Control device for winding device, winding equipment, rolling equipment, and method for operating winding device

Abstract

This control device for a winding device controls a winding device that includes: a winder for winding a metal band and including a mandrel that has a slot capable of receiving the front end of the metal band; and a guide for guiding the metal band to the winder. The control device comprises: a rotation control unit configured to rotate the mandrel in a direction opposite to the winding direction so that the front end of the metal band fed from the guide toward the winder enters the slot; a first determination unit configured to determine, on the basis of the position of a portion on the downstream side of the guide of the metal band when the mandrel is rotated in the opposite direction, whether or not the front end of the metal band has entered the slot; and a position changing unit for changing the position of the portion of the metal band when it is determined by the first determination unit that the front end has not entered the slot. The position changing unit is configured to lower the position of the portion of the metal band or cause the portion of the metal band to retreat when it is determined by the first determination unit that the front end has not entered the slot. The rotation control unit is configured to again rotate the mandrel in the opposite direction so that the front end of the metal band enters the slot after the position of the portion of the metal band has been changed by the position changing unit.

Description

Control device for winding device, winding equipment, rolling equipment, and method for operating winding device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device for a winding device, a winding installation, a rolling installation, and a method for operating a winding device.

[0002] A metal strip (such as a steel strip) rolled by a rolling mill is usually wound by a winding device. A typical winding device includes a mandrel having a slot, and the mandrel is rotated while gripping the leading end of the metal strip with a gripper provided in the slot, thereby winding the metal strip. To improve productivity in rolling facilities, methods and devices have been proposed for quickly inserting the leading end of the metal strip into the slot of the winding machine before winding of the metal strip begins in the winding device.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a method for automatically inserting the leading end of a steel strip into a slot by rotating a winding machine in a direction opposite to the winding direction so that the leading end of the steel strip fed from a guide arranged on the delivery side of a rolling mill enters the slot of a mandrel of the winding machine. Patent Document 1 also describes a method for positioning the leading end of the steel strip at a predetermined position suitable for entering the slot based on the position of a portion of the steel strip downstream of the guide before inserting the leading end of the steel strip into the slot.

[0004] Patent No. 6986114

[0005] However, depending on the hardness (hardness of the material) of the metal strip and its shape, such as warping, the leading edge of the metal strip may be positioned outside the intended area even if the position of the metal strip is adjusted based on the position of the downstream portion of the metal strip. In this case, the leading edge of the metal strip may not enter the slot even if the winding machine is rotated in the opposite direction to the winding direction.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, at least one embodiment of the present invention aims to provide a control device for a winding device, a winding facility, a rolling facility, and a method for operating a winding device that can more reliably insert the leading end of a metal strip into a slot in a mandrel of a winding machine.

[0007] A control device for a winding device according to at least one embodiment of the present invention is a control device for controlling a winding device including a winding machine for winding up a metal strip, the winding machine including a mandrel having a slot capable of receiving a leading end of the metal strip, and a guide for guiding the metal strip to the winding machine, the control device comprising: a rotation control unit configured to rotate the mandrel in a direction opposite to a winding direction so that the leading end of the metal strip sent out from the guide towards the winding machine enters the slot; a first determination unit configured to determine whether the leading end of the metal strip has entered the slot based on the position of a portion of the metal strip downstream of the guide when the mandrel is rotating in the opposite direction; and a position change unit configured to change the position of the portion of the metal strip when the first determination unit determines that the leading end has not entered the slot, and the position change unit is configured to retract the portion of the metal strip or lower the position of the portion of the metal strip when the first determination unit determines that the leading end has not entered the slot, The rotation control unit is configured to rotate the mandrel in the opposite direction so that the leading end of the metal strip again enters the slot after the position of the portion of the metal strip has been changed by the position changing unit.

[0008] Furthermore, at least one embodiment of the present invention provides a winding facility comprising: a winding device including a mandrel having a slot capable of receiving a leading end of a metal strip, the winding device including a winder for winding the metal strip; and the above-described control device configured to control the winding device.

[0009] Furthermore, a rolling facility according to at least one embodiment of the present invention includes an unwinding device for unwinding a metal strip; a rolling mill for rolling the metal strip from the unwinding device; a winding device for winding up the metal strip rolled by the rolling mill; and the above-described control device configured to control the winding device.

[0010] Furthermore, at least one embodiment of the present invention provides a method for operating a winding device, the method including a winding machine for winding a metal strip, the winding machine including a mandrel having a slot capable of receiving a leading end of the metal strip, and a guide for guiding the metal strip to the winding machine, the method comprising: a rotation step of rotating the mandrel in a direction opposite to a winding direction so that the leading end of the metal strip fed toward the winding machine enters the slot; a first determination step of determining whether the leading end of the metal strip has entered the slot based on the position of a portion of the metal strip downstream of the guide while the mandrel is rotating in the opposite direction; and a position change step of changing the position of the portion of the metal strip when it is determined in the first determination step that the leading end has not entered the slot, wherein in the position change step, when it is determined that the leading end has not entered the slot, the portion of the metal strip is retracted or the position of the portion of the metal strip is lowered, In the rotating step, after the position of the metal strip has been changed in the position changing step, the mandrel is rotated again in the opposite direction so that the leading end of the metal strip enters the slot.

[0011] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a control device for a winding device, a winding installation, a rolling installation, and a method of operating a winding device that can more reliably insert the leading end of a metal strip into the slot of a mandrel of a winding machine.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a rolling facility according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a winding machine according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a winding machine according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a control device according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for operating a winding facility according to an embodiment; FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for operating a winding facility according to an embodiment; FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a method for operating a winding facility according to an embodiment; FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a method for operating a winding facility according to an embodiment; FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a method for operating a winding facility according to an embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method for operating a winding facility according to an embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method for operating a winding facility according to an embodiment; FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a method for operating a winding facility according to an embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a method for operating a winding facility according to an embodiment; FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a method for operating a winding facility according to an embodiment;

[0013] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of components described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0014] (Configuration of Rolling Facility) Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of rolling facility to which a coiling facility 2 according to one embodiment is applied. As shown in Fig. 1, the rolling facility 1 includes a rolling mill 10 for rolling a metal strip S, an unwinder 4 provided on the entry side of the rolling mill 10 (i.e., upstream side of the rolling mill 10 in the conveying direction of the metal strip S), and a coiling device 3 including a coiler 8 provided on the exit side of the rolling mill 10 (i.e., downstream side of the rolling mill 10 in the conveying direction of the metal strip S). The rolling facility 1 may include, for example, one rolling mill 10 as shown in Fig. 1, or may include two or more rolling mills 10.

