Continuous Pilger Rolling Train for Tube Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing tube manufacturing process using pilger rolling mills is inefficient due to the separation of rolling and annealing steps, resulting in a production cycle that takes about two weeks, with most of the time spent in storage and post-processing, rather than actual processing.
Innovation Solution
A continuous rolling train that integrates a pilger mill, a first buffer for bundling tubes, an annealing furnace, a second buffer for separating tubes, and a straightening machine, with automated transport devices and a controller for automated operation, allowing for simultaneous annealing and processing of multiple tubes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the rolling and annealing steps are separated in time with bundle production, then the annealing furnace can process multiple tubes simultaneously, but the production cycle extends to about two weeks with most time spent in storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous production by eliminating the time separation between rolling and annealing. Tubes are rolled and then immediately annealed in sequence without storage interruptions. The automated transport system ensures continuous flow of tubes through the rolling mill, buffer, annealing furnace, and straightening machine, maintaining uninterrupted productive action throughout the entire process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a buffer device as an intermediary between the rolling mill and annealing furnace. This buffer temporarily holds rolled tubes and enables smooth transition to the annealing process without stopping the rolling operation. The buffer acts as a mediator that decouples the timing constraints of the two processes while maintaining overall continuity.
2Productivity
If automated transport devices and buffers are introduced to enable continuous production, then production time is reduced to a few hours, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated transport device serves multiple functions: it transports tubes from the rolling mill to the buffer, moves tubes from the buffer to the annealing furnace, and facilitates overall material flow coordination. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated transport mechanisms for each transfer point, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving continuous production.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs automated control that enables self-service operation. The controller automatically coordinates the rolling mill, buffer, annealing furnace, and straightening machine without requiring manual intervention at each stage. This automation reduces operational complexity while maintaining high productivity, as the system manages itself through programmed sequences.
3Loss of time
If multiple processing stations are synchronized for continuous operation, then storage needs are reduced, but the coordination complexity between stations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller implements feedback mechanisms to monitor the status of each processing station (rolling mill, buffer, annealing furnace, straightening machine) and automatically adjusts operations to maintain synchronized continuous flow. This feedback control enables real-time coordination without manual intervention, reducing storage needs while managing coordination complexity through automated information exchange between stations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables continuous production, reducing the overall production time from two weeks to a few hours by synchronizing the processing of tubes through the rolling mill, annealing furnace, and straightening machine, improving efficiency and reducing storage needs.
Implementation Method 1
it is necessary to anneal the finish-rolled tubes for strengthening. During annealing, a plurality of bundled tubes are fed into a furnace and annealed there at the necessary temperatures.
Data Source
AI summary
Rolling trains for producing a tube, with a pilger rolling mill for reducing the diameter of a hollow blank to form a tube, are known from the prior art. In this case, the individual working steps of rolling in the pilger rolling mill and, for example, annealing in a furnace after the rolling are performed at separate times, and the finished rolled tubes are initially bundled together, stored as a bundle and annealed in a closed furnace at a much later time. This procedure, referred to as bundle production, means that the production of a tube, from the reducing in the pilger rolling mill to the packaging, takes about two weeks, while the actual processing operations during these two weeks take only about two hours. Against this background, the object of the present invention is to provide a rolling train that operates continuously. To achieve this object, a pilger rolling train for producing a tube is proposed, with a pilger rolling mill for reducing the diameter of a hollow blank to form the tube, a first buffer for a number of tubes, the first buffer having a device for bundling a number of tubes together in a bundle, an annealing furnace for simultaneously annealing a number of tubes, a second buffer for a number of tubes, the second buffer for the tubes having a device for individually separating the number of tubes from a bundle, and a straightening machine for straightening the individually separated tubes one after the other, wherein the devices are arranged in the aforementioned sequence in the direction of flow of the tube and wherein an automated transporting device for the tube is respectively provided between the pilger rolling mill, the first buffer, the annealing furnace, the second buffer and the straightening machine.