Steel material rotation device and steel material rotation method

Abstract

To provide a steel material turning device effective for achieving both of reliability of steel material turning and efficiency of steel material turning.SOLUTION: A steel material turning device 1 comprises: a support part 11 which supports a steel material 2; a first turning drive part 20 which turns the support part 11 so as to switch between the first state which enables the steel material 2 to be carried onto the support part 11 along the horizontal carry-in direction and the second state which enables the steel material 2 to be carried out from the support part 11 along the horizontal carry-out direction intersecting the carry-in direction; an intersecting carry-in guide 30 which guides the steel material 2 onto the support part 11 in the second state; and a second turning drive part 40 which turns the steel material 2 guided onto the support part 11 with respect to the support part 11. By rotating a pair of side rollers 41 supporting the steel material 2 guided onto the support part 11 by the intersecting carry-in guide 30 in the mutually-reverse directions, the steel material 2 is turned with respect to the support part 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a steel material rotating device and a steel material rotating method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a slab rotation device that includes a pair of vertical rolls that sandwich the slab, a horizontal lever that integrally connects the lower ends of the rotation axes of the vertical rolls, and a rotation drive source that rotates the horizontal lever. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 7-35432 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a steel material rotation device that is effective in achieving both reliability and efficiency in rotating steel materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A steel material turning device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a support section that supports steel material extending along an arrangement direction; a first swivel drive section that rotates the support section to switch between a first state in which the arrangement direction is aligned with the horizontal carry-in direction, allowing steel material to be brought onto the support section along the carry-in direction, and a second state in which the arrangement direction is aligned with the horizontal carry-out direction that intersects the carry-in direction, allowing steel material to be brought out from the support section along the carry-out direction; a cross-in guide that, in the second state, guides steel material onto the support section along the carry-in direction; and a second swivel drive section that rotates the steel material guided onto the support section by the cross-in guide relative to the support section so that it is aligned with the arrangement direction, the second swivel drive section being arranged to sandwich the support section when viewed from above and having a pair of side rollers that support the steel material guided onto the support section by the cross-in guide; and the second swivel drive section is configured to rotate the steel material relative to the support section by rotating the pair of side rollers in opposite directions to each other.

[0006] This steel material rotation device can perform a first mode of steel material rotation, in which a first length of steel material is loaded onto the support section in a first state, the support section is rotated to switch the first state to a second state, and the steel material is removed from the support section in the second state. It can also perform a second mode of steel material rotation, in which a second length of steel material shorter than the first length is guided onto the support section by the cross feed guide in the second state, the steel material is rotated relative to the support section by the second rotation drive section, and the steel material is removed from the support section. Steel material rotation in the first mode can rotate, for example, long steel materials that are prone to bending with high reliability. Steel material rotation in the second mode can rotate short steel materials with high efficiency. Therefore, this device is effective in achieving both high reliability and high efficiency in steel material rotation.

[0007] The support section may have a plurality of support rollers aligned along the arrangement direction and supporting the steel material, and the upper surfaces of the pair of side rollers may be located higher than the upper surfaces of the plurality of support rollers. The steel material can be turned smoothly by the pair of side rollers without resistance from the plurality of support rollers. Therefore, the efficiency of turning the steel material in the second mode can be further improved. Furthermore, in turning the steel material in the first mode, the pair of side rollers hold the steel material on the plurality of support rollers. Therefore, the reliability of turning the steel material in the first mode can be further improved.

[0008] The cross carry-in guide includes a guide table that rotates together with the support section, and multiple guide rollers that are arranged on the guide table along the carry-in direction in the second state and guide the steel material on the guide table onto the support section. The pair of side rollers includes a first side roller and a second side roller positioned between the first side roller and the multiple guide rollers. The upper surface of the first side roller may be located above the upper surfaces of the multiple support rollers and below the upper surfaces of the second side rollers, and the upper surfaces of the multiple guide rollers may be located at the same height as the upper surfaces of the second side rollers. Because the first side rollers do not touch the steel material until its center of gravity passes the second side rollers, the steel material can be smoothly guided onto the support section. When the center of gravity of the steel material passes the second side rollers, the steel material tilts so that it rests on the first side roller, and thus the steel material rises from the multiple guide rollers. This allows the steel material to be smoothly rotated by the pair of side rollers without resistance from the multiple guide rollers. This further improves the efficiency of steel material rotation in the second mode.

[0009] The second slewing drive unit may rotate the pair of side rollers in opposite directions while the first slewing drive unit is slewing the support unit, similar to when slewing the steel material relative to the support unit. In the first mode of steel material slewing, the rotation of the pair of side rollers more reliably holds the steel material on the multiple support rollers. Therefore, the reliability of the first mode of steel material slewing can be further improved.

[0010] The apparatus may further include a stopper support that rotates together with the support portion, and a stopper provided on the stopper support so as to abut against the end of the steel material guided onto the support portion by the cross carry-in guide, thereby stabilizing the position of the steel material when rotating the steel material in the second mode and further improving the reliability of rotating the steel material in the second mode.

