Measurement method, measurement device, and manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a measurement method enabling more accurate measurement of a position of an end part in a width direction, of a belt-like body.SOLUTION: A measurement method for measuring a position of an end part in a width direction D2, of a belt-like body S comprises the steps of: irradiating the end part of the belt-like body S with an electromagnetic wave; detecting the electromagnetic wave reflected from the end part of the belt-like body S; determining the reflection signal on the end part included in the detection signal obtained in the step of detecting the electromagnetic wave on the basis of a plurality of thresholds with respect to the detection signal; and calculating the position of the end part on the basis of time at which the reflection signal is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a measurement method, a measurement device, and a manufacturing method. For example, the present disclosure relates to a measurement method and a measurement device for measuring the edge position of a strip such as a steel plate in order to control meandering of the strip in a process line. For example, the present disclosure relates to a manufacturing method for manufacturing a strip using either the measurement method or the measurement device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known techniques for measuring the position of the edge in the width direction of a strip such as a steel plate in a process line such as a production line or a processing line. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for measuring the edge position in the width direction of a strip that is less susceptible to noise and the atmosphere, is easy to install, and causes less mechanical interference with the strip.

[0003] A conventional method for detecting the edge position of a steel sheet using a microwave method in a center position control (CPC) device is generally known, as described in Patent Document 1. In this method, microwaves are irradiated toward the edge of the steel sheet, and the peak time of the microwave with the highest reflection intensity among the microwaves returned to the receiving antenna is detected as the edge position of the steel sheet. The conventional CPC device calculates the center position of the steel sheet based on the detected edge position, and performs meandering control to align the calculated center position with the center of the process line. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Republished Patent Publication No. WO2006 / 048979 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, conventional edge position detection methods had the problem that when the intensity of microwaves reflected by an area other than the steel plate reached its maximum, the time at which this maximum peak occurred would be erroneously detected as the edge position of the steel plate.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a measurement method, a measurement device, and a manufacturing method that can more accurately measure the position of the end of a strip in the width direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure provides: (1) A method for measuring the position of an end of a strip in a width direction, comprising: irradiating the end of the strip with electromagnetic waves; detecting the electromagnetic waves reflected from the end of the strip; a step of determining a reflected signal at the end portion included in the detection signal based on a plurality of threshold values ​​for the detection signal obtained in the step of detecting the electromagnetic wave; calculating the position of the edge based on the time at which the reflected signal is detected; Including, measurement method, is.

[0008] (2) In the measurement method described in (1) above, The plurality of thresholds may include a first threshold for detection strength and a second threshold for detection time.

[0009] (3) In the measurement method described in (2) above, The step of identifying the reflected signal may include identifying the first signal waveform in the detection signal in which the detection strength is higher than the first threshold value and the detection time is longer than the second threshold value as the reflected signal.

[0010] The present disclosure provides: (4) A measuring device for measuring the position of an end of a strip in the width direction, an irradiation unit that irradiates the end portion of the strip with an electromagnetic wave; a detection unit that detects the electromagnetic waves reflected by the end of the strip; a control unit that determines a reflected signal at the edge included in the detection signal based on a plurality of thresholds for the detection signal output from the detection unit, and calculates the position of the edge based on the time when the reflected signal is detected; Equipped with measuring equipment, is.

[0011] (5) In the measuring device described in (4) above, The plurality of thresholds may include a first threshold for detection strength and a second threshold for detection time.

[0012] (6) In the measuring device described in (5) above, The control unit may determine, as the reflected signal, the first signal waveform in which the detection strength in the detection signal is higher than the first threshold value and the detection time is longer than the second threshold value.

[0013] The present disclosure provides: (7) A manufacturing method for manufacturing the strip using any one of the measuring methods described in (1) to (3) and the measuring device described in (4) to (6), controlling meandering of the strip in a process line based on the measured position of the end in the width direction of the strip; manufacturing method, is. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to a measurement method, a measurement device, and a manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to measure the position of the end of a strip in the width direction with higher accuracy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a general configuration of a control system having a measurement device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the measurement device of FIG. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a first example of processing executed by the measurement device of FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a second example of the processing executed by the measurement device of FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a third example of the processing executed by the measurement device of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a first diagram for explaining the content of processing executed by the measurement device of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a second diagram for explaining the content of the process executed by the measurement device of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a third diagram for explaining the content of the process executed by the measurement device of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a fourth diagram for explaining the content of the processing executed by the measurement device of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 5 is a fifth diagram for explaining the content of the processing executed by the measurement device of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the content of the process executed by the measurement device of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The configuration and operation of a measurement device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be mainly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a general configuration of a control system 1 having a measurement device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. An example of the configuration of the control system 1 having the measurement device 10 according to an embodiment will be mainly described with reference to FIG.

