Section Mill Cooling Box Positioning for In-Pass Steel Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing selective cooling processes for steel sections require the workpiece to be completely moved out of the rolling mill for cooling, increasing overall rolling time and reducing productivity, while also being costly to install and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A cooling arrangement integrated into the section mill, featuring a cooling box with adjustable spray openings and an actuator to move the cooling box relative to the stand frame, allowing for localized cooling during rolling passes without the need to move the workpiece out of the mill.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the workpiece is moved out of the rolling mill for selective cooling, then the temperature distribution is improved, but the overall rolling time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling arrangement is integrated into the rolling mill by mounting the cooling box to the stand frame, merging the cooling function with the existing rolling equipment. This allows cooling to occur during the rolling process itself, eliminating the need to move the workpiece to a separate cooling zone and thereby maintaining productivity while achieving temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling process is made continuous with the rolling process. The actuator enables the cooling box to follow the workpiece during rolling passes, ensuring cooling action occurs continuously during deformation rather than in separate transit and waiting phases, thus eliminating additional time losses.
2Temperature
If dedicated cooling zones are installed adjacent the rolling mill, then selective cooling is achieved, but the investment costs and operational maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling box is mounted to the existing stand frame of the rolling mill, utilizing the existing structural framework. This approach allows the cooling system to use the mill's own support structure, reducing the need for separate dedicated cooling zone installations and thereby lowering investment and maintenance costs while achieving selective cooling capability.
3Device complexity
If the cooling box is fixed at a constant distance from the workpiece, then the structure is simple, but the cooling effectiveness varies with changing workpiece dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator enables dynamic adjustment of the distance between the cooling box and the workpiece. This dynamic positioning capability allows the cooling system to adapt to varying workpiece dimensions throughout the rolling process, maintaining optimal cooling effectiveness despite changes in workpiece size and shape.
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 efficient and localized cooling of steel sections during rolling, reducing transit and waiting times, increasing productivity, and simplifying maintenance, while maintaining the existing cooling liquid supply and roll positioning mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
spraying jets of pressurized cooling liquid (e.g. water) against the workpiece
Implementation Method 2
spraying jets of pressurized cooling liquid (e.g. water) against the workpiece
Data Source
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AI summary
A section mill (10) for the rolling of steel sectionsis disclosed. The section mill comprises a universal mill stand (12) and an edger mill stand (14) for rolling a workpiece(18)in a plurality of back-and-forth passes into a steel section having a web and one or more flanges. The section mill further comprises a cooling arrangement (16) for cooling the workpiece while it undergoes rolling during one or more of the passes. The cooling arrangement comprises a cooling box (20) having a spray head (21) with spray openings (22) for spraying jets of pressurized cooling liquid against the workpiece. The cooling arrangement further comprises an actuator (38, 34) configured to move the cooling box relative to the stand frame (58) of the universal mill stand and/or of the edger mill stand for adjusting a distance between the spray openings and the workpiece.