[0011] The unloading direction may be perpendicular to the loading direction, and the stopper may be configured to abut against an end of the steel material guided onto the support portion in the second state, tilting the steel material relative to the loading direction. When the unloading direction is perpendicular to the loading direction, the steel material guided onto the support portion in the second state is perpendicular to the placement direction. When the steel material is perpendicular to the placement direction, the steel material is difficult to rotate even if the pair of side rollers rotate in opposite directions. In contrast, by using the stopper to tilt the steel material guided onto the support portion relative to the loading direction, the steel material can be rotated by the pair of side rollers without stagnation. Therefore, the efficiency of steel material rotation in the second mode can be further improved.

[0012] The stopper support may further include an adjuster that changes the position of the stopper so as to change the distance between the stopper and the pair of side rollers. In this case, by appropriately adjusting the position of the stopper according to the length of the steel material, the efficiency of steel material turning in the second mode can be further improved.

[0013] A steel material rotating method according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a method of rotating steel material using the above-mentioned steel material rotating device, and includes the steps of: when the length of the steel material is a first length, in a first state, transporting the steel material onto a support part along a carry-in direction; rotating the support part supporting the steel material with a first rotation drive part to switch the first state to a second state; in the second state, transporting the steel material from the support part along a carry-out direction; when the length of the steel material is a second length shorter than the first length, in the second state, guiding the steel material onto the support part along the carry-in direction with a cross-in guide; rotating the steel material guided onto the support part by the cross-in guide with a second rotation drive part to align it with the placement direction; and transporting the steel material aligning the second rotation drive part along the placement direction from the support part along a carry-out direction. By appropriately using the first mode of steel material rotation and the second mode of steel material rotation depending on the length of the steel material, it is possible to achieve both reliability and efficiency of steel material rotation.

[0014] The steel material rotating device further includes a stopper support that rotates together with the support portion and a stopper provided on the stopper support so as to abut against an end of the steel material guided onto the support portion by the cross carry-in guide. The steel material rotating method further includes adjusting the position of the stopper on the stopper support so that the center of gravity of the steel material is located between the pair of side rollers when the end of the second length of steel material abuts the stopper before the second length of steel material is guided onto the support portion by the cross carry-in guide. When the second length of steel material is guided onto the support portion by the cross carry-in guide, the steel material may be guided until the end of the steel material abuts the stopper. In this case, by appropriately adjusting the position of the stopper according to the length of the steel material, the efficiency of steel material rotation in the second mode can be further improved.

[0015] The steel material turning device further includes a plurality of support rollers arranged on the support part so as to be aligned along the arrangement direction and which transport the steel material on the support part along the arrangement direction, wherein the upper surfaces of the pair of side rollers are positioned higher than the upper surfaces of the plurality of support rollers, and when turning the support part supporting the steel material by the first turning drive part, the support part may be turned by the first turning drive part while rotating the pair of side rollers in opposite directions, similar to when turning the steel material relative to the support part. In the first mode of steel material turning, the rotation of the pair of side rollers more reliably holds the steel material on the plurality of support rollers. Therefore, the reliability of steel material turning in the first mode can be further improved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a steel material rotation device that is effective in achieving both reliability and efficiency in rotating steel materials. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a steel material turning device. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state in which the support portion is pivoting. [Figure 3] 10 is a plan view illustrating a state in which the first state is switched to the second state. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating a state in which the steel material is guided onto the support portion in a second state. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating a state in which the steel material is guided onto a pair of side rollers in a second state. [Figure 6] 10 is a plan view illustrating a state in which an end of a steel material hits a stopper and the steel material is tilted relative to the arrangement direction. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a plan view illustrating a state in which the second swivel drive unit is swiveling the steel material relative to the support unit. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a plan view illustrating a state in which the steel material aligned in the arrangement direction by the second swivel drive unit is being carried out from above the support unit. FIG. [Figure 9]FIG. 6 is a view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 5. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the steel material in FIG. 9 has advanced further toward the stopper. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a steel material rotation procedure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements or elements having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0019] [Steel material transport device] The steel material turning device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a device that acquires a steel material 2 transported by a first transport device 80, turns the acquired steel material 2, and sends it out to a second transport device 90. The steel material 2 has a longitudinal direction. Specific examples of steel materials 2 having a longitudinal direction include continuous cast material, intermediate products of rolling, and finished products of rolling. Specific examples of intermediate products include continuous cast material.

[0020] The first conveying device 80 conveys the steel material 2 along the horizontal first conveying direction 82, with the longitudinal direction of the steel material 2 aligned along the horizontal first conveying direction 82. For example, the first conveying device 80 includes a plurality of conveying rollers 81 aligned along the first conveying direction 82. Each of the plurality of conveying rollers 81 supports the steel material 2 and conveys the steel material 2 by rotating around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the first conveying direction 82.

