit 92, and the control unit 50 are connected to each other via a bus 93 so that they can communicate with one another.

[0042] The input / output unit 91 is an interface for connecting to external devices. The input / output unit 91 is connected to a strain gauge 80 that measures the strain of the axle.

[0043] The memory unit 92 is a writable non-volatile memory such as an EPROM. The memory unit 92 is not particularly limited, but for example, a storage device such as an HDD or SSD can be used. Various data, such as data transmitted from the strain gauge 80, is stored in the memory unit 92.

[0044] The control unit 50 is a computer including a CPU. The control unit 50 has a variable data acquisition unit 51, an estimated information generation unit 52, and a width pressure downward movement unit 53 that moves the width pressure lower parts 20a and 20b.

[0045] The fluctuation data acquisition unit 51 reads and acquires fluctuation data relating to the load in the vertical direction in at least one of the width-pressure lower parts 20a, 20b and the movable parts 30a, 30b from the storage unit 92.

[0046] Specifically, the fluctuation data acquisition unit 51 acquires the load fluctuation data at one of the moving parts 30a as the first load fluctuation data. The fluctuation data acquisition unit 51 also acquires the load fluctuation data at the other moving part 30b as the second load fluctuation data.

[0047] The estimation information generation unit 52 generates estimation information that estimates the height-direction displacement of the members corresponding to the fluctuation data, i.e., the movable parts 30a and 30b, in accordance with the first load fluctuation data and the second load fluctuation data. The estimation information generation unit 52 estimates the height-direction displacement of the movable parts 30a and 30b based on the state in which the width-pressure lower parts 20a and 20b are not in contact with the slab 10.

[0048] The estimation information is generated using the first load fluctuation data and the second fluctuation data. Furthermore, the method for estimating displacement in the height direction is based on past load fluctuation data and information such as slab dimensions. Specifically, an index representing the strength of similarity with the measured data is generated from this information. Next, index data with high similarity to the generated index is selected. Using the selected index data, the displacement in the height direction is estimated from the correlation between the two.

[0049] For example, if past load fluctuation data and dimensional values ​​of a slab match, the main variables of both are highly correlated. The index is evaluated on a 10-point scale, with 10 representing the highest correlation. Therefore, in this case, the index representing the correlation between the two is "10". In such cases, past operational data can be used directly to estimate the displacement in the height direction.

[0050] Furthermore, for example, if past slab load fluctuation data and dimensional values ​​match by about 95%, both indices will be "9". In such cases, the displacement in the height direction can be estimated by adding or subtracting about 10% from the past operational data.

[0051] The estimation information generation unit 52 stores the estimation information in the storage unit 92 in a manner that allows it to identify, for example, whether the data used for generation is the first load fluctuation data and the second load fluctuation data.

[0052] The width reduction movement unit 53 moves the width reduction lower parts 20a and 20b according to the estimated information to continue or stop the width reduction. In other words, the width reduction movement unit 53 functions as a load-applying unit that applies a load to the steel material by operating the pair of load-applying units, the width reduction lower parts 20a and 20b, based on the estimated information.

[0053] Figure 9 shows the processing flow of the operation control method for the load application unit. As shown in Figure 9, the fluctuation data acquisition unit 51 performs a fluctuation data acquisition step (step S01) in which it reads and acquires the fluctuation data of the first load and the fluctuation data of the second load from the storage unit 92.

[0054] The estimation information generation unit 52 generates estimation information according to the fluctuation data of the first load and the fluctuation data of the second load acquired in the fluctuation data acquisition step of step S01, and executes the estimation information generation step (step S02).

[0055] The width reduction moving section 53 performs a load application process (step S03) in which it operates the width reduction sections 20a and 20b to apply a load to the steel material based on the estimated information generated in the estimated information generation process of step S02.

[0056] In the load application step S03, if the estimated information generated in the estimated information generation step S02 indicates that there is a displacement in the height direction of the movable parts 30a and 30b, that is, that the wheel parts 37a, 37b, and 37c are not in contact with the guide part 60, then the width reduction is interrupted by increasing the distance between the width reduction lower parts 20a and 20b. After that, the transport direction of the transport part 40 is reversed to transport the steel plate out of the manufacturing line.

[0057] Here, the estimation information generation step S02 is performed, for example, by calculating the load from the data measured by the strain gauge 80. The load calculation may be performed, for example, using a conversion factor from circumferential strain to the load of the wheel section, or using the loads of the wheel sections 37a, 37b, and 37c when the width reduction device 100 is stopped.

[0058] When calculating loads using conversion factors, the calculations can be performed using conversion factors obtained from calibration curves created in advance using FEM or similar methods.

[0059] When using the loads of the wheel sections 37a, 37b, and 37c, the calculation can be made by assuming that the self-weight of the movable sections 30a and 30b is supported by the six wheel sections 37a, 37b, and 37c. Alternatively, the supporting wheel sections may be the four wheel sections 37a and 37c, excluding the two wheel sections 37b.

[0060] Furthermore, when using the loads of the wheel sections 37a, 37b, and 37c, a value obtained by multiplying the difference between the strain when the loads of the wheel sections 37a, 37b, and 37c are set to 0 and the strain when the width reduction device 100 is stopped by a conversion factor may be used.

[0061] The strain when the load on the wheel sections 37a, 37b, and 37c is set to zero can be obtained, for example, by using the strain when the movable sections 30a and 30b are lifted with hydraulic jacks. The conversion coefficient can be obtained using a calibration curve prepared in advance using FEM or the like, as described above.

[0062] Figure 10 shows an example of the load on the wheel section and the press load during width reduction by the width reduction device 100. When width reduction begins, the press load increases, and as width reduction ends, the press load decreases. Also, the load on the wheel section decreases as a vertical load is applied to the wheel section at the start of width reduction. Similarly, as width reduction ends, the vertical load on the wheel section decreases, so the load on the wheel section increases. In the example in Figure 10, the load on the wheel section has not reached zero, so it is an example where one of the wheel sections 37a, 37b, or 37c provided on the moving sections 30a and 30b is not in contact with the guide section 60, in other words, no lift-up occurs. Note that tf stands for ton force.

[0063] Figure 11 shows another example of the load on the wheel section and the press load during width reduction when width reduction is performed by the width reduction device 100. The load on the wheel section and the press load show the same trend in the example of Figure 11 as in the example of Figure 10. However, in the example of Figure 11, the load on the wheel section has reached 0, which is an example in which the movable parts 30a and 30b are lifted up.

[0064] In other words, when the movable parts 30a and 30b are lifted by a vertical load, the load acting from the guide part 60 on any of the wheel parts 37a, 37b, and 37c, i.e., the normal force, becomes zero. Therefore, by measuring the load acting on the wheel parts 37a, 37b, and 37c, the displacement in the height direction, which is the lifting of the movable parts 30a and 30b, can be estimated.

[0065] In the estimation information generation process of step S02, the estimation information generation unit 52 generates estimation information indicating that there is a displacement in the height direction when the load on any of the wheel parts 37a, 37b, or 37c is 0. In other words, this state can be described as a state in which the wheel parts 37a, 37b, or 37c and the guide part 60 are not in contact. Furthermore, the estimation information generation unit 52 generates estimation information indicating that there is no displacement in the height direction when the load on any of the wheel parts 37a, 37b, or 37c is not 0. This state can be described as a state in which the wheel parts 37a, 37b, or 37c and the guide part 60 are in contact.

[0066] Furthermore, in the manner in which a vertical load is applied to the movable parts 30a and 30b, one of the wheel parts 37a and 37c may act as a fulcrum and apply the vertical load. In this case, unlike the examples shown in Figures 10 and 11, the load on the wheel part increases as the width reduction begins and decreases as the width reduction ends.

[0067] In the estimation information generation step S02, estimation information may be generated assuming that there is a vertical displacement of the movable parts 30a and 30b when the degree of increase in the load on the wheel exceeds a predetermined threshold. Similarly, estimation information may be generated assuming that there is no vertical displacement of the movable parts 30a and 30b when the degree of increase in the load on the wheel is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

[0068] Thus, if the load on any of the wheel sections 37a to 37c fluctuates, the loads on the other wheel sections 37a to 37c may also fluctuate. For example, in the estimation information generation step S02, the estimation information generation unit 52 may generate estimation information by treating cases (1) described above as noise or errors when both wheel section 37a and wheel section 37c are experiencing similar load fluctuations.

[0069] In the case described above (2), the estimation information generation unit 52 may generate estimation information as noise or errors when the load fluctuations of the wheel portions 37a to 37c located on one side of the opposing direction D2 and the load fluctuations of the wheel portions 37a to 37c located on the other side are similar in nature.

[0070] Thus, there is a correlation between the load on the wheel and the strain measured at the axle. Therefore, when the correlation is known, the calculation of load from strain can be omitted, and the strain can be used as the fluctuation data for the first load and the fluctuation data for the second load.

