Provided is a continuous annealing line capable of producing a steel sheet excellent in hydrogen embrittlement resistance. A continuous annealing line 100 comprises: a payoff reel 10 configured to uncoil a cold-rolled coil C to feed a cold-rolled steel sheet S; an annealing furnace 20 configured to continuously anneal the cold-rolled steel sheet S and including a heating zone 22, a soaking zone 24, and a cooling zone 26 that are arranged from an upstream side in a sheet passing direction; a downstream line 30 configured to continuously pass the cold-rolled steel sheet S discharged from the annealing furnace 20 therethrough; a tension reel 50 configured to coil the cold-rolled steel sheet S; and a sound wave irradiator 60 configured to irradiate the cold-rolled steel sheet S being passed from the cooling zone 26 to the tension reel 50 with sound waves.

The invention relates to a method for rolling a metal product (1), wherein the metal product is subjected to a rolling operation at a first station (2), which rolling operation is controlled by a control device (3), wherein the product (1) is subject to a measurement at a second station (4), wherein the product (1) is subjected to a further processing operation at a third station (6), and wherein the product (1) is in a specified quality at a fourth station (7). In order to increase the quality of the produced strip, the invention provides that the method has the following steps: a) measuring the value of a material property (IW) that the second station (4); b) feeding the value measured at the second station (4) to the control device (3), comparing the measured value with a value (SW) stored in the control device (3), and adjusting a parameter (PPI) if the measured value deviates from the stored value (SW), e) measuring a value of a quality material property (Q) at the fourth station (7); d) comparing the measured value with a stored value, and initiating a measure to influence the quality material property (Q) if the measured value deviates from the stored value beyond a permissible tolerance.

A method for producing a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet includes supplying humidified gas to the soaking zone 12 in a manner such that: in passes in which the steel sheet moves upward, the humidified gas is supplied from first humidified gas supply ports 40A to 40E provided at positions higher by 1.0 m or more and 5.0 m or less than the centers of lower hearth rolls 54 and overlapping the steel sheet in the passes when viewed from the side of the soaking zone; and in passes in which the steel sheet moves downward, the humidified gas is supplied from second humidified gas supply ports 42A to 42E provided at positions lower by 1.0 m or more and 5.0 m or less than the centers of the upper hearth rolls 52 and overlapping the steel sheet in the passes when viewed from the side of the soaking zone.

A device and method for producing a continuous strip-shaped composite material including a base material of metal, which is unwound in the form of a metal strip by a first coil-unwinding apparatus, and at least one cladding material of metal, which is unwound in the form of a metal strip by a second coil-unwinding apparatus. The metal base and cladding metal strips unwound by the respective coil-unwinding apparatuses are brought together in the hot state of at least 720 degrees Celsius. The unwound base and cladding metal strips brought toward each other and are joined by hot-rolling such that a single continuous strip-shaped composite material is thereby formed by roll cladding such that the composite material includes the base material and the cladding material.

A method for operating an annealing furnace to anneal a metal strip provides that, initially, at least one target material property (MP.sub.Target) is specified for a point or a section of the metal strip after passing through the annealing furnace. In addition, information (E) on the metal strip is provided before or in the annealing furnace. A calculation of a target temperature distribution (T.sub.Target) and/or a target speed (V.sub.Target) of the metal strip in the annealing furnace is then carried out with the assistance of a computer-aided model as a function of the target material properties and the specified information. The target temperature distribution and/or target speed calculated in this manner is/are subsequently set in the annealing furnace in order to transfer the material property of the metal strip behind the annealing furnace to the desired target material property MP.sub.Target.

A bridle device and a method for producing a steel strip in which snaking of a steel strip that occurs during production of a high-silicon steel strip is suppressed. The bridle device includes a pair of upper and lower rotatable endless belts or a pair of upper and lower rotatable caterpillars configured to pinch a steel strip. The bridle device is movable or swingable in a steel strip width direction by using a steering mechanism. The bridle device further includes a rolling reduction mechanism configured to perform rolling reduction on a pinched portion of the steel strip by using the pair of upper and lower endless belts or the pair of upper and lower caterpillars. The steering mechanism moves or swings the bridle device in the steel strip width direction, and the rolling reduction mechanism performs rolling reduction on one of end portions in the steel strip width direction.

A method for electromagnetic and real-time measurement of a percentage of austenite contained in a steel strip in continuous motion during in-line manufacture or transformation thereof, by a device including the steel strip and a measuring device including at least: an alternating-current generator; a first coil supplied by the alternating-current generator, called a transmitting coil, and a second coil, called a receiving coil, the first and second coils being arranged parallel to each other or coaxial and on both sides of the steel strip, a distance between the coils being fixed and between 10 and 200 mm; a core of ferromagnetic material being a center of each coil, respectively; and at least one voltage-measuring device connected to terminals of the receiving coil, being a multimeter or an electronic acquisition system having an analog-digital converter coupled to a computer, to obtain the percentage of austenite contained in the steel strip.

Provided is a continuous hot-dip galvanizing apparatus comprising: a vertical annealing furnace having heating, soaking zone, and cooling zones therein; and a hot-dip galvanizing line downstream of the cooling zone. The heating, soaking, and cooling zones each have, in its upper portion, at least one upper hearth roll and, in its lower portion, at least one lower hearth roll. The soaking zone has a first and second humidified gas supply ports to supply a humidified gas having a dew point of 10° C. to 30° C. to the soaking zone. The first and second humidified gas supply ports are 1.0 m to 5.0 m lower than the center of the lower and upper hearth rolls, respectively, and overlap the steel sheet. The first humidified gas supply port is provided only for an ascending pass and the second humidified gas supply port is provided only for a descending pass.

Equipment for the continuous hot dip-coating of a metal strip 9 including an annealing furnace, a tank 2 containing a liquid metal bath 3, a snout connecting the annealing furnace and tank 2, through which the metal strip 9 runs in a protective atmosphere and the lower part of the snout, the sabot 5, is at least partly immersed in the liquid metal bath 3 in order to define with the surface of the bath, and inside this snout, a liquid seal 6, an overflow 7 not connected to the snout, the overflow 7 including at least one tray 8, placed in the vicinity of the strip 9 when entering the liquid metal bath 3 and encompassed by liquid seal 6.

A method and a device for producing a continuous strip-shaped composite material. The device has at least one first casting machine, using which a continuous strand is produced, in particular from steel, at least one rolling stand, which is arranged in line with the first casting machine and downstream thereof. A fully solidified slab of the strand produced using the first casting machine can be hot rolled, and at least one second casting machine, using which a further continuous strand is produced from metal. Between the casting machines, on the one hand, and the rolling stand, on the other hand, a merging unit is arranged, by means of which the slabs can be moved in the direction toward each other in the hot state. The rolling stand is designed as a roll-cladding unit, by which a composite formed from the merged slabs can be hot rolled.