[0021] The second conveying device 90 conveys the steel material 2 along the horizontal second conveying direction 92, with the longitudinal direction of the steel material 2 aligned along the second conveying direction 92. The second conveying direction 92 intersects with the first conveying direction 82. The second conveying direction 92 may be perpendicular to the first conveying direction 82. For example, the second conveying device 90 includes a plurality of conveying rollers 91 aligned along the second conveying direction 92. Each of the plurality of conveying rollers 91 supports the steel material 2 and conveys the steel material 2 by rotating around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the second conveying direction 92.

[0022] The steel material turning device 1 has a support table 10, a support unit 11, and a first turning drive unit 20. When viewed from above, the support table 10 is provided at the intersection of a conveying line 83 passing through a plurality of conveying rollers 81 and a conveying line 93 passing through a plurality of conveying rollers 91. The support table 10 has a horizontal longitudinal direction. Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the support table 10 will be referred to as the "arrangement direction 12." Furthermore, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction will be referred to as the "width direction 15."

[0023] The support unit 11 supports the steel materials 2 extending along the arrangement direction 12. For example, the support unit 11 transports the steel materials 2 along the arrangement direction 12 with the longitudinal direction of the steel materials 2 aligned with the arrangement direction 12. For example, the support unit 11 has a plurality of support rollers 13 and a roller drive unit 14.

[0024] The multiple support rollers 13 are arranged on the support table 10 so as to be aligned along the arrangement direction 12. Each of the multiple support rollers 13 supports the steel material 2 arranged so that its longitudinal direction is along the arrangement direction 12 (extending along the arrangement direction 12). The roller driving unit 14 rotates each of the multiple support rollers 13 around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the arrangement direction 12, for example, by an electric motor or the like. For example, the roller driving unit 14 rotates each of the multiple support rollers 13 in a rotation direction in which the surface supporting the steel material 2 moves in the conveying direction of the steel material 2.

[0025] The first swivel drive unit 20 swivels the support unit 11 so as to switch between a first state in which the arrangement direction 12 is aligned with the first conveying direction 82 (conveying direction) and the steel materials 2 can be carried onto the support unit 11 along the first conveying direction 82, and a second state in which the arrangement direction 12 is aligned with the second conveying direction 92 (conveying direction) and the steel materials 2 can be carried out from the support unit 11 along the second conveying direction 92. For example, the first swivel drive unit 20 switches between the first state and the second state by rotating the support table 10 by an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like around a vertical rotation axis 16 that passes through the intersection of the conveying line 83 and the conveying line 93.

[0026] 1, in the first state, the arrangement direction 12 is aligned with the first conveying direction 82, and the plurality of support rollers 13 are aligned along the first conveying direction 82. This makes it possible to carry the steel material 2 onto the support part 11 along the first conveying direction 82.

[0027] The first conveying device 80 conveys the steel material 2 onto the support part 11 by rotating the plurality of conveying rollers 81. At this time, the roller driving part 14 rotates the plurality of support rollers 13 in the same direction as the plurality of conveying rollers 81. This allows the steel material 2 to be smoothly carried onto the support part 11.

[0028] After the steel material 2 carried onto the support unit 11 leaves the first conveyor device 80, the roller drive unit 14 stops the rotation of the plurality of support rollers 13. In this state, the first swivel drive unit 20 rotates the support table 10 to switch from the first state to the second state. For example, the first swivel drive unit 20 rotates the support table 10 clockwise as shown in the figure to switch from the first state to the second state (see FIG. 2).

[0029] 3, in the second state, the arrangement direction 12 is aligned with the second conveying direction 92, and the plurality of support rollers 13 are aligned along the second conveying direction 92. This makes it possible to transport the steel material 2 from on the support part 11 to the second conveying device 90 along the second conveying direction 92.

[0030] The second conveying device 90 rotates the plurality of conveying rollers 91 so as to convey the steel material 2 in a direction away from the steel material turning device 1. The roller driving unit 14 rotates the plurality of support rollers 13 in the same direction as the plurality of conveying rollers 91. As a result, the steel material 2 is sent from on the support unit 11 onto the second conveying device 90. The roller driving unit 14 continues to rotate the plurality of support rollers 13 at least until the steel material 2 is separated from the support unit 11.

[0031] After the steel material 2 leaves the support unit 11, the first swivel drive unit 20 rotates the support table 10 to switch from the second state to the first state. For example, the first swivel drive unit 20 rotates the support table 10 counterclockwise to switch from the second state to the first state. This makes it possible to carry the next steel material 2 onto the support unit 11 along the first conveying direction 82.

[0032] In the above configuration, the steel material 2 is supported by the support parts 11 even while the steel material 2 is being swung, so deformation of the steel material 2 during swung can be sufficiently suppressed. However, after the steel material 2 is carried onto the support parts 11, a waiting time occurs during which the next steel material 2 cannot be carried onto the support parts 11 until the rotation of the support table 10 to switch from the first state to the second state, the transfer of the steel material 2 from the support parts 11 to the second conveying device 90, and the rotation of the support table 10 to switch from the second state to the first state are completed. For this reason, when a large number of steel materials 2 cut into shorter lengths are being transported, the frequency of the waiting time increases, and the rotation of the steel material 2 by the steel material swiveling device 1 may become a bottleneck in the transport of the steel materials 2.

