Thick Strip Sampling via Low-Friction Coil Turning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for sampling rolled metal strips wound into coils above 12 mm thickness are hazardous for operators and inefficient, as they require manual handling, lead to coil instability, and result in high deformation forces, damaging the strip ends and requiring excessive power.
Innovation Solution
A device with a coil turning mechanism that unwinds the strip from the lower quadrant of the coil, using a rotatable receptacle with troughed rollers and a separating device with adjustable, low-friction guides to feed the strip to a sampler, minimizing constraint and curvature, thus reducing required forces and preventing end damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual cutting with flame is used in troughing stations, then sampling can be performed, but operator safety is compromised due to coil whipping and rolling hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual flame cutting with an automated shear cutting system. The strip end is automatically guided into the shear and cut without operator intervention, eliminating the hazards of manual handling and flame cutting while maintaining sampling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coil opening device automatically peels off the strip end from the coil and feeds it into the cutting device without operator assistance. The system performs the entire sampling operation autonomously, removing operators from hazardous zones.
2Ease of operation
If the strip is guided through guides into the cutting unit with strong bending, then the strip can be fed to the cutter, but large deformation forces are generated requiring high drive power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a coil opening device that guides the strip end along a curved path conforming to the coil geometry, rather than forcing it through straight guides. This reduces bending moments and deformation forces while maintaining effective strip feeding to the cutting device.
Solution Approach 2:
The coil opening device is designed to dynamically adapt to the coil's curvature and tension, allowing the strip to be peeled off smoothly without rigid constraints. This dynamic approach reduces the forces required compared to static guide systems.
3Productivity
If the strip end is strongly bent to feed into the cutter, then cutting can be achieved, but the strip surface is damaged due to rubbing against force application surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a coil opening device as an intermediary mechanism between the coil and the cutting device. This intermediary peels off the strip end and guides it smoothly into the shear without direct contact with rigid force application surfaces, preventing surface damage while enabling cutting.
4Stability of the object's composition
If additional rollers and forces are applied to stabilize the coil, then coil stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coil opening device utilizes the coil's own weight and geometry to achieve stability during the peeling operation. The device is designed to work with the natural characteristics of the coiled strip, eliminating the need for additional stabilizing rollers and complex support systems.
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
Enables automated sampling of all steel grades without risking strip damage or operator safety, reducing the forces needed for unwinding and minimizing surface wear, allowing for efficient and reliable sampling across various coil diameters.
Implementation Method 1
Third, there are ultra-high-strength steels, which are tempered during the rolling process and possess extremely high strengths. These materials, with corresponding strip thicknesses of only about 15 mm at most, are only elastically stretched during winding.
Implementation Method 2
Other designs are known from practice, for example the storage of the coil on a reel mandrel in combination with various bundle opener systems, but all of these are characterized by the fact that the strip is guided into the separation system with a large curvature and thus with the aforementioned disadvantages.
Data Source
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus for sampling rolled metal strips which have been wound up to form a coil (1), in particular in the thickness range of > 12 mm, comprising a coil turning device and a separating apparatus (6) for separating the sample from the metal strip (4), characterized in that the coil turning device has at least two rotatable supports (2, 3), preferably trough rollers, which are arranged in the lower quadrant of the coil (1) lying on the coil turning device, and also an outer guide (5) for the metal strip, wherein the outer guide (5) spans a partial circumference of the coil (1) of more than 180° in the region downstream of the last support (3) in the unwinding direction of the metal strip and is provided with means (7) which reduce the friction of the metal strip on the inner side of the outer guide (5). Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for sampling rolled metal strips which have been wound up to form a coil (1), in particular in the thickness range of > 12 mm, with a coil turning device and a separating apparatus (6) for separating the sample from the metal strip, preferably by means of an apparatus according to the invention.