Method Of Controlling Flatness Of Strip Of Rolled Material, Control System And Production Line

Abstract

A method of controlling flatness of a strip of rolled material in a production line including a hot rolling mill and at least one cold rolling mill, downstream of the hot rolling mill, the method including determining flatness data of the strip in one or more of the at least one cold rolling mill and/or following passing of the strip through one or more of the at least one cold rolling mill; determining a thickness profile target of the strip for the hot rolling mill based on the flatness data; and passing the strip through the hot rolling mill and adjusting the thickness of the strip based on the thickness profile target. A control system and a production line are also provided.

1 . A method of controlling flatness of a strip of rolled material in a production line comprising a hot rolling mill and at least one cold rolling mill, downstream of the hot rolling mill, the method comprising:
 determining flatness data associated with the strip in one or more of the at least one cold rolling mill and/or following passing of the strip through one or more of the at least one cold rolling mill;   determining a thickness profile target of the strip for the hot rolling mill based on the flatness data; and   passing the strip through the hot rolling mill and adjusting the thickness of the strip based on the thickness profile target.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each cold rolling mill comprises at least one mechanical actuator arranged to control one or more rolls of the cold rolling mill, and wherein the flatness data comprises a flatness model associated with one of the at least one mechanical actuator, the flatness model defining an effect on the strip by the mechanical actuator. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the production line comprises a plurality of cold rolling mills, wherein the flatness data comprises a flatness model associated with each of one or more of the at least one mechanical actuator for a plurality of cold rolling mills, and wherein the determination of the thickness profile target includes determining a thickness profile target of the strip for the hot rolling mill that best matches a combination of the flatness models. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the production line comprises a plurality of cold rolling mills, and wherein the flatness data comprises a flatness model associated with one or more of the at least one mechanical actuator of the most downstream cold rolling mill. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the thickness profile target is determined to mirror the flatness model associated with each of one or more of the at least one mechanical actuator of the most downstream cold rolling mill. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the flatness model is dependent on a width of the strip. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the flatness data comprises a measured flatness of the strip. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the flatness data comprises a measured flatness of the strip after passing through a subsequent process with respect to each of the at least one cold rolling mill. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the flatness data is determined by means of one or more shape meters. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the thickness profile target is determined based on a width of the strip. 
     
     
         11 . A control system for controlling flatness of a strip of rolled material in a production line including a hot rolling mill and at least one cold rolling mill, downstream of the hot rolling mill, the control system comprising at least one data processing device and at least one memory having at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program including program code which, when executed by one or more of the at least one data processing device, causes one or more of the at least one data processing device to perform the steps of:
 determining flatness data associated with the strip in one or more of the at least one cold rolling and/or following passing of the strip through one or more of the at least one cold rolling mill;   determining a thickness profile target of the strip for the hot rolling mill based on the flatness data; and   controlling a thickness adjustment of the strip based on the thickness profile target when passing the strip through the hot rolling mill.   
     
     
         12 . A production line comprising a hot rolling mill, at least one cold rolling mill, downstream of the hot rolling mill, and a control system to perform the steps of:
 determining flatness data associated with the strip in one or more of the at least one cold rolling mill and/or following passing of the strip through one or more of the at least one coid roiling mill;   determining a thickness profile target of the strip for the hot rolling mill based on the flatness data; and   controlling a thickness adjustment of the strip based on the thickness profile target when passing the strip through the hot rolling mill.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the production line comprises a plurality of cold rolling mills, and wherein the flatness data comprises a flatness model associated with one or more of the at least one mechanical actuator of the most downstream cold rolling mill. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the flatness model is dependent on a width of the strip. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the flatness data comprises a measured flatness of the strip. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the flatness data is determined by means of one or more shape meters.