Contactless looper for metal processing and related methods

Abstract

A contactless looper for a metal substrate includes an entrance, an exit, and at least one deflection device between the entrance and the exit. The contactless looper is configured to receive a metal substrate moving in a processing direction from the entrance to the exit and impart a deflection along the processing direction in a metal substrate such that a position of the metal substrate at the at least one deflection device is vertically offset from a height of the metal substrate at the entrance of the looper. A method of processing a metal substrate with the contactless looper includes receiving the metal substrate at the entrance of the contactless looper along a passline, imparting a deflection in the metal substrate with the looper, and passing the metal substrate out the exit of the contactless looper.

1 . A contactless looper comprising:
 an entrance;   an exit, wherein the contactless looper is configured to receive a metal substrate moving in a processing direction from the entrance to the exit; and   at least one deflection device between the entrance and the exit, wherein the at least one deflection device is configured to impart a deflection force in a metal substrate without contacting the metal substrate resulting in a deflection along the processing direction in the metal substrate such that a position of the metal substrate downstream from the entrance of the looper is vertically offset from a position of the metal substrate at the entrance of the looper.   
     
     
         2 . The contactless looper of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one deflection device imparts a vertical force in the metal substrate that does not balance a weight of the metal substrate such that a portion of the metal substrate downstream from the entrance of the looper forms a catenary. 
     
     
         3 . The contactless looper of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one deflection device comprises a first deflection device and a second deflection device, wherein the first deflection device is configured to impart a first force on the metal substrate, and wherein the second deflection device is configured to impart a second force on the metal substrate that is different from the first force. 
     
     
         4 . The contactless looper of  claim 1 , wherein the force from the at least one deflection device is adjustable. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The contactless looper of  claim 1 , wherein the contactless looper is configured to control the deflection force by actuating at least one of a size of a gap between the deflection device and the metal substrate, a magnitude of the deflection force, a vertical position of the deflection device, or a rotational speed of a magnetic rotor. 
     
     
         8 . The contactless looper of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one deflection device comprises a plurality of magnetic rotors;   each magnetic rotor of the plurality of magnetic rotors is rotatable about an axis that is perpendicular to the processing direction and parallel to a lateral width of the metal substrate; and   the plurality of magnetic rotors are configured to levitate the metal substrate moving in the processing direction by providing a deflection force to the metal substrate.   
     
     
         9 . A processing line for a metal substrate, the processing line comprising a contactless looper configured to impart a deflection in the metal substrate moving in a processing direction without contacting the metal substrate, the contactless looper comprising:
 an entrance;   an exit; and   at least one deflection device between the entrance and the exit, wherein the contactless looper defines a passline from the entrance to the exit for the metal substrate, wherein the entrance defines a base height of the passline, and wherein the looper vertically offsets the passline such that a position of the passline at the at least one deflection device is offset from the base height.   
     
     
         10 . The processing line of  claim 9 , further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one deflection device, wherein the controller is configured to control an amplitude of the deflection of the metal substrate by actuating one of at least:
 a gap between the metal substrate and the at least one deflection device,   a magnitude of the deflection force exerted by at least one deflection device of the looper on the metal substrate.   
     
     
         11 . The processing line of  claim 9 , further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one deflection device, wherein the controller is configured compensate for at least one of thermal expansion of the metal substrate, thermal contraction of the metal substrate, or creep in the metal substrate occurring between the entrance and the exit by actuating one of at least:
 an amplitude of the deflection of the metal substrate,   a gap between the metal substrate and the at least one deflection device,   a magnitude of a force exerted by at least one deflection device of the looper on the metal substrate.   
     
     
         12 . The processing line of  claim 9 , further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one deflection device, wherein the controller is configured to control the tension in the metal substrate by actuating one of at least:
 an amplitude of the deflection of the metal substrate,   a gap between the metal substrate and the at least one deflection device,   a magnitude of the deflection force exerted by at least one deflection device of the looper on the metal substrate.   
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The processing line of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a first piece of processing equipment upstream from the contactless looper, wherein the first piece of processing equipment is configured to contact the metal substrate upstream from the contactless looper;   a second piece of processing equipment downstream from the contactless looper, wherein the second piece of processing equipment is configured to contact the metal substrate downstream from the contactless looper; and   a controller communicatively coupled to the first piece of processing equipment and the second piece of processing equipment, wherein the controller is configured to selectively:   decrease an amount by which the height of the passline downstream from the entrance of the looper is offset from the base height by at least one of decreasing a line speed of the metal substrate at the first piece of processing equipment or increasing a line speed of the metal substrate at the second piece of processing equipment; and   increase the amount by which the height of the passline downstream from the entrance of the looper is offset from the base height by at least one of increasing the line speed of the metal substrate at the first piece of processing equipment or decreasing the line speed of the metal substrate at the second piece of processing equipment.   
     