[0033] 4, the steel material turning device 1 further includes a cross carry-in guide 30 and a second turning drive unit 40. In the second state, the cross carry-in guide 30 guides the steel material 2 onto the support unit 11 along the first conveying direction 82. For example, the cross carry-in guide 30 includes a guide table 31, a plurality of guide rollers 32, and a roller drive unit 33. The guide table 31 is fixed to the support table 10 so as to turn together with the support unit 11. The guide table 31 extends from the support table 10 in the width direction 15, and in the second state, is located between the rotation axis 16 of the support table 10 and the first conveying device 80.

[0034] The multiple guide rollers 32 are provided on the guide table 31 so as to be aligned along the first conveying direction 82 in the second state, and guide the steel material 2 on the guide table 31 onto the support part 11. The roller driving part 33 rotates each of the multiple guide rollers 32 around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the width direction 15, for example, by an electric motor or the like. For example, the roller driving part 33 rotates each of the multiple guide rollers 32 in a rotation direction in which the surface supporting the steel material 2 moves toward the support part 11.

[0035] The second swivel drive unit 40 rotates the steel material 2 guided onto the support unit 11 by the cross carry-in guide 30 relative to the support unit 11, aligning it along the arrangement direction 12. For example, the second swivel drive unit 40 has a pair of side rollers 41 and a roller drive unit 42. The pair of side rollers 41 are arranged so that the support unit 11 is located between them when viewed from above, and support the steel material 2 guided onto the support unit 11 by the cross carry-in guide 30.

[0036] The pair of side rollers 41 includes a first side roller 43 and a second side roller 44. The second side roller 44 is located between the first side roller 43 and the plurality of guide rollers 32, and between the support portion 11 and the plurality of guide rollers 32. Each of the first side roller 43 and the second side roller 44 extends along the arrangement direction 12 so as to cross the conveyor line 83 in the second state.

[0037] The roller driving unit 42 rotates the pair of side rollers 41 in opposite directions using, for example, an electric motor, thereby rotating the steel material 2 supported by the pair of side rollers 41 relative to the support unit 11. For example, the roller driving unit 42 rotates each of the pair of side rollers 41 in a rotation direction in which the surfaces supporting the steel material 2 move closer to each other. For example, the roller driving unit 42 rotates the first side roller 43 in a rotation direction in which the surface supporting the steel material 2 moves toward the second side roller 44, and rotates the second side roller 44 in a rotation direction in which the surface supporting the steel material 2 moves toward the first side roller 43.

[0038] As described above, by the first side roller 43 and the second side roller 44 rotating in opposite directions, a force directed upward toward the support portion 11 acts on the steel material 2 at each of the points supported by the first side roller 43 and the second side roller 44. This generates a moment that rotates the steel material 2 relative to the support portion 11. Due to this moment, the steel material 2 that has rotated until it is aligned with the arrangement direction 12 moves away from the first side roller 43 and the second side roller 44 and is supported by the support portion 11. The roller drive unit 42 may rotate the pair of side rollers 41 in opposite directions to each other, similar to when rotating the steel material 2 relative to the support portion 11 in the second mode of steel material rotation, even during the period when the first swivel drive unit 20 rotates the support portion 11 that supports the steel material 2 in the first mode of steel material rotation.

[0039] The steel material turning device 1 may further include a stopper support 50 and a stopper 51. The stopper support 50 is fixed to the support table 10 so as to turn together with the support part 11. The stopper support 50 protrudes from the support table 10 along the width direction 15 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the guide table 31 protrudes from the support table 10.

[0040] The stopper 51 is provided on the stopper support so as to abut against the end of the steel material 2 that has been guided onto the support part 11 by the cross carry-in guide 30. When the stopper 51 abuts against the end of the steel material 2, the steel material 2 can be positioned at a position suitable for turning by the second turning drive part 40. An example of a position suitable for turning by the second turning drive part 40 is where the center of gravity of the steel material 2 is between the first side roller 43 and the second side roller 44.

[0041] In order to position the steel material 2 at a position suitable for rotation by the second rotation drive unit 40, the position at which the stopper 51 should be placed varies depending on the length of the steel material 2. Therefore, the steel material rotation device 1 may further include an adjuster 52. The adjuster 52 changes the position of the stopper 51 on the stopper support 50 so as to change the distance between the stopper 51 and the pair of side rollers 41. For example, the adjuster 52 is composed of a guide that allows the stopper 51 to be displaced along the width direction 15, and a clamp member such as a bolt that fixes the stopper 51 to the guide.

[0042] When the first conveying direction 82 and the second conveying direction 92 are perpendicular to each other, the steel material 2 guided onto the support portion 11 by the cross carry-in guide 30 becomes perpendicular to both the first side roller 43 and the second side roller 44. In this case, the force vector acting on the steel material 2 from the first side roller 43 and the force vector acting on the steel material 2 from the second side roller 44 are both along the longitudinal direction of the steel material 2, so a moment that rotates the steel material 2 relative to the support portion 11 is unlikely to occur.

[0043] Therefore, the stopper 51 may be configured to abut against the end of the steel material 2 guided onto the support section 11 by the cross carry-in guide 30, and tilt the steel material 2 with respect to the first conveying direction 82. For example, the stopper 51 may be arranged so that the surface that abuts against the end of the steel material 2 is inclined with respect to the arrangement direction 12. As shown in FIG. 5 , the multiple guide rollers 32 guide the steel material 2 onto the support section 11 in a state where the longitudinal direction of the steel material 2 is aligned with the first conveying direction 82 until the end of the steel material 2 abuts against the stopper 51.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 6 , the stopper 51 abuts against the end of the steel material 2 guided onto the support unit 11 by the cross carry-in guide 30, tilting the steel material 2 relative to the first conveying direction 82. As a result, a force vector F1 acting on the steel material 2 from the first side roller 43 and a force vector F2 acting on the steel material 2 from the second side roller 44 are each tilted relative to the longitudinal direction of the steel material 2. The force vectors F1 and F2 tilted relative to the longitudinal direction of the steel material 2 generate a moment that rotates the steel material 2 relative to the support unit 11. This moment rotates the steel material 2 until it is aligned with the arrangement direction 12, as shown in FIG. 7 . The steel material 2 aligned with the arrangement direction 12 is separated from the first side roller 43 and the second side roller 44 and supported by the support unit 11. As shown in FIG. 8 , the steel material 2 is transported from the support unit 11 to the second conveying device 90 by the multiple support rollers 13 of the support unit 11.

[0045] Fig. 9 is a view taken along line IX-IX in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 9, the upper surfaces of the pair of side rollers 41 may be located higher than the upper surfaces of the plurality of support rollers 13. In this case, when the steel material 2 is supported by the pair of side rollers 41, the steel material 2 is maintained in a state separated from the plurality of support rollers 13. This makes it possible to turn the steel material 2 more smoothly.

[0046] The upper surface of the first side roller 43 may be located higher than the upper surfaces of the multiple support rollers 13 and lower than the upper surfaces of the second side rollers 44, and the upper surfaces of the multiple guide rollers 32 may be located at the same height as the upper surfaces of the second side rollers 44. In this case, when the steel material 2 is supported by the multiple guide rollers 32 and the second side rollers 44, the first side rollers 43 do not come into contact with the steel material 2. Therefore, the steel material 2 can be smoothly guided onto the support portion 11 without receiving resistance due to the rotation of the first side rollers 43.

[0047] When the center of gravity of the steel material 2 enters between the second side roller 44 and the first side roller 43, the steel material 2 tilts forward until it comes into contact with the first side roller 43, as shown in Figure 10. The portion of the steel material 2 located on the guide roller 32 separates from the guide roller 32 and floats up. This allows the steel material 2 to turn smoothly without receiving frictional resistance from the guide roller 32.

[0048] The steel material turning device 1 may further include a control device 100. The control device 100 controls the steel material turning device 1 to perform steel material turning in a first mode when the length of the steel material 2 is a first length, and controls the steel material turning device 1 to perform steel material turning in a second mode when the length of the steel material 2 is a second length that is shorter than the first length. The steel material turning in the first mode includes, in a first state, carrying the steel material 2 onto the support unit 11 along a first conveying direction 82, turning the support unit 11 supporting the steel material 2 by the first turning drive unit 20 to switch the first state to a second state, and carrying out the steel material 2 from the support unit 11 along a second conveying direction 92 in the second state.

[0049] The second mode of steel material rotation includes, in the second state, guiding the steel material 2 onto the support section 11 along the first conveying direction 82 by the cross-intake guide 30, rotating the steel material 2 guided onto the support section 11 by the cross-intake guide 30 by the second swivel drive section 40 to align it with the placement direction 12, and transporting the steel material 2 aligning it with the placement direction 12 by the second swivel drive section 40 from the support section 11 along the second conveying direction 92.

[0050] [Steel material rotation method] As an example of a steel material rotating method, the steel material rotating procedure that the control device 100 causes the steel material rotating device 1 to execute will be described in more detail below. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the steel material rotating procedure. This flowchart starts in a first state. As shown in FIG. 11, the control device 100 first executes steps S01 and S02. In step S01, the control device 100 causes the roller drive unit 14 to start rotating the multiple support rollers 13, the roller drive unit 33 to start rotating the multiple guide rollers 32, and the roller drive unit 42 to start rotating the pair of side rollers 41.

