Flexible Rolling Roll Gap Control for Variable Thickness Profiles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for dynamic roll gap control in flexible rolling struggle to achieve high dimensional accuracy and cost-efficiency at high rolling speeds, often leading to system instability due to the need for precise measurement and control of thickness profiles with variable gradients.

Innovation Solution

A method for dynamically controlling the roll gap by defining nominal and actual corner points, with additional intermediate points for enhanced control, using contactless thickness measuring systems and pattern recognition to adjust roller settings for precise profile matching, allowing for stable operation even at high speeds.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If all measurement points of the actual profile are evaluated to detect local deviations between corner points, then measurement precision improves, but computing power requirements increase disproportionately and process stability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracy of thickness deviationsVSAvoidcomputational complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the continuous thickness profile into discrete characteristic points (corner points and intermediate points) for evaluation. Instead of processing all measurement points along the entire profile, the method identifies and evaluates only the characteristic points that define the thickness profile geometry, significantly reducing computational requirements while maintaining detection accuracy for local deviations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the essential characteristic points (corner points and intermediate points) from the complete set of measurement points. By taking out only the critical points that define the thickness profile and comparing these with nominal values, the system achieves effective deviation detection without the computational burden of processing all measurement data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Manufacturing precision

If dynamic roll gap control is implemented to achieve high dimensional accuracy at high rolling speeds, then manufacturing precision improves, but process stability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedimensional accuracy of rolled stripVSAvoidcontrol loop stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent determines corrected roller setting data in advance based on deviations detected at characteristic points. By calculating the necessary corrections before executing the rolling operation and using these preliminary corrections to control the roll gap, the system achieves high dimensional accuracy while maintaining stability through proactive rather than reactive control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where actual thickness measurements at characteristic points are continuously compared with nominal values, and the deviations are used to dynamically adjust roller setting data. This closed-loop feedback control enables the system to maintain manufacturing precision while adapting to variations in real-time without compromising stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If characteristic points are used for control optimization, then device complexity reduces, but measurement precision decreases due to fewer evaluation points

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol system simplicityVSAvoiddeviation detection capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by introducing intermediate points at specific locations where local thickness variations are most critical. While corner points provide overall profile control, intermediate points add localized measurement capability in regions prone to deviations, enhancing detection precision without requiring evaluation of all measurement points along the profile.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11511328B2Dynamic roll gap control during flexible rolling of metal strips

Publication Date: 2022.11.29 MUHR UND BENNDER KG

AI summary

A method for dynamic roll gap control for flexible rolling of metallic strip material can include: defining a nominal thickness profile with defined nominal corner points and with profile sections lying in between, wherein two profile sections adjoining a nominal corner point each have different average gradients; flexible rolling of the strip material according to the nominal thickness profile; measuring an actual thickness profile of the flexibly rolled strip material; determining actual corner points corresponding to the nominal corner points and actual intermediate points corresponding to the nominal intermediate points; determining corner point comparison values from the nominal corner points and the corresponding actual corner points, as well as intermediate point comparison values from the nominal intermediate points with the corresponding actual intermediate points; controlling a roll gap depending on the corner point comparison values and the intermediate point comparison values.