APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CARRYING OUT MEASUREMENTS ON A MATERIAL BEING PROCESSED IN A ROLLING PLANT

Abstract

An apparatus for carrying out measurements on a material being processed in a rolling plant, the rolling plant includes rolling mill stands placed in succession along a line, wherein the apparatus has a robotic arm to move parallel to the line and which is movable between a position of insertion between two adjacent stands of the succession of rolling mill stands and a position of extraction from the adjacent stands wherein the robotic arm carries a measuring device provided with a sensor component to perform measurements on the material being processed. The robotic arm is adapted to position the measuring device at the material being processed, when it is in the position of insertion between two adjacent stands, so the sensor component performs the desired measurements on the material being processed and to move parallel to the line when it is in the position of extraction from the adjacent stands.

Claims

1. An apparatus for carrying out measurements on a material being processed in a rolling plant, the rolling plant comprising: a plurality of rolling mill stands placed in succession along a line, wherein said apparatus comprises a robotic arm which is adapted to move parallel to said line and which is movable between a position of insertion between two adjacent stands of said succession of rolling mill stands and a position of extraction from said two adjacent stands, said robotic arm carrying a measuring device provided with sensor means adapted to perform measurements on said material being processed, wherein said robotic arm is adapted to position said measuring device at said material being processed, when said robotic arm is in said position of insertion between said two adjacent stands, so that said sensor means perform the desired measurements on the material being processed, and is adapted to move parallel to said line, when said robotic arm is in said position of extraction from said two adjacent stands.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said measuring device is hinged to the free end of said robotic arm and has an open-ring configuration.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said sensor means are distributed along the extension of said ring.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said robotic arm is mounted on a carriage that is movable on rails parallel to said line.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said robotic arm is mounted on a carriage movable parallel to said line, guided by artificial vision systems.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said robotic arm is mounted on a carriage movable parallel to said line, guided by an optical line or magnetic strip.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said robotic arm comprises a two-dimensional guide scanning or vision system or a three-dimensional guide scanning or vision system.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said carriage with said robotic arm mounted constitutes an autonomous vehicle adapted to move parallel to said line.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means are configured to detect the plastic deformation, the section and/or surface defects of said material being processed.

10. A system comprising a rolling plant which comprises a plurality of rolling mill stands placed in succession along a line to form a rolling mill line along which a material being processed advances and an apparatus for carrying out measurements on said material being processed between two adjacent stands of said succession of rolling mill stands according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is arranged next to said rolling mill line.

11. A method for carrying out measurements on a material being processed in a rolling plant comprising a plurality of rolling mill stands placed in succession along a line to form a rolling mill line, the method including the following steps: providing a robotic arm which is adapted to move parallel to said line and alongside said line and which is movable between a position of insertion between two adjacent stands of said succession of rolling mill stands and a position of extraction from said two adjacent stands, said robotic arm carrying a measuring device provided with sensor means adapted to perform measurements on said material being processed, when said robotic arm is in said extraction position, make said robotic arm move parallel to said line until said robotic arm is arranged next to two adjacent rolling mill stands in a position between them, moving said robotic arm from said extraction position to said position of insertion between said two adjacent stands bringing said measuring device at said material being processed, carrying out measurements on said material being processed by means of said sensor means, keeping said robotic arm in said insertion position, and moving said robotic arm from said insertion position to said extraction position in order to be able to move said robotic arm again parallel to said line.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The invention will now be described in some, but certainly not limiting embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates the apparatus according to the invention in a first embodiment mounted along a schematized rolling mill line;

[0020] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the detail A of the measuring device mounted on the apparatus of FIG. 1,

[0021] FIGS. 3 and 4 are partially sectioned views of the measuring device in two different embodiments.

[0022] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the apparatus according to the invention in a second and third embodiment also mounted along a schematized rolling mill line.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a rolling mill plant which, in a fully known manner, comprises a plurality of rolling mill stands 11, 12, 13, 14 placed in succession one after the other spaced apart along a line to form a rolling mill line 10 along which a material being processed 22 advances.

[0024] As schematized, the rolling mill stands 11, 12, 13, 14, having different constructional shapes and different functional characteristics, are arranged in succession spaced apart from each other along the line and each one of them provides for a partial reduction in the section of the material being processed 22, for example a bar, and the consequent elongation thereof, also entailing an increase in the output speed.

[0025] Obviously, the rolling mill stands may also be in greater or lesser number than those schematically indicated in FIG. 1.

[0026] Next to the rolling mill line 10, but in the vicinity thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 1, there are, for example, two parallel rails 15 along which a vehicle moves, which vehicle consists of a carriage 16 on which a robotic arm or robot 17 is mounted, whose arm 18 carries hinged, at the free end thereof 19, a measuring device 20 that can assume different configurations depending on the measurement needs.

[0027] As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the measuring device 20 advantageously has an externally circular ring configuration open along a short stretch 21, but sufficient to be fitted on the material being processed 22 which advances along the rolling mill line 10.

[0028] It is understood that the configuration of the circular ring measuring device 20 is given by way of example as it seems to be the simplest and most advantageous to realize, but countless other configurations are possible, provided that they allow the aim of correctly measuring the material being processed to be reached.