[0018] The control system 1 controls the meandering of the strip S on the process line L when the strip S is manufactured using the process line L. In the present disclosure, the "process line L" includes, for example, a production line and a processing line. The "strip S" includes, for example, a steel plate. The "snake" includes, for example, changing the position of the strip S moving from upstream to downstream on the process line L in the width direction D2 of the strip S, which is perpendicular to the conveying direction D1, with respect to the center C of the process line L along the conveying direction D1. As an example, the control system 1 controls the meandering of the steel plate moving from upstream to downstream on a production line for producing steel plate.

[0019] The control system 1 has a measuring device 10, a hydraulic device 20, a cylinder 30, and a detection device 40. The control system 1 performs meandering control so that the center position in the width direction D2 of the strip S fed from the steering roll R is aligned with the center C of the process line L along the conveying direction D1. The meandering control performed by the control system 1 includes controlling the position of the steering roll R arranged on the process line L based on PID (Proportional-Integral-Differential) control.

[0020] The measuring device 10 measures the positions of the ends of the strip S in the width direction D2 to calculate the center position of the strip S in the width direction D2, which is necessary for meandering control performed by the control system 1. In the present disclosure, the "end" includes, for example, at least one of the edges E1 and E2 located at both ends of the strip S in the width direction D2. As shown in FIG. 1 , the measuring device 10 measures the positions of both edges E1 and E2, as an example. The measuring device 10 calculates the center position of the strip S in the width direction D2 based on the measured end positions. For example, the measuring device 10 calculates the midpoint between the positions of the edges E1 and E2 as the center position of the strip S in the width direction D2.

[0021] The measuring device 10 controls the hydraulic device 20 based on PID control to align the calculated center position of the strip S in the width direction D2 with the center C of the process line L along the conveying direction D1. The measuring device 10 also functions as a CPC device that contributes to meandering control by the control system 1. The measuring device 10 acquires the position of the steering roll R detected by the detection device 40 as detection information from the detection device 40. This allows the measuring device 10 to identify the current position of the steering roll R. If the measuring device 10 determines that the calculated center position of the strip S in the width direction D2 is deviated from the center C, it changes the current position of the steering roll R to an appropriate position via the hydraulic device 20 and the cylinder 30 to eliminate the deviation.

[0022] The measuring device 10 has a first antenna 10a and a second antenna 10b, which are arranged on either side of the strip S in the width direction D2. The first antenna 10a irradiates electromagnetic waves toward an edge E1 of the strip S and detects the electromagnetic waves reflected by the edge E1. The second antenna 10b irradiates electromagnetic waves toward an edge E2 of the strip S and detects the electromagnetic waves reflected by the edge E2. In this disclosure, "electromagnetic waves" includes, for example, microwaves.

[0023] The measuring device 10 has a controller 10c connected to the first antenna 10a and the second antenna 10b. The controller 10c controls the operation of each of the first antenna 10a and the second antenna 10b regarding the emission and detection of electromagnetic waves. For example, the controller 10c controls each of the first antenna 10a and the second antenna 10b to emit electromagnetic waves toward the end of the strip S. For example, the controller 10c acquires detection signals of the electromagnetic waves detected by each of the first antenna 10a and the second antenna 10b.

[0024] The measuring device 10 further includes a control panel 10d connected to the controller 10c. The control panel 10d executes various processes, such as measurement, calculation, and control. The measurement process includes, for example, measuring the position of the end of the strip S in the width direction D2 using the first antenna 10a, the second antenna 10b, and the controller 10c. The calculation process includes, for example, calculating the center position of the strip S in the width direction D2 based on the measured end positions. The control process includes, for example, PID control to align the calculated center position of the strip S in the width direction D2 with the center C.

[0025] The hydraulic device 20 includes any device that uses hydraulic pressure and drives the cylinder 30 based on the control signal received from the measuring device 10. The hydraulic device 20 drives the cylinder 30 based on the control signal received from the measuring device 10, and changes the current position of the steering roll R to an appropriate position.

[0026] The cylinder 30 includes any operating mechanism that is operated by hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic device 20. The cylinder 30 is mechanically connected to the steering roll R and changes the position of the steering roll R. The cylinder 30 operates based on the driving force from the hydraulic device 20 based on the control signal received from the measuring device 10, and changes the current position of the steering roll R to an appropriate position.

