Lateral guiding and shape control in heavy plate rolling

Project focus

• Modelling of shape evolution and off-centering of heavy plates
• Development of a realtime plate contour measurement system
• Design of control strategies for reduction of shape errors

Description

In steel mills, slabs are rolled out to heavy plates with a certain plate thickness using reversing mills. During this process, unwanted geometrical deviations with respect to the vertical axis of the plate (camber) can occur. Furthermore, the plate movement through the rolling gap can differ from the desired straight movement. Steadily increasing demands on the product quality require to minimize these imperfections.

Heavy plate rolling with and without camber (top view).

To simulate the occurrence of camber during the rolling process, tailored mathematical models are used. A formulation based on continuum mechanics predicts the residual stresses and the evolution of the plate contour using the plastical deformation caused in the rolling gap. By means of these models, the impact of several factors on the formation of camber can be analyzed and potentials for optimizing the mill stand can be identified.

Quarto reversing mill, © Dillinger Hüttenwerke AG.

For the detection and characterization of camber, a vision based system is used. In addition to the shape of the plate, its movement during the rolling pass is determined in realtime. The implemented measurement methods have to withstand unfavourable environmental conditions. Furthermore, ensuring a realtime capable measurement is another challenge.

Based on the camber model, control and optimization algorithms for the reduction of an existing camber are designed. To this end, several control inputs of the mill stand can be used to ensure that additional product requirements (e.g. plate thickness) are satisfied and that off-centering is avoided.

The developed solutions have been successfully implemented on a heavy plate rolling mill and are now permanently used.

Selected publications

• F. Schausberger, A. Steinboeck, and Kugi, Optimization-based reduction of contour errors of heavy plates in hot rolling, Journal of Process Control, vol. 47, p. 150–160, 2016.
  [BibTex] [Download]

  @Article{Schausberger16a,
  Title = {Optimization-based reduction of contour errors of heavy plates in hot rolling},
  Author = {Schausberger, F. and Steinboeck, A. and Kugi},
  Journal = {Journal of Process Control},
  Pages = {150--160},
  Volume = {47},
  Year = {2016},
  Doi = {10.1016/j.jprocont.2016.09.010},
  ISSN = {0959-1524},
  }

• F. Schausberger, A. Steinboeck, A. Kugi, M. Jochum, D. Wild, and T. Kiefer, Vision-Based Material Tracking in Heavy-Plate Rolling, in Proceedings of the 17th IFAC Symposium on Control, Optimization and Automation in Mining, Mineral and Metal Processing (MMM), Vienna, Austria, 2016, p. 108–113.
  [BibTex] [Download]

  @InProceedings{Schausberger16,
  author = {Schausberger, F. and Steinboeck, A. and Kugi, A. and Jochum, M. and Wild, D. and Kiefer, T.},
  title = {Vision-Based Material Tracking in Heavy-Plate Rolling},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the 17th IFAC Symposium on Control, Optimization and Automation in Mining, Mineral and Metal Processing (MMM)},
  year = {2016},
  volume = {49},
  number = {20},
  month = {8},
  pages = {108--113},
  doi = {10.1016/j.ifacol.2016.10.105},
  address = {Vienna, Austria},
  issn = {2405-8963},
  }

• F. Schausberger, K. Speicher, A. Steinboeck, M. Jochum, and A. Kugi, Two Illustrative Examples to Show the Potential of Thermography for Process Monitoring and Control in Hot Rolling, in Proceedings of the 4th IFAC Workshop on Mining, Mineral and Metal Processing (MMM), Oulu, Finland, 2015, p. 48–53.
  [BibTex] [Download]

  @InProceedings{Schausberger15c,
  author = {Schausberger, F. and Speicher, K. and Steinboeck, A. and Jochum, M. and Kugi, A.},
  title = {Two Illustrative Examples to Show the Potential of Thermography for Process Monitoring and Control in Hot Rolling},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the 4th IFAC Workshop on Mining, Mineral and Metal Processing (MMM)},
  year = {2015},
  volume = {48},
  number = {17},
  month = {8},
  pages = {48--53},
  doi = {10.1016/j.ifacol.2015.10.076},
  address = {Oulu, Finland},
  issn = {2405-8963},
  }