[0015] The rolling mill 10 includes a pair of rolls (work rolls) 15, 16 that are provided on both sides of the metal strip S, sandwiching the metal strip S. The rolling mill 10 also includes a pair of intermediate rolls 17, 18 and a pair of backup rolls 19, 20 that are provided on opposite sides of the pair of rolls 15, 16, respectively, from the metal strip S. The intermediate rolls 17, 18 and the backup rolls 19, 20 are configured to support the rolls 15, 16. The rolling mill 10 also includes a reduction device (hydraulic cylinder or the like; not shown) that applies a load to the pair of rolls 15, 16 to reduce the metal strip S between the pair of rolls 15, 16.

[0016] A motor 11 is connected to the rolling rolls 15, 16 via a spindle (not shown) or the like, and the rolling rolls 15, 16 are rotated by the motor. When rolling the metal strip S, the rolling rolls 15, 16 are rotated by the motor 11 while the metal strip S is being pressed down by the reduction device, thereby generating frictional force between the rolling rolls 15, 16 and the metal strip S, and this frictional force feeds the metal strip S to the outlet side of the rolling rolls 15, 16.

[0017] The mandrel of the unwinder 4 is driven by a motor (not shown) and is configured to unwind the metal strip S toward the rolling mill 10. Note that, when rolling the metal strip S, the mandrel of the unwinder 4 is driven by a motor (not shown) and is configured to apply entry tension to the metal strip S.

[0018] The winding machine 8 includes a mandrel 14 and is configured to wind the metal strip S from the rolling mill 10. The winding machine 8 is configured so that it is driven by a motor 9 to rotate the mandrel 14. When winding the metal strip S, the winding machine 8 rotates the mandrel 14 in the winding direction shown in Figure 1 to wind the metal strip S. When rolling the metal strip S while winding it around the mandrel 14 of the winding machine 8, the mandrel 14 of the winding machine 8 applies tension to the metal strip S on the delivery side.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, an entry-side deflector roll 6 may be provided between the mandrel of the unwinder 4 and the rolling mill 10 to guide the metal strip S introduced from the mandrel of the unwinder 4 into the rolling mill 10. In addition, an exit-side deflector roll 12 may be provided between the rolling mill 10 and the mandrel 14 of the winder 8 to guide the metal strip S sent from the rolling mill 10 to the mandrel 14 of the winder 8.

[0020] In some embodiments, the rolling equipment 1 may be a rolling equipment (reverse mill) that rolls the metal strip S passing between a pair of roll rolls 15, 16 by reciprocating the motion. In this case, rolling is stopped just before the tail end of the metal strip S unwound from the mandrel of the unwinder 4, and after the odd-numbered rolling pass (first pass, etc.) is completed with the metal strip S pressed down by the roll rolls 15, 16, the metal strip S is then unwound from the mandrel 14 of the winder 8 toward the rolling mill 10, and while the metal strip S is being wound around the mandrel of the unwinder 4, the metal strip S is advanced in the opposite direction to the previous rolling pass, thereby performing the even-numbered rolling pass (second pass, etc.). In other words, the roles of the unwinder 4 and the winder 8 are interchanged depending on the direction of travel of the metal strip S.

[0021] (Configuration of Winding Facility) The winding facility 2 shown in FIG. 1 includes the above-mentioned winding machine 8, a winding device 3 provided between the rolling mill 10 and the winding machine 8 and including a guide 13 for guiding the metal strip S to the mandrel 14 of the winding machine 8, and a control device 50 for controlling the rotation of the mandrel 14 of the winding machine 8. The guide 13 may be located above the winding machine 8. The winding facility 2 may include a feed roller 24 provided between the rolling mill 10 and the winding machine 8 and capable of moving the metal strip S forward or backward. The feed roller 24 may be provided on the rolling mill side (i.e., upstream side) of the guide 13 in the conveying direction of the metal strip S. The winding facility 2 may also be provided with various sensors for measuring the position, speed, etc. of the metal strip S.

[0022] 2 and 3 are partial cross-sectional views of a winding machine 8 according to one embodiment, illustrating the operation of the winding machine 8. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the winding machine 8 includes a mandrel 14 having a surface (outer circumferential surface) 14a, and the motor 9 described above for driving the mandrel 14 to rotate. The winding machine 8 has a slot 22 recessed from the surface 14a of the mandrel 14.

[0023] The slot 22 of the mandrel 14 is configured to be able to receive the leading end St (see FIG. 3) of the metal strip S. For example, the width (groove thickness) d (see FIG. 2) of the slot 22 is set to be larger than the thickness of the metal strip S. The slot 22 also extends in a direction (the direction of a straight line U in FIG. 2) that is inclined relative to the direction of a tangent T (see FIG. 2) to the surface 14a of the mandrel 14 at the position where the slot 22 is provided.

[0024] The winding machine 8 also includes a gripper 23 for gripping the leading end of the metal strip S that has entered the slot 22. In one embodiment, the gripper 23 is configured to be driven by an actuator (not shown) to move in the radial direction. When the leading end St of the metal strip S is received in the slot 22 of the mandrel 14, the gripper 23 is maintained in a radially inner position, as shown in FIG. 2, to keep the slot 22 open. When gripping the leading end of the metal strip S that has entered the slot 22, as shown in FIG. 3, the actuator activates the gripper 23 to move it to a radially outer position, and applies a force from the gripper 23 toward the mandrel 14 to the metal strip S, thereby gripping the leading end of the metal strip S.

[0025] 1, the guide 13 has a guide surface 13a facing upward. The metal strip S from the rolling mill 10 is guided by the guide surface 13a of the guide 13 and is led to the mandrel 14 of the winder 8. The guide surface 13a typically has a flat shape, but may also have a partially or entirely curved shape.

[0026] The position of the guide 13 may be configured to be changeable. For example, the horizontal position and / or the vertical position of the guide 13 may be changed by driving the guide 13 with an actuator (not shown).

[0027] Alternatively, the orientation of the guide 13 may be changeable. For example, the angle of the guide surface 13 a with respect to the horizontal direction may be changeable by driving the guide 13 with an actuator (not shown).

[0028] Alternatively, the shape of the guide 13 may be configured to be changeable. For example, the guide 13 may be configured such that the guide surface 13a is extendable and contractable, and the length of the guide surface 13a or the position of the tip 13b of the guide surface 13a may be changeable by extending or contracting the guide surface 13a using an actuator (not shown).

[0029] The feed rollers 24 include a pair of rollers disposed above and below the metal strip S. When the feed rollers 24 move the metal strip S forward or backward, the pair of rollers are closed to sandwich the metal strip S, and the pair of rollers are rotated by a motor (not shown) to move the metal strip S forward or backward. When the feed rollers 24 do not move the metal strip S forward or backward, the pair of rollers are opened to form a gap between the metal strip S and the feed rollers 24.

[0030] The sensors provided in the winding equipment 2 may include at least one position detector for measuring the position of a portion Sa (hereinafter also simply referred to as the downstream portion) of the metal strip S that is closer to the winding machine (i.e., downstream) than the guide 13 in the conveying direction of the metal strip S. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the at least one position detector includes a first position detector 32 and a second position detector 34.

[0031] 1 can detect the vertical position of the metal strip S at a specific measurement position in the horizontal direction. The first position detector 32 may be configured to measure the vertical distance Lv (see FIG. 7) from the first position detector 32 to the metal strip S to detect the vertical position of the metal strip S (the position relative to the first position detector 32).

[0032] 1 can detect the horizontal position of the metal strip S at a specific measurement position in the vertical direction. The second position detector 34 may be configured to measure the horizontal distance Lh (see FIG. 7) from the second position detector 34 to the metal strip S to detect the horizontal position of the metal strip S (the position relative to the second position detector 34).

[0033] The sensor provided in the winding equipment 2 may also include a third position detector 38 for detecting the position of the leading end St of the metal strip S in the vicinity of the mandrel 14 of the winding machine 8. The third position detector 38 may include, for example, a camera for capturing an image of the area in the vicinity of the mandrel 14. Alternatively, the third position detector 38 may include a detector configured to detect the distance to the metal strip S in a specific direction (e.g., horizontal or vertical direction) to thereby detect the position of the metal strip S in that direction.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the coiling facility 2 may be provided with a detector 40 or the like for detecting the passage of the leading end St of the metal strip S at the delivery side of the rolling mill 10.

[0035] 4 is a schematic diagram of a control device 50 constituting the winding equipment 2 according to one embodiment. The control device 50 is configured to receive signals indicating detection results from various sensors (the above-described first position detector 32, second position detector 34, third position detector 38, and / or detector 40) provided in the winding equipment 2, and to control the rotation of the mandrel 14 of the winding machine 8 based on the received signals. The control device 50 may also be configured to control the gripper 23, the guide 13, the feed roller 24, or a delivery section (such as the rolling mill 10) provided upstream of the winding machine 8 in the conveying direction of the metal strip S based on the signals received from the various sensors.

[0036] The control device 50 may include a processor (such as a CPU), a storage device (such as a memory device such as a RAM), an auxiliary storage unit, an interface, and the like. The control device 50 receives signals from various sensors via the interface. The processor is configured to process the signals received in this manner. The processor is also configured to process a program loaded in the storage device.

[0037] The processing contents of the control device 50 may be implemented as a program executed by the processor and stored in the auxiliary storage unit. When the program is executed, the program is loaded into the storage device. The processor reads the program from the storage device and executes the instructions contained in the program.

[0038] 4, the control device 50 includes a rotation control unit 52 for controlling the rotation of the mandrel 14 (winder 8), a first determination unit 54 for determining whether the leading end St of the metal strip S has entered the slot 22 of the mandrel 14, and a position change unit 58 for changing the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S. The control device 50 may also include a second determination unit 56 for determining whether the leading end St of the metal strip S is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14. The functions of each unit constituting the control device 50 will be described later.

[0039] (Operation method of winding device) Next, a description will be given of a method of operating the winding equipment 2 having the above-described configuration. Note that, in the following description, a method of operating the winding equipment 2 using the above-described control device 50 will be described, but in some embodiments, some or all of the methods described below may be performed manually.

[0040] FIGS. 5 and 6 are flowcharts illustrating an operating method of the winding equipment 2 according to an embodiment. FIGS. 7 to 12 are diagrams illustrating an operating method of the winding equipment 2 according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 illustrates a state in which the metal strip S is being fed toward the winder 8, and FIG. 8 illustrates a state in which the leading end St of the metal strip S has entered the slot 22 of the mandrel 14. FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate states in which the leading end St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22 of the mandrel 14. FIG. 11 illustrates a state in which the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S has been lowered. FIG. 12 illustrates a state in which the mandrel 14 is being rotated in the opposite direction after the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S has been lowered. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the change over time in the vertical position of the leading end St of the metal strip S during an operating method according to an embodiment.

[0041] 5 and 6, in one embodiment, the rotation control unit 52 first rotates the mandrel 14 in the direction opposite to the winding direction so that the leading end St of the metal strip S fed from the guide 13 toward the winding machine 8 enters the slot 22 of the mandrel 14 of the winding machine 8 (S2; FIGS. 5 and 6). Note that FIG. 7 shows the state before the mandrel 14 starts to rotate in the opposite direction.

[0042] The inventors have found that when the mandrel 14 is rotated in the opposite direction in this manner to insert the leading end St of the metal strip S into the slot 22, if the leading end St of the metal strip S is positioned within a specified angular range Za (see FIG. 7) around the central axis O of the mandrel 14 and is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14, the leading end St of the metal strip S will easily enter the slot 22. Furthermore, the position of the leading end St of the metal strip S fed from the guide 13 corresponds to the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S.

[0043] Therefore, in step S2, the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S may be adjusted based on the detection results of the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S so that the tip St of the metal strip S is positioned within a specified angle range Za suitable for entering the slot 22.

[0044] The above-mentioned specified angle range Za may be, for example, a range of 0 degrees or more and 90 degrees or a range of 15 degrees or more and 75 degrees or less, measured in the winding direction with the top of the mandrel 14 as the reference (0 degrees).

[0045] Here, depending on the hardness (hardness of the material) of the metal strip S and the shape of the warp, etc., even if the position of the metal strip S is adjusted based on the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S, the position of the leading end St of the metal strip S may be located outside the initial region suitable for entering the slot 22. In this case, even if the winding machine 8 is rotated in the direction opposite to the winding direction in step S2, the leading end St of the metal strip S may not enter the slot 22.

[0046] Therefore, the first determination unit 54 determines whether or not the leading end St of the metal strip S has entered the slot 22 while the mandrel 14 is being rotated in the opposite direction in step S2 (S4; FIGS. 5 and 6).

[0047] In step S4, it may be determined whether the leading end of the metal strip has entered the slot based on the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S when the mandrel 14 is rotated in the opposite direction in step S2. The position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S used in this determination may be the position of the metal strip S detected by the first position detector 32 or the second position detector 34.

