A COILING SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR FORMING A HOT ROLLED PRODUCT INTO AN ANNULAR COIL

Abstract

A coiling system (1) and a method for coiling a hot rolled product, the system comprising:a base assembly (3) comprising a base plate (6), a central drum (7) extending from the base plate along a vertical axis, and a receiving sleeve (8) arranged outside of said central drum,a support structure (2) configured to support the base assembly and comprising a first drive mechanism configured to rotate the base assembly around the vertical axis,a feeding device (4) configured to feed hot rolled product to the base assembly so as to form a coil (17), wherein the receiving sleeve is configured to receive a first end of the hot rolled product landing on said base plate so that a coil starts to form inside of said receiving sleeve and outside of said central drum, the base assembly being releasably connected to the first drive mechanism so that the base assembly, after coiling, may be removed from the support structure.

Claims

1. A coiling system (1) for coiling a hot rolled product, comprising: a base assembly (3) comprising a base plate (6), a central drum (7) extending from the base plate (6) along a vertical axis, and a receiving sleeve (8) arranged outside of said central drum (7), a support structure (2) configured to support the base assembly (3) and comprising a first drive mechanism configured to rotate the base assembly (3) around the vertical axis, and a feeding device (4) configured to feed hot rolled product to the base assembly (3) so as to form a coil (17), wherein the receiving sleeve (8) is configured to receive a first end of the hot rolled product landing on said base plate (6) so that a coil (17) starts to form inside of said receiving sleeve (8) and outside of said central drum (7), and the base assembly (3) is releasably connected to the first drive mechanism so that the base assembly (3), after coiling, may be removed from the support structure (2).

2. The coiling system according to claim 1, further comprising an annular collecting member (10) arranged around the central drum (7) above the receiving sleeve (8) and movable in the axial direction together with the feeding device (4) to guide the hot rolled product onto a previously coiled portion of said product.

3. The coiling system according to claim 2, wherein the annular collecting member (10) has a shorter extension along the vertical axis than the central drum (7), so that the annular collecting member (10) surrounds only a minor portion of the central drum (7).

4. The coiling system according to claim 2, wherein the annular collecting member (10) is connected to the feeding device (4).

5. The coiling system according to claim 2, wherein the annular collecting member (10) is in the form of a rotatable collecting ring (10).

6. The coiling system according to claim 5, further comprising a support (11) on which the collecting ring (10) is rotatably mounted.

7. The coiling system according to claim 5, further comprising a second drive mechanism (12) configured to rotate the collecting ring (10) around the vertical axis.

8. The coiling system according to claim 7, wherein the first and the second drive mechanisms are configured to be operable independently of each other.

9. The coiling system according to claim 1, further comprising a pre-bending device (9) configured to bend the hot rolled product as it is being fed from the feeding device (4).

10. The coiling system according to claim 1, wherein the central drum (7) comprises wall segments (7a, 7b, 7c) that are movable between an outer position and an inner position.

11. The coiling system according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer arrangement (13) configured to move the base assembly (3) away from the support structure (2) in a horizontal or essentially horizontal plane.

12. A method for forming a hot rolled product into an annular coil (17), comprising the steps of: providing a coiling system (1) comprising a base assembly (3), a support structure (2) supporting the base assembly (3), and a feeding device (4), wherein the base assembly (3) is rotatable around a vertical axis and comprises a base plate (6), a central drum (7) extending from the base plate (6) along a vertical axis, and a receiving sleeve (8) arranged outside of the central drum (7), guiding a first end of the hot rolled product onto the base plate (6) inside of said receiving sleeve (8) and outside of said central drum (7), forming the hot rolled product to an annular coil (17) around said central drum (7) by rotating the base assembly (3) around the vertical axis while feeding the hot rolled product downwardly using the feeding device (4), and removing the coil (17) from the coiling system (1), wherein the step of removing the coil (17) from the coiling system (1) comprises removing the base assembly (3) from the support structure (2) prior to removing the coil (17) from the base assembly (3).

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of removing the coil (17) from the coiling system (1) comprises tilting the base assembly (3) prior to removing the coil (17).

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the coiling system (1) is located in a coiling station, and the base assembly (3) holding the coil (17) is transported away from the coiling station using a conveyor prior to removing the coil (17) from the base assembly (3).

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein an annular collecting member (10) arranged around the central drum (7) is provided, and comprising guiding the hot rolled product onto a previously coiled portion of said product by moving the feeding device (4) together with the annular collecting member (10) upwardly along the vertical axis.

16. The coiling system according to claim 3, wherein the annular collecting member (10) is connected to the feeding device (4).

17. The coiling system according to claim 16, wherein the annular collecting member (10) is in the form of a rotatable collecting ring (10).

18. The coiling system according to claim 4, wherein the annular collecting member (10) is in the form of a rotatable collecting ring (10).

19. The coiling system according to claim 3, wherein the annular collecting member (10) is in the form of a rotatable collecting ring (10).

20. The coiling system according to claim 17, further comprising a support (11) on which the collecting ring (10) is rotatably mounted.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The invention will in the following be further described by means of example with reference to the appended drawings, wherein

[0026] FIG. 1 schematically shows a coiling system according to an embodiment of the invention in a first position,

[0027] FIG. 2 shows the coiling system in FIG. 1 in a second position,

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a side view of parts of the coiling system in FIG. 2, and

[0029] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0030] A coiling station comprising a coiling system 1 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1-3. The coiling system 1 comprises a support structure 2, a base assembly 3, and a feeding device 4. The support structure 2 is located on a flat surface 5, such as on a floor or on the ground, and supports the base assembly 3, which is positioned on top of the support structure 2. The support structure 2 comprises a first drive mechanism (not shown), which is configured to rotate the base assembly 3 around a vertical axis of rotation. A fastening mechanism (not shown) is used to releasably fasten the base assembly 3 to the support structure 2. The fastening mechanism can e.g. comprise male and female fastening members configured to engage with each other in a locking position and thereby securely fasten the base assembly 3 to the support structure 2. In an open position, the fastening members are disengaged and the base assembly 3 is released from the support structure 2.

[0031] The base assembly 3 comprises a base plate 6, a central drum 7 extending from the base plate 6 along the vertical axis, and a receiving sleeve 8 arranged outside of the central drum 7, such that an annular space is provided near the base plate 6, between the central drum 7 and the receiving sleeve 8. The central drum 7 has collapsible wall segments 7a, 7b, 7c that are movable between an outer position and an inner position. The receiving sleeve 8 has a height corresponding to a few loops of coiled hot rolled product, substantially smaller than a total height of the central drum 7.

[0032] The feeding device 4 is configured to feed hot rolled product from e.g. a rolling mill downwardly to a pre-bending device 9 provided at a front end of the feeding device 4. The pre-bending device 9 is configured to bend the hot rolled-product before it is being coiled. The feeding device 4, and in particular its front end, is movable up and down along the vertical axis, so that hot rolled product can be fed to the base assembly 3 at a suitable height.

[0033] On the front end of the feeding device 4, a rotatable collecting ring 10 arranged around the central drum 7 is provided, rotatably mounted on a support 11. The collecting ring 10 has an inner diameter equivalent to an inner diameter of the receiving sleeve 8. The collecting ring 10 is movable together with the feeding device 4 up and down along the vertical axis. In the vertical direction, it surrounds only a minor portion of the central drum 7, since it has a small height in comparison with the central drum 7. A second drive mechanism 12, configured to rotate the collecting ring 10 around the vertical axis, is also provided on the support 11. The second drive mechanism 12 is here operable independently of the first drive mechanism. It may thus rotate the collecting ring 10 at the same rotational speed as the base assembly 3 or at a different rotational speed.

[0034] The coiling system 1 further comprises a transfer arrangement 13 configured to move the base assembly 3 away from the support structure 2 in a horizontal plane when the base assembly 3 has been released from the support structure 2. The transfer arrangement 13 here comprises two rotatable arms 14 extending from a hub 15 positioned between the support structure 2 and a rest 16, to which the base assembly can be transferred from the support structure 2. The transfer arrangement 13 is also used to transfer an empty base assembly 3, not holding a coil 17, to the support structure 2 from the rest 16. The skilled person of course realises that there are many different ways to design a transfer arrangement which may be used to move the base assembly away from the support structure.

