Operation assistance system for rolling equipment

Abstract

This operation assistance system comprises: a control value setting unit; an operation amount acquisition unit; an actual result data acquisition unit; a deterioration evaluation unit; an operation amount correction unit; and a corrected operation amount presentation unit. The control value setting unit sets, for rolling equipment, a control value calculated on the basis of a rolling plan. The operation amount acquisition unit acquires an operation amount for maximizing the production efficiency of the rolling equipment for which the control value has been set. The actual result data acquisition unit acquires time-series actual result data of the rolling equipment. The deterioration evaluation unit evaluates the deterioration state of the rolling equipment on the basis of the time-series actual result data. The operation amount correction unit corrects the operation amount on the basis of the deterioration state of the rolling equipment. The corrected operation amount presentation unit presents the corrected operation amount.

Description

Rolling equipment operation support system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an operation support system for rolling equipment, and more particularly to an operation support system that supports manual operation (hereinafter also referred to as "manual intervention") by an operator of rolling equipment.

[0002] For example, in a rolling plant, process control values ​​(hereinafter also referred to as "control values") calculated based on an operation plan are set for rolling equipment such as a finishing rolling mill, thereby operating the rolling equipment. In order to prevent breakdowns in the rolling equipment during operation, limit values ​​are set for the control values. If the control value exceeds the limit value, the rolling equipment is forcibly stopped, and a significant amount of recovery time is required before the rolling equipment can be restarted. Therefore, when the control value is close to exceeding the limit value, an alarm is sent to an operator, allowing the operator to manually operate the control value (manual intervention).

[0003] In addition to manual operations to avoid exceeding such limits (conflicting limits), manual operations are also performed to maximize the production efficiency of the rolling equipment. For example, when there is a margin in the control value of the rotational speed of the motor of the finishing rolling mill, the rotational speed is manually set to an optimal value (high rotational speed) that maximizes production efficiency.

[0004] It is known that rolling equipment deteriorates with long-term use. Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a process monitoring system equipped with a state change determination means for determining whether or not there is a sign of a change in the plant state.

[0005] Japanese Patent No. 5868784

[0006] When rolling equipment is deteriorated, if manual operations are performed to achieve the same optimal values ​​as in a non-deteriorated state, i.e., if manual operations are performed with the same operation amounts as in a non-deteriorated state, there is a risk that the limit value will be exceeded. Therefore, operators must perform manual operations according to the deterioration state of the rolling equipment. However, manual operations when rolling equipment is deteriorated are not easy, especially for inexperienced operators.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide an operation support system for rolling equipment that enables an inexperienced operator to manually operate deteriorated rolling equipment in a way that maximizes the production efficiency of the equipment.

[0008] A first aspect of the present disclosure relates to an operation support system that supports manual operation by an operator of rolling equipment. The operation support system includes a control value setting unit, an operation variable acquisition unit, a performance data acquisition unit, a deterioration evaluation unit, an operation variable correction unit, and a corrected operation variable presentation unit. The control value setting unit sets a control value calculated based on a rolling plan for the rolling equipment. The operation variable acquisition unit acquires an operation variable that maximizes the production efficiency of the rolling equipment for which the control value has been set. The performance data acquisition unit acquires time-series performance data for the rolling equipment. The deterioration evaluation unit evaluates the deterioration state of the rolling equipment based on the time-series performance data. The operation variable correction unit corrects the operation variable based on the deterioration state of the rolling equipment. The corrected operation variable presentation unit presents the corrected operation variable.

[0009] The second aspect has the same features as the first aspect, but further includes the following: the manipulated variable corrector is configured to correct the manipulated variable within a range that does not exceed a limit value set for the control value.

[0010] The third aspect has the following feature in addition to the first aspect: when performance data of rolling equipment without deterioration is taken as reference performance data, the deterioration assessment unit is configured to assess the deterioration state in accordance with the amount of decrease in the time-series performance data from the reference performance data.

[0011] A fourth aspect has the following features in addition to the first to third aspects: the operation assistance system further includes a corrected operation amount evaluation unit that evaluates the corrected operation amount, and the corrected operation amount display unit is configured to display the evaluation result in association with the corrected operation amount.

[0012] According to the present disclosure, when rolling equipment is evaluated as deteriorated, instead of presenting to the operator an operation amount that maximizes the production efficiency of rolling equipment that is not deteriorated, an operation amount that is corrected based on the deterioration state of the rolling equipment is presented to the operator. This enables even an inexperienced operator to perform manual operation that maximizes the production efficiency of deteriorated rolling equipment.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a rolling plant to which a rolling equipment operation support system according to an embodiment is applied. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a rolling equipment operation support system according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method for evaluating a deterioration state of rolling equipment. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display of corrected operation amounts. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of the operation support system. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the operation support system.