[0048] In step S4, if the change in position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S when the mandrel 14 is rotated in the opposite direction is less than a first specified value, it may be determined that the tip St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22.

[0049] In one embodiment, it may be determined that the tip St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22 when the change in the vertical position (position detected by the first position detector 32) of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S is less than a first specified value.

[0050] When the leading edge St of the metal strip S enters the slot 22 while the mandrel 14 is rotating in the opposite direction, the leading edge St of the metal strip S drops deep into the slot 22, causing the vertical position of the leading edge St of the metal strip S to change significantly downward, and the vertical position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S also changes significantly downward. On the other hand, if the leading edge St of the metal strip S does not enter the slot 22 while the mandrel 14 is rotating in the opposite direction, the posture of the metal strip S changes very little, and therefore the vertical position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S also changes very little. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the leading edge St of the metal strip S has entered the slot 22 based on the change in the vertical position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S.

[0051] In one embodiment, it may be determined that the tip St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22 when the change in the horizontal position (position detected by the second position detector 34) of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S is less than a first specified value.

[0052] When the leading edge St of the metal strip S enters the slot 22 while the mandrel 14 is rotating in the reverse direction, the leading edge St of the metal strip S falls deep into the slot 22, and then, as the mandrel 14 rotates in the reverse direction, the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S retreats (i.e., moves in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of the metal strip S). This causes a significant change in the horizontal position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S. On the other hand, if the leading edge St of the metal strip S does not enter the slot 22 while the mandrel 14 is rotating in the reverse direction, the posture of the metal strip S hardly changes, and therefore the horizontal position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S hardly changes either. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the leading edge St of the metal strip S has entered the slot 22 based on the change in the horizontal position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S.

[0053] If it is determined in step S4 that the leading end St of the metal strip S has entered the slot 22 (Yes in S4), the procedure for entering the leading end St of the metal strip S into the slot 22 is terminated (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Note that FIG. 8 shows a state in which the leading end St of the metal strip S has entered the slot 22 by rotating the mandrel 14 in the opposite direction. Thereafter, the rotation in the opposite direction of the mandrel 14 of the winding machine 8 may be stopped, and the leading end of the metal strip S that has entered the slot 22 may be gripped by the gripper 23 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). With the leading end of the metal strip S gripped by the gripper 23, the mandrel 14 of the winding machine 8 may be rotated in the winding direction to wind the metal strip S.

[0054] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S4 that the leading edge St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22 (No in S4), the position changing unit 58 moves the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S back (S8; FIGS. 5 and 6) or lowers the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S (S12; FIGS. 5 and 6). After adjusting the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S in this manner, the rotation control unit 52 again rotates the mandrel 14 in the direction opposite to the winding direction so that the leading edge St of the metal strip S enters the slot 22 of the mandrel 14 of the winding machine 8 (S14; FIGS. 5 and 6).

[0055] If the leading end St of the metal strip S, which is fed from the guide 13 toward the winding machine 8, does not enter the slot 22 even when the mandrel 14 is rotated in the opposite direction to the winding direction so that the leading end St of the metal strip S enters the slot 22, the cause of this may be that, when the mandrel 14 was rotating in the opposite direction, the leading end St of the metal strip S was in a position that exceeded an appropriate angular range (for example, the above-mentioned specified angular range Za) around the central axis O of the mandrel 14 (i.e., it overran), as shown in Figure 9, or that the leading end St of the metal strip S did not make contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14, as shown in Figure 10, for example.

[0056] In this regard, according to the above-described embodiment, whether or not the leading edge St of the metal strip S has entered the slot 22 is determined based on the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S when the mandrel 14 is rotated in the opposite direction, and if it is determined as a result that the leading edge St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22, the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S is retracted or lowered, so that the leading edge St of the metal strip S can be positioned at a position more suitable for entering the slot 22.

[0057] That is, when it is determined that the leading edge St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22, the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S is moved back so that the leading edge St of the metal strip S, which is located outside the above-mentioned angle range (e.g., the specified angle range Za), is positioned within an angle range (e.g., the specified angle range Za) suitable for the leading edge St of the metal strip S to enter the slot 22. Alternatively, when it is determined that the leading edge St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22, the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S is lowered so that the leading edge St of the metal strip S, which was not in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14, can be brought into contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14.

[0058] 12, the mandrel 14 is then rotated again in the opposite direction, so that the leading edge St of the metal strip S can be more reliably placed in the slot 22. This improves the production efficiency of the product in the rolling equipment 1. In FIG. 12, the leading edge St of the metal strip S is located within the above-mentioned specified angle range Za and is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14.

[0059] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, if it is determined in step S4 that the tip St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22, the control device 50 may determine whether the tip St of the metal strip S is in a position that exceeds a specified angular range Za around the central axis O of the mandrel 14 (i.e., whether overrun of the tip St of the metal strip S has occurred) (S6; Figures 5 and 6).

[0060] Then, in step S6, if it is determined that the leading edge St of the metal strip S is at a position that exceeds the specified angle range Za around the central axis O of the mandrel 14 (Yes in step S6), the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S may be retracted (S8). Also, if it is determined that the leading edge St of the metal strip S does not exceed the specified angle range Za around the central axis O of the mandrel 14 (No in step S6), the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S may be lowered (S12). Note that, if it is determined in step S4 that the leading edge St of the metal strip S did not enter the slot 22 (No in step S4) and if it is determined in step S6 that the leading edge St of the metal strip S does not exceed the specified angle range Za (No in step S6), it is presumed that the leading edge St of the metal strip S did not contact the surface 14a of the mandrel 14.

[0061] In step S8 described above, the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S may be retracted using the feed rollers 24. The operation of the feed rollers 24 may be controlled by the control device 50. Note that Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S is retracted using the feed rollers 24.

[0062] The downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S may be retracted using the feed rollers 24 as follows: First, the control device 50 obtains the amount of overrun (e.g., the distance between the above-mentioned specified angle range Za and the leading edge St of the metal strip S) based on the position of the leading edge St of the metal strip S detected by the third position detector 38. Then, after closing the pair of rollers of the feed rollers 24, the feed rollers 24 are rotated so that the metal strip S retracts a distance equal to the obtained amount of overrun. In this way, the leading edge St of the metal strip S can be positioned within the specified angle range Za around the central axis O of the mandrel 14.

[0063] In this case, in step S14, with the leading end St of the metal strip S positioned within a specified angular range Za around the central axis O of the mandrel 14, the mandrel 14 is rotated in the opposite direction with the feed rollers 24 kept closed. Then, once the leading end St of the metal strip S has entered the slot 22, the feed rollers 24 are opened and winding of the metal strip S by the winder 8 begins.

[0064] In step S12 described above, the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S may be lowered by operating the guide 13. More specifically, at least one of the position, orientation, and shape of the guide 13 may be changed so that the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S is lowered. The operation of the guide 13 may be controlled by the control device 50.

[0065] 11 shows the downstream portion Sa and the tip St of the metal strip S before and after the operation of the guide 13 when the tip St of the metal strip S is not in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14. In FIG. 11, the metal strip S before the operation of the guide 13 (the tip St is not in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14) is shown by a dotted line, and the metal strip S after the operation (the tip St is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14) is shown by a solid line.

[0066] In step S12, the guide 13 may be operated so as to lower the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S by a predetermined amount. Thereafter, in step S14, the mandrel 14 may be rotated in the opposite direction. Then, when the leading end St of the metal strip S enters the slot 22, the winding of the metal strip S by the winder 8 begins with the feed roller 24 in an open state.

[0067] In this way, by gradually lowering the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S, it is possible to prevent the tip St of the metal strip S from moving too far and going out of the specified angle range Za, so that the tip St of the metal strip S can be more reliably inserted into the slot 22.

[0068] 6 , when it is determined in step S6 that the leading edge St of the metal strip S is not located beyond the specified angular range Za around the central axis O of the mandrel 14 (No in S6), the second determination unit 56 may determine whether the leading edge St of the metal strip S is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14 (S10). As a result, when it is determined that the leading edge St of the metal strip S is not in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14 (No in step S10), the process may proceed to step S12, in which the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S is lowered. Note that when it is determined in step S10 that the leading edge St of the metal strip S is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14 (Yes in step S10), the mandrel 14 may be rotated in the opposite direction to attempt to insert the leading edge St of the metal strip S into the slot 22 (S14).

[0069] In step S10, it may be determined whether or not the tip St of the metal strip S is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14 based on the position of the tip St of the metal strip S while the mandrel 14 is rotating. The position of the tip St of the metal strip S may be obtained by the third position detector 38.

[0070] More specifically, in step S10, for example, while the mandrel 14 is rotating, it may be determined whether the tip St of the metal strip S is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14 based on the position of the tip St of the metal strip S when the opening of the slot 22 passes over the tip St of the metal strip S in the circumferential direction of the mandrel 14.

[0071] 13 is a graph showing the change over time in the vertical position of the metal strip tip St when the mandrel 14 is rotated in step S10. In Fig. 13, a dashed line 100 indicates the position of the metal strip tip St when it is not in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14, and a solid line 102 indicates the position of the metal strip tip St when it is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14.

[0072] In the graph shown in Figure 13, the mandrel 14 rotates from time t1 to t4, and the opening of the slot 22 passes the front end St of the metal strip S from time t2 to t3. When the front end St of the metal strip S is not in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14, the posture of the metal strip S remains unchanged whether the mandrel 14 is rotating or not, and therefore the position of the front end St of the metal strip S also remains unchanged, as shown by the dashed line 100 in Figure 13. On the other hand, when the front end St of the metal strip S is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14, during the period when the mandrel 14 rotates and the opening of the slot 22 passes the front end St of the metal strip S, the front end St of the metal strip S drops slightly from the surface 14a of the mandrel 14 into the slot 22, and therefore the position of the front end St of the metal strip S moves slightly downward, as shown by the solid line 102 in Figure 13.

[0073] Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the tip St of the metal strip S is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14 based on the position of the tip St of the metal strip S when the mandrel 14 is rotating.

[0074] In step S10, for example, when the change ΔPT (see Figure 13) in the vertical position of the tip St of the metal strip S is equal to or greater than a second specified value, it may be determined that the tip St of the metal strip S is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14, and when the above-mentioned change ΔPT is less than the second specified value, it may be determined that the tip St of the metal strip S is not in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14.

[0075] Furthermore, in step S10, after it is determined in step S4 that the tip St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22, the rotation of the mandrel 14 in the opposite direction may be stopped, and then the mandrel 14 may be rotated in the winding direction, and based on the position of the tip St of the metal strip S when the mandrel 14 is rotating in the winding direction, it may be determined whether the tip St of the metal strip S is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14.

[0076] In this case, after it is determined that the leading edge St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22 based on the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S while the mandrel 14 is rotating in the reverse direction, the mandrel 14 is rotated in the winding direction after the rotation of the mandrel 14 in the reverse direction is stopped, so that in a relatively short time the opening of the slot 22 of the mandrel 14 reaches the leading edge St of the metal strip S. Therefore, it is possible to quickly determine whether the leading edge St of the metal strip S is in contact with the surface 14a of the mandrel 14 while the mandrel 14 is rotating in the winding direction, and then quickly rotate the mandrel 14 in the reverse direction to retry entering the leading edge St of the metal strip S into the slot.

[0077] In some embodiments, when the end St of the metal strip S is attempted to enter the slot 22 in step S2, and it is determined in step S4 that the end St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22 (No in step S4), the determination in step S6 of whether the end St of the metal strip S is at a position beyond the specified angle range Za about the central axis O of the mandrel 14 may be omitted, and the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S may be retracted (step S8). Thereafter, when the mandrel 14 is rotated in the opposite direction in step S14 to attempt again to enter the end St of the metal strip S into the slot 22, and it is determined again in step S4 that the end St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22 (No in step S4), the above-mentioned determination in step S6 may be omitted, and the process may proceed to step S12, where the position of the end St of the metal strip S is lowered, and an attempt to enter the end St of the metal strip S into the slot 22 may be made again in step S14.

[0078] According to the above-described embodiment, when it is determined that the leading edge St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22, first, the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S is retracted and the mandrel 14 is rotated in the opposite direction to retry entry of the leading edge St of the metal strip S into the slot 22, and if it is still determined that the leading edge St of the metal strip S has not entered the slot 22 after this retry, the position of the downstream portion Sa of the metal strip S is lowered and the mandrel 14 is rotated in the opposite direction to retry entry of the leading edge St of the metal strip S into the slot 22. This allows the leading edge St of the metal strip S to be reliably and efficiently entered into the slot 22.

