Rolling Mill SCADA Control for Product Change Quality Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automation solutions for rolling metal products, particularly in rolling mills, face challenges in maintaining product quality during changes in products or process conditions, leading to initial quality issues until working variables are re-regulated after restarts or changes.
Innovation Solution
A method using a multi-stage control system with Level 2 automation that evaluates and adjusts setting values before handover to Level 1 automation, allowing partial adoption, rejection, or modification of set values based on process situations, utilizing AI or table systems for generating set values and optimizing process variables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pre-calculated Level 2 setting values are adopted during product changes or system restarts, then system productivity is maintained, but product quality deteriorates initially until parameters are re-adjusted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of Level 2 setting values before they are applied to Level 1 automation. A quality evaluation unit assesses whether pre-calculated setting values are suitable for current process situations (product changes, restarts, speed changes) before adoption, preventing quality deterioration while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the quality evaluation unit continuously monitors process situations and provides feedback on whether to adopt, reject, or adjust Level 2 setting values. This closed-loop control ensures that setting values are only applied when they will maintain product quality, resolving the contradiction between productivity and manufacturing precision.
2Loss of time
If Level 2 setting values are always adopted to maintain continuous operation, then loss of time is reduced, but reliability of product quality decreases during process changes
Solution Approach 1:
The quality evaluation unit performs preliminary assessment of setting values before adoption, identifying suitable process situations where pre-calculated values can be safely applied. This prevents blind adoption of setting values during critical transitions, maintaining reliability while minimizing downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its behavior based on process situations. The quality evaluation unit determines whether to adopt, reject, or adjust setting values based on real-time conditions (product changes, restarts, speed changes), making the system adaptive rather than rigid, thus maintaining both continuity and reliability.
3Productivity
If pre-calculated setting values are used during restarts or product changes, then productivity is maintained, but initial product quality deteriorates until re-regulation
Solution Approach 1:
The quality evaluation unit provides feedback control by assessing whether pre-calculated setting values are appropriate for current process situations. During restarts or product changes, the system evaluates the suitability of setting values before application, preventing quality deterioration while maintaining continuous operation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The quality evaluation unit acts as an intermediary between Level 2 automation (setting value generation) and Level 1 automation (execution). It filters and evaluates setting values before they reach Level 1, ensuring that only appropriate values are applied during critical transitions like restarts or product changes, thus protecting product quality while maintaining productivity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for monitoring and controlling a plant for rolling metal products comprising at least one rolling mill with at least one rolling stand, wherein the method is carried out using a SCADA system, wherein in a Level 2 automation of the SCADA system, depending on the nature of the product to be produced, a preliminary calculation of the working parameters of the rolling process is carried out in the form of set values for a Level 1 automation, wherein the quality of the set values is optimized for various process situations, such as a product change, in a higher-level device for process optimization before being transferred to the Level 1 automation.A restart after a standstill or a change in the speed of the plant is evaluated, and in the process optimization facility, the set values of the Level 2 automation and/or the dimensional specifications are at least partially adopted or rejected and/or at least partially increased or decreased depending on a given process situation.