Robotic Coil Surface Inspection for Changing Mandrel Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Evaluating the quality of metal strips in coils is challenging due to space constraints and harsh conditions within processing equipment, making it difficult to detect surface characteristics and other qualities during the coiling process.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a robotic assembly with adjustable sensors that can redirect the metal strip to form an angled segment, allowing sensors to detect surface characteristics on the strip and coil while accommodating changes in orientation and size, facilitated by a rotatable mandrel and roller setup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are placed inside the processing mill to detect strip characteristics during coiling, then real-time quality assessment is achieved, but space constraints and harsh conditions prevent reliable detection
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection system is extracted from the harsh mill environment and placed in a separate location where the coil is accessible. Sensors are positioned to detect strip characteristics on the coil exterior or on angled segments outside the processing mill, eliminating exposure to harmful factors while maintaining detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
An angled segment of the strip acts as an intermediary, allowing sensors to detect characteristics indirectly. The strip is redirected about a roller to create an angled segment that extends away from the roller, providing access points for sensor detection without requiring direct access to the coiling process interior
2Productivity
If the coil size changes during mandrel rotation, then coiling process continues, but sensor orientation and positioning become inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic assembly provides dynamic positioning and orientation adjustment of sensors. As the coil size changes during mandrel rotation, the robotic system continuously adapts sensor position and angle to maintain consistent detection geometry, enabling precise measurements throughout the coiling process
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the changing coil dimensions to adjust sensor positioning. The robotic assembly responds to coil size changes by modifying sensor orientation and position, ensuring consistent reading conditions are maintained despite ongoing coiling operations
3Device complexity
If fixed sensor positioning is used, then device complexity is reduced, but inability to accommodate angle variations prevents consistent detection
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic assembly transforms the sensor positioning system from fixed to dynamic, enabling continuous adjustment of sensor position and orientation. This dynamic capability accommodates variations in strip angle and coil dimensions while maintaining detection consistency
Data Source
AI summary
A strip of metal entering or exiting a mill can be redirected about a roller so as to define an angled segment of the strip of metal, with the angled segment extending away from the roller and arranged at an angle relative to the roller. The angled segment can be connected with a coil that is rotated about a mandrel such that a magnitude of the angle of the angled segment changes as the coil is enlarged or reduced by the rotating of the mandrel. A sensor of a surface inspection system can detect a characteristic of a surface of the strip of metal in the angled segment or in the coil. The sensor can be robotically moved to modify a distance and/or an orientation of the sensor of the surface inspection system relative to the surface.