[0029] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate, by way of example, two different embodiments of the measuring device 20.

[0030] The measuring device 20 is provided with sensor means 23 configured to detect characteristic parameters of the material being processed 11, such as, for example, the plastic deformation undergone, the section, advantageously the profile and/or the dimensions of the cross-section and/or surface defects.

[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates a measuring device 20 in which two diametrically opposed sensors 23 are provided, while FIG. 4 illustrates a measuring device 20 in which six equally spaced sensors 23 are provided. In both cases, the sensors 23 are adapted to verify the plastic deformation at the exit of the rolling cylinders, the section and/or carrying out a surface defect analysis.

[0032] It is clear that these are only some of the possible configurations of the measuring device as well as of the type and number of sensors mounted on it, since the number and the arrangement of the sensors along the measuring device 20 will depend on several factors, such as the dimensions and the configuration of the bar, or in any case of the material being processed 22, and the type of verification that is to be carried out on it.

[0033] According to the invention, the vehicle consisting of carriage 16 and robot 17 is an autonomous vehicle able to move freely near the rolling mill cages; the robot 17, as mentioned, is provided with a measuring device 20 and, normally, with a 2D or 3D scanning or vision system to guide the carriage 16 and the robotic arm 17,18 to the correct point.

[0034] The carriage 16, therefore, will be able to move autonomously approaching the measuring point between two adjacent rolling mill stands 11, 12, 13, 14; subsequently, the robotic arm 17, 18 will be activated locating the point to be scanned and moving the measuring system 20 in position around the bar 22 in order to verify the plastic deformation at the exit of the rolling cylinders, the section and/or carrying out a surface defect analysis.

[0035] The robotic arm 17, 18, as a whole or even only the arm 18 thereof, is movable between a position of insertion between two adjacent stands of the succession of rolling mill stands 11, 12, 13, 14 and a position of extraction from the two adjacent stands.

[0036] In the insertion position, the robotic arm 17, 18 extends into the space between the two adjacent stands so as to arrange the measuring device at the material being processed 22 in order to carry out the desired measurements.

[0037] In the extraction position, the robotic arm 17, 18 is completely extracted outside the space between the two adjacent stands so that the entire robotic arm 17, 18 can be moved along the rolling mill line for example to be arranged at the adjacent rolling mill stands of another pair of rolling mill stands of the rolling mill line 10.

[0038] Since it is able to move freely along the rails 15, the carriage 16 will be able to position itself between any two of the rolling mill stands placed along the line.

[0039] With a single robotic arm 17, 18 and thus with a single measuring device 20, it is possible to carry out measurements at different positions between two adjacent rolling mill stands and/or between different pairs of adjacent rolling mill stands.

[0040] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate how the carriage 16 can move parallel to the rolling line 10 also with other means; for example, as schematized in FIG. 5, by means of an artificial vision system 24 or, as schematized in FIG. 6, by following an optical line or magnetic strip 25 read by a sensor placed on the carriage 16.

[0041] The carriage 16 may be constituted by an automatic guided vehicle.

[0042] Also in this case the embodiments of the movement system of the carriage 16 are given by way of example, but certainly not by way of limitation, as further different methods for advancing the carriage can be adopted depending on the needs and requirements.

[0043] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the robotic arm 17, 18 that fits the measuring device 20 also provides a 3D vision system for guiding the carriage and the robotic arm to the correct point.

[0044] A robotic arm 17, 18 has been described and illustrated as it seems to be the most suitable solution to realize a means of support and transfer of the measuring device 20 between two adjacent rolling mill stands, but it is understood that also any Cartesian multi-axis movement system, of known type, too, constitutes a technical equivalent that falls within the same scope of protection of the invention.

[0045] The present invention also relates to a system comprising a rolling plant which comprises a plurality of rolling mill stands placed in succession along a line to form a rolling mill line 10 along which a material being processed 22 advances and an apparatus for carrying out measurements on said material being processed 22 between two adjacent stands of said succession of rolling mill stands as described above, wherein said apparatus is arranged next to the rolling mill line 10.

[0046] The present invention also relates a method for carrying out measurements on a material being processed in a rolling plant comprising a plurality of rolling mill stands 11, 12, 13, 14 placed in succession along a line to form a rolling mill line 10, comprising: [0047] Providing a robotic arm 17, 18 which is adapted to move parallel to said rolling mill line and alongside it and which is movable between a position of insertion between two adjacent stands of the succession of rolling mill stands 11, 12, 13, 14 and a position of extraction from the two adjacent stands, the robotic arm 17, 18 carrying a measuring device 20 provided with sensor means 23 adapted to perform measurements on the material being processed; [0048] When the robotic arm 17, 18 is in the extraction position, make the robotic arm 17, 18 move parallel to the line until it is arranged next to two adjacent rolling mill stands in a position between them; [0049] Moving the robotic arm 17, 18 from the extraction position to the position of insertion between the two adjacent stands bringing the measuring device 20 at the material being processed 22; [0050] Carrying out measurements on the material being processed 22 by means of the sensor means 23, keeping the robotic arm 17, 18 in the insertion position; [0051] Moving the robotic arm 17, 18 from the insertion position to the extraction position in order to be able to move it again parallel to the line.