Control system for cold rolling mills to improve sheet metal thickness uniformity. Sensors monitor the state of the cold rolling mill by measuring (i) roll eccentricity, (ii) roll slips during mill operation, (iii) mill disturbances from roll speed or roll force manifestations, and (iv) unknown disturbances referred to as process noise. The controller analyzes data from sensors to compensate. Data collected during the mill operation by the sensors are delayed in reaching the controller. This communication delay is accounted for by using a filter. Since an objective of the controller software is dynamic identification of eccentricity of the back up rolls, which is non-linear by nature, an Extended Kalman Filter may be used.

Control of third octave vibrations in a mill stand can be achieved using a high-speed piezoelectric assist coupled to a hydraulic gap cylinder to increase the damping of the roll stack. Vertical movements of the roll stack (e.g., the top work roll) can be determined through observation (e.g., measurement) of hydraulic fluid pressure of the hydraulic cylinder or entry tension of the metal strip. After determining vertical movements of the roll stack, a desired change in hydraulic pressure can be determined to overcome, reduce, or prevent third octave vibration. This desired change in hydraulic pressure can be effectuated at high speeds (e.g., at or above approximately 90 hertz) using the piezoelectric assist.

Control of third octave vibrations in a mill stand can be achieved using a high-speed piezoelectric assist coupled to a hydraulic gap cylinder to increase the damping of the roll stack. Vertical movements of the roll stack (e.g., the top work roll) can be determined through observation (e.g., measurement) of hydraulic fluid pressure of the hydraulic cylinder or entry tension of the metal strip. After determining vertical movements of the roll stack, a desired change in hydraulic pressure can be determined to overcome, reduce, or prevent third octave vibration. This desired change in hydraulic pressure can be effectuated at high speeds (e.g., at or above approximately 90 hertz) using the piezoelectric assist.

A rolled sheet metal mill controller for controlling thickness of sheet metal produced by rolls of the mill, the controller comprising one or more processors and code stored on media readable by the one or more processors to control the thickness of the produced sheet metal, the controller including an input coupled to receive multiple measured mill parameters including produced sheet metal thickness that is time delayed from the production of the sheet metal, multiple models of the sheet metal mill, wherein the sheet metal thickness is modeled as an input varying delay, and at least one internal disturbance model based on one or more of the multiple measured parameters coupled to the input, a Kalman filter based on the multiple models, and an output coupled to control a gap between the rolls that produce the rolled sheet metal.

An apparatus and method for applying an EDT texture to an aluminum sheet has a rolling stand with at least one EDT surfaced roll capable of rolling the sheet at reductions<1%. The rolling is conducted with residual or no lubrication and imparts a texture on the scale of about 1 m to the surface of the sheet at low roll force.

Provided is a rolling mill, a tandem rolling line including the same, and a rolling method capable of using small-diameter work rolls for rolling hard materials and capable of high-quality strips. A rolling mill includes: work rolls configured to roll a rolling material; intermediate rolls supporting the work rolls from above and below, respectively; back-up rolls supporting the intermediate rolls from above and below, respectively; position adjusting means for adjusting the positions of the intermediate rolls relative to the work rolls and the back-up rolls in the direction of conveyance of the rolling material; detecting means for detecting horizontal forces on the work rolls; offset-amount calculating means for calculating the offset amounts of the intermediate rolls based on the horizontal forces on the work rolls detected by the detecting means; and controlling means for controlling the position adjusting means such that the positions of the intermediate rolls are offset by the offset amounts calculated by the offset-amount calculating means.

A measuring roller for determining a property of a strip-shaped material such as metal strip, passed over a measuring roller, having a measuring roller body with a circumferential surface, at least one recess in the measuring roller body, which is arranged at a distance from the circumferential surface or leads from the circumferential surface into the interior of the measuring roller body, and with a first force sensor arranged in the recess and a second force sensor arranged in the recess or in a further recess adjacent to the recess, wherein the first force sensor has a sensor surface and the first force sensor can generate a sensor signal when the position of the sensor surface of the first force sensor changes, and the second force sensor has a sensor surface and the second force sensor can generate a sensor signal when the position of the sensor surface of the second force sensor changes.

A measuring roller for determining a property of a strip-shaped material such as metal strip, passed over a measuring roller, having a measuring roller body with a circumferential surface, at least one recess in the measuring roller body, which is arranged at a distance from the circumferential surface or leads from the circumferential surface into the interior of the measuring roller body, and with a first force sensor arranged in the recess and a second force sensor arranged in the recess or in a further recess adjacent to the recess, wherein the first force sensor has a sensor surface and the first force sensor can generate a sensor signal when the position of the sensor surface of the first force sensor changes, and the second force sensor has a sensor surface and the second force sensor can generate a sensor signal when the position of the sensor surface of the second force sensor changes.

A method for determining a property of a strip-shaped material includes passing the strip-shaped material over a measuring roller having a measuring roller body with a circumferential surface, at least one recess in the measuring roller body, at least one beam in the recess and extending along a longitudinal axis, and a force sensor arranged in the recess. The beam is supported within the recess on the force sensor. The measuring roller body extends along an axis of rotation and the longitudinal axis of the beam is not parallel to the axis of rotation of the measuring roller body; the longitudinal axis of the beam does not extend in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the measuring roller body. The position of a strip edge of the strip-shaped material is determined relative to a reference point or a reference line or a reference plane.

A method for determining a property of a strip-shaped material includes passing the strip-shaped material over a measuring roller having a measuring roller body with a circumferential surface, at least one recess in the measuring roller body, at least one beam in the recess and extending along a longitudinal axis, and a force sensor arranged in the recess. The beam is supported within the recess on the force sensor. The measuring roller body extends along an axis of rotation and the longitudinal axis of the beam is not parallel to the axis of rotation of the measuring roller body; the longitudinal axis of the beam does not extend in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the measuring roller body. The position of a strip edge of the strip-shaped material is determined relative to a reference point or a reference line or a reference plane.