[0035] When a coil is to be formed using the shown coiling system 1, the base assembly 3 is mounted onto the support structure 2 with the wall segments 7a, 7b, 7c in the outer position. The base assembly 3 is rotated by means of the first drive mechanism at a rotational speed _1. Via the feeding device 4, the pre-bending device 9, and the collecting ring 10, a first end of a hot rolled product is fed to the rotating base assembly 3. As the coil forming process begins, the feeding device 4, the pre-bending device 9 and the collecting ring 10 are in a lowermost position close to the receiving sleeve 8, as shown in FIG. 1. As the hot rolled product exits the pre-bending device 9, it enters via the collecting ring 10 into the annular space formed between the receiving sleeve 8 and the central drum 7. Meanwhile, the collecting ring 10 is rotated by means of the second drive mechanism 12 at a second rotational speed _2, which may be equivalent or slightly different from the first rotational speed _1. A first end of the hot rolled product lands on the base plate and a coil 17 starts to form as hot rolled product is continuously fed onto the rotating base assembly 3. As the coil 17 grows taller, the feeding device 4 and the collecting ring 10 are moved upwardly so that the vertical distance between a landing position of the hot rolled product being coiled and the pre-bending device 9 is kept constant or essentially constant during the entire coil forming process. As a second end of the hot rolled product is transferred to the base assembly 3, the feeding device 4, the pre-bending device 9 and the collecting ring 10 have reached an uppermost position and the coil 17 is finished, see FIG. 2.

[0036] The base assembly 3 holding the finished coil 17 is thereafter released from the support structure 2 and transferred to the rest 16 using one of the rotatable arms. At the same time, an empty base assembly 3 is transferred from the rest 16 to the support structure 2 for formation of another coil. The base assembly 3 holding the finished coil 17 is thereafter tilted, the wall segments 7a, 7b, 7c are moved to the inner position, and the coil 17 is removed from the base assembly 3 and transferred to a coil pallet 18 via an intermediate support 19. The coil pallet 18 holding the coil 17 can thereafter be transported away from the coiling station, e.g. using a conveyor. The coil is usually transferred from the coiling station to a compacting station, where it is compacted prior to further transportation. An alternative to using a coil pallet 18 is to transport the entire base assembly 3 holding the coil 17 away from the coiling station using a conveyor. The base assembly 3 in this case functions as a coil pallet.

[0037] A method for forming a hot rolled product into an annular coil 17 according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. In a first step S1, a coiling system 1 as described above is provided on a coiling station. In a second step S2, the base assembly 3 is set to rotate using the first drive mechanism. In a third step S3, a first end of the hot rolled product is guided from a rolling mill, via the feeding device 4 and into the annular space provided between the receiving sleeve 8 and the central drum 7. An annular coil 17 starts to form around the central drum 7 by rotating the base assembly 3 around the vertical axis of rotation while feeding the hot rolled product downwardly using the feeding device 4. In a fourth step S4, the feeding device 4 together with the collecting ring 10 are moved upwardly along the vertical axis, as the collecting ring 10 and the base assembly 3 are both rotated and as the hot rolled product is continuously fed to the base assembly 3. In a fifth step S5, the base assembly 3 is removed from the support structure 2 by releasing the fastening mechanism and, by means of one of the rotatable arms 14, transferring the base assembly 3 to the rest 16, or to a conveyor used to transport the base assembly 3 holding the coil 17 to e.g. a compacting station. In a sixth step S6, the coil 17 is removed from the base assembly 3, preferably after tilting of the base assembly 3.

[0038] The invention is of course not in any way restricted to the embodiments described above, but many possibilities to modifications thereof would be apparent to a person with skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the annular collecting member may comprise at least two vertically spaced apart rings, between which a number of rotatable rolls are provided. The rolls in this case serve to collect the hot rolled product without the use of a second drive mechanism.