[0051] In step S02, the control device 100 checks whether the length of the steel material 2 to be next carried onto the support part 11 exceeds a predetermined switching threshold. As an example, the switching threshold may be set to the same length as the length of the pair of side rollers 41. For example, the control device 100 acquires information on the length of the steel material 2 being transported by the first conveying device 80 from a higher-level controller such as a programmable logic controller, and checks whether the length of the steel material 2 exceeds the switching threshold based on the acquired information. The above-mentioned first length is a length that exceeds the switching threshold. The second length is a length that is equal to or less than the switching threshold.

[0052] If it is determined in step S02 that the length of the steel material 2 exceeds the switching threshold, the control device 100 executes steps S03, S04, S05, S06, S07, and S08. In step S03, the control device 100 waits for the steel material 2 to be carried from the first conveyance device 80 onto the support unit 11 by the rotation of the plurality of conveyance rollers 81 and the plurality of support rollers 13. In step S04, the control device 100 stops the rotation of the plurality of support rollers 13 by the roller drive unit 14. In step S05, the control device 100 turns the support table 10 by the first swivel drive unit 20 so as to switch from the first state to the second state. As described above, in step S01, the roller drive unit 42 has started rotating the pair of side rollers 41, and therefore the control device 100 turns the support unit 11 by the first swivel drive unit 20 while rotating the pair of side rollers 41 in opposite directions.

[0053] In step S06, the control device 100 causes the roller drive unit 14 to resume rotation of the plurality of support rollers 13. In step S07, the control device 100 waits for the plurality of support rollers 13 and the plurality of conveying rollers 91 to convey the steel material 2 from the support unit 11 to the second conveying device 90. In step S08, the control device 100 causes the first swivel drive unit 20 to rotate the support table 10 so as to switch from the second state to the first state.

[0054] If it is determined in step S02 that the length of the steel material 2 is equal to or less than the switching threshold, the control device 100 executes steps S11 and S12. In step S11, the control device 100 causes the first turning drive unit 20 to turn the support table 10 so as to switch from the first state to the second state. In step S12, the control device 100 waits until the length of the steel material 2 to be next carried onto the support unit 11 exceeds the switching threshold.

[0055] Thereafter, the second state is maintained until the length of the next steel material 2 carried onto the support section 11 exceeds the switching threshold. In the second state, steel materials 2 having a length equal to or less than the switching threshold are guided onto the support section 11 by the cross carry-in guide 30. The steel material 2 is transported by the multiple guide rollers 32 and the pair of side rollers 41 until its end hits the stopper 51. The steel material 2 transported until its end hits the stopper 51 is rotated by the second swivel drive section 40 so as to follow the arrangement direction 12. The steel material 2 rotated by the second swivel drive section 40 so as to follow the arrangement direction 12 is carried out from the support section 11 to the second conveyor device 90 by the rotation of the multiple support rollers 13 and the multiple conveyor rollers 91.

[0056] If it is determined that the length of the steel material 2 to be next carried onto the support unit 11 exceeds the switching threshold, the control device 100 executes steps S13 and S14. In step S13, the control device 100 waits for the steel material 2 on the support unit 11 to be carried out to the second conveyance device 90. In step S14, the control device 100 causes the first swivel drive unit 20 to rotate the support table 10 so as to switch from the second state to the first state. After executing step S08 or step S14, the control device 100 returns the processing to step S02. Thereafter, the control device 100 continues to perform steel material rotation in either the first mode or the second mode depending on the length of the steel material 2.

[0057] In the above procedure, after step S01, the control device 100 constantly rotates the multiple guide rollers 32 and the pair of side rollers 41. The control device 100 may rotate the multiple guide rollers 32 only when the second mode is executed. For example, the control device 100 may start the rotation of the multiple guide rollers 32 when it determines in step S01 that the length of the steel material 2 is equal to or less than the switching threshold, and may stop the rotation of the multiple guide rollers 32 after waiting for the steel material 2 on the support portion 11 to be conveyed to the second conveying device 90 in step S13.

[0058] Similarly, the control device 100 may rotate the pair of side rollers 41 only when the second mode is executed. For example, the control device 100 may start the rotation of the pair of side rollers 41 when it determines in step S01 that the length of the steel material 2 is equal to or less than the switching threshold, and may stop the rotation of the pair of side rollers 41 after waiting for the steel material 2 on the support part 11 to be carried out to the second conveying device 90 in step S13.

[0059] The steel material transport procedure using the steel material rotating device 1 may further include, before the control device 100 executes the above-mentioned procedure, adjusting the position of the stopper 51 on the stopper support 50 so that the center of gravity of the steel material 2 is located between the pair of side rollers 41 when the end of the second length of steel material 2 hits the stopper 51.

