Method and device for ascertaining the lateral strip contour or the position of the strip edges of a running metal strip

Abstract

A device for ascertaining the lateral strip contour and/or the position of the strip edges of a metal strip. It includes at least one sensing element for ascertaining suitable measurement data. The sensing element is integrated into a lateral guide together with a main part module of the metal strip conveying device. The lateral guide includes at least one wear element which is arranged in the lateral guide and which comprises a wear element adjusting device that can be rotated about a rotational axis substantially perpendicular to a guide plane of the lateral guide. The wear element together with the wear element adjusting device is designed as a sensing element. In an operating method, at least one sensing element is brought into contact with a lateral edge at a starting time, and suitable measurement data is ascertained using the sensing element while the metal strip runs past the sensing element.

Claims

1. A device for determining a lateral strip contour and/or a position of strip edges of at least one portion of a metal strip which runs over a metal strip conveyor device of a rolling mill; the device comprising: at least one sensing element configured for gathering measuring data suitable for determining the lateral strip contour and/or the position of the strip edges that is to be brought into contact with a lateral edge of the running metal strip; a lateral guide of the metal strip conveyor device; the at least one sensing element is integrated in the lateral guide of the metal strip conveyor device, the lateral guide comprises at least one wear member having a wear member adjustment device, the at least one wear member being disposed in a main member module of the lateral guide and the at least one wear member being rotatable about a rotation axis that is substantially perpendicular to a guide plane of the lateral guide; and wherein the at least one wear member and the wear member adjustment device are embodied as the at least one sensing element.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one wear member has a wear face which is substantially planar and in all rotary positions is substantially parallel to the guide plane.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an apparatus configured to establish contact by a preselected starting contact force at a starting time.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the at least one sensing element is suitable for measuring a path in relation to a reference.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the at least one sensing element is configured and operable for measuring a force exerted on the sensing element.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an apparatus configured to maintain a position assumed by the sensing element at a starting time, as long as a force exerted by the metal strip on the sensing element remains above 0 and below a limit value.

7. A method for determining the lateral strip contour and/or the position of the strip edges of at least one portion of a metal strip running over a metal strip conveyor device of a rolling mill by a device as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising at a starting time, moving at least one sensing element into contact with a lateral edge of the metal strip, and gathering measuring data for determining the lateral strip contour by means of the sensing element while the at least one portion of the metal strip runs past the sensing element.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the measuring data relates to a spacing of the sensing element from a reference when contacting the lateral edge of the metal strip.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising establishing contact at the starting time by a preselected starting contact force, and by contact between the lateral edge and the sensing element after the starting time is maintained at the starting contact force while the portion of the metal strip runs past the sensing element, and gathering measuring data from variations in the spacing from the reference necessary to this end.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the measuring data relates to a force exerted by the metal strip on the sensing element.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein after the starting time and while the portion of the metal strip runs past the sensing element, gathering measuring data of the force exerted by the metal strip on the sensing element, maintaining the position of the sensing element assumed at the starting time as long as the force exerted by the metal strip on the sensing element remains above 0 and below a limit value.

12. A method for correcting the running of a metal strip running over a metal strip conveyor device of a rolling mill, by a device as claimed in claim 1, based on the measuring data gathered according to a method for determining the lateral strip contour, and/or based on the determined lateral strip contour and/or the position of the strip edges, and the method comprising performing corrective measures on one or on a plurality of roll stands and/or on one or on a plurality of lateral guides of the rolling mill.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising performing closed-loop controlling of the corrective measures on roll stands and/or on lateral guides based on the gathered measuring data and/or the determined lateral strip contour and/or the position of the strip edges.

14. A method for correcting the running of a metal strip running over a metal strip conveyor device of a rolling mill, by a device as claimed in claim 1, based on the measuring data gathered according to a method for determining the lateral strip contour, and/or based on the determined lateral strip contour and/or the position of the strip edges; the method comprising: at a starting time, moving at least one sensing element into contact with a lateral edge of the metal strip, and gathering measuring data for determining the lateral strip contour by means of the sensing element while the at least one portion of the metal strip runs past the sensing element; and performing corrective measures on one or on a plurality of roll stands and/or on one or on a plurality of lateral guides of the rolling mill.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be explained by means of schematic exemplary illustrations of embodiments.

(2) FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c schematically show how a method for determining the lateral strip contour of a portion of a metal strip running over a metal strip conveyor device of a rolling mill is used in a device according to the invention.

(3) FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c schematically show how measuring data pertaining to a saber is gathered while maintaining contact between the lateral edge and the sensing element.

(4) FIG. 3 schematically shows an embodiment of a sensing element.

(5) FIG. 4 schematically shows an integration of sensing elements in a lateral guide.

(6) FIG. 5 schematically shows a deviation from a desired strip run.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Examples

(7) FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c schematically show how a method according to the invention for determining the lateral strip contour of a portion of a metal strip running over a metal strip conveyor device of a rolling mill is used.

(8) It is illustrated in FIG. 1a how a metal strip 1 runs over a metal strip conveyor device, here a roller table having roller table rollers 2. The running direction is indicated by an arrow. A sensing element 3 is present but does not contact the lateral edge 4 of the metal strip 1. It is indicated by a block arrow that the sensing element is moved in the direction of the lateral edge 4.

