Method and control device for operating a strip treatment installation for processing a strip, in particular a metal strip or rolling material

Abstract

A metal strip is guided on transportation rollers through a strip treatment installation. The installation includes successive strip movement control devices along a transportation direction. The strip movement control devices detect and adjust the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction. A method for operating the installation includes: detecting the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction by sensors of upstream strip movement control devices; identifying properties that influence the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction of the strip by the sensors; assigning the identified properties of the strip to corresponding points or segments of the strip; and proactively adjusting the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction at downstream strip movement control devices based on the properties for the corresponding points or segments of the strip identified by the upstream strip movement control devices.

Claims

1.-19. (canceled)

20. A method for operating a strip treatment installation for processing a strip, wherein the strip is guided through the strip treatment installation along a transportation direction by transportation rollers, and wherein the strip treatment installation comprises at least two successive strip movement control devices including at least one upstream strip movement control device and at least one downstream strip movement control device along the transportation direction, and wherein the at least two successive strip movement control devices are designed to detect and adjust a position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction, the method comprising: detecting the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction by sensors of the at least two successive strip movement control devices of the strip treatment installation; identifying properties of the strip that influence the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction by the sensors; assigning the identified properties of the strip to corresponding points or segments of the strip; and proactively adjusting the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction at the at least one downstream strip movement control device based on the properties for the corresponding points or segments of the strip identified by sensors of the at least one upstream strip movement control device.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: forwarding the identified properties with the corresponding points or segments of the strip from the at least one upstream strip movement control device to the at least one downstream strip movement control device.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: transmitting the identified properties with the corresponding points and segments of the strip from the at least two successive strip movement control devices to a computing device; and optimizing, by the computing device, the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction for transporting the strip through the strip treatment installation based on the transmitted properties with the corresponding points and segments.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the optimizing is based on machine learning methods or simulations with an optimization goal of minimizing strip damage, avoiding uneven strip treatment by the strip treatment installation, minimizing a width of the strip treatment installation, avoiding damage to the strip treatment installation, avoiding damage to a transport device or the strip movement control devices, or avoiding unnecessary downtimes of the strip treatment installation.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the proactively adjusting of the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction is performed at the at least one downstream strip movement control device based on the optimizing by the computing device (9).

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising: comparing the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction optimized by the computing device with an actual position of the corresponding points or segments of the strip at the strip movement control devices and, if necessary, adjusting the actual position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction by the strip movement control devices.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising: feeding back deviations between the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction optimized by the computing device and the actual position of the corresponding points or segments of the strip to the computing device for improving the optimization.

27. The method according to claim 22, further comprising: taking into account past optimizations with respect to the processing of a further strip by the strip treatment installation when optimizing the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction by the computing device.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising: training optimization algorithms based on past optimizations with respect to the processing of the further strip by the strip treatment installation.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein the proactive adjustment of the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction at the at least one downstream strip movement control device takes into account the adjustment of the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction carried out at the at least one upstream strip movement control device.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the at least two successive strip movement control devices transmit performed adjustments of the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction to the computing device, and wherein the computing device takes the transmitted adjustments into account when optimizing the position transverse to the transportation direction.

31. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: taking into account information and/or data from upstream installations arranged upstream of the strip treatment installation for proactive adjustment and/or optimization of the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction at the at least one upstream strip movement control device.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the upstream installations are one or more of: a hot rolling mill, a cold rolling mill, a pickling line, a welding machine, a four-point sensor or quality monitoring system of a welding machine, and a coiling device.

33. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: determining the position of points or segments of the strip in the strip treatment installation based on tracking systems of the strip treatment installation.

34. The method according to claim 22, further comprising: detecting the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction between the at least two successive strip movement control devices and transmitting the detected position to one or more of the at least one upstream strip movement control device, the at least one downstream strip movement control device, and the computing device.

35. The method according to claim 20, wherein a distance between two successive strip movement control devices is smaller at a beginning of the strip treatment installation than at an end of the strip treatment installation.

36. The method according to claim 20, wherein the method is carried out continuously.

37. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: taking into account current information with respect to the adjustment of the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction.