[0060] [Effects of the embodiment] As described above, the steel material turning device 1 includes a support portion 11 that supports the steel materials 2 extending along the arrangement direction 12, a first turning drive portion 20 that turns the support portion 11 so as to switch between a first state in which the arrangement direction 12 is aligned with the horizontal carry-in direction and the steel materials 2 can be brought onto the support portion 11 along the carry-in direction, and a second state in which the arrangement direction 12 is aligned with the horizontal carry-out direction intersecting the carry-in direction and the steel materials 2 can be brought out from the support portion 11 along the carry-out direction, and a second state in which the arrangement direction 12 is aligned with the horizontal carry-in direction and the steel materials 2 can be brought out from the support portion 11 along the carry-out direction. The cross-carrying guide 30 guides the steel material 2 onto the support section 11, and a second swivel drive unit 40 rotates the steel material 2 guided onto the support section 11 by the cross-carrying guide 30 relative to the support section 11, aligning it with the arrangement direction 12. The second swivel drive unit 40 is arranged to sandwich the support section 11 when viewed from above, and has a pair of side rollers 41 that support the steel material 2 guided onto the support section 11 by the cross-carrying guide 30, and rotates the pair of side rollers 41 in opposite directions to each other to rotate the steel material 2 relative to the support section 11.

[0061] This steel material turning device 1 can perform a first mode of steel material turning, in which steel materials 2 are loaded onto the support section 11 in a first state, the support section 11 is turned to switch the first state to a second state, and the steel materials 2 are unloaded from the support section 11 in the second state. Also, a second mode of steel material turning can be performed, in which the steel materials 2 are guided onto the support section 11 by the cross carry-in guide 30 in the second state, the steel materials 2 are turned relative to the support section 11 by the second turning drive section 40, and the steel materials 2 are unloaded from the support section 11. Turning the steel materials 2 in the first mode allows, for example, long steel materials 2 that are prone to bending to be turned with high reliability. Turning the steel materials 2 in the second mode allows short steel materials 2 to be turned with high efficiency. This is therefore effective in achieving both high reliability and high efficiency in turning the steel materials 2.

[0062] The support portion 11 has a plurality of support rollers 13 that are arranged along the arrangement direction 12 and support the steel material 2, and the upper surfaces of the pair of side rollers 41 may be located higher than the upper surfaces of the plurality of support rollers 13. The steel material 2 can be rotated smoothly by the pair of side rollers 41 without resistance from the plurality of support rollers 13. Therefore, the efficiency of rotating the steel material 2 in the second mode can be further improved. Furthermore, in rotating the steel material 2 in the first mode, the pair of side rollers 41 holds the steel material 2 on the plurality of support rollers 13. Therefore, the reliability of rotating the steel material 2 in the first mode can be further improved.

[0063] The cross carry-in guide 30 includes a guide table 31 that rotates together with the support portion 11, and a plurality of guide rollers 32 that are arranged on the guide table 31 along the carry-in direction in the second state and that guide the steel material 2 on the guide table 31 onto the support portion 11, and the pair of side rollers 41 includes a first side roller 43 and a second side roller 44 that is positioned between the first side roller 43 and the plurality of guide rollers 32, and the upper surface of the first side roller 43 may be positioned above the upper surfaces of the plurality of support rollers 13 and below the upper surfaces of the second side rollers 44, and the upper surfaces of the plurality of guide rollers 32 may be positioned at the same height as the upper surface of the second side roller 44. Because the first side roller 43 does not come into contact with the steel material 2 until the center of gravity of the steel material 2 passes the second side roller 44, the steel material 2 can be smoothly guided onto the support portion 11. When the center of gravity of the steel material 2 passes over the second side roller 44, the steel material 2 tilts so as to rest on the first side roller 43, and as a result, the steel material 2 rises from the plurality of guide rollers 32. Therefore, the steel material 2 can be smoothly turned by the pair of side rollers 41 without resistance from the plurality of guide rollers 32. Therefore, the efficiency of turning the steel material 2 in the second mode can be further improved.

[0064] The second slewing drive unit 40 may rotate the pair of side rollers 41 in opposite directions to each other while the first slewing drive unit 20 is slewing the support unit 11, similar to when slewing the steel material 2 relative to the support unit 11. In slewing the steel material 2 in the first mode, the rotation of the pair of side rollers 41 more reliably holds the steel material 2 on the multiple support rollers 13. Therefore, the reliability of slewing the steel material 2 in the first mode can be further improved.

[0065] The apparatus may further include a stopper support 50 that rotates together with the support part 11, and a stopper 51 provided on the stopper support 50 so as to abut against the end of the steel material 2 guided onto the support part 11 by the cross carry-in guide 30. This stabilizes the position of the steel material 2 when rotating the steel material 2 in the second mode, and further improves the reliability of rotating the steel material 2 in the second mode.

[0066] The unloading direction may be perpendicular to the loading direction, and the stopper 51 may be configured to abut against an end of the steel material 2 guided onto the support portion 11 in the second state, tilting the steel material 2 with respect to the loading direction. When the unloading direction is perpendicular to the loading direction, the steel material 2 guided onto the support portion 11 in the second state is perpendicular to the arrangement direction 12. When the steel material 2 is perpendicular to the arrangement direction 12, the steel material 2 is unlikely to rotate even if the pair of side rollers 41 rotate in opposite directions. In contrast, by using the stopper 51 to tilt the steel material 2 guided onto the support portion 11 with respect to the loading direction, the rotation of the steel material 2 by the pair of side rollers 41 can proceed without stagnation. Therefore, the efficiency of rotating the steel material 2 in the second mode can be further improved.