[0027] The detection device 40 includes any device that can detect the position of the steering roll R. The detection device 40 outputs the detected position of the steering roll R to the measurement device 10 as detection information.

[0028] Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the measurement device 10 of Fig. 1. The measurement device 10 has an irradiation unit 11, a detection unit 12, a storage unit 13, and a control unit 14.

[0029] The irradiation unit 11 includes any irradiation source that irradiates electromagnetic waves toward the end of the strip S. The irradiation unit 11 irradiates, for example, pulsed electromagnetic waves. The irradiation unit 11 has a first irradiation unit 11a that corresponds to the component that irradiates electromagnetic waves in the first antenna 10a shown in FIG. 1. The irradiation unit 11 has a second irradiation unit 11b that corresponds to the component that irradiates electromagnetic waves in the second antenna 10b shown in FIG. 1.

[0030] The detector 12 includes any detection module that detects electromagnetic waves reflected from the end of the strip S. The detector 12 has a first detector 12a that corresponds to the components that detect electromagnetic waves in the first antenna 10a shown in Fig. 1. The detector 12 has a second detector 12b that corresponds to the components that detect electromagnetic waves in the second antenna 10b shown in Fig. 1.

[0031] The storage unit 13 includes, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, or any combination thereof. The storage unit 13 functions, for example, as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 13 stores information used in the operation of the measuring device 10 and information obtained by the operation of the measuring device 10. For example, the storage unit 13 stores system programs, application programs, and various data obtained by any means such as communication.

[0032] The control unit 14 includes a microcontroller, a processor, a programmable circuit, a dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor may be a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or a GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. "CPU" is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit. "GPU" is an abbreviation for Graphics Processing Unit. An example of the programmable circuit is an FPGA. "FPGA" is an abbreviation for Field-Programmable Gate Array. An example of the dedicated circuit is an ASIC. "ASIC" is an abbreviation for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. The control unit 14 is communicatively connected to each component of the measuring device 10 and executes various processes related to the operation of the measuring device 10 while controlling each component. In FIG. 1, the controller 10c and the control panel 10d correspond to the control unit 14.

[0033] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing a first example of processing executed by the measuring device 10 in Fig. 1. The flowchart shown in Fig. 3 shows the overall flow of processing by the measuring device 10 that contributes to meandering control by the control system 1.

[0034] In step S100, control unit 14 of measuring device 10 uses first antenna 10a, second antenna 10b, and controller 10c to measure the position of the end in width direction D2 of strip S. Step S100 corresponds to the measurement process described above.

[0035] In step S101, the control unit 14 of the measuring device 10 calculates the center position in the width direction D2 of the strip S based on the end positions measured in step S100. Step S101 corresponds to the above-mentioned calculation process.

[0036] In step S102, the control unit 14 of the measuring device 10 executes PID control to align the center position of the strip S in the width direction D2 calculated in step S101 with the center C of the process line L along the conveying direction D1. Step S102 corresponds to the control process described above.

[0037] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a second example of the process executed by the measuring device 10 of Fig. 1. The flowchart shown in Fig. 4 more specifically shows the measurement process in step S100 of Fig. 4. The flowchart shown in Fig. 4 corresponds to a measurement method for measuring the position of the end of the strip S in the width direction D2.

[0038] In step S200, the control unit 14 of the measurement device 10 causes the irradiation unit 11 to irradiate the end of the strip S with electromagnetic waves.

[0039] In step S201, the control unit 14 of the measurement device 10 uses the detection unit 12 to detect the electromagnetic waves reflected by the end of the strip S.

[0040] In step S202, the control unit 14 of the measuring device 10 determines, based on multiple thresholds for the detection signal output from the detection unit 12 in step S201, a reflected signal from the end of the strip S in the width direction D2, which is included in the detection signal. In the present disclosure, the "multiple thresholds" include a first threshold for the detection intensity and a second threshold for the detection time. In the present disclosure, the "detection time" includes, for example, the time during which the detection intensity of the detection signal exceeds the first threshold.

[0041] In step S203, the control unit 14 of the measuring device 10 calculates the position of the end of the strip S in the width direction D2 based on the time when the reflected signal determined in step S202 was detected by the detection unit 12.

[0042] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a third example of the process executed by the measurement device 10 in Fig. 1. The flowchart shown in Fig. 5 more specifically shows the process of determining the reflected signal in step S202 in Fig. 4.