[0014] Hereinafter, a rolling equipment operation support system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that elements common to the various drawings will be assigned the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a rolling plant 1 to which a rolling equipment operation support system according to an embodiment is applied. The rolling plant 1 is equipped with, as main rolling equipment, a heating furnace 2, a roughing mill 3, a crop shear 4, a finishing mill 5, a cooling device 6, and a winder 7. The rolling plant 1 is also equipped with a conveying table (not shown) for conveying rolled material Mr between the rolling equipment. These rolling equipment are driven by an electrical system of motors and actuators.

[0016] The heating furnace 2 is configured to heat the rolled material (slab) Mr to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 1200°C) before rolling. The roughing mill 3 has at least one rolling stand (usually 1 to 3 stands). The roughing mill 3 rolls the heated rolled material Mr in multiple passes while switching the rolling direction. The crop shear 4 cuts off any shape defects in the rolled material Mr using upper and lower blades based on the shape measured by a shape detector 81 (described later).

[0017] The finishing rolling mill 5 is a tandem rolling mill having, for example, seven rolling stands F1 to F7 arranged side by side in the rolling direction of the rolled material Mr. Each rolling stand F1 to F7 has two upper and lower work rolls 51, two upper and lower backup rolls 52, and a motor 53 for rotating the rolls. The backup rolls 52 are provided with a screw down device 54, which is configured to adjust the gap between the upper and lower work rolls 51. The rolling load of each rolling stand F1 to F7 is measured by a rolling load sensor 55. The cooling device 6 cools the rolled material Mr by injecting water into the rolled material Mr using a cooling bank. The cooled rolled material Mr is wound into a coil by a winder 7.

[0018] Various sensors serving as measuring instruments are installed at key points in the rolling plant 1. Key points in the rolling plant 1 include, for example, the outlet side of the heating furnace 2, the outlet side of the roughing mill 3, the inlet and outlet sides of the finishing mill 5, and the inlet side of the winder 7. Various sensors may also be installed between rolling stands F1 to F7 of the finishing mill 5. The various sensors include a shape detector 81 that measures the shape of the rolled material Mr at the outlet side of the roughing mill 3, a thermometer 82 that measures the surface temperature of the rolled material Mr at the inlet side of the finishing mill 5, a speed detector 83 that measures the speed of the rolled material Mr at the outlet side of the finishing mill 5, a thickness / width meter 84 that measures the thickness and width of the rolled material Mr at the outlet side of the finishing mill 5, a thermometer 85 that measures the surface temperature of the rolled material Mr at the inlet side of the winder 7, and the rolling load sensor 55. The various sensors successively measure the state of the rolled material Mr and each rolling facility. The measured values ​​are acquired as performance data.

[0019] The rolling plant 1 is operated by a control system using computers with a hierarchical structure. The computers include a level 1 process control computer 11 and a level 2 host computer 12, which are connected to each other via a network. The process control computer 11 is connected via the network to an interface screen 13, which serves as an operation screen on which an operator of the rolling plant 1 performs manual operations. When an operation plan is input to the host computer 12, the host computer 12 sends a rolling plan to the process control computer 11. In addition to the rolling plan, rolling information is input from the host computer 12 to the process control computer 11. The rolling information includes slab information, such as the thickness, width, length, and steel type of the slab, which is the rolled material Mr, before rolling, and coil target information, such as the target thickness, target width, and target temperature of the coil, which is the rolled material Mr, after rolling. The process control computer 11 receives input from the host computer 12, calculates control values ​​for each rolling facility to be controlled in a series of rolling processes, and sets the control values ​​for each rolling facility. As a result, each rolling facility in the rolling plant 1 operates and rolls the rolled material Mr.

[0020] During such operation, the operator manually adjusts the control value so as to maximize the production efficiency of the rolling equipment. In the following, an example will be described in which the rolling equipment is a finishing mill 5 and the control value is the rotational speed of the work rolls 51.

[0021] However, when the finishing mill 5 is used for a long period of time, the finishing mill 5 deteriorates. For example, the work rolls 51 and the motor 53 of the finishing mill 5 deteriorate over time. Deterioration of the work rolls 51 includes roughening of the surfaces of the work rolls 51. When the roll surfaces become rough, the rolling load increases, resulting in a decrease in rotational speed. Furthermore, when the motor 53 deteriorates, the motor efficiency decreases, and the required current increases even for the same torque, resulting in a decrease in rotational speed. In this case, rattle occurs in the motor 53, and there is a risk of exceeding the limit value, so the rotational speed cannot be easily increased by manual operation.