[0079] The contents described in each of the above embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0080] [1] A control device (50) for a winding device (3) according to at least one embodiment of the present invention is a control device (50) for controlling a winding device (3) including a mandrel (14) having a slot (22) capable of receiving a leading end (St) of a metal strip (S), a winding machine (8) for winding the metal strip, and a guide (13) for guiding the metal strip to the winding machine, the control device (50) comprising: a rotation control unit (52) configured to rotate the mandrel in a direction opposite to the winding direction so that the leading end (St) of the metal strip sent from the guide towards the winding machine enters the slot; a first determination unit (54) configured to determine whether the leading end of the metal strip has entered the slot based on the position of a portion of the metal strip downstream of the guide (downstream portion Sa) when the mandrel is rotating in the opposite direction; and a position change unit (58) for changing the position of the portion of the metal strip when the first determination unit determines that the leading end has not entered the slot. The position change unit is configured to retract the portion of the metal strip or lower the position of the portion of the metal strip when the first determination unit determines that the tip has not entered the slot, and the rotation control unit is configured to rotate the mandrel in the opposite direction so that the tip of the metal strip enters the slot again after the position of the portion of the metal strip has been changed by the position change unit.

[0081] If the leading edge of the metal strip fed from the guide toward the winding machine is rotated in the direction opposite to the winding direction (hereinafter simply referred to as the opposite direction) so that the leading edge of the metal strip does not enter the slot, this may be because the leading edge of the metal strip was located outside an appropriate angular range around the central axis of the mandrel when the mandrel was rotating in the opposite direction (i.e., overrun), or because the leading edge of the metal strip did not make contact with the surface of the mandrel. According to the configuration [1] above, whether or not the leading edge of the metal strip has entered the slot is determined based on the position of the downstream portion of the metal strip (the portion of the metal strip downstream of the guide) when the mandrel is rotating in the opposite direction, and if it is determined as a result that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is retracted or lowered, so that the leading edge of the metal strip can be positioned at a position more suitable for entering the slot. That is, when it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is retracted, so that the leading edge of the metal strip, which is located outside the above-mentioned angle range, can be positioned within an angle range suitable for the leading edge of the metal strip to enter the slot. Alternatively, when it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is lowered, so that the leading edge of the metal strip that has not been in contact with the surface of the mandrel can be brought into contact with the surface of the mandrel. Then, the mandrel is rotated again in the opposite direction, so that the leading edge of the metal strip can be more reliably entered into the slot. This improves the production efficiency of products in the rolling equipment.

[0082] [2] In some embodiments, in the configuration of [1] above, the winding device includes a feed roller (24) provided between a rolling mill (10) for rolling the metal strip and the winding machine (8), and the position change unit is configured to control the feed roller to retract the portion of the metal strip when the first determination unit determines that the leading end has not entered the slot.

[0083] According to the configuration [2] above, when it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is retracted using the feed rollers provided between the rolling mill and the winder, so that the leading edge of the metal strip, which was located outside the above-mentioned angle range suitable for entering the slot, can be brought within that angle range. Then, by rotating the mandrel again in the opposite direction, the leading edge of the metal strip can be more reliably entered into the slot.

[0084] [3] In some embodiments, in the configuration of [1] or [2] above, the position change unit is configured to retract the portion of the metal strip so that the tip of the metal strip is positioned within a specified angle range (Za) around the central axis of the mandrel when the first determination unit determines that the tip has not entered the slot.

[0085] According to the configuration [3] above, when it is determined that the leading end of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is retracted so that the leading end of the metal strip is positioned within a specified angular range around the central axis of the mandrel (i.e., an angular range suitable for entering the slot).Therefore, by subsequently rotating the mandrel again in the opposite direction, the leading end of the metal strip can be more reliably inserted into the slot.

[0086] [4] In some embodiments, in any of the configurations [1] to [3] above, the first determination unit is configured to determine that the tip of the metal strip has not entered the slot when the change in position of the portion of the metal strip when the mandrel is rotated in the opposite direction is less than a first specified value.

[0087] When the mandrel is rotated in the opposite direction and the leading edge of the metal strip enters the slot, the position of the leading edge of the metal strip drops suddenly, causing a significant change in the position of the downstream portion of the metal strip. According to the configuration [4] above, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the leading edge of the metal strip has entered the slot based on the amount of change in the position of the downstream portion of the metal strip when the mandrel is rotated in the opposite direction.

[0088] [5] In some embodiments, in any of the configurations [1] to [4] above, the position change unit is configured to change at least one of the position, orientation, or shape of the guide so that the position of the portion of the metal strip is lowered when the first determination unit determines that the tip has not entered the slot.

[0089] According to the configuration [5] above, when it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is lowered by changing the position, orientation, or shape of the guide that leads the metal strip to the winding machine, so that the leading edge of the metal strip that has not been in contact with the surface of the mandrel can be brought into contact with the surface of the mandrel. Then, by rotating the mandrel again in the opposite direction, the leading edge of the metal strip can be more reliably inserted into the slot.

[0090] [6] In some embodiments, in any of the configurations [1] to [5] above, the control device includes a second judgment unit (56) configured to judge whether the tip of the metal strip is in contact with the surface (14a) of the mandrel based on the position of the tip of the metal strip when the mandrel is rotating, and the position change unit is configured to lower the position of the portion of the metal strip when the first judgment unit determines that the tip has not entered the slot and the second judgment unit determines that the tip of the metal strip is not in contact with the surface of the mandrel.

[0091] If the leading edge of the metal strip is in contact with the mandrel surface, the leading edge temporarily drops from the mandrel surface into the slot while the mandrel is rotating, slightly changing its position. According to the configuration [6] above, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the leading edge of the metal strip is in contact with the mandrel surface based on the leading edge position of the metal strip while the mandrel is rotating. Furthermore, when it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot and is not in contact with the mandrel surface, the downstream portion of the metal strip is lowered, so that the leading edge of the metal strip that was not in contact with the mandrel surface can be brought into contact with the mandrel surface. Then, by rotating the mandrel again in the opposite direction, the leading edge of the metal strip can be more reliably inserted into the slot.

[0092] [7] In some embodiments, in the configuration of [6] above, the second determination unit is configured to determine whether the tip of the metal strip is in contact with the surface of the mandrel based on the position of the tip of the metal strip when the opening of the slot passes over the tip of the metal strip in the circumferential direction of the mandrel.

[0093] According to the configuration [7] above, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the tip of the metal strip is in contact with the surface of the mandrel based on the position of the tip of the metal strip when the slot opening passes over the tip of the metal strip in the circumferential direction of the mandrel.

[0094] [8] In some embodiments, in the configuration of [6] or [7] above, the control device is configured to determine that the tip of the metal strip is not in contact with the surface of the mandrel when the amount of change in the vertical position of the tip of the metal strip while the mandrel is rotating is less than a second specified value.

[0095] According to the configuration [8] above, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the tip of the metal strip is in contact with the surface of the mandrel based on the amount of change in the vertical position of the tip of the metal strip while the mandrel is rotating.

