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 is provided for cooling sheet metal using a cooling section having multiple coolant dispensing devices for cooling upper and lower faces of a sheet metal. The cooling achieves a predefined target state of the sheet metal at a reference point at and/or after the exit from the cooling section, wherein coolant dispensing for a first and a second coolant dispensing device is determined, wherein the first and the second coolant dispensing devices are arranged opposite the sheet metal. Because the coolant dispensing for the first and second coolant dispensing devices is determined based on a predefined flow of heat to be dissipated from the sheet metal side that faces the respective coolant dispensing device, with a surface temperature of the respective sheet metal side being taken into account, the flatness of plate that is produced can be increased further with a simultaneously high throughput of the plate rolling train.

A method is provided for cooling sheet metal using a cooling section having multiple coolant dispensing devices for cooling upper and lower faces of a sheet metal. The cooling achieves a predefined target state of the sheet metal at a reference point at and/or after the exit from the cooling section, wherein coolant dispensing for a first and a second coolant dispensing device is determined, wherein the first and the second coolant dispensing devices are arranged opposite the sheet metal. Because the coolant dispensing for the first and second coolant dispensing devices is determined based on a predefined flow of heat to be dissipated from the sheet metal side that faces the respective coolant dispensing device, with a surface temperature of the respective sheet metal side being taken into account, the flatness of plate that is produced can be increased further with a simultaneously high throughput of the plate rolling train.

A straightening system and a straightening method are provided to perform straightening in conformity with the shape pattern of a material, the straightening system comprising: a cooling device configured to spray a cooling fluid in a predetermined pattern with respect to a plurality of regions of a material, divided in a width direction, to cool the material that is heated in a heating furnace and then passes through a rolling mill; a straightening device configured to straighten the material passed through the cooling device; a flatness measuring system configured to measure flatness of the material passed through the cooling device; and a controller configured to receive data of the flatness of the material from the flatness measuring system and to control the cooling device in response to the data to enhance the flatness of the material.

A method for cooling a rolled product in a cooling section which is located upstream of a finishing train of a hot rolling mill. The cooling section includes a cooling device which can deliver a coolant flow of a coolant onto a rolled product surface of the rolled product. In the method, a coolant flow is delivered, by means of each cooling device and in each cooling section pass, onto the rolled product surface, which flow is set to a set value that is assigned to the relevant cooling device for the cooling section pass. The set values for a cooling section pass are determined in a simulation of the cooling section pass so that surface temperatures, determined in the simulation, of the rolled product surface upon leaving active regions of the cooling device do not exceed a minimum value for a surface temperature of the rolled product surface.

A method for cooling a rolled product in a cooling section which is located upstream of a finishing train of a hot rolling mill. The cooling section includes a cooling device which can deliver a coolant flow of a coolant onto a rolled product surface of the rolled product. In the method, a coolant flow is delivered, by means of each cooling device and in each cooling section pass, onto the rolled product surface, which flow is set to a set value that is assigned to the relevant cooling device for the cooling section pass. The set values for a cooling section pass are determined in a simulation of the cooling section pass so that surface temperatures, determined in the simulation, of the rolled product surface upon leaving active regions of the cooling device do not exceed a minimum value for a surface temperature of the rolled product surface.

A cooling section for flat rolling stock has a working region, through which the flat rolling stock is guided. The working region can be supplied with a liquid coolant by means of a number of spray beams. The liquid coolant is fed from a reservoir for the liquid coolant to the spray beams by means of a pump and a supply system. Valves are arranged upstream of the spray beams in the supply system. Opening positions of the valves are set by a control unit of the cooling section according to a respective sub-flow that is to be applied to the flat rolling stock by means of each spray beam. Also, the delivery rate of the pump and/or a line pressure generated by the pump in the supply system are set by the control unit according to the total flow that is to be applied to the flat rolling stock by means of all the spray beams.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an electromagnetic sensor (400) for detecting a microstructure of a metal target, comprising: a magnetic device (410, 420) for providing an excitation magnetic field; a magnetometer (430) for detecting a resultant magnetic field induced in a metal target; and a calibration circuit (450, 551, 552, 553, 554) for generating a calibration magnetic field for calibrating the electromagnetic sensor, wherein the calibration reference magnetic field is generated by an electrical current induced in the calibration circuit by the excitation magnetic field.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an electromagnetic sensor (400) for detecting a microstructure of a metal target, comprising: a magnetic device (410, 420) for providing an excitation magnetic field; a magnetometer (430) for detecting a resultant magnetic field induced in a metal target; and a calibration circuit (450, 551, 552, 553, 554) for generating a calibration magnetic field for calibrating the electromagnetic sensor, wherein the calibration reference magnetic field is generated by an electrical current induced in the calibration circuit by the excitation magnetic field.

A method for improving the flatness of a rolled sheet or strip includes the application of differential cooling. A cooling agent can be selectively applied along the width of the strip. More cooling can be applied to the edges of the strip, where tension is greatest, to increase tension at the edges. The strip can be allowed to lengthen at these edges, which can improve flatness. In some embodiments, a closed loop flatness control system is used to measure the flatness of a strip and automatically adjust the differential cooling based on the measurement.