38. A control device for operating a strip treatment installation, wherein the strip is guided through the strip treatment installation along a transportation direction by transportation rollers, and wherein the strip treatment installation comprises at least two successive strip movement control devices including at least one upstream strip movement control device and at least one downstream strip movement control device along the transportation direction, and wherein the strip movement control devices are designed to detect and adjust a position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction, and wherein the control device is designed to carry out the following steps: detecting the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction by sensors of the at least two successive strip movement control devices of the strip treatment installation; identifying properties of the strip that influence the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction by the sensors; assigning the identified properties of the strip to corresponding points or segments of the strip; and proactively adjusting the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction at the at least one downstream strip movement control device based on the properties for the corresponding points or segments of the strip identified by sensors of the at least one upstream strip movement control device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the FIGURE.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a strip treatment installation for processing a strip that implements the disclosed method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a strip treatment installation 1 for processing a strip 2, in particular a metal strip or rolling material. In the strip treatment installation 1, the strip 2 is guided through the strip treatment installation 1 along a transportation direction by transportation rollers 3. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the transportation direction is horizontal from left to right. Furthermore, the strip treatment installation comprises at least two successive strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 along the transportation direction. In accordance with the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the strip treatment installation 1 comprises a total of n strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6. The strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 are each designed to detect and adjust the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction.

[0047] Since the strip 2 is often delivered in material rolls, so-called coils, there is often a decoiler 7 at the inlet of the strip treatment installation 1. For easier further transport, a coiler 8 can be arranged at the end of the strip treatment installation 1, in order to wind the strip 2 back into a coil.

[0048] The strip 2 is guided through the treatment installation 1 by the transportation rollers 3. The individual transportation rollers 3 can each comprise a plurality of separate rollers, which form a support and transport surface for the strip 2. Due to its geometric shape, the strip 2 tends to run laterally, i.e., transversely to the transportation direction, from the transportation rollers 3, in particular deflection rollers. The strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 serve to ensure the position of the strip 2 on the transportation rollers 3. In particular, the strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 hold the strip in the center of the transportation rollers 3 transverse to the transportation direction or in another fixed position transverse to the transportation direction.

[0049] The strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 each comprise sensors for determining the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction and actuators for adjusting the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction.

[0050] For example, the sensors detect one or both lateral edges of the strip 2. Furthermore, inductive measuring frames or image sensors including image evaluation are known from the prior art.

[0051] The actuators are designed, for example, as swiveling rollers, which transmit a speed component to the strip 2 transverse to the main transportation direction.

[0052] The strip treatment installation 1 of FIG. 1 implements the method for operating a strip treatment installation 1 for processing a strip 2, in particular a metal strip or rolling material, comprising the steps of: [0053] detecting the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction by means of sensors, in particular sensors of the strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 of the strip treatment installation 1, [0054] identifying properties of the strip 2 by means of the sensors, said properties influencing the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction, [0055] assigning the identified properties of the strip 2 to corresponding points or segments of the strip 2, and [0056] proactively adjusting the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction at the strip movement control devices 5, 6 following in the transportation direction on the basis of the properties for the corresponding points or segments of the strip 2 that are identified by upstream sensors, in particular upstream strip movement control devices 4, 5.

[0057] In accordance with the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction is detected at the first strip movement control device 4 by means of suitable sensors, in particular by means of sensors of the first strip movement control device 4. By means of the sensor data, properties of the strip that influence the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction are identified. The identified properties of the strip are assigned to the corresponding points or segments of the strip 2.

[0058] At the following strip movement control devices 5, 6 in the transportation direction, i.e., the second strip movement control device 5 up to the nth strip movement control device 6, the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction can be proactively adjusted on the basis of the identified properties for the corresponding points or segments of the strip 2.

[0059] For this purpose, for example, the identified properties with the corresponding points or segments of the strip 2 are forwarded by the first strip movement control device 4 at least to the second strip movement control device 5 following in the transportation direction, preferably to all subsequent strip movement control devices 6. Alternatively or additionally, the identified properties with the corresponding points and segments of the strip 2 are transmitted from the strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 to a computing device 9. On the basis of the transmitted properties with the corresponding points and segments, the computing device 9 optimizes the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction for the transport of the strip 2 through the strip treatment installation 1, in particular the transport of the strip 2 through the entire strip treatment installation 1.