[0096] [9] In some embodiments, in any of the configurations [6] to [8] above, the rotation control unit is configured to stop the rotation of the mandrel in the opposite direction and then rotate the mandrel in the winding direction when the first determination unit determines that the tip has not entered the slot, and the second determination unit is configured to determine whether the tip of the metal strip is in contact with the surface of the mandrel based on the position of the tip of the metal strip when the mandrel is rotating in the winding direction.

[0097] According to the configuration [9] above, after it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot based on the position of the downstream portion of the metal strip while the mandrel is rotating in the reverse direction, the mandrel is rotated in the winding direction after the rotation of the mandrel in the reverse direction is stopped, so that the opening of the mandrel slot reaches the leading edge of the metal strip in a relatively short time. This makes it possible to quickly determine whether the leading edge of the metal strip is in contact with the surface of the mandrel while the mandrel is rotating in the winding direction, and then quickly retry entering the leading edge of the metal strip into the slot by rotating the mandrel in the reverse direction. This further improves the production efficiency of products in the rolling equipment.

[0098]

[10] In some embodiments, in any of the configurations [1] to [9] above, the first determination unit is configured to re-determine whether the tip of the metal strip has entered the slot based on the position of the portion of the metal strip when the rotation control unit again rotates the mandrel in the opposite direction after the position change unit retracts the portion of the metal strip due to the first determination unit determining that the tip has not entered the slot, and the position change unit is configured to lower the position of the portion of the metal strip when the first determination unit determines that the tip has not entered the slot as a result of the re-determination.

[0099] According to the configuration

[10] above, when it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, first, the downstream portion of the metal strip is retracted and the mandrel is rotated in the opposite direction to retry the entry of the leading edge of the metal strip into the slot, and if it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot after this retry, the downstream portion of the metal strip is lowered and the mandrel is rotated in the opposite direction to retry the entry of the leading edge of the metal strip into the slot. This makes it possible to reliably and efficiently enter the leading edge of the metal strip into the slot.

[0100]

[11] A winding facility (2) according to at least one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a winding device (3) including a mandrel (14) having a slot (22) capable of receiving a tip (St) of a metal strip (S), the winding device including a winder (8) for winding the metal strip; and a control device (50) according to any one of [1] to

[10] above, configured to control the winding device.

[0101] According to the configuration

[11] above, whether the leading edge of the metal strip has entered the slot is determined based on the position of the downstream portion of the metal strip (the portion of the metal strip downstream of the guide) while the mandrel is rotating in the opposite direction. If it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is retracted or lowered. This allows the leading edge of the metal strip to be positioned more appropriately for entering the slot. That is, if it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is retracted, thereby allowing the leading edge of the metal strip, which is located outside the above-mentioned angle range, to be positioned within an angle range appropriate for the leading edge of the metal strip to enter the slot. Alternatively, if it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is lowered, allowing the leading edge of the metal strip that was not in contact with the surface of the mandrel to come into contact with the surface of the mandrel. Then, the mandrel is rotated again in the opposite direction after that, so the leading edge of the metal strip can be more reliably entered into the slot. This improves the production efficiency of products in the rolling equipment.

[0102]

[12] A rolling facility (2) according to at least one embodiment of the present invention comprises: an unwinding device (unwinder 4) for unwinding a metal strip; a rolling mill (8) for rolling the metal strip from the unwinding device; a winding device (3) for winding the metal strip rolled by the rolling mill; and a control device according to any one of [1] to

[10] configured to control the winding device.

[0103] According to the configuration

[12] above, whether the leading edge of the metal strip has entered the slot is determined based on the position of the downstream portion of the metal strip (the portion of the metal strip downstream of the guide) while the mandrel is rotating in the opposite direction. If it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is retracted or lowered. This allows the leading edge of the metal strip to be positioned more appropriately for entering the slot. That is, if it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is retracted, thereby allowing the leading edge of the metal strip, which is located outside the above-mentioned angle range, to be positioned within an angle range appropriate for the leading edge of the metal strip to enter the slot. Alternatively, if it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is lowered, allowing the leading edge of the metal strip that was not in contact with the surface of the mandrel to come into contact with the surface of the mandrel. Then, the mandrel is rotated again in the opposite direction, thereby more reliably entering the leading edge of the metal strip. This improves the production efficiency of products in the rolling equipment.

[0104]

[13] A method for operating a winding device (3) according to at least one embodiment of the present invention includes a mandrel (14) having a slot (22) capable of receiving a leading end (St) of a metal strip (S), a winding machine (8) for winding the metal strip, and a guide (13) for guiding the metal strip to the winding machine, the method comprising: a rotation step (S2) of rotating the mandrel in a direction opposite to the winding direction so that the leading end (St) of the metal strip sent out toward the winding machine enters the slot; a first determination step (S4) of determining whether the leading end of the metal strip has entered the slot based on the position of a portion of the metal strip downstream of the guide (downstream portion Sa) while the mandrel is rotating in the opposite direction; and a position change step (S8, S12) of changing the position of the portion of the metal strip when it is determined in the first determination step that the leading end has not entered the slot. In the position change step, when it is determined in the first determination step that the tip has not entered the slot, the portion of the metal strip is retracted or the position of the portion of the metal strip is lowered, and in the rotation step, after the position of the metal strip has been changed by the position change step, the mandrel is rotated in the opposite direction again so that the tip of the metal strip enters the slot.

[0105] According to the method

[13] above, whether the leading edge of the metal strip has entered the slot is determined based on the position of the downstream portion of the metal strip (the portion of the metal strip downstream of the guide) while the mandrel is rotating in the opposite direction. If it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is retracted or lowered. This allows the leading edge of the metal strip to be positioned more appropriately for entering the slot. That is, if it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is retracted, thereby allowing the leading edge of the metal strip, which is located outside the above-mentioned angle range, to be positioned within an angle range appropriate for the leading edge of the metal strip to enter the slot. Alternatively, if it is determined that the leading edge of the metal strip has not entered the slot, the downstream portion of the metal strip is lowered, allowing the leading edge of the metal strip that was not in contact with the surface of the mandrel to come into contact with the surface of the mandrel. Then, the mandrel is rotated again in the opposite direction, thereby more reliably entering the leading edge of the metal strip. This improves the production efficiency of products in the rolling equipment.

[0106] The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and also includes forms in which the above-described embodiment is modified, or forms in which these forms are appropriately combined.

