Rolling Mill Gap Monitoring for Cylinder Wear Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Monitoring wear in rolling mill cylinders across multiple mill stands is challenging due to shape variations and the cascading effects of wear, which complicates adjustments and reduces productivity, especially in systems with many stands in series.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a neural network to read and analyze data from rolling cylinders, generating signals for adjusting cylinder gaps and speeds, and predicting the need for cylinder replacement, incorporating data from sensors and physical models to provide continuous monitoring and correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If magnetic sensors are used to monitor workpiece section, then the monitoring is compact and relatively cheap, but shape variations due to wear are not detected and reliability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces magnetic sensors with optical sensors that use light beams to measure workpiece dimensions. This substitution enables precise detection of workpiece shape variations and wear-induced dimensional changes, overcoming the limitations of magnetic sensors while maintaining system compactness through the use of laser diodes and photodetectors.
2Measurement precision
If optical sensors are placed between two mill stands to monitor wear, then monitoring precision is improved, but the mill stands must be spaced apart increasing the dimensions of the rolling mill
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions optical sensors vertically above and below the workpiece passage rather than horizontally between mill stands. This vertical arrangement allows the light beams to pass through the workpiece from top to bottom, enabling wear monitoring without requiring increased horizontal spacing between mill stands, thus maintaining compact mill stand arrangement.
3Productivity
If the number of mill stands in series is increased to reduce workpiece caliber, then processing capability is improved, but wear cascade effects multiply and adjustment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where optical sensors continuously monitor workpiece dimensions at each mill stand, and this data is fed to a control unit that automatically adjusts cylinder gap positions. This closed-loop feedback enables coordinated control of multiple mill stands, managing the complexity of wear compensation across series-connected stands while maintaining high productivity.
4Manufacturing precision
If cylinder gap adjustments are made frequently to maintain workpiece features, then workpiece quality is improved, but productivity is reduced due to increased adjustment time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automated self-adjusting system where optical sensors detect workpiece dimensional variations and the control unit automatically adjusts cylinder gap positions without manual intervention. This self-service capability maintains consistent workpiece quality through frequent adjustments while eliminating the productivity loss associated with manual adjustment time, as the system performs adjustments autonomously during production.
Data Source
AI summary
Method for monitoring wear to cylinders of the cages of a rolling mill, in particular for bars or rods, including the following steps: reading by a neural network of a plurality of data relating to the initial conditions of one or more rolling cylinders, in particular one or more pairs of cylinders each belonging to a rolling cage, to the settings, and to the running of the process; and generation by the neural network of signals relating to the state of wear of the cylinders.