[0022] Thus, when the finishing rolling mill 5 is deteriorated, if manual operation is performed to achieve the same optimum value as in a non-deteriorated state, i.e., if manual operation is performed with the same operation amount as in a non-deteriorated state, there is a risk that the limit value will be exceeded. Manual operation of the finishing rolling mill 5 in a deteriorated state is not easy, especially for an inexperienced operator. The rolling plant 1 is equipped with a rolling equipment operation support system 110 according to an embodiment.

[0023] 2 is a block diagram showing a rolling equipment operation support system 110 according to an embodiment. The operation support system 110 includes a control value calculation unit 111, a control value setting unit 112, an operation amount acquisition unit 113, a performance data acquisition unit 114, a deterioration evaluation unit 115, an operation amount correction unit 116, a corrected operation amount evaluation unit 117, and a corrected operation amount display unit 118.

[0024] The control value calculation unit 111 calculates the control values ​​of each rolling facility including the finishing mill 5 and limit values ​​for the control values ​​based on the rolling plan input from the host computer 12 .

[0025] The control value setting unit 112 sets the control values ​​and limit values ​​calculated by the control value calculation unit 111 for the rolling equipment. The set limit values ​​are also input to the operation amount correction unit 116.

[0026] The operation amount acquisition unit 113 acquires the operation amount that maximizes the production efficiency of the finishing rolling mill 5. The operation amount acquisition unit 113 acquires the actual value of the operation amount when the operator manually operates the finishing rolling mill 5 so as to maximize the production efficiency of the finishing rolling mill 5 that is not deteriorated.

[0027] The performance data acquisition unit 114 acquires time-series performance data of the finishing rolling mill 5. The time-series performance data includes the rolling information input from the host computer 12, measurement values ​​of each sensor including the rolling load sensor 55, and the like.

[0028] The deterioration assessment unit 115 assesses the deterioration state of the finishing rolling mill 5 based on the time-series performance data. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method for assessing the deterioration state of rolling equipment. As shown in FIG. 3, when performance data (rotational speed) under similar rolling conditions are viewed over the long term, the performance data gradually decreases after a certain time t1. Therefore, the deterioration assessment unit 115 defines performance data when no deterioration occurs as reference performance data Dst, and assesses the presence or absence of deterioration of the rolling equipment based on the amount of decrease in performance data from this reference performance data Dst. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the deterioration state is assessed in two stages, but may be assessed in three or more stages. The assessed deterioration state is input to the operation amount correction unit 116.

[0029] The operation amount correction unit 116 corrects the operation amount acquired by the operation amount acquisition unit 113 based on the deterioration state of the finishing rolling mill 5. The correction of the operation amount is performed within a range that does not exceed a limit value. The correction amount of the operation amount can be determined using a table, a formula, or the like based on the track record of manual operations performed in the past by a skilled operator. Since a skilled operator can correct the operation amount according to the deterioration state of the finishing rolling mill 5 based on their extensive experience, the correction amount can be used as a track record value. When the deterioration evaluation unit 115 evaluates the deterioration state in three or more stages, a table or a formula can be prepared in advance so that the correction amount can also be determined in stages accordingly. The corrected operation amount is input to the correction operation amount evaluation unit 117 and the correction operation amount display unit 118.

[0030] The corrected manipulated variable evaluation unit 117 evaluates the corrected manipulated variable based on time-series performance data after manual operation with the corrected manipulated variable. The evaluation of the corrected manipulated variable itself can be performed by a skilled operator based on their abundant experience. The corrected manipulated variable may be evaluated in two stages, good (◯) and poor (×), or in three or more stages, excellent (◎), good (◯), and poor (×), as will be described later. The evaluation result may be displayed numerically. The evaluation result is input to the corrected manipulated variable display unit 118.

[0031] The corrected manipulated variable display unit 118 displays the corrected manipulated variable on the operation screen 13. The corrected manipulated variable display unit 118 also displays the evaluation result on the operation screen 13 in association with the corrected manipulated variable. This is effective when there are multiple corrected manipulated variables. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display of corrected manipulated variables. This allows the operator to easily determine whether to adopt the corrected manipulated variables Mv1 and Mv2. Furthermore, it is preferable to display the corrected manipulated variable Mv3 with a poor evaluation result in addition to the corrected manipulated variable Mv1 and Mv2 with a good evaluation result. When adopting the corrected manipulated variable Mv1 or Mv2, the operator can refer to the corrected manipulated variable Mv3 with a poor evaluation result. This is particularly useful for inexperienced operators.

[0032] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the rolling equipment operation support system 110. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the operation support system 110.