     
         15 . The processing line of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a first piece of processing equipment upstream from the contactless looper, wherein the first piece of processing equipment is configured to contact the metal substrate upstream from the contactless looper;   a second piece of processing equipment downstream from the contactless looper, wherein the second piece of processing equipment is configured to contact the metal substrate downstream from the contactless looper; and   a controller communicatively coupled to the first piece of processing equipment and the second piece of processing equipment, wherein the controller is configured to compensate for at least one of thermal expansion of the metal substrate, thermal contraction of the metal substrate, or creep in the metal substrate occurring between the upstream and downstream processing equipment by actuating at least one of a line speed of the metal substrate at the first piece of processing equipment or a line speed of the metal substrate at the second piece of processing equipment.   
     
     
         16 . The processing line of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a first piece of processing equipment upstream from the contactless looper, wherein the first piece of processing equipment is configured to contact the metal substrate upstream from the contactless looper;   a second piece of processing equipment downstream from the contactless looper, wherein the second piece of processing equipment is configured to contact the metal substrate downstream from the contactless looper; and   a controller communicatively coupled to the first piece of processing equipment and the second piece of processing equipment, wherein the controller is configured to selectively;   increase the tension in the metal substrate by at least one of decreasing a line speed of the metal substrate at the first piece of processing equipment or increasing a line speed of the metal substrate at the second piece of processing equipment; and   decrease the tension in the metal substrate by at least one of increasing a line speed of the metal substrate at the first piece of processing equipment or decreasing a line speed of the metal substrate at the second piece of processing equipment.   
     
     
         17 . The processing line of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the at least one deflection device of the looper comprises one or a plurality of magnetic rotors;   each magnetic rotor of the plurality of magnetic rotors is rotatable about an axis that is perpendicular to the processing direction and parallel to a lateral width of the metal substrate; and   the plurality of magnetic rotors are configured to levitate and heat the metal substrate moving in the processing direction,   wherein a magnitude of a force exerted by at least one magnetic rotor of the looper on the metal substrate is adjustable.   
     
     
         18 . A method of processing a metal substrate moving in a processing direction with a contactless looper, the method comprising:
 receiving the metal substrate at an entrance of the contactless looper along a passline;   imparting a deflection in the metal substrate with the looper as the metal substrate is moving in the processing direction and without contacting the metal substrate, wherein the deflection is in the processing direction; and   passing the metal substrate out an exit of the contactless looper.   
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising controlling an amplitude of the deflection of the metal substrate by actuating one of at least:
 a gap between the metal substrate and the deflection device; or   a magnitude of a force exerted by at least one deflection device of the looper on the metal substrate.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising compensating for at least one of thermal expansion of the metal substrate, thermal contraction of the metal substrate, or creep in the metal substrate occurring between the entrance and the exit by actuating one of at least:
 an amplitude of the deflection of the metal substrate,   a gap between the metal substrate and the at least one deflection device, or   a magnitude of a force exerted by at least one deflection device of the looper on the metal substrate.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising controlling tension in the metal substrate by actuating one of at least:
 an amplitude of the deflection of the metal substrate,   a gap between the metal substrate and the at least one deflection device, or   a magnitude of a force exerted by at least one deflection device of the looper on the metal substrate.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein imparting the deflection comprises:
 providing a magnetic rotor that is rotatable about an axis that is perpendicular to the processing direction and parallel to a lateral width of the metal substrate;   offsetting a vertical position of the passline downstream from the entrance of the looper relative to a vertical position of the passline at the entrance of the contactless looper by at least one of:
 positioning the magnetic rotor such that an axis of the magnetic rotor is at the offset vertical position; or 
 selecting a magnitude of a force exerted by the magnetic rotor on the metal substrate; and 
   rotating the magnetic rotor about the axis such that the metal substrate is levitated while passing adjacent to the magnetic rotor.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising controlling at least one of an amplitude of the deflection or tension in the metal substrate by actuating one of at least:
 a line speed of the metal substrate; or   a magnitude of a force exerted by at least one deflection device of the looper on the metal substrate.   
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled)