METHOD FOR HANDLING MELT SAMPLES IN A STEELWORKS LABORATORY, AND STEELWORKS LABORATORY

Abstract

A method for the handling of melt samples in a steelworks laboratory may involve processing and/or analyzing a melt sample in at least one first treatment apparatus and subsequently transporting the melt sample via at least one first transport path to at least one second treatment apparatus where the melt sample is subjected to further processing and/or analysis. As part of the transporting step, the method may involve clamping the melt sample on a sample carrier so that the sample carrier is transported together with the clamped-in melt sample between the treatment apparatuses and is positioned in the treatment apparatuses for processing and/or analysis.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. A method for handling melt samples in a steelworks laboratory, the method comprising: processing and/or analyzing a melt sample in a first treatment apparatus; and transporting the melt sample after the processing and/or analyzing via a first transport path to a second treatment apparatus where the melt sample is further processed and/or analyzed, wherein the melt sample is clamped on a sample carrier and transported with the sample carrier between the first and second treatment apparatuses and is positionable in the first and second treatment apparatuses for the respective processing and/or analyzing.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the sample carrier together with the clamped-in melt sample is placed on a transport apparatus for transport between the first and second treatment apparatuses.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the sample carrier together with the clamped-in melt sample are transferred from the transport apparatus into each of the first and second treatment apparatuses.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the sample carrier together with the clamped-in melt sample are positioned in a rotated position during transfer between the transport apparatus and the first or second treatment apparatus.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the sample carrier together with the clamped-in melt sample are positioned in a rotated position in a transfer unit during transfer between the transport apparatus and the first or second treatment apparatus.

20. The method of claim 15 comprising: measuring the melt sample clamped on the sample carrier in terms of position and height relative to the sample carrier before positioning the melt sample in the first or second treatment apparatus; and transmitting measurement data to the first or second treatment apparatus before processing and/or analyzing of the melt sample in the respective first or second treatment apparatus.

21. The method of claim 15 comprising at least one of cooling, surface treating, performing X-ray fluorescence analysis, or analyzing by spark emission spectrometry in the first and second treatment apparatuses.

22. The method of claim 15 comprising: surface treating the melt sample in at least one of the first and second treatment apparatuses; and providing a clamping device in the at least one of the first and second treatment apparatuses that acts on the sample carrier positioned in the at least one of the first and second treatment apparatuses to increase a clamping force acting on the melt sample.

23. The method of claim 15 comprising marking at least one of the melt sample or the sample carrier to identify the melt sample.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the sample carrier records treatment information regarding the melt sample and transmits the treatment information to the first and second treatment apparatuses.

25. A steelworks laboratory for handling melt samples, the steelworks laboratory comprising: a first treatment apparatus and a second treatment apparatus for processing and/or analyzing melt samples; a transport apparatus for transporting the melt samples between the treatment apparatuses; a sample carrier that includes a first clamping device for clamping in the melt sample, wherein the sample carrier together with a clamped-in melt sample of the melt samples are transportable on the transport apparatus; and a transfer unit for transferring the sample carrier together with the clamped-in melt sample into at least one of the first and second treatment apparatuses, the transfer unit being disposed in a region of the first and second treatment apparatuses.

26. The steelworks laboratory of claim 25 wherein the first and second treatment apparatuses are configured as a cooling device, a surface treatment apparatus, an X-ray fluorescence analysis apparatus, or a spark emission spectrometer.

27. The steelworks laboratory of claim 25 wherein at least one of the first or second treatment apparatus is configured as a surface treatment apparatus that includes a second clamping device that is in operative contact with the first clamping device of the sample carrier when the sample carrier is positioned in the at least one of the first or second treatment apparatus to increase a clamping force acting on the clamped-in melt sample.

28. The steelworks laboratory of claim 25 wherein the first clamping device of the sample carrier includes clamping jaws with a microparticle coating that increases a coefficient of friction.

29. The steelworks laboratory of claim 25 wherein the sample carrier is equipped with a second clamping device for clamping in a second melt sample of the melt samples.

Description

[0018] Further advantages and embodiments of the invention are described in more detail with the aid of the following description and the drawing.

[0019] The drawing shows

[0020] FIG. 1 a block flow diagram of a steelworks laboratory according to the invention,

[0021] FIG. 2 a three-dimensional depiction of the sample carrier with clamped-in melt sample,

[0022] FIG. 3 a schematic depiction of a clamping and measuring device for clamping-in and measuring the melt sample,

[0023] FIG. 4 a schematic depiction of the sample carrier with clamped-in melt sample on the transport apparatus,

[0024] FIGS. 5a and 5b a plan view and a three-dimensional depiction of the clamping device in a treatment apparatus,

[0025] FIGS. 6a to 6c various views during transfer of the sample carrier from the transport apparatus into the treatment apparatus and

[0026] FIG. 7 a three-dimensional depiction of a sample carrier for two melt samples.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a steelworks laboratory for sample preparation, for sample handling and for chemical analysis of melt samples from steel production. The sampling operation, which is not depicted in more detail here, is carried out by dipping special sampling probes into the melt. Depending on the probe, a distinction is made between lollipop samples, cone or chill mold samples, oval samples and bracket samples, with lollipop samples and oval samples being preferred because they can be handled automatically after the stem has been separated off.