(9) The starting time of the method according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1b. Contact between the sensing element 3 and the lateral edge 4 has been established. Gathering of measuring data suitable for determining the lateral strip contour and/or the position of the strip edges is commenced, while the portion of the metal strip runs past the sensing element and contact is maintained, this being illustrated in FIG. 1c. The lateral strip contour and/or the position of the strip edges is consequently determined based on measuring data gathered.

(10) FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c schematically show how a metal strip 5 with a saber runs past a sensing element 6 which is in contact with the lateral edge 7. The running direction is indicated by an arrow. Only one lateral edge 7 of the metal strip 5 is illustrated, the metal strip 5 not being shown in the entire width thereof.

(11) The spacing S of the sensing element 6 from a reference R is illustrated in FIG. 2a. A concavity of a saber in the metal strip 7 approaches the sensing element 6. The concavity reaches the sensing element 6 in FIG. 2b. Contact between the sensing element 6 and the lateral edge 7 is maintained while the metal strip is running. In order to maintain contact in the concavity, the sensing element is moved into the concavity as is illustrated in FIG. 2c. The spacing S1 from the reference R is correspondingly larger than the spacing S. In the case of a saber-related convexity of the lateral edge, the spacing would likewise vary when the sensing element is moved so as to follow the lateral contour while maintaining contact with the latter.

(12) FIG. 3 schematically shows a wear member 8 having a wear member adjustment device 9, wherein the wear member 8 having the wear member adjustment device 9 is embodied as a sensing element and can be disposed in a main member module 10 of a lateral guide of a rolling mill. Contacting a lateral edge of a metal strip is by the wear face 11 of the wear member 8. The position of the wear member 8 can be adjusted by the wear member adjustment device 9, as indicated by a double arrow. The wear member adjustment device 9 comprises a hydraulic cylinder in which a path sensor 13 is present. That sensor can gather, for example, measuring data pertaining to variations of the position of the cylinder ram 14 and thus of the wear member 8 is present. The wear member 8 or the wear member adjustment device 9 can also be suitable for measuring a force exerted on the wear member 8. This is not specifically illustrated for improved clarity. The measuring data can be gathered while the wear member in the lateral guide fulfils its guiding task by contacting the lateral edge of the metal strip. The illustration of a rotary drive which is optionally likewise present has been dispensed with for improved clarity.

(13) FIG. 4 schematically shows how wear members 15a, 15b, 15c which have wear member adjustment devices 16a, 16b, 16c are integrated as a sensing element in a lateral guide 17. Illustrated is a main member module of the lateral guide 17. The guide plane 18 of the lateral guide is the guide plane of the main member module. The wear members have wear faces 19 which are substantially planar and in all rotary positions are substantially parallel to the guide plane 18. The wear faces 19 are rotatable about the rotation axes 20, indicated by a circular arrow. The rotation axes 20 are substantially perpendicular to the guide plane 18. The wear member adjustment devices 16a, 16b, 16c in the example illustrated comprise a rotary drive for varying the rotary position of the wear members in terms of a rotation about the rotation axis, and a thrust drive for displacing the wear member in the direction of the rotation axes. This is illustrated by double arrows.

(14) FIG. 5 schematically shows how a metal strip 1 in the running direction of the arrow runs into a roll stand 21. When viewed in the running direction, the strip behind the roll stand 21 deviates from the desired strip run; the desired strip run is drawn so as to be bordered by dashed lines, while the actual strip run undesirably deviating therefrom is illustrated with solid borders.

(15) The description given hitherto of advantageous embodiments of the invention contains numerous features which are in some cases reproduced together in groups in the individual dependent claims. However, these features can expediently also be considered individually and combined into other meaningful combinations. In particular, these features can be combined individually and in any suitable combination in a method according to the invention.

(16) Even if some terms are in each case used in the singular or in combination with a quantifier in the description and/or in the patent claims, there is no intention to restrict the scope of the invention to the singular or the respective quantifier in respect of these terms. Moreover, the words a and an should not be interpreted as quantifiers but as indefinite articles. The described properties, features and advantages of the invention and the manner in which these are achieved will become more clearly and distinctly comprehensible in conjunction with the description of the illustrative embodiment/s of the invention, which is/are explained in greater detail in conjunction with the drawings. The illustrative embodiment/s serve/s to explain the invention and does/do not restrict the invention to combinations of features, including functional features, indicated therein. In addition, suitable features of any illustrative embodiment can furthermore also be explicitly considered in isolation, removed from an illustrative embodiment, introduced into some other illustrative embodiment to supplement the latter, and combined with any of the claims.

(17) While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by the preferred illustrative embodiment/s, the invention is not limited by the disclosed example/s and other variations may be derived therefrom without departing from the scope of protection of the invention according to the claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(18) 1 Metal strip 2 Roller table rollers 3 Sensing element 4 Lateral edge 5 Metal strip 6 Sensing element 7 Lateral edge 8 Wear member 9 Wear member adjustment device 10 Main member module 11 Wear face 12 Hydraulic cylinder 13 Path sensor 14 Cylinder ram 15a, 15b, 15c Wear member 16a, 16b, 16c Wear member adjustment device 17 Lateral guide 18 Wear face 19 Guide plane 20 Rotation axis 21 Roll stand

LIST OF CITATIONS

Patent Literature

(19) WO2015043926A1