Method and apparatus for thermo-mechanical controlled rolling of metal plates and strips

Abstract

Method for thermo-mechanical controlled rolling of metal slabs to plates or strips, in which for two successively rolled slabs the time gap between the starts of their rolling phases 1 is always smaller than the sum of the duration of all rolling phases and all cooling phases of the rolling pattern, and in which during rolling the batch it occurs on at least one rolling mill stand several times that a rolling phase applied to one slab or plate or strip is succeeded by a different rolling phase applied on another slab or plate or strip. In the apparatus for thermo-mechanical rolling according to that method the number of storage positions is half the interleave depth of the performed rolling pattern rounded up to an integer.

1 . A method for thermo-mechanical controlled rolling of a batch of metal slabs to plates or strips on a rolling mill comprising at least one rolling mill stand,
 the method comprising:   using a rolling pattern applied on each slab of the batch, the rolling pattern comprising at least two rolling phases, each rolling phase comprising applying at least one rolling pass to each slab and the rolling pattern further comprising applying a cooling phase to each slab after applying the rolling phase to the slab and between successive rolling phases on the slab, during rolling of the batch, on the at least one rolling mill stand and during several time periods, applying a rolling phase to one slab, or plate or strip and thereafter applying a different rolling phase on another slab, or plate or strip, and   for two successively rolled slabs, spacing the start times of their respective rolling phases so that there is a time gap between the successive rolling phases that is always smaller than the sum of the duration of all the rolling phases and all the cooling phases of the rolling pattern.   
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein after completion of the first rolling phase of the first slab of the batch until beginning of the last rolling phase of the last plate or strip, at least one other plate or strip is in its cooling phase. 
   
   
       3 . (canceled) 
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 26 , comprising
 two of the rolling phases, including a first one of the rolling phases and a second one of the rolling phases, which are separated by the one cooling phase.   
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein
 for one of the rolling patterns with an even numbered interleave depth and equal durations of the respective rolling phases of the rolling pattern,   selecting a duration of the cooling phase of the one rolling pattern as equal to the sum of
 a whole number times the duration of the rolling phase 
 and a remainder time, 
   for successively rolled slabs, providing a maximum time gap between the starts of the respective first rolling phases wherein the time gap is up to the sum of twice the duration of one of the rolling phases and the remainder time.   
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein,
 for one of the rolling patterns with an even numbered interleave depth and unequal durations of the respective rolling phases of the rolling pattern,   selecting a duration of the cooling phase of the one rolling pattern as equal to the sum of
 a whole number times the duration of the longest duration of one of the rolling phases 
 and a remainder time, 
   for successively rolled slabs, providing a maximum time gap between the starts of the respective first rolling phases wherein the time gap is up to the sum of twice the duration of the longest one of rolling phases and the remainder time.   
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein
 for one of the rolling patterns with an uneven numbered interleave depth and equal durations of the respective rolling phases of the rolling pattern,   selecting a duration of the cooling phase of the one of the rolling patterns as equal to the sum of
 a whole number times the duration of one of the rolling phases 
 and a remainder time, 
   for successively rolled slabs, providing a maximum time gap between the starts of the respective first rolling phases wherein the time gap is up to the sum of thrice the duration of one of the rolling phases and the remainder time.   
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein
 for one of the rolling patterns with an uneven numbered interleave depth and unequal durations of the respective rolling phases of the rolling pattern,   selecting a duration of the cooling phase of the one of the rolling patterns as equal to the sum of
 a whole number times the duration of the longest rolling phase 
 and a remainder time, 
   for successively rolled slabs, providing a maximum time gap between the starts of the respective first rolling phases wherein the time gap is up to the sum of thrice the duration of the longest one of the rolling phases and the remainder time.   
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein
 after completion of rolling the first plate or strip of the batch,   for one of the rolling patterns with equal durations of the rolling phases,   selecting a duration of the cooling phase of the one of the rolling patterns to be equal to the sum of
 a whole number times the duration of one of the rolling phases 
 and a remainder time, 
   alternating a first one of the rolling phases with a second one of the rolling phases during rolling the batch at an interval between the first and the second one of the rolling phases wherein the time gap is up to the sum of the interleave depth times the duration of a rolling phase and the remainder time.   
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein
 after completion of rolling the first plate or strip of the batch,   for one of the rolling patterns with unequal durations of the rolling phases,   selecting a duration of the cooling phase as equal to the sum of
 a whole number times the duration of a longest one of the rolling phases 
 and a remainder time, 
   alternating a first one of the rolling phases with a second one of the rolling phases during rolling the batch at an interval which is up to the sum of the interleave depth times a duration of the longest rolling phase and the remainder time.   
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein
 for one of the rolling patterns with unequal durations of the rolling phases and a duration of the cooling phase that is equal to or longer than the sum of the durations of both rolling phases, or of a whole number times that sum,   after completion of rolling the first plate or strip of the batch,   during a period of time equal to the duration of the cooling phase,   performing the first rolling phase as often as performing the second rolling phase.   
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein
 for one of the rolling patterns with unequal durations of the rolling phases and a duration of the cooling phase that is equal to or longer than the sum of
 the durations of both rolling phases 
 and the duration of either the first or the second rolling phase, 
   or a whole number times that sum,   during the duration of the cooling phase, performing an amount of the first rolling phase equal to the amount of the second rolling phase performed plus 1 or minus 1.   
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising performing three of the rolling phases, comprising a first, a second and a third rolling phase, wherein the first and second rolling phases are separated by a first of the cooling phases, and the second and third rolling phases are separated by a second of the cooling phases. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein
 for one of the rolling patterns where the duration of the first one of cooling phases is equal to the sum of
 a first whole number times the sum of the durations of the first, second and third rolling phases 
 and a first remainder time, 
   and where the duration of the second cooling phase is equal to the sum of
 a second whole number times the sum of the durations of the first, second and third rolling phases 
 and a second remainder time, 
   for successively rolled slabs, providing the maximum time gap between the starts of the respective first rolling phases as up to the sum of the durations of the first, second and third rolling phases plus the greater of the first remainder time and the second remainder time.   
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein
 for one of the rolling patterns where the duration of the first cooling phase is equal to the sum of
 a first whole number times the sum 
   of the durations of the first, second and third rolling phases and the duration of the third rolling phase,
 and a third remainder time, 
   and where the duration of the second cooling phase is equal to the sum of
 a second whole number times the sum 
   of the durations of the first, second and third rolling phases and the duration of the first rolling phase,
 and a fourth remainder time, 
   for successively rolled slabs, providing the maximum time gap between the starts of the respective first rolling phases as to the sum of the durations of the first, second and third rolling phases plus the greater of the third remainder time and the fourth remainder time.   
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein
 during rolling of the batch,   from after completion of rolling the first plate or strip of the batch until the beginning of the third rolling phase of the last plate or strip of the batch,   causing a first rolling phase to always be succeeded by a second rolling phase, and causing a second rolling phase to always be succeeded by a third rolling phase, and causing a third rolling phase to always be succeeded by a first rolling phase.   
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein
 during rolling of the batch,   from after completion of rolling the first plate or strip of the batch until the beginning of the third rolling phase of the last plate or strip of the batch,   causing a first rolling phase to always be succeeded by a third rolling phase, and causing a third rolling phase to always be succeeded by a second rolling phase, and causing a second rolling phase to always be succeeded by a first rolling phase.   
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein
 during a period of time equal to the duration of the first cooling phase, causing all of a first rolling phase, a second rolling phase and a third rolling phase to be performed equally often.   
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein
 during a period of time equal to the duration of the first cooling phase, causing a first rolling phase, a second rolling phase and a third rolling phase to be performed unequally often.   
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein
 during a period of time equal to the duration of the first cooling phase, performing a number of third rolling phases that is greater than a number of first rolling phases performed and greater than a number of second rolling phases performed,   and that during a period of time equal to the duration of a second cooling phase, performing a number of first rolling phases that is greater than a number of second rolling phases performed and greater than a number of third rolling phases performed.   
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 after completion of a rolling phase which is succeeded by a cooling phase along a rolling line, transferring resulting plates or strips from the rolling line of the rolling mill to a storage position outside the rolling line by use of moving equipment, and afterwards transferring the resulting plates or strips by the moving equipment from the storage position to the rolling line after completion of the cooling phase.   
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 21 , further comprising
 during rolling the batch, at least once while one plate or strip is transferred to its storage position or to the rolling line, simultaneously transferring another plate or strip to the rolling line or to its storage position by a same moving equipment.   
   
