Coil End-Face Contour Control for Strip Lateral Offset

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing rolling mill technologies struggle to accurately account for the lateral offset of a coiled metal strip during rolling, leading to potential collisions and quality issues such as profile and flatness defects, as they primarily rely on post-rolling detection and adjustment.

Innovation Solution

A control method that determines the lateral offset of a coiled metal strip before unwinding by analyzing the contour of the coil end face, allowing for pre-emptive control of actuators to adjust the roll gap and other parameters to mitigate lateral movement, using detection devices like thermal imaging or laser scanners to capture the coil's contour.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If lateral offset is detected at the exit end of the rolling stand using a camera, then the lateral displacement can be measured, but the control response is delayed and cannot prevent collisions or quality defects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelateral displacement measurementVSAvoidcontrol response time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by detecting the lateral offset of the metal strip at the entry side of the rolling stand before the rolling process occurs. This allows the control system to calculate appropriate control variables and adjust actuators in advance, preventing lateral migration and quality defects before they occur, rather than detecting and responding after the fact at the exit end.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Device complexity

If conventional control systems are used with entry side detection, then the control process can be simplified, but the system cannot accurately handle coiled metal strips with varying lateral offsets along their length

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol system complexityVSAvoidlateral offset control precision for coiled strips
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the coiled metal strip into multiple sections along its longitudinal direction. Each section is assigned a specific lateral offset value based on the contour data, allowing the control system to handle varying offsets for different parts of the strip. This enables precise control for coiled strips while maintaining manageable system complexity through systematic segmentation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by using the contour of the end face to determine lateral offset values for different sections of the metal strip. By varying the lateral offset parameter along the longitudinal direction according to the actual contour shape, the system achieves high manufacturing precision for coiled strips without requiring overly complex control architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the contour of the end face is analyzed to determine lateral offset for the entire strip length, then pre-emptive control is enabled, but the data processing and control calculations become more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision prevention reliabilityVSAvoidcontrol device processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary analysis of the end face contour to determine lateral offsets for all sections of the metal strip before the rolling process begins. This advance preparation enables the control device to have all necessary offset information ready, allowing reliable collision prevention while distributing the computational complexity across pre-processing and execution phases rather than requiring complex real-time calculations during rolling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4519035B1Determining the lateral offset of a metal strip on the basis of the contour of an end face of a coil
Publication Date: 2026.03.25 PRIMETALS TECH GERMANY GMBH
  • EP4519035B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4519035B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4519035B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a rolling mill comprising at least one roll stand (1) and a pay-off reel (2) arranged upstream of the roll stand (1). A metal strip (4), wound to form a coil (3), is unreeled from the pay-off reel (2) and fed therefrom out of the roll stand (1). The metal strip (4) is rolled in the roll stand (1). A particular portion (i) of the metal strip (4) has a particular lateral offset (V) at a predetermined distance from the roll stand (1). A control device (8) for the roll stand (1) determines a particular manipulated variable (C) by evaluating the particular lateral offset (V) for at least one actuator (12) associated with the roll stand (1), and controls the actuator (12) in accordance with the determined particular manipulated variable (C). Prior to unreeling the metal strip (4), a contour (K) of at least one end face (11) of the still-reeled coil (3) is acknowledged by the control device (8). As a result, the information relating to the lateral offset (V) of the portions (i) over the entire length of the metal strip (4) is available to the control device (8) even before the metal strip (4) is fed to the roll stand (1). The control device (8) determines the particular lateral offset (V) using the contour (K).