AUTOMATED ROLLING MILL ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM

Abstract: An integrated plant for the production of elongated product of relatively small cross section, such as bars and rods, contains an automated system for the administration of rolling mill operation. The system provides for the stand-by storage of mill stands (118) and by-pass tables in proximity to the mill roll pass line (120). Relatively fixed mill stand transfer devices (154) operate to transfer mill stands to be changed between the mill roll pass line (120) and movable quick change tables (132) intermediate the mill roll pass line and the storage area (122), and mobile transfer devices (138) operate to move mill stands (118) between the quick change tables (132) and the storage area (122).

Description: AUTOMATED ROLLING MILL ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an integrated plant for the production of elongated metal products, such as bars or rods, or the like. More particularly, the invention involves an arrangement for the integrated, automatic utilization of equipment for rolling elongated metal product including the mill train, the mill stand storage facilities, and mill preparation facilities, and control means for manipulating the equipment between its storage preparation and operational conditions. Background of the Invention In the production of elongated metal products such as bars and rods, or the like, size and shape requirements of the products make it necessary that a large number of mill rolls be inventoried and that the mill rolls be frequently changed, either due to the different size and shape requirements of the products being rolled or for maintenance purposes. The changing of rolls or of stands in a mill train has heretofore been a time-consuming and labor intensive operation requiring the use of cranes for manipulating the rolls or stands between the mill train, the storage facilities and the preparation facilities. Consequently, rolling mill administration in such operations has been costly due, not only to equipment and manpower requirements of the activity, but also due to the extensive down time of the mill train required for accomplishment of the activity. It is to the amelioration of these problems therefore, to which the present invention is directed. Summary of the invention Accordingly, the present invention provides for use in a mill train for rolling elongated metal product including a plurality of mill stands disposed in-line along a roll pass line, a stand storage area adjacent the roll pass line and a stand preparation area adjacent the stand storage area, apparatus provided for administering the preparation and transfer of mill stands. Such apparatus comprises the stand storage area including a plurality of stacked stand storage compartments disposed in end-to-end relation along a line parallel to the roll pass line, a quick change table extending parallel to the roll pass line and disposed intermediate the roll pass line and the stand storage area, means for moving the quick change table in opposite linear directions parallel to the roll pass line, means for transferring mill stands between the roll pass line and the quick change table, and means for transferring the mill stands between the stand storage area and the quick change table. According to another aspect of the invention, the means for transferring mill stands between the stand storage area and the quick change table includes a way positioned intermediate the stand storage area and the quick change table and extending parallel thereto, and controllable mobile transfer devices, which preferably may be remotely controllable robots, which are movable along the way. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a mill stand set-up means located in a stand preparation area with which the platform communicates for access. The mill stand organization is employed in a rolling mill train that may be divided into sections including a roughing mill section, an intermediate mill section and a finishing mill section and may include a quick change table associated with each of the mill sections. It is accordingly a particular object of the present invention to provide an integrated roll mill administration system in which the mill preparation and changes are automated in order to minimize the manual operations associated with this activity. It is another object of the invention to maximize, to the extent possible, the use of mobile transfer devices or robotics in mill changing operations. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objectives obtained by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and description which relate to a preferred embodiment thereof. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a schematic representation illustrating an overall plant layout incorporating the invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic layout of the rolling mills/stand storage area of the plant shown in Fig. 1 , according to the invention. Fig. 3 is a somewhat enlarged illustration of a typical portion of the rolling mill/stand storage area shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of a typical stand storage robot. Fig. 5 is a view showing the stands storage area, stand storage robot, quick change device and rolling m^in-accordance-with tho invontion. Figs. 6 and 7 are a plan view and sectional views, respectively, of the quick change device. Description of the Preferred Embodi ents ottha Invention The disclosed invention is particularly directed to a plant 10 for the production of "long products", i.e. billets or blooms from about forty meters or more in length, used in the production of bars, wire, rod, rebar, or shaped beams or angles, and the like, in which the production machinery utilized is typically smaller in size than that used in the production of sheet material Hum slabb. As used hereϊπ t ttre " word, "billet", shall include blooms or slabs, or other strand forms produced by a continuous caster and useful in the production of the aforementioned intended product. Fig. 1 of the drawings shows a schematic representation of an overall plant layout suitable for the practice of the present invention. The described plant comprises a casting/mill entry area A, a rolling mill/stands store area B, including the automated rolling mill administration system according to the invention a finishing area C for the in-line heat treatment of product; and a finishing area D for the inline heat treatment of wire rod and bars. A description of the rolling mill/stands store area B of the plant is presented hereinafter. With reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings there is shown a general layout of the rolling mill stands storage area 110 of the described plant 10. Fig. 3 illustrates a portion of the equipment in slightly greater detail. As shown, the rolling mill 14 contains sections comprising a roughing, mill section 112, an intermediate mill section 114 and a finishing mill section 116, each of which sections contains a plurality of rolling mill stands 118 disposed in-line along a roll pass line 120 identified by a dot-dash line. As shown,, the rolling mill stands 118 in the respective mill sections are arranged for the rolling of billets 18 produced by the continuous casting equipment 12 whereby,, as shown,, the axes of the roll sets of adjacent stands 118 in the respective mill sections 112, 114 and 116 are mutually RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91) perpendicularly offset, as is common in the production of elongated metal products, such as bars and rods, or the like, in order to accurately size and shape the product being rolled. Selectively operable shears 117 may optionally be positioned between the respective mill sections. In addition to the illustrated rolling mill 14, which may include more or less than the number of rolling mill sections shown, as well as more or less than the number shown of mill stands 118 in each rolling mill section, the concerned region of the plant contains a multi-story stand storage area 122 extending parallel to the roll pass line 120. The stand storage area 112 comprises a warehousing facility containing a plurality of stacked compartments 124 arranged in side-by-side relation into which mill stands 118 and by-pass tables (not shown) are housed. Such mill stands 118 may be those that have been removed from the rolling mill 14 and await inspection and refurbishing in the facilities adjacent the stand storage area, which includes a washing cabin 126 wherein the stands and mill rolls are cleaned, and a tilting device 128 for rotating the mill stands from horizontal to vertical positions, and vice versa. At the end adjacent the tilting device 128 is a stand set-up area 130 wherein the mill stands may be disassembled in order to replace rolls and reassembled for placement in the stand storage area 122. Intermediate the mill sections 112, 114 and 116 on the roll pass line 120 and the stand storage area 122 are quick change table means 132, here shown as being separate quick change tables 132a, 132b and 132c, each disposed adjacent one of the respective mill sections. Mechanism (not shown) is employed to enable the respective quick change tables 132 to move linearly forwardly and backwardly for controlled distances by means of a control device (also not shown). Figures 5 and 6 show the quick changing device 13a which is used for the removal and replacement of the stands. The cross sections of the quick change device are shown in detail in Figs. 7(a), 7(b), 7(c) and 7(d). The motors 154, shown in Fig. 6, are used to handle the stands (by means, for example, of chain devices) from the quick change device 13a towards the rolling axis and vice versa. The stands move along the rails 152 on wheels 150 integrated on the stands. The stands which are on the quick change device 13a can be transferred on rails 152b, and vice versa. From said position, the stands can be collected or positioned by robot 138. Quick change device 13a can be translated in a direction parallel to the rolling axis on a wheeled system 150 and rails 152 due to control systems not shown. For transferring mill stands 118 between the respective quick change tables 132 and the compartments 124 of the stand storage area 122 a plurality of mobile transfer devices or robots 138 are disposed to move along a robot way 140 that extends intermediate the quick change tables 132 and the stand storage area 122 and parallel to each. Each robot 138, a typical one of which is illustrated in Fig. 4, has the capability of controllably removing a mill stand from a quick change table 132 and transferring it to any selected compartment 124 of the stand storage area, to the washing cabin 126 for cleaning, to the tilting device 128 or to the stand setup area 130. Conversely, the robots 138 also operate to move mill stands 118 from any of the aforementioned facilities to the quick change tables 132a, 132b or 132c. As shown, each robot 138 comprises a frame 166 which is controllably movable on wheels along the robot way 140 and carries oppositely spaced upstanding posts 168 forming guideways for a vertically movable base 170. The base 170 has a pair of spaced, parallel tracks 172 that cooperate with stand wheels 174 for securing and manipulating a mill stand 176 to be moved along the robot way 140 for transfer between the quick-change table 132 and one or more of the washing cabin 126, the tilting device 128, or the stand setup area 130 prior to insertion in a selected compartment 124 of the stand storage area. Of course, a mill stand 118 removed from the rolling mill line can be transferred directly to the stand storage area. A stand operator 178 operates to move stand 176 along tracks 172. The operation of the facility is explained by way of an example as follows. Upon completion of the rolling of a product, such as an elongated bar, rod, beam, angle, or the like, employing ten mill stands 118 is determined that the next product to be rolled requires the use of eight new stands, together with two by-pass tables, to replace the ten mill stands used in the previous product run. It is further determined by a management program that the eight new stands 118 and two bypass tables (not shown) are available at particular locations in compartments 124 of the stand storage area 122. At this stage, robots 138 are sequentially moved to positions along the robot platform 140 whereby the new mill stands 118 and bypass tables can be sequentially removed from their respective compartments 124 and placed in an assigned position next to the concerned quick change table 132. Next, the new mill stands 118 and by-pass tables are transferred onto the concerned quick change table or tables 132 by the mill stand transfer devices 136 referred to hereinbefore. The used mill stands 118 are likewise transferred onto the respective quick change tables 132a, 132b and/or 132c by the mill stand transfer devices 134. The respective quick change tables 132, under the control of the management control system, are caused to move linearly in order to sequentially align the new mill stands 118 and by-pass tables with their respective assigned positions in the rolling mill train 14. The used mill stands 118 are similarly moved by the quick change tables 132 to positions from which they are extracted by robots 138, moved to the washing cabin 126 for cleaning, and thence to stand set-up area 130 or to the stand storage area 122 depending upon the needs of the respective mill stands 118. The new mill stands 118 and by-pass tables are, in the meantime, moved by mill stand transfer devices 136 to the rolling mill train 14 and are coupled to the relevant driving and control elements whereupon rolling of a new product can commence. It will be appreciated that there is provided hereby a rolling mill operation in which the respective components are managed by a computer controlled in response to a database which contains particulars of production campaigns, lives of mill rolls and the product-defining channels therein, and the status of the respective components at any given time, whereby the administration of the respective components of the rolling mill is conducted automatically.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Apparatus for administering the preparation and transfer of mill stands (176), disposed in-line along a roll pass line (120) of a mill train (14) which comprises a stand storage area, adjacent said roll pass line and a stand preparation area, adjacent said stand storage area, wherein said stand storage area includes a plurality of stand storage compartments disposed in end-to-end relation along a line parallel to said roll pass line, said apparatus comprising ■ a quick change table (132) extending parallel to said roll pass line and disposed intermediate said roll pass line and said stand storage area, ■ first means for moving said quick change table in opposite linear directions parallel to said roll pass line, ■ second means (154) for transferring said mill stands between said roll pass line and said quick change table (132), and ■ third means for transferring said mill stands between said stand storage area and said quick change table, ■ said third means including a way (140) intermediate and parallel to said quick change table and said stand storage area and controllable robots (138) movable along said way (140) and operative for transferring stands delivered to said quick change table to said stand storage area. 2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 where said way (140) is made up of a rail cooperating with the wheels integrated on the controllable mobile transfer devices. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said plurality of mill stands include a roughing mill section an intermediate mill section and a finishing mill section disposed along said pass line and including a quick change table associated with each of said mill sections. 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 where said quick change table is made up of a platform which can be translated parallel to the rolling axis on a wheeled system and rails by means of suitable control systems. 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, in which said platform communicates with stand set-up means disposed within said stand preparation area. 6. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said quick-change table moving means includes means for controllably moving said table between selected linearly spaced positions intermediate said roll pass line (120) and said stand storage area. 7. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said robots (138) include a frame (166) having wheels enabling movement in a direction parallel to said stand storage area, a base (170) vertically movable with respect to said frame (166), and a stand operator (178) movable between extended and retracted positions on said base (170) for manipulating a mill stand (176) installed thereon. 8. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which said base (170) mounts spaced, parallel tracks (172) for moving said stand operator (178) with respect to said base (170). 9. Apparatus according to claim 1 where said means for transferring said mill stands between said roll pass line (120) and said quick change table (132) are made up of adequate handling means, as the stands are fitted with wheels suitable to slide on rails (152).

Inventors: BENEDETTI GIANPIETRO, BENEDETTI, GIANPIETRO
Applicants: DANIELI TECHNOLOGY INC, DANIELI TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B21B31
IPC codes: B21B1, B21B31