   
       23 . (canceled) 
   
   
       24 . The apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the
 at least one moving equipment is configured and operable to simultaneously transfer one plate or strip to one of the rolling line or to a storage position and another plate or strip to the other of a storage position or the rolling line.   
   
   
       25 . (canceled) 
   
   
       26 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the rolling pattern has at least two successive rolling phases and each two successive rolling phases are separated by a cooling phase, the method further comprising
 selecting an interleave depth for a particular slab, which comprises   selecting a rolling pattern having at least a first rolling phase of a first duration, a subsequent second rolling phase of a second duration and a cooling phase of a third duration between the first and the second rolling phases;   determining a quotient by dividing the third duration of the cooling phase by a longest one of the first and the second durations of the rolling phases;   selecting a smallest value from the quotients, wherein for rolling patterns with unequal durations of the rolling phases thereof, the smallest value is selected from among the quotients and for rolling patterns with equal duration of the rolling phases thereof, the smallest value is any of the quotients,   rounding the selected smallest value down to the next whole number to define the interleave depth, using the interleave depth to set the number of slabs to be passed through one of the rolling phases of one of the rolling patterns during a third duration of a cooling phase of the rolling pattern;   for batches of slabs larger in number than the interleave depth plus one, after the first rolling phase of the first slab of the batch has been completed until the beginning of the last rolling phase of the last plate or strip, placing at least one other plate or strip in its cooling phase.   
   
   
       27 . Apparatus for thermo-mechanical controlled rolling of a batch of metal slabs to plates or strips, the apparatus comprising
 at least one rolling mill stand configured to define a rolling line for the slabs, plates and strips,   at least one storage position located outside the rolling line, at least one moving equipment for moving plates or strips from the rolling line to the storage positions,   the rolling stand is configured and operable to provide at least one rolling pattern having at least two successive rolling phases and each two successive rolling phases is separated by a cooling phase, the rolling stand being configured to operate using an interleave depth selected for a particular slab, the interleave depth comprising a selected rolling pattern having at least a first rolling phase of a first duration, a subsequent second rolling phase of a second duration and a cooling phase of a third duration between the first and the second rolling phases, wherein a quotient is determined by dividing the third duration of the cooling phase by a longest one of the first and the second durations of the rolling phases and   a smallest value is selected from the quotients, wherein for rolling patterns with unequal durations of the rolling phases thereof, the smallest value is selected from among the quotients and for rolling patterns with equal duration of the rolling phases thereof, the smallest value is any of the quotients, and   wherein the selected value is rounded down to the next whole number to define the interleave depth, wherein the interleave depth is used to set the number of slabs to be passed through one of the rolling phases of one of the rolling patterns during a third duration of a cooling phase of the rolling pattern; and   a quantity of the storage positions is half of the interleave depth of the performed rolling pattern rounded up to a whole number.