[0071] The width reduction device 100, which is a load-applying device according to the present invention, has a fluctuation data acquisition unit 51 that acquires fluctuation data related to the load in the vertical direction in at least one of the width reduction sections 20a, 20b, which are load-applying sections, and the moving sections 30a, 30b. The width reduction device 100 also has an estimation information generation unit 52 that generates estimation information by estimating the height direction displacement of the member corresponding to the fluctuation data based on the fluctuation data. This makes it possible to detect when a vertical load that affects the load-applying device is acting on the load-applying section, etc. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the application of inappropriate loads to the equipment.

[0072] In the above-described embodiment, the strain of the axle portions 36a, 36b, and 36c was used as the first load fluctuation data and the second load fluctuation data. The first load fluctuation data and the second load fluctuation data are not necessarily limited to this form. For example, pressure sensors may be provided on the axle portions 36a, 36b, and 36c, and the load received by the axle portions 36a, 36b, and 36c may be used as the first load fluctuation data and the second load fluctuation data. Alternatively, the wheel portions 37a, 37b, and 37c and the guide portion 60 may be made of a conductor, and the detection mode of a sensor that detects the energized state of both may be used as the first load fluctuation data and the second load fluctuation data. Thus, the fluctuation data may be generated according to the contact state of the wheel portions 37a, 37b, and 37c and the guide portion 60.

[0073] Furthermore, the vertical load applied to the wheel sections 37a to 37c is correlated with the operating conditions of the width reduction device 100. Therefore, for example, by changing the operating conditions of the width reduction device 100 before the movable sections 30a and 30b experience vertical displacement, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of vertical displacement of the movable sections 30a and 30b. Alternatively, for example, a threshold value can be set in advance for the load calculated from the strain of the axle sections 36a to 36c, and the operating conditions of the width reduction device 100 can be changed when the load exceeds the threshold value.

[0074] The threshold can be, for example, the minimum wheel load applied during width reduction for each width reduction amount. An example of an operating condition that can be changed is reducing the press load. The press load can be reduced, for example, by increasing the temperature of the slab during width reduction. Alternatively, if the operating conditions cannot be changed, the steel plates may be transported off the production line.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, strain gauges were used to measure the strain of the axle portions 36a to 36c. The measurement of the strain of the axle portions 36a to 36c is not limited to strain gauges, and may be performed using image analysis such as DIC (Digital Image Correction).

[0076] Furthermore, if it is possible to measure the fluctuation of the load along the vertical direction, the method is not limited to strain gauges; a load measuring device may be provided to measure the load directly.

[0077] For example, the load may be measured on parts such as (1) parts that are constantly subjected to their own weight, such as the wheel sections 37a to 37c, or (2) structures on which a load in the width direction of the steel material directly acts.

[0078] Besides the wheel sections 37a-37c, other parts that are constantly subjected to the weight of the vehicle include, for example, conveyors. Furthermore, structural elements that are directly subjected to loads in the width direction of the steel material include the inner blocks 31a and 31b, and the width-pressure lower sections 20a and 20b, which serve as load-applying parts.

[0079] When measuring the load on a structure that is directly subjected to a load in the width direction of the steel material, it is advisable to measure the variation in the load calculated from the strain applied in the width direction of the steel material. Specifically, the strain applied in the width direction of the steel material decreases as the strain along the vertical direction of the steel material increases. By considering this characteristic and calculating the load from the strain along the vertical direction, it becomes possible to obtain variation data related to the load.

[0080] Furthermore, an example was described in which the movable parts 30a and 30b consist of wheel sections 37a to 37c, axle sections 36a to 36c that pivotally support the wheel sections 37a to 37c, and a guide section 60 that guides the direction of movement of the wheel sections 37a to 37c. The movable parts 30a and 30b are not limited to this example and may be composed of actuators, for example.

[0081] If the moving part is configured with an actuator, the load applied to the actuator, the lower part 20a, 20b, and the moving parts 30a, 30b along the vertical direction may be measured.

[0082] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which the fluctuation data acquisition unit 51 acquires the load fluctuation data of one moving part 30a as first load fluctuation data, and the load fluctuation data of the other moving part 30b as second load fluctuation data. The first load fluctuation data may include the load fluctuation data of one width-pressure lower part 20a in addition to the load fluctuation data of one moving part 30a. Alternatively, the first load fluctuation data may consist only of the load fluctuation data of one width-pressure lower part 20a.