[0043] In step S300, the control unit 14 of the measurement device 10 determines whether the detection signal obtained in step S201 of Fig. 4 includes a signal waveform whose detection intensity is higher than a first threshold. If the control unit 14 determines that the detection signal includes a signal waveform whose detection intensity is higher than the first threshold, it executes the process of step S301. If the control unit 14 determines that the detection signal includes only signal waveforms whose detection intensity is equal to or lower than the first threshold, it executes the process of step S303.

[0044] In step S301, the control unit 14 of the measurement device 10 determines whether the signal waveforms extracted in step S300, whose detection intensities are higher than the first threshold, further include a signal waveform whose detection time is longer than the second threshold. If the control unit 14 determines that the signal waveforms extracted in step S300 further include a signal waveform whose detection time is longer than the second threshold, the control unit 14 executes the process of step S302. If the control unit 14 determines that the signal waveforms extracted in step S300 only include signal waveforms whose detection time is equal to or shorter than the second threshold, the control unit 14 executes the process of step S303.

[0045] In step S302, the control unit 14 of the measuring device 10 determines, as a reflected signal, the first signal waveform extracted based on the judgment processes of steps S300 and S301, whose detection intensity in the detection signal is higher than the first threshold value and whose detection time is longer than the second threshold value.

[0046] In step S303, the control unit 14 of the measuring device 10 determines that the signal waveform is noise if at least one of the following conditions is met: the signal waveform contains only signal waveforms whose detection intensity is equal to or less than a first threshold value; or the signal waveform contains only signal waveforms whose detection time is equal to or less than a second threshold value.

[0047] The following will explain in more detail the content of the processing executed by the measurement device 10, mainly with reference to Figures 6 to 11. Figure 6 is the first diagram for explaining the content of the processing executed by the measurement device 10 of Figure 1.

[0048] 6 toward edge E1 of strip S, and converts the time it takes for the electromagnetic waves reflected by edge E1 to return to first detection unit 12a into a position, thereby calculating the position of the edge of strip S. If the speed of light is c and the time it takes for the electromagnetic waves to return from irradiation to return is t, then the position x of the edge of strip S can be expressed by the following equation (1):

[0049] x=c(t / 2) (1) Time t is the time it takes for the electromagnetic wave to make one round trip between the first antenna 10a and the edge E1. Therefore, to calculate the position x of the edge E1 relative to the first antenna 10a as the distance of the electromagnetic wave's outward journey, time t is multiplied by 1 / 2. Time t corresponds to the time when the reflected signal determined in step S202 of FIG. 4 is detected by the detection unit 12.

[0050] Similarly, the control unit 14 can also calculate the position of the edge E2 relative to the second antenna 10b using the second irradiator 11b and second detector 12b on the second antenna 10b side. For the purpose of simple explanation, the following description will mainly focus on the process of calculating the position of the edge E1 relative to the first antenna 10a using the first irradiator 11a and first detector 12a on the first antenna 10a side. The same explanation below also applies to the process of calculating the position of the edge E2 relative to the second antenna 10b using the second irradiator 11b and second detector 12b on the second antenna 10b side.

[0051] 6(b), when the width of the strip S is narrow, a portion of the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the first irradiator 11a of the first antenna 10a follows path P1, is reflected by the edge E1, and returns to the first detector 12a. Meanwhile, other portions of the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the first irradiator 11a of the first antenna 10a may be scattered by the edge E1 of the strip S and propagate toward the second antenna 10b, for example, along path P2, in addition to path P1. Thus, when the angle of incidence of the electromagnetic waves with respect to the strip S is large, the other portion of the electromagnetic waves propagating along path P2 does not enter the first detector 12a of the first antenna 10a and is not detected.

[0052] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the width of the strip S is wide, a portion of the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the first irradiator 11a of the first antenna 10a follows path P1, is similarly reflected by the edge E1, and returns to the first detector 12a. In addition, another portion of the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the first irradiator 11a of the first antenna 10a may also return to the first detector 12a, for example, following path P2. In path P2, the electromagnetic waves are scattered by the edge E1 of the strip S, are further reflected by an obstacle such as the frame F surrounding the periphery of the strip S, and propagate toward the first detector 12a. In this way, when the incident angle of the electromagnetic waves with respect to the strip S is small, another portion of the electromagnetic waves propagating along path P2 also enters and is detected by the first detector 12a of the first antenna 10a.