[0060] The optimization is based, for example, on machine learning methods or on simulations, in particular for minimizing strip damage, avoiding uneven strip treatment by the strip treatment installation, minimizing the width of the strip treatment installation, avoiding damage to the strip treatment installation, in particular to the transport device and strip movement control devices, avoiding unnecessary downtimes of the strip treatment installation, for example due to breakdowns, or comparable optimization objectives.

[0061] The proactive adjustment of the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction at the strip movement control device 5, 6 following in the transportation direction is thereby preferably carried out on the basis of the optimization of the computing device 9. In this case, the position of the strip 9 optimized by the computing device 9 transverse to the transportation direction is compared with the actual position of the corresponding points or segments of the strip 9 at the subsequent strip movement control devices 5, 6 and, if necessary, the actual position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction is adjusted by the strip movement control devices 5, 6. The identified deviations between the position of the strip 2 across the transportation direction optimized by the computing device 9 with the actual position of the corresponding points or segments of the strip 2 are fed back to the computing device 9 in order to improve the optimization.

[0062] In order to improve the optimization of the position of the current strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction by the computing device 9, optimizations from the past with respect to the processing of another strip 2 by the strip treatment installation 1 can be taken into account. In particular, optimization algorithms can be trained on the basis of past optimizations with respect to the processing of a different strip 2 by the strip treatment installation 1.

[0063] According to a preferred variant, the proactive adjustment of the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction at the downstream strip movement control devices 5, 6 in the transportation direction takes into account the adjustments of the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction carried out at the upstream strip movement control devices 4, 5. For this purpose, the strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 can transmit the performed adjustments of the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction to the computing device 9, and the computing device 9 can take the transmitted adjustments into account when optimizing the position transverse to the transportation direction.

[0064] According to a particularly advantageous variant, the method comprises the step of taking into account information and/or data from installations upstream of the strip treatment installation 1 when proactively adjusting the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction and/or optimizing the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction by the computing device 9. This is particularly advantageous for proactively adjusting and/or optimizing the position of the strip transverse to the transportation direction at the first strip treatment installation 4 in the transportation direction of the strip treatment installation 1. For example, the upstream installations are selected from: Hot rolling mill, cold rolling mill, pickling line, welding machines, in particular four-point sensors or quality monitoring system of the welding machine, decoiling device 7, or the like. In accordance with the exemplary embodiment from FIG. 1, information from the decoiling device 7 in particular can be taken into account, such that information for proactively adjusting the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction is already available at the first strip movement control device 4.

[0065] The method further determines the position of points or segments of the strip 2 in the strip treatment installation 1, in particular on the basis of tracking systems of the strip treatment installation 1.

[0066] The method can further comprise the step of detecting the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction between two strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 and transmitting the detected position to the upstream strip movement control device 4, 5, the downstream strip movement control device 5, 6 and/or the computing device 9. For this purpose, separate sensors are preferably used to detect the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction. In particular, such a sensor can be arranged at the beginning of the strip treatment installation 1, such that information is already available at the first strip movement control device 4 for a proactive adjustment of the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction.

[0067] According to an advantageous embodiment, the distance between two successive strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 is smaller at the beginning of the strip treatment installation 1 than at the end of the strip treatment installation 1; in particular, the distance between two successive strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 increases in the transportation direction.

[0068] It is expedient that the method is carried out continuously.

[0069] Furthermore, the method comprises the step of taking into account information from the strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6, in particular current information with respect to the adjustment of the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction. The information to be taken into account is, for example, current angles of attack of transportation rollers of the strip movement control device 4, 5, 6, alignments of parts or of the entire strip movement control device 4, 5, 6 or comparable information. In particular, the information is taken into account when identifying properties of the strip 2 that influence the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction or when proactively adjusting the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction.

[0070] In a further variant, adjustments to the strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 are taken into account during the proactive adjustment of the position of the strip 2 transverse to the transportation direction. The properties of the strip movement control devices 4, 5, 6 can change, for example, due to maintenance work or the replacement of components, or due to wear over time, i.e., generally long-term changes.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0071] 1 Strip treatment installation [0072] 2 Strip [0073] 3 Transportation rollers [0074] 4 First strip movement control device [0075] 5 Second strip movement control device [0076] 6 n.sup.th strip movement control device [0077] 7 Decoiler [0078] 8 Coiler [0079] 9 Computing device