[0083] Similarly, the second load fluctuation data may include load fluctuation data for the other width-pressure lower section 20b in addition to load fluctuation data for the other moving section 30a. Alternatively, the second load fluctuation data may consist solely of load fluctuation data for the other width-pressure lower section 20b. [Examples]

[0084] The width reduction was performed using a width reduction device, and the stopping behavior of the width reduction due to the lifting of the moving part was investigated. Here, one direction of the steel plate transport direction D1 in Figure 1 is defined as the inlet side, and the other direction as the outlet side. Also, one direction of the opposing direction D2 of the pair of width reduction parts 20a and 20b is defined as the Op side, and the other direction as the Dr side.

[0085] The slabs used were made of Al-killed low-carbon steel, with a length of 7000-8000 mm, a thickness of 260 mm, and a width of 1200-1800 mm. The heating temperature of these slabs was set to 1100-1200°C. The width reduction was set to 250-350 mm. The feed rate was set to 400 mm.

[0086] An example of the invention involved using the strain of the axle section as the first load fluctuation data and the second load fluctuation data to generate estimation information, and then manufacturing steel plates by moving the width reduction section according to the estimation information. A comparative example involved manufacturing steel plates without performing the treatment shown in the invention example. For each example, width reduction was performed on 30,000 slabs.

[0087] In this example, the load on the wheel section was measured at four locations: the outer ring on the exit side (Op), the inner ring on the exit side (Op), the outer ring on the exit side (Dr), and the inner ring on the exit side (Dr). The axle used had dimensions of φ240 × 200 mm at the part that contacts the wheel section. The mounting hole for the axle was formed with dimensions of φ80 × L100 mm. The length L was defined as the distance from the opening end of the mounting hole to the bottom located in the axial direction of the hole. The mounting hole was formed using a drill.

[0088] A strain gauge manufactured by Kyowa Denki Co., Ltd. (model number: KFGS-2-120-C1-11-L3M3R) was used. The output of the strain gauge was amplified by a bridge box and a dynamic strain amplifier DPM-28B, and then recorded by a data logger. The wiring from the strain gauge to the bridge box was made longer to accommodate the stroke of the moving part, and the open ends of the mounting holes on the axle where the strain gauge was installed were protected with waterproof tape.

[0089] Strain gauges were placed 10 mm from the opening end at the 12 o'clock position and 60 mm from the opening end at the 3 o'clock position. Conversion from strain to load was performed using a conversion factor. The conversion factor was calculated by regression of FEM calculation values. As a result, 0.68 μst / tf was used as the conversion factor at the 12 o'clock position. The conversion factor at the 3 o'clock position was 1.73 μst / tf. The load on the wheel section when the width reduction device was stopped was assumed to be 166 tf. For the conversion, it was assumed that the moving part was supported by the four wheel sections (inner and outer wheels, excluding the middle wheel), and the load per wheel section was assumed to be 41.5 tf. Note that tf stands for ton force.

[0090] As a comparative example, width reduction was performed without taking the measures shown in the inventive example. As a result, lifting of the moving parts occurred in 9 out of 30,000 slabs, and width reduction was interrupted.

[0091] Figure 12 shows an example of the history of press load and wheel load. As the press load was applied, a load was generated in the vertical direction simultaneously, causing the load on the wheel to change. In this example, it was confirmed that the load on the wheel, which is located on the moving part, can be measured.

[0092] In this example, after reducing the width of the slab by 5000 units, signs of lifting of the moving part were observed, with the load on the axle falling below a threshold under some width reduction conditions. Therefore, the operating conditions were changed to increase the temperature of the slab. The threshold was defined as the minimum load on the wheel during width reduction.

[0093] When width reduction was performed in this manner, nine interruptions occurred in the comparative example, while only one interruption occurred in the present invention example. In the present invention example, estimated information was generated by estimating the height-direction displacement of the member corresponding to the fluctuation data. Furthermore, by performing width reduction according to the estimated information, it was possible to detect when a vertical load sufficient to affect the width reduction device was acting on the width reduction area. Therefore, it was possible to suppress the application of inappropriate loads to the equipment.

[0094] Furthermore, if a width reduction interruption occurs, the hot rolling line must be stopped until the entry table roll is reversed and the material is transported out of the production line. In the present invention, by changing the operating conditions when signs of lifting of the moving part were observed, the number of reduction interruptions was reduced compared to the comparative example, and the operation of the width reduction device was stabilized. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0095] 100 width reduction device 10 Slabs 20a, 20b Width pressure lower part 30a,30b Moving part 36a Axle section 36b Axle section 36c axle part 37a Wheel section 37b Wheel section 37c Wheel section 51 Variable Data Acquisition Unit 52 Estimated information generation section 53 Width reduction movement section 60 Guide section 80 Strain Gauges

Claims

1. A load-applying device having a pair of load-applying parts for applying a load in the width direction to a steel material, and a moving part for moving the pair of load-applying parts so that they are close to each other, A fluctuation data acquisition unit that acquires fluctuation data relating to the load in the vertical direction in at least one of the load application unit and the moving unit, An estimation information generation unit generates estimation information that estimates the height-direction displacement of the member corresponding to the said fluctuation data, based on the aforementioned fluctuation data. A load-applying unit that operates the pair of load-applying units to apply a load to the steel material based on the estimated information, A load-applying device having the following features.