[0053] FIG. 7 is a second diagram for explaining the processing executed by the measurement device 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 shows an example of a detection signal output by the first detection unit 12a in the case shown in FIG. 6(a). The horizontal axis of FIG. 7 indicates the position along the width direction D2 from the first antenna 10a. This position is obtained by converting the time from when the first irradiating unit 11a irradiates electromagnetic waves to when the first detection unit 12a detects the electromagnetic waves using an equation similar to equation (1). The vertical axis of FIG. 7 indicates the detection intensity of the detection signal.

[0054] 6(a), the detection signal output by the first detector 12a includes, for example, two reflected signals: a first reflected signal S1 following path P1 and a second reflected signal S2 following path P2. In this case, if a process is performed to determine that a signal waveform having a peak with the maximum reflection intensity is a reflected signal from edge E1, as in the prior art, the second reflected signal S2 may cause erroneous detection.

[0055] For example, the magnitude relationship between the peak intensity of the first reflected signal S1 and the peak intensity of the second reflected signal S2 varies depending on the width and geometric arrangement of the strip S. If the peak intensity of the second reflected signal S2 becomes higher than the peak intensity of the first reflected signal S1, a position in the second reflected signal S2 that differs from the actual position of the edge E1 of the strip S will be erroneously detected as the edge E1. In this case, the meandering control described above is performed based on the erroneously detected value, and the meandering may not converge but may actually increase.

[0056] In a water environment or a dusty environment, the detection signal output by the first detection unit 12a includes, for example, a noise signal S3 in addition to the first reflected signal S1 and the second reflected signal S2. The noise signal S3 is obtained when electromagnetic waves are scattered or reflected by water or dust in a water environment or a dusty environment. While the noise signal S3 normally has a low noise level, it may also be generated as instantaneous noise with high detection intensity. The noise signal S3 may also be obtained when electromagnetic waves are reflected at a position other than the edge E1 that is the intended measurement target. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6, the noise signal S3 appears in the detection signal at an earlier timing than the first reflected signal S1 from the edge E1 of the strip S.

[0057] As described above, when the detected strength of the second reflected signal S2 and the noise signal S3 is higher than that of the first reflected signal S1, a position in the second reflected signal S2 or the noise signal S3 that is different from the actual position of the edge E1 of the band S is erroneously detected as the edge E1. When the intensity of the electromagnetic wave reaches a maximum peak value from a position different from the actual position of the edge E1 of the band S due to diffuse reflection or scattering of the electromagnetic wave, the edge E1 of the band S is erroneously detected as the different position.

[0058] The control unit 14 sets a monitoring range R1 and a masking range R2 for the detection signal output by the first detection unit 12a. The monitoring range R1 includes, for example, a positional range or time range of the detection signal that is used as data for performing a normal measurement process to calculate the position of the edge E1 of the strip S. The masking range R2 includes, for example, a positional range or time range of the detection signal that is clearly shifted from the position of the edge E1 of the strip S and does not need to be used as data in the normal measurement process.

[0059] For example, in the example of the detection signal shown in Fig. 7, the largest reflected signal is obtained in the mask range R2, which is due to electromagnetic waves reflected by the wall surface of the frame F on the side of the second antenna 10b, which is located opposite the first antenna 10a, as shown in Fig. 6(a). In principle, the mask range R2 does not include information about the position of the edge E1 of the strip S, so the control unit 14 does not use the data in the mask range R2 even if such a reflected signal is obtained.

[0060] The above-described erroneous detection becomes a problem in the monitoring range R1. Therefore, when other detection signals such as the second reflected signal S2 and the noise signal S3 in addition to the first reflected signal S1 are obtained in the monitoring range R1, the control unit 14 needs to correctly distinguish these other detection signals from the first reflected signal S1 and accurately identify only the first reflected signal S1 from the detection signals.

[0061] Therefore, the control unit 14 determines the first reflected signal S1 at the edge E1 included in the detection signal based on a plurality of thresholds for the detection signal output from the first detection unit 12a. Based on the plurality of thresholds, the control unit 14 distinguishes the first reflected signal S1 from other detection signals that become noise and measures the position of the target edge E1.

[0062] FIG. 8 is a third diagram for explaining the processing executed by the measurement device 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 shows two waveforms, W1 and W2. Waveform W1 shown in FIG. 8(a) shows a waveform obtained by, for example, extracting only the first reflected signal S1 from the detection signal shown in FIG. 7 and tracking the change in the detected intensity of the first reflected signal S1 over time. Waveform W2 shown in FIG. 8(b) shows a waveform obtained by, for example, extracting only the noise signal S3 from the detection signal shown in FIG. 7 and tracking the change in the detected intensity of the noise signal S3 over time. The horizontal axis of FIG. 8 represents time. The vertical axis of FIG. 8 represents the detected intensity.