[0067] An adjuster 52 may be further provided that changes the position of the stopper 51 on the stopper support 50 so as to change the distance between the stopper 51 and the pair of side rollers 41. In this case, by appropriately adjusting the position of the stopper 51 in accordance with the length of the steel material 2, the efficiency of turning the steel material 2 in the second mode can be further improved.

[0068] Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 2...steel material, 1...steel material rotating device, 11...support part, 12...arrangement direction, 13...support roller, 20...first rotating drive part, 30...cross feed guide, 31...guide table, 32...guide roller, 40...second rotating drive part, 41...pair of side rollers, 43...first side roller, 44...second side roller, 50...stopper support, 51...stopper, 52...adjuster.

Claims

1. a support portion that supports the steel member extending along the arrangement direction; a first state in which the arrangement direction is aligned with a horizontal carry-in direction, and the steel material can be carried onto the support portion along the carry-in direction; a second state in which the arrangement direction is aligned with a carry-out direction that is perpendicular to the carry-in direction and horizontal, and the steel material can be carried out from above the support part along the carry-out direction; a first rotation drive unit that rotates the support unit so as to switch between the above-mentioned a cross carry-in guide that guides the steel material onto the support portion along the carry-in direction in the second state; a second swivel drive unit that rotates the steel material guided onto the support portion by the cross carry-in guide relative to the support portion and aligns the steel material with the arrangement direction; a stopper support that pivots together with the support portion; a stopper provided on a stopper support so as to abut against an end of the steel material guided onto the support portion by the cross carry-in guide, the stopper is configured to abut against an end of the steel material guided onto the support portion in the second state, and tilt the steel material with respect to the carry-in direction, The second slewing drive unit is arranged to sandwich the support unit when viewed from above, is guided onto the support unit by the cross feed guide, and has a pair of side rollers that support the steel material tilted relative to the feed direction by the stopper, and is a steel material slewing device that rotates the pair of side rollers in opposite directions to each other to rotate the steel material relative to the support unit.

2. The support portion has a plurality of support rollers aligned along the arrangement direction and supporting the steel material, The steel material turning device according to claim 1 , wherein upper surfaces of the pair of side rollers are positioned higher than upper surfaces of the plurality of support rollers.

3. The cross carry-in guide is a guide table that rotates together with the support portion; a plurality of guide rollers that are provided on the guide table so as to be aligned along the carry-in direction in the second state and that guide the steel material on the guide table onto the support portion; The pair of side rollers A first side roller; a second side roller located between the first side roller and the plurality of guide rollers, an upper surface of the first side roller is located above upper surfaces of the plurality of support rollers and below upper surfaces of the second side rollers; The upper surfaces of the plurality of guide rollers are located at the same height as the upper surface of the second side roller. The steel material rotating device according to claim 2.

4. A steel material rotating device as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the second rotating drive unit rotates the pair of side rollers in opposite directions to each other, in the same manner as when rotating the steel material relative to the support unit, even during the period when the first rotating drive unit is rotating the support unit.

5. A steel material turning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an adjuster that changes the position of the stopper in the stopper support so as to change the distance between the stopper and the pair of side rollers.

6. A method for rotating the steel material by the steel material rotating device according to claim 1, comprising: When the length of the steel material is a first length, carrying the steel material onto the support part in the carry-in direction in the first state; The support unit that supports the steel material is rotated by the first rotation drive unit to switch the first state to the second state; In the second state, the steel material is carried out from above the support portion along the carry-out direction; When the length of the steel material is a second length that is shorter than the first length, in the second state, guiding the steel material onto the support part along the carry-in direction by the cross carry-in guide; The steel material guided onto the support portion by the cross carry-in guide is rotated by the second rotation drive portion to align with the arrangement direction; The second swivel drive unit carries out the steel material aligned in the arrangement direction from on the support unit in the carry-out direction, before the second length of the steel material is guided onto the support portion by the cross carry-in guide, adjusting a position of the stopper on the stopper support so that the center of gravity of the steel material is located between the pair of side rollers when an end of the second length of the steel material hits the stopper, When the second length of the steel material is guided onto the support portion by the cross carry-in guide, the steel material is guided until an end of the steel material hits the stopper.

7. the steel material turning device further includes a plurality of support rollers that are provided on the support portion so as to be aligned along the arrangement direction and that transport the steel material on the support portion along the arrangement direction, the upper surfaces of the pair of side rollers are located above the upper surfaces of the plurality of support rollers, 7. A steel material rotating method as described in claim 6, wherein when the support part supporting the steel material is rotated by the first swivel drive part, the support part is rotated by the first swivel drive part while rotating the pair of side rollers in opposite directions to each other, in the same way as when rotating the steel material relative to the support part.

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