Patent ID: 11874063
Assignee: NOVELIS INC.
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  C | IPC C  F

Claim 0:
1. A method for variably heat treating a metal article across a dimension of the metal article, the method comprising:
moving a metal article along a processing line through a dimensionally variable heat treatment apparatus having a heating unit and a cooling unit positioned on opposite sides of a separation plane, wherein the metal article is continuously moving along the processing line in a processing direction at a strip rate;
heating a first portion of the moving metal article by the heating unit, wherein heating the first portion includes raising a strip temperature of the first portion of the moving metal article at or above a heat treatment temperature for a duration;
cooling the moving metal article by the cooling unit, wherein cooling the moving metal article includes removing heat from the moving metal article adjacent the first portion sufficiently to maintain a temperature of a second portion of the moving metal article below the heat treatment temperature, wherein the second portion of the metal article is located opposite the separation plane from the first portion;
detecting a vertical and lateral position of the heating unit and the cooling unit as the metal article moves along the processing line;
adjusting a vertical and lateral position of the heating unit and the cooling unit along the processing line while the metal article is moving at the strip rate; and
adjusting an intensity of the heating unit and the cooling unit based on the vertical and lateral position of the heating unit or the cooling unit along the processing line.