Steel Pipe Out-of-Roundness Prediction for Bending Process Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current steel pipe manufacturing processes face challenges in accurately predicting and controlling the out-of-roundness of steel pipes after the pipe expanding step, particularly due to the influence of multiple operational conditions across various steps, leading to increased lead time and manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A steel pipe out-of-roundness prediction model generation method that utilizes machine learning to generate a prediction model based on operational conditions from the end bending, press bending, and pipe expanding steps, incorporating attribute information of the steel sheet, to accurately predict and control the out-of-roundness of steel pipes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the number of times of 3-point bending press is increased to improve out-of-roundness, then the out-of-roundness of the steel pipe after pipe expanding is improved, but the manufacturing time to form the steel pipe into a U-shaped cross section increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies end bending processing as a preliminary action before the main press bending step. By pre-bending the end portions of the steel sheet in the width direction, the material is pre-formed into a configuration that requires fewer subsequent press bending operations to achieve the desired U-shaped cross-section, thereby reducing total manufacturing time while maintaining out-of-roundness quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the bending process into two distinct phases: end bending processing applied to specific end portions of the steel sheet, and press bending processing applied to the central portion. This segmentation allows each process to be optimized independently, with end bending preparing the material and press bending completing the formation, reducing the total number of pressing operations needed
2Loss of time
If the number of times of 3-point bending press is reduced to decrease manufacturing time, then the manufacturing time is reduced, but the cross-section of the steel pipe takes a substantially polygonal shape making it difficult to form a circular cross-sectional shape
Solution Approach 1:
End bending processing is performed as a preliminary action on the end portions of the steel sheet before press bending. This pre-forming creates initial curvature that guides the subsequent press bending process, enabling the formation of a circular cross-section with fewer pressing operations than would be required without the preliminary end bending
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing to different portions of the steel sheet: end bending is applied specifically to the end portions in the width direction, while press bending is applied to the central portion. This local differentiation of processing quality allows the end portions to be pre-formed, which assists the central portion in achieving circularity with fewer press operations
3Manufacturing precision
If empirical determination of the number of times of 3-point bending press is used to achieve satisfactory out-of-roundness, then the out-of-roundness is improved, but the device complexity and operational complexity increase due to the need to adjust parameters based on pipe dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the forming process, specifically applying end bending to the end portions before press bending. This parameter change in the process sequence and application location achieves satisfactory out-of-roundness while providing a more systematic and less empirically-dependent approach than traditional methods
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 method enables accurate and prompt prediction and control of steel pipe out-of-roundness, reducing manufacturing time and costs by considering the interplay of operational conditions across multiple steps, resulting in steel pipes with desired out-of-roundness and improved yield.
Implementation Method 1
a steel pipe out-of-roundness prediction model generation method that utilizes machine learning to generate a prediction model
Implementation Method 2
executing a numerical computation in which input data is operational condition data and output data is steel pipe out-of-roundness
Data Source
AI summary
A steel pipe out-of-roundness prediction model generation method includes: executing a numerical computation in which an input data is an operational condition dataset including one or more operational parameters of an end bending step and one or more operational parameters of a press bending step, and an output data is a steel pipe out-of-roundness after a pipe expanding step, the numerical computation conducted a plurality of times while changing the operational condition dataset, and generating a plurality of pairs of data of the operational condition data set and the steel pipe out-of-roundness data after the pipe expanding step, offline as training data; and generating a model for which an input data is the operational condition dataset, and an output data is the out-of-roundness of the steel pipe after the pipe expanding step, the generation of the model performed offline by machine learning using the plurality of pairs of training data.