[0063] The position of the edge E1 of the strip S changes continuously along the width direction D2. As the position of the edge E1 of the strip S changes along the width direction D2, the distance from the first antenna 10a to the edge E1 also changes. Therefore, the intensity of the electromagnetic wave reflected by the edge E1 and returning to the first detector 12a also changes, and the detected intensity of the first reflected signal S1 changes continuously. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the waveform W1 based on the first reflected signal S1 changes continuously.

[0064] On the other hand, in a water environment or a dusty environment, electromagnetic waves reflected at positions other than the edge E1 do not occur continuously but occur intermittently. Therefore, the noise signal S3 also occurs intermittently. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the waveform W2 based on the noise signal S3 is discrete and spike-like.

[0065] The detection strength of the noise signal S3 due to water, dust, etc. is usually lower than the detection strength of the first reflected signal S1. Therefore, the control unit 14 sets a first threshold value Th1 for the detection strength. The first threshold value Th1 enables the control unit 14 to distinguish between the noise signal S3, which has a low detection strength, and the first reflected signal S1.

[0066] Fig. 9 is a fourth diagram for explaining the content of the processing executed by the measurement apparatus 10 in Fig. 1. Fig. 9 shows only the waveform W2 out of the two waveforms W1 and W2 in Fig. 8.

[0067] It is expected that the detected intensity of the noise signal S3 due to water, dust, etc. may momentarily increase in some cases. In such a case, the detected intensity of the noise signal S3 will exceed the first threshold value Th1, just like the first reflected signal S1, and it will be difficult to distinguish between the noise signal S3 and the first reflected signal S1 simply by setting the first threshold value Th1. This will result in false detection based on the noise signal S3.

[0068] Therefore, the control unit 14 sets a second threshold value Th2 for the detection time in addition to a first threshold value Th1 for the detection strength. The control unit 14 can distinguish between the noise signal S3 and the first reflected signal S1 when the detection strength is high using the first threshold value Th1 and the second threshold value Th2. The control unit 14 determines the first reflected signal S1 only when the detection time, which is the time during which the detection strength of the detection signal exceeds the first threshold value Th1, exceeds the second threshold value Th2. As a result, the control unit 14 can clearly distinguish between the noise signal S3 and the first reflected signal S1. As a result, the control unit 14 can also suppress erroneous detection due to disturbances.

[0069] The control unit 14 determines the first signal waveform among those whose detection strength in the detection signal is higher than the first threshold value Th1 and whose detection time is longer than the second threshold value Th2 as the first reflected signal S1. In this way, the control unit 14 identifies the first reflected signal S1 based on the time of the peak of the electromagnetic wave that returns fastest among those that satisfy the conditions based on the first threshold value Th1 and the second threshold value Th2. This makes it possible to ignore the influence of the second reflected signal S2 due to the scattering and diffuse reflection described above.

[0070] FIG. 10 is a fifth diagram for explaining the processing executed by the measurement device 10 of FIG. 1. The horizontal axis of FIG. 10, like FIG. 7, indicates the position along the width direction D2 from the first antenna 10a. The vertical axis of FIG. 10, like FIG. 7, indicates the detection intensity of the detection signal. (a) of FIG. 10 shows a comparative example in which processing is performed on the detection signal output by the first detection unit 12a, such that a signal waveform having a peak with the maximum reflection intensity is determined to be a signal reflected at edge E1, as in the prior art. (b) of FIG. 10 shows an example in which the above measurement processing is performed by the control unit 14 of the measurement device 10 according to one embodiment.

[0071] Consider the case where two peaks appear in the detection signal, as shown in Figure 10. For example, of the two peaks shown in Figure 10, the peak on the left is a peak based on electromagnetic waves reflected by edge E1 of band S, and corresponds to the first reflected signal S1 in Figure 7. The peak on the right is a peak based on scattered and diffusely reflected electromagnetic waves, and corresponds to the second reflected signal S2 in Figure 7. As in Figure 7, two reflected signals are obtained in the monitoring range R1.

[0072] Consider the case where the above-described conventional technology is used for such a detection signal, as shown in (a) of Figure 10. In this case, if the intensity of the right peak is higher than the intensity of the left peak, the first reflected signal S1 is determined for the right peak, and the position of edge E1 is erroneously detected.