2. The moving part comprises a wheel portion, an axle portion that pivotally supports the wheel portion and extends in the left-right direction when viewed from the direction of movement of the load-applying part, and a guide portion that guides the direction of movement of the wheel portion. The load-applying device according to claim 1, wherein the fluctuation data is data obtained based on the strain of the axle portion.

3. The load-applying device according to claim 2, wherein the fluctuation data is data obtained based on at least one of a first strain in a first direction perpendicular to the contact surface of the wheel portion with the guide portion and a second strain in a second direction parallel to the contact surface and perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The aforementioned fluctuation data is A first load fluctuation data that includes at least one of the load fluctuation data at one of the load-applying units and the load fluctuation data at one of the moving units that moves the load-applying unit, The second load fluctuation data includes at least one of the load fluctuation data in the other load-applying unit and the load fluctuation data in the other moving unit that moves the other load-applying unit, The load application device according to claim 1, wherein the estimation information generation unit generates the estimation information based on the first load fluctuation data and the second load fluctuation data.

5. The aforementioned fluctuation data is A first load fluctuation data that includes at least one of the load fluctuation data at one of the load-applying units and the load fluctuation data at one of the moving units that moves the load-applying unit, The second load fluctuation data includes at least one of the load fluctuation data in the other load-applying unit and the load fluctuation data in the other moving unit that moves the other load-applying unit, The load application device according to claim 2, wherein the estimation information generation unit generates the estimation information based on the first load fluctuation data and the second load fluctuation data.

6. The aforementioned fluctuation data is A first load fluctuation data that includes at least one of the load fluctuation data at one of the load-applying units and the load fluctuation data at one of the moving units that moves the load-applying unit, The second load fluctuation data includes at least one of the load fluctuation data in the other load-applying unit and the load fluctuation data in the other moving unit that moves the other load-applying unit, The load application device according to claim 3, wherein the estimation information generation unit generates the estimation information based on the first load fluctuation data and the second load fluctuation data.

7. The moving part has a wheel portion, an axle portion that pivotally supports the wheel portion, and a guide portion that guides the direction of movement of the wheel portion. The load-applying device according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned fluctuation data is generated according to the contact state between the wheel portion and the guide portion.

8. The moving part has a wheel portion, an axle portion that pivotally supports the wheel portion, and a guide portion that guides the direction of movement of the wheel portion. The load-applying device according to claim 2, wherein the aforementioned fluctuation data is generated according to the contact state between the wheel portion and the guide portion.

9. The moving part has a wheel portion, an axle portion that pivotally supports the wheel portion, and a guide portion that guides the direction of movement of the wheel portion. The load application device according to claim 3, wherein the aforementioned fluctuation data is generated according to the contact state between the wheel portion and the guide portion.

10. The moving part has a wheel portion, an axle portion that pivotally supports the wheel portion, and a guide portion that guides the direction of movement of the wheel portion. The load-applying device according to claim 4, wherein the aforementioned fluctuation data is generated according to the contact state between the wheel portion and the guide portion.

11. The moving part has a wheel portion, an axle portion that pivotally supports the wheel portion, and a guide portion that guides the direction of movement of the wheel portion. The load application device according to claim 5, wherein the aforementioned fluctuation data is generated according to the contact state between the wheel portion and the guide portion.

12. The moving part has a wheel portion, an axle portion that pivotally supports the wheel portion, and a guide portion that guides the direction of movement of the wheel portion. The load-applying device according to claim 6, wherein the aforementioned fluctuation data is generated according to the contact state between the wheel portion and the guide portion.

13. A method for controlling the operation of a pair of load-applying parts that apply a load in the width direction to a steel material, A fluctuation data acquisition step for acquiring fluctuation data relating to the load in the vertical direction in at least one of the pair of load-applying units and a moving unit that moves the pair of load-applying units closer to each other, An estimation information generation step generates estimation information that estimates the height-direction displacement of the member corresponding to the said fluctuation data, based on the said fluctuation data. A load application step is performed by operating the pair of load-applying units based on the estimated information to apply a load to the steel material. A method for controlling the operation of a load-applying unit, comprising:

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