[0107] In this specification, expressions expressing relative or absolute arrangements, such as "in a certain direction," "along a certain direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," or "coaxial," not only strictly express such arrangements, but also express a state in which there is a relative displacement with a tolerance or an angle or distance to the extent that the same function is obtained. For example, expressions expressing that things are in an equal state, such as "identical," "equal," and "homogeneous," not only express a state in which there is a strict equivalence, but also express a state in which there is a tolerance or a difference to the extent that the same function is obtained. Furthermore, in this specification, expressions expressing shapes such as a rectangular shape or a cylindrical shape not only express shapes such as a rectangular shape or a cylindrical shape in the strict geometric sense, but also express shapes including concave and convex portions, chamfered portions, etc., to the extent that the same effect is obtained. Furthermore, in this specification, the expressions "comprise," "include," or "have" a component are not exclusive expressions that exclude the presence of other components.

[0108] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Rolling equipment 2 Winding equipment 3 Winding device 4 Unwinder 6 Entry deflector roll 8 Winder 9 Motor 10 Rolling mill 11 Motor 12 Exit deflector roll 13 Guide 13a Guide surface 13b Tip 14 Mandrel 14a Surface 15 Rolling roll 16 Rolling roll 17 Intermediate roll 18 Intermediate roll 19 Backup roll 20 Backup roll 22 Slot 23 Gripper 24 Feed roller 32 First position detector 34 Second position detector 38 Third position detector 40 Detector 50 Control device 52 Rotation control unit 54 First determination unit 56 Second determination unit 58 Position change unit 100 Broken line 102 Solid line Lh Distance Lv Distance O Central axis S Metal strip Sa Downstream portion St Tip T Tangent Za Specified angle range ΔPT Change amount

Claims

1. A control device for controlling a winding device including a mandrel having a slot capable of receiving the leading end of a metal strip, a winding machine for winding the metal strip, and a guide for guiding the metal strip to the winding machine, comprising: a rotation control unit configured to rotate the mandrel in a direction opposite to the winding direction so that the leading end of the metal strip sent from the guide towards the winding machine enters the slot; a first determination unit configured to determine whether the leading end of the metal strip has entered the slot based on the position of a portion of the metal strip downstream of the guide while the mandrel is rotating in the opposite direction; and a position change unit for changing the position of the portion of the metal strip when the first determination unit determines that the leading end has not entered the slot, wherein the position change unit is configured to retract the portion of the metal strip or lower the position of the portion of the metal strip when the first determination unit determines that the leading end has not entered the slot, The rotation control unit is configured to rotate the mandrel in the opposite direction so that the leading end of the metal strip enters the slot again after the position of the portion of the metal strip has been changed by the position change unit.

2. A control device for a winding device as described in claim 1, wherein the winding device includes a feed roller provided between the winding device and a rolling mill for rolling the metal strip, and the position changing unit is configured to control the feed roller so as to move back the portion of the metal strip when the first determination unit determines that the leading end has not entered the slot.

3. A control device for a winding device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the position change unit is configured to retract the portion of the metal strip so that the tip of the metal strip is positioned within a specified angular range around the central axis of the mandrel when the first determination unit determines that the tip has not entered the slot.

4. A control device for a winding device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first determination unit is configured to determine that the leading end of the metal strip has not entered the slot when the change in position of the portion of the metal strip when the mandrel is rotated in the opposite direction is less than a first specified value.

5. A control device for a winding device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the position change unit is configured to change at least one of the position, orientation or shape of the guide so that the position of the portion of the metal strip is lowered when the first determination unit determines that the leading end has not entered the slot.

6. A control device for a winding device as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a second determination unit configured to determine whether or not the leading end of the metal strip is in contact with the surface of the mandrel based on the position of the leading end of the metal strip when the mandrel is rotating, and the position change unit configured to lower the position of the portion of the metal strip when the first determination unit determines that the leading end has not entered the slot and the second determination unit determines that the leading end of the metal strip is not in contact with the surface of the mandrel.

7. A control device for a winding device as described in claim 6, wherein the second determination unit is configured to determine whether or not the tip of the metal strip is in contact with the surface of the mandrel based on the position of the tip of the metal strip when the opening of the slot passes over the tip of the metal strip in the circumferential direction of the mandrel.

8. A control device for a winding device as described in claim 6, configured to determine that the tip of the metal strip is not in contact with the surface of the mandrel when the amount of change in the vertical position of the tip of the metal strip while the mandrel is rotating is less than a second specified value.

9. A control device for a winding device as described in claim 6, wherein the rotation control unit is configured to stop the rotation of the mandrel in the opposite direction and then rotate the mandrel in the winding direction when the first determination unit determines that the leading end has not entered the slot, and the second determination unit is configured to determine whether the leading end of the metal strip is in contact with the surface of the mandrel based on the position of the leading end of the metal strip when the mandrel is rotating in the winding direction.

10. A control device for a winding device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first determination unit is configured to determine again whether the leading end of the metal strip has entered the slot based on the position of the portion of the metal strip when the rotation control unit again rotates the mandrel in the opposite direction after the position change unit retracts the portion of the metal strip due to the first determination unit determining that the leading end has not entered the slot, and the position change unit is configured to lower the position of the portion of the metal strip when the first determination unit determines that the leading end has not entered the slot as a result of the re-determination.

11. A winding facility comprising: a winding device including a mandrel having a slot capable of receiving a tip end of a metal strip, the winding device including a winder for winding up the metal strip; and a control device according to claim 1 or 2 configured to control the winding device.

12. A rolling facility comprising: an unwinding device for unwinding a metal strip; a rolling mill for rolling the metal strip from the unwinding device; a winding device for winding up the metal strip rolled by the rolling mill; and a control device according to claim 1 or 2 configured to control the winding device.

13. A method for operating a winding device including a mandrel having a slot capable of receiving the leading end of a metal strip, a winding machine for winding the metal strip, and a guide for guiding the metal strip to the winding machine, the method comprising: a rotating step of rotating the mandrel in a direction opposite to the winding direction so that the leading end of the metal strip fed toward the winding machine enters the slot; a first determining step of determining whether the leading end of the metal strip has entered the slot based on the position of a portion of the metal strip downstream of the guide while the mandrel is rotating in the opposite direction; and a position changing step of changing the position of the portion of the metal strip when it is determined in the first determining step that the leading end has not entered the slot, wherein in the position changing step, when it is determined that the leading end has not entered the slot, the portion of the metal strip is retracted or the position of the portion of the metal strip is lowered, In the rotating step, after the position of the metal strip has been changed in the position changing step, the mandrel is rotated in the opposite direction so that the leading end of the metal strip again enters the slot.

Images