[0073] On the other hand, consider a case where the above-described measurement process by the control unit 14 of the measurement device 10 according to one embodiment is performed on such a detection signal, as shown in FIG. 10(b). In this case, the control unit 14 identifies the first reflected signal S1 based on the time of the peak of the electromagnetic wave that returns fastest among those that satisfy the conditions based on the first threshold value Th1 and the second threshold value Th2. Therefore, even if the intensity of the peak on the right side is higher than the intensity of the peak on the left side, the control unit 14 accurately determines the left peak as the first reflected signal S1. The control unit 14 correctly detects the first reflected signal S1 of the electromagnetic wave reflected by the edge E1 of the band S at the left peak, and good results were obtained.

[0074] FIG. 11 is a sixth diagram for explaining the processing executed by the measurement device 10 of FIG. 1. As in FIG. 7, the horizontal axis of FIG. 11 indicates the position along the width direction D2 from the first antenna 10a. As in FIG. 7, the vertical axis of FIG. 11 indicates the detection intensity of the detection signal. (a) of FIG. 11 shows an example in which the control unit 14 of the measurement device 10 according to one embodiment performs the above-described measurement processing on the detection signal output by the first detection unit 12a. (b) of FIG. 11 shows a comparative example in which processing based on the first threshold value Th1 is not performed, and processing is simply performed to calculate the position of the edge E1 based on the detection signal of the electromagnetic wave that returns most quickly.

[0075] Consider a case where two peaks appear in the detection signal, as shown in Figure 11. For example, of the two peaks shown in Figure 11, the peak on the right is a peak based on electromagnetic waves reflected by edge E1 of band S, and corresponds to the first reflected signal S1 in Figure 7. The peak on the left is a peak based on scattered or diffusely reflected electromagnetic waves, and corresponds to the noise signal S3 in Figure 7. As in Figure 7, two reflected signals are obtained in the monitoring range R1.

[0076] 11(b), consider the case where the processing in the comparative example described above is applied to such a detection signal. In this case, the position of edge E1 is calculated based on the detection signal of the electromagnetic wave that returns most quickly, so the first reflected signal S1 is determined for the left peak, and the position of edge E1 is erroneously detected.

[0077] On the other hand, consider a case where the above-described measurement process by the control unit 14 of the measurement device 10 according to one embodiment is performed on such a detection signal, as shown in FIG. 11(a). In this case, the control unit 14 executes processing based on the first threshold value Th1 and the second threshold value Th2. Therefore, the control unit 14 accurately determines the right peak as the first reflected signal S1, rather than the left peak where the detection intensity is equal to or less than the first threshold value Th1. The control unit 14 correctly detects the first reflected signal S1 of the electromagnetic wave reflected by the edge E1 of the strip S at the right peak, and a good result is obtained. In this way, it is possible to eliminate the influence of disturbances such as water and dust.

[0078] The measurement method and measurement device 10 according to the embodiment described above enable more accurate measurement of the position of the end of the strip S in the width direction D2. The measurement device 10 distinguishes the first reflected signal S1 at the end included in the detection signal based on multiple thresholds for the detection signal output from the detector 12. This allows the measurement device 10 to distinguish a noise signal S3 with low detection intensity from the first reflected signal S1 based on the first threshold Th1 and exclude it from the calculation process of the end position. The measurement device 10 can distinguish a noise signal S3 with high detection intensity from the first reflected signal S1 based on the second threshold Th2 and exclude it from the calculation process of the end position. As a result, the measurement device 10 can prevent erroneous detection of the end position of the strip S due to electromagnetic waves returning from positions other than the end.

[0079] Additionally, the measurement device 10 identifies the first signal waveform that satisfies the conditions for the first threshold value Th1 and the second threshold value Th2 as the first reflected signal S1. This allows the measurement device 10 to distinguish the second reflected signal S2, which is based on a reflected wave from a different target, from the first reflected signal S1 and exclude it from the calculation process for the edge position. The measurement device 10 is able to distinguish the reflected wave from other reflected waves based on the speed of the reflected wave, assuming that the reflected wave from the edge of the target strip S returns via the shortest path. Therefore, the measurement device 10 can accurately detect the edge of the strip S located at the position where the path length of the electromagnetic wave is shortest.

[0080] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each configuration or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple configurations or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0081] For example, the shape, size, pattern, arrangement, orientation, type, and number of each of the above-described components are not limited to the above description and the illustrations in the drawings. The shape, size, pattern, arrangement, orientation, type, and number of each component may be configured arbitrarily as long as the function can be realized.