• F. Schausberger, A. Steinboeck, and A. Kugi, Mathematical modeling of the contour evolution of heavy plates in hot rolling, Applied Mathematical Modelling, vol. 39, p. 4534–4547, 2015.
  [BibTex] [Download]

  @Article{Schausberger15,
  Title = {Mathematical modeling of the contour evolution of heavy plates in hot rolling},
  Author = {Schausberger, F. and Steinboeck, A. and Kugi, A.},
  Journal = {Applied Mathematical Modelling},
  Pages = {4534--4547},
  Volume = {39},
  Year = {2015},
  Doi = {10.1016/j.apm.2015.01.017},
  }

• F. Schausberger, A. Steinboeck, and A. Kugi, Optimization-based estimator for the contour and movement of heavy plates in hot rolling, Journal of Process Control, vol. 29, p. 23–32, 2015.
  [BibTex] [Download]

  @Article{Schausberger15a,
  Title = {Optimization-based estimator for the contour and movement of heavy plates in hot rolling},
  Author = {Schausberger, F. and Steinboeck, A. and Kugi, A.},
  Journal = {Journal of Process Control},
  Pages = {23--32},
  Volume = {29},
  Year = {2015},
  Doi = {10.1016/j.jprocont.2015.03.006},
  }

• F. Schausberger, A. Steinboeck, and A. Kugi, Modellbasierte Optimierung und Regelung der Produktkontur beim Warmwalzen, e & i Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik, vol. 132, iss. 4–5, p. 221–229, 2015.
  [BibTex] [Download]

  @Article{Schausberger15d,
  Title = {Modellbasierte Optimierung und Regelung der Produktkontur beim Warmwalzen},
  Author = {Schausberger, F. and Steinboeck, A. and Kugi, A.},
  Journal = {e {\&} i Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik},
  Pages = {221--229},
  Volume = {132},
  Year = {2015},
  Number = {4--5},
  Doi = {10.1007/s00502-015-0309-2},
  }

• F. Schausberger, A. Steinboeck, A. Kugi, M. Jochum, and D. Wild, Estimation of the thickness asymmetry using models for the contour evolution and vision-based measurements of plates in hot rolling, in Proceedings of METEC and 2nd European Steel Technology and Application Days (ESTAD), Düsseldorf, Germany, 2015.
  [BibTex]

  @InProceedings{Schausberger15b,
  author = {Schausberger, F. and Steinboeck, Andreas and Kugi, Andreas and Jochum, M. and Wild, D.},
  title = {Estimation of the thickness asymmetry using models for the contour evolution and vision-based measurements of plates in hot rolling},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of METEC and 2nd European Steel Technology and Application Days (ESTAD)},
  year = {2015},
  month = {6},
  address = {D{\"u}sseldorf, Germany},
  }

• F. Schausberger, A. Steinboeck, and A. Kugi, Modellierung der Konturentwicklung von Flachprodukten beim Walzen, in Tagungsband GMA-Fachausschuss 1.30 “Modellbildung, Identikation und Simulation in der Automatisierungstechnik”, Anif/Salzburg, Austria, 2013, p. 42–59.
  [BibTex]

  @InProceedings{Schausberger13,
  author = {F. Schausberger and A. Steinboeck and A. Kugi},
  title = {{Modellierung der Konturentwicklung von Flachprodukten beim Walzen}},
  booktitle = {Tagungsband GMA-Fachausschuss 1.30 "Modellbildung, Identikation und Simulation in der Automatisierungstechnik"},
  year = {2013},
  month = {9},
  pages = {42--59},
  address = {Anif/Salzburg, Austria},
  }

• F. Schausberger, A. Steinboeck, and Kugi, Feedback Control of the Contour Shape in Heavy-Plate Hot Rolling, IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, vol. 26, iss. 3, p. 842–856, 2018.
  [BibTex] [Download]

  @Article{Schausberger2018,
  author = {Schausberger, F. and Steinboeck, A. and Kugi},
  title = {Feedback Control of the Contour Shape in Heavy-Plate Hot Rolling},
  doi = {10.1109/TCST.2017.2695168},
  issn = {1063-6536},
  number = {3},
  pages = {842--856},
  volume = {26},
  journal = {IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology},
  year = {2018},
  }

Applications

• Automation of rolling mills
• Continuous production processes