[0028] In the vicinity of the sampling position, the melt samples 1 taken are transferred to a tube transport station and transported together with a tube transport can to the steelworks laboratory. In the steelworks laboratory, there is at least one tube transport receiver 2 which automatically opens the tube transport can and takes out the melt sample 1. The melt sample 1 is transferred to a clamping and measuring station 3, for example by means of a robot 4 (FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 2, the melt sample is clamped onto a sample carrier 5 there. The sample carrier 5 has for this purpose a first clamping device 6 which is depicted here by a fixed clamping jaw 6a and a spring-preloaded clamping jaw 6b. The two clamping jaws 6a, 6b can be provided with a microparticle coating to increase the holding force. The melt sample 1 clamped on the sample carrier 5 is subsequently measured by means of at least one measuring device 7; in particular, the position and the height of the melt sample 1 relative to the sample carrier 5 is determined. The measurement data are either stored on the sample carrier 5, for example by means of an RFID system, or transmitted directly to the treatment apparatuses. In each, either the melt samples and/or the associated sample carriers are marked in a suitable way for identification of the melt sample 1, so that each melt sample 1 can be unambiguously identified at the respective treatment apparatuses.

[0029] The sample carrier 5 with the clamped-in melt sample 1 is moved by means of the robot 4 from the clamping and measuring station 3 and placed on a transport apparatus 9 in order to transport the sample carrier 5 to a first treatment station 10 (FIG. 4), which is in the present case a milling machine. The transfer of the transport apparatus 9 into the first treatment station 10 is effected by means of a suitable transfer device which is, for example, formed by a second robot 11. Here, the sample carrier 5 is transferred together with the clamped-in melt sample 1 into the milling machine.

[0030] The uppermost layer of the melt sample is characterized by oxidation and has an about 0.5 mm thick scale layer which is not representative of the melt sample. Underneath this there is a layer having a thickness of some millimeters which is suitable for a representative analysis. The scale layer on the melt sample 1 therefore has to be removed over the entire area. For this purpose, the use of a milling machine has become established. Since increased forces act on the melt sample 1 during the milling operation, the first treatment station 10 (milling machine) has an additional clamping apparatus which in the sample carrier 5 positioned in the first treatment apparatus 10 is in operative contact with the first clamping device 6 of the sample carrier 5 in order to increase the clamping force acting on the melt sample 1 (FIGS. 5a, 5b). The clamping device 12 of the first treatment apparatus 10 consists of a fixed jaw 12a and a movable jaw 12b, with the sample carrier 5 being placed in the clamping device 12 in such a way that the fixed clamping jaw 6a of the sample carrier 5 comes into operative contact with the fixed jaw 12a and the spring-preloaded clamping jaw 6b comes into operative contact with the movable jaw 12b. The total clamping force acting on the melt sample can be increased by the additional force (arrow 19) of the movable jaw 12b and the melt sample can in this way be securely held in place even during milling.

[0031] After the milling work, the sample carrier 5 together with clamped-in melt sample 1 is again placed on the transport apparatus 9 by the second robot 11 in order to go to the second treatment apparatus 13. This is, for example, an instrument for spark emission spectroscopy (OES), which allows rapid chemical analysis of the melt sample 1 and presentation of the emission spectrum of chemical substances. OES analysis is, like XRF analysis, intended for qualitative and quantitative determination of the elemental composition of a sample, with the differences being in the accuracy and the analysis time. The transfer from the transport apparatus 9 into the second treatment apparatus 13 is depicted in FIGS. 6a to 6c and is here effected by a third robot 14 having a suitable grasper 14a.

[0032] An instrument for X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) is provided as third treatment apparatus 15; this represents a method for the qualitative and quantitative determination of the elemental composition of a sample and has the advantage that the samples are not destroyed by the measurement and no digestion steps are required. The transfer of the sample carrier 5 with the clamped-in melt sample 1 is carried out here by a fourth robot 16.

[0033] After all analyses have been carried out on the melt sample 1, the latter goes with the assistance of a fifth robot into a sample store where the melt sample is taken out from the sample carrier 5 so that the sample carrier can be used for a fresh melt sample. The transport system is therefore also advantageously configured as a continuous loop, so that the empty sample carrier next goes back to the clamping and measuring station 3.

[0034] The steelworks laboratory depicted in FIG. 1 should be regarded merely as a conceivable working example. However, other embodiments are also conceivable in the context of the invention. Thus, the individual treatment stations can also be present a number of times, especially as a function of the number of melt samples to be analyzed. It is also conceivable for a plurality of treatment stations to be arranged in the operative region of a single transfer apparatus (robot).

[0035] Finally, FIG. 7 shows a second working example of a sample carrier 5′ which is configured so that two melt samples 1′, 1″ can be accommodated. In the working example depicted, the sample carrier 5′ is formed essentially by two sample carriers as per FIG. 2 being joined to one another on their side opposite the clamped-in melt sample, so that a first melt sample 1′ can be clamped in at the top and a second melt sample 1″ can be clamped in at the bottom, in each case using separate clamping devices 6′, 6″. In this way, two melt samples can be transported at the same time and the treatment in the treatment apparatuses can also occur more quickly since the sample carrier 5′ merely has to be turned over by the transfer apparatus (robot).