Variable Cooling Zone for Sheet Metal Heat Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for sheet metal, particularly in high-pressure quenching devices, lack precise control over cooling rates, making it difficult to achieve specific microstructure states or temperatures, and are limited in accommodating different cooling speeds and material properties.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device with at least two outlet pipes above and below the sheet, featuring outlet openings of different sizes, allowing for variable cooling conditions by controlling the flow of coolant through each pipe independently, enabling precise adjustment of cooling rates and intensities across the sheet's width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a high-pressure cooling zone with uniform nozzle rows is used, then rapid cooling is achieved, but precise control over cooling rates and microstructure states is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling zone is divided into multiple independent control zones along the sheet metal path, with each zone having separately controllable outlet pipes. This segmentation allows different cooling rates to be applied in different zones, enabling precise control over the cooling process and microstructure development at various positions across the sheet width.
Solution Approach 2:
Outlet pipes with different outlet opening sizes are positioned at different locations across the sheet width, creating local variations in cooling intensity. This allows each region of the sheet to receive customized cooling conditions tailored to achieve specific microstructure states or temperature distributions in different areas.
2Stability of the object's composition
If uniform cooling is applied across the sheet width, then even temperature distribution is achieved, but individualized cooling control for different material properties is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static uniform cooling to dynamic adjustable cooling by enabling independent control of each outlet pipe or group of pipes. This allows the cooling conditions to be dynamically adjusted during operation to achieve either uniform cooling when needed or individualized cooling patterns for specific material property requirements.
3Productivity
If a short high-pressure cooling zone is used, then rapid cooling is achieved, but precise control over final temperature and microstructure state is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling process is extended from a single short high-pressure zone to a continuous multi-zone cooling system that maintains cooling action throughout an extended zone. This allows the sheet to undergo progressive cooling through multiple stages, enabling precise control over the final temperature and microstructure state while maintaining overall high productivity.
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 allows for individualized and reproducible cooling of sheet metal, enabling precise control over material properties by varying cooling speeds and intensities, including slow cooling rates to achieve desired material characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
the outlet pipes being connected to a coolant supply with the interposition of control means
Implementation Method 2
at least two coolant jets are directed onto the upper side and the lower side of the cooling zone
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for cooling plate- or web-like sheet metal, comprising: transport means for continuously transporting the sheet metal in a through-flow direction; a cooling zone in which at least one outlet pipe extends both over and under the sheet metal, in a transverse direction in relation to the through-flow direction, wherein the outlet pipe has at least one outlet opening, and wherein the outlet pipe is connected to a cooling medium supply via control means. The invention also relates to a method for heat treating plate- or web-like sheet metal. According to the invention, in the cooling-off zone (2), at least two outlet pipes (3a - 3c) are arranged both above and below the sheet metal (4), the outlet openings (5a - 5c) of which outlet pipes are each different sizes. By selectively supplying at least one outlet pipe (3a – 3c) with cooling medium, the sheet metal or the band (4) is cooled-off at different cooling-off speeds and/or cooling-off intensities.