[0033] Based on the rolling plan input from the host computer 12, control values ​​for each rolling facility including the finishing mill 5 and limit values ​​for the control values ​​are calculated, and the calculated control values ​​are set for each rolling facility (step S1). As a result, the rolling facility is operated and time-series performance data for the rolling facility is acquired. During operation, an operator manually operates the control values ​​so as to maximize the production efficiency of the rolling facility. In step S2, the amount of operation by manual operation is acquired.

[0034] Next, in step S3, the deterioration state of the finishing mill 5 is evaluated based on the time-series performance data. That is, it is determined whether or not the finishing mill 5 is deteriorated (see FIG. 3).

[0035] Next, in step S4, the manipulated variable Mv is corrected based on the deterioration state of the finishing rolling mill 5. Thereafter, in step S5, the corrected manipulated variables Mv1, Mv2, and Mv3 are evaluated. That is, evaluation results corresponding to the corrected manipulated variables Mv1, Mv2, and Mv3 are obtained.

[0036] In the final step S6, the corrected operation amounts Mv1, Mv2, Mv3 and the corresponding evaluation results are displayed on the operation screen (interface screen 13).

[0037] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the operation assistance system 110. The above-described functions of the operation assistance system 110 can be realized by the processing circuit shown in FIG. 5. This processing circuit may be dedicated hardware 110a. This processing circuit may include a processor 110b and a memory 110c. This processing circuit may be partially formed as dedicated hardware 20a and further include a processor 110b and a memory 110c. In the example of FIG. 6, a portion of the processing circuit is formed as dedicated hardware 110a, and the processing circuit also includes a processor 110b and a memory 110c. The processing circuit may be at least one dedicated hardware 110a. In this case, the processing circuit may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof. The processing circuit may include at least one processor 110b and at least one memory 110c. In this case, each function of the operation assistance system 110 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in the memory 110c. The processor 110b reads and executes the programs stored in the memory 110c to realize each function of the operation assistance system 110. The processor 110b is also called a CPU (Central Processing Unit), processing device, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP. The memory 110c corresponds to, for example, non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or EEPROM. In this way, the processing circuit can realize each function of the operation assistance system 110 by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

[0038] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the finishing rolling mill (rolling equipment) 5 is evaluated as being deteriorated, the operator is not presented with the operation variable Mv that maximizes the production efficiency of the undeteriorated finishing rolling mill 5, but rather is presented with the operation variables Mv1 and Mv2 that have been corrected based on the deterioration state of the finishing rolling mill 5. This enables even an inexperienced operator to perform manual operation that maximizes the production efficiency of the deteriorated finishing rolling mill 5.

[0039] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. When the numbers, quantities, amounts, ranges, etc. of each element are mentioned in the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the mentioned numbers unless otherwise specified or clearly specified in principle. Furthermore, the structures, etc. described in the above embodiments are not necessarily essential to the present invention unless otherwise specified or clearly specified in principle.

[0040] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the finishing rolling mill 5 has been described as an example of rolling equipment, but the present disclosure can also be applied to other rolling equipment in the rolling plant 1.

[0041] 1...Rolling plant, 5...Finishing rolling mill (rolling equipment), 51...Work roll, 53...Motor, 55...Rolling load sensor (sensor), 11...Process control computer, 12...Host computer, 13...Interface screen, operation screen, 110...Rolling equipment operation support system, 111...Control value calculation unit, 112...Control value setting unit, 113...Operation amount acquisition unit, 114...Actual data acquisition unit, 115...Deterioration evaluation unit, 116...Operation amount correction unit, 117...Corrected operation amount evaluation unit, 118...Corrected operation amount display unit

Claims

1. An operation support system for supporting manual operation by an operator of rolling equipment, comprising: a control value setting unit that sets control values ​​calculated based on a rolling plan to the rolling equipment; an operation variable acquisition unit that acquires operation variables that maximize the production efficiency of the rolling equipment for which the control values ​​have been set; an actual data acquisition unit that acquires time-series actual data of the rolling equipment; a deterioration evaluation unit that evaluates the deterioration state of the rolling equipment based on the time-series actual data; an operation variable correction unit that corrects the operation variables based on the deterioration state of the rolling equipment; and a corrected operation variable display unit that displays the corrected operation variables.

2. An operation support system for rolling equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein the operation amount correction unit is configured to correct the operation amount within a range that does not exceed a limit value set for the control value.

3. An operation support system for rolling equipment as described in claim 1, wherein the deterioration assessment unit is configured to assess the deterioration state in accordance with the amount of decrease in the time-series performance data from the reference performance data when performance data of the rolling equipment that is not deteriorated is taken as reference performance data.

4. An operation support system for rolling equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a corrected operation amount evaluation unit that evaluates the corrected operation amount, and the corrected operation amount display unit is configured to display the evaluation result in association with the corrected operation amount.

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