[0082] For example, a general-purpose electronic device such as a smartphone or computer can be configured to function as the measuring device 10 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content for realizing each function of the measuring device 10 according to the embodiment is stored in the memory of the electronic device, and the program is read and executed by a processor of the electronic device. Therefore, the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor.

[0083] Alternatively, the present disclosure may be realized as a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program executable by one or more processors to cause the measurement device 10 according to one embodiment to execute the functions thereof. It should be understood that these are also encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the multiple thresholds include the first threshold Th1 for the detection intensity and the second threshold Th2 for the detection time, but are not limited to this. The number and types of the multiple thresholds may be configured arbitrarily as long as the measurement device 10 can perform the above measurement process. For example, the multiple thresholds may include three or more thresholds.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the measurement device 10 has been described as determining the first signal waveform among those that satisfy the conditions regarding the first threshold value Th1 and the second threshold value Th2 as the first reflected signal S1, but this is not limiting. For example, if it is clearly understood that the reflected wave from the end of the target strip S does not return via the shortest path between the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 12, the measurement device 10 may determine the signal having the number corresponding to the order of the path length of the reflected wave from the end as the first reflected signal S1.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the measuring device 10 is described as measuring the positions of both edges E1 and E2, but this is not limiting. The measuring device 10 may measure the position of only one of the edges E1 and E2.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the electromagnetic waves are described as including microwaves and the like, but are not limited thereto. The electromagnetic waves may include any other wavelengths that can measure the position of the end of the strip S.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the measuring device 10 has been described as functioning also as a CPC device that contributes to meandering control by the control system 1, but is not limited to this. The measuring device 10 can also be applied to a position detector based on a TOF (Time Of Flight) method instead of a CPC device.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the strip S is described as including a steel plate or the like, but is not limited thereto. The strip S may include other strip- or sheet-shaped objects other than a steel plate.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the measuring device 10 measures the position of the end of the strip S moving from upstream to downstream on the process line L in order to control the meandering of the strip S in the process line L, but this is not limiting. For example, depending on the purpose of testing, the measuring device 10 may also measure the position of the end of a strip S that is stationary and not moving in a predetermined direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1. Control System 10. Measuring equipment 10a First antenna 10b Second antenna 10c controller 10d control panel 11 Irradiation unit 11a 1st irradiation section 11b 2nd irradiation section 12 Detector 12a First detection unit 12b Second detection unit 13 Storage section 14 Control Unit 20 Hydraulic system 30 cylinders 40 Detection Device C center D1 Conveying direction D2 width direction E1 Edge E2 Edge F frame L Process Line P1 Route P2 pathway R steering roll R1 Monitoring Range R2 Mask range S fascia S1 1st reflected signal S2 2nd reflected signal S3 Noise signal Th1 First threshold Th2 Second threshold W1 waveform W2 waveform

Claims

1. A method for measuring the position of an end of a strip in a width direction, comprising: irradiating the end of the strip with electromagnetic waves; detecting the electromagnetic waves reflected from the end of the strip; a step of determining a reflected signal at the end portion included in the detection signal based on a plurality of threshold values ​​for the detection signal obtained in the step of detecting the electromagnetic wave; calculating a position of the edge based on the time at which the reflected signal is detected; Including, The plurality of thresholds include a first threshold for detection intensity and a second threshold for detection time. Measurement method.

2. 2. The measurement method according to claim 1, the step of identifying the reflected signal includes identifying, as the reflected signal, a signal waveform that is first detected among the detection signals and whose detection intensity is higher than the first threshold value and whose detection time is longer than the second threshold value. Measurement method.

3. A measuring device for measuring the position of an end of a strip in the width direction, an irradiation unit that irradiates the end portion of the strip with an electromagnetic wave; a detection unit that detects the electromagnetic waves reflected by the end of the strip; a control unit that determines a reflected signal at the edge included in the detection signal based on a plurality of thresholds for the detection signal output from the detection unit, and calculates the position of the edge based on the time when the reflected signal is detected; Equipped with The plurality of thresholds include a first threshold for detection intensity and a second threshold for detection time. Measuring equipment.

4. 4. The measuring device according to claim 3, the control unit determines, as the reflected signal, the first signal waveform among the signal waveforms in which the detection intensity in the detection signal is higher than the first threshold value and the detection time is longer than the second threshold value. Measuring equipment.

5. The measuring method according to claims 1 and 2 and A manufacturing method for manufacturing the strip using the measuring device according to claim 3 or 4, comprising the steps of: controlling meandering of the strip in a process line based on the measured position of the end in the width direction of the strip; Manufacturing method.

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