Abstract:
A method of hot rolling steel slabs of thin to standard thickness into hot mill band is carried out on a hot reversing mill having a coiler furnace upstream and downstream of the reversing mill. A twin stand hot reversing mill is used and the slab is introduced into the first stand of the mill without any breakdown pass. Flat passes of the slab back and forth through the first stand and the second stand occur to form an intermediate product having a thickness capable of being coiled. Thereafter, the intermediate product is coiled on one of the upstream or downstream drums. The product is then passed back and forth between the first and second stand in tandem. An edging stand is positioned between the reversing stands to edge the product during the flat passes. The final product is removed from the hot mill band in one of sheet, plate or coil form.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO-RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/371,137, filed on Jan. 11, 1995. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to the rolling of hot mill band and more particularly to the rolling of hot mill band from thin to standard size slabs on a twin stand hot reversing mill having a coiler furnace on each side thereof. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In our copending application directed to a method of rolling light gauge hot mill band on a hot reversing mill, we disclose a preferred method for rolling light gauge hot mill band on the order of 0.040&#34; through the use of a twin stand hot reversing tandem mill having coiler furnaces on either side thereof. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,303, issued Apr. 30, 1996 and filed on even date with the above-identified parent application, we also disclose a twin stand hot reversing mill. In this patent, the twin stand hot reversing mill is inline with an intermediate thickness caster and a vertical edger mill is positioned intermediate the two hot reversing stands. It is also disclosed that in addition to introducing inline intermediate thickness slabs from a continuous caster, outsource slabs, which may have a thickness greater than that cast on the intermediate thickness caster, may be introduced into the processing line. 
     Others have disclosed twin stand mills, but these mills are either operated independently and not in a twin reversing mode or require a roughing mill upstream of the twin stand mill and/or additional finishing stands downstream of the twin stand hot reversing mill. Representative of these teachings are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,497,191; 3,331,232; 4,494,395 and British Patent Specification No. 918,005. 
     The need remains for a hot rolling method which will accommodate the many slab sizes that are now available for hot rolling and produce a wide range of product mix including substantially varying chemistries and substantially varying thicknesses and widths. All of this must be accomplished with a reasonable capital expenditure and a production capacity to assure a reasonable return on the investment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Our invention is a method of hot rolling steel slabs of intermediate and/or standard thickness into hot mill band. The method utilizes a twin stand hot reversing mill preferably having a vertical edger positioned therebetween and having upstream and downstream coiler furnaces inline with the twin stand hot reversing mill. The slabs are introduced directly into the first stand of the twin stand without any previous breakdown pass. The slab is flat passed back and forth through the twin stand hot reversing mill with the individual stands working in tandem. The flat passes continue until an intermediate product having a thickness capable of being coiled is formed. The intermediate product is then passed back and forth through the hot reversing mill in tandem and between the upstream and downstream coilers. The reduction of the intermediate product is continued until the hot mill band of the desired thickness is formed. Thereafter, the hot mill band is passed through a finishing area where it is removed from the hot mill in either sheet, plate or coil form. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIGURE 1 is a schematic showing the twin stand hot reversing mill processing line where the method is being carried out. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The general arrangement of the hot mill 10 is illustrated in FIGURE 1. The mill 10 includes a pair of four high hot reversing mill stands 16 and 18, each having a pair of backup rolls and a pair of work rolls. A coiler furnace 20 is positioned upstream of the mill stand 16 and a coiler furnace 22 is positioned downstream of the mill stand 18. Each coiler furnace 20 and 22 includes a drum about which the product being rolled is coiled once it has been reduced to a thickness capable of being coiled. 
     A slab source 12 consisting of a continuous caster and/or a slabbing mill and/or an outsource of supply is provided. The slabs can be of a thin slab thickness or an intermediate slab thickness or a standard slab thickness. By thin slab thickness, we mean on the order of about 2 inches or less. By intermediate slab thickness, we mean a slab generally on the order of greater than 3 inches and up to about 6 inches and by a standard slab, we mean a slab having a thickness of 6 to 10 inches. The slabs are fed into a reheat and/or soaking furnace 14 where they are brought to the appropriate hot rolling temperature and temperature homogeneity. The slab is then introduced along the pass line into the first hot reversing mill stand 16 and then subsequently into the second hot reversing mill stand 18. The slab is passed back and forth through mill stands 16 and 18 in a series of flat tandem passes until the slab has been reduced to an intermediate product having a thickness capable of being coiled. During the flat passes, the slab is subjected to the vertical edger 24. Vertical edger 24 is intended to be used conventionally or to taper the leading and trailing ends, respectively, of the slab on the first pass through the mill stands 16 and 18 so as to compensate for the flaring of the extreme ends which occurs during subsequent rolling. Such tapering can be controlled by the Automatic Gauge Control (AGC) and the vertical edger 24 can be passively driven by the twin mill stands 16 and 18 of the mill 10. The effectiveness of the tapered ends can be monitored by a width gauge at the exit end of the downstream hot reversing stand 18 wherein a fingerprint of the width is taken and adjustments are made through a feedback loop to the vertical edger 24, where necessary. Generally, the vertical edger 24 is used on flat passes until a thickness of about 2 inches is achieved. 
     The intermediate product, when it has achieved a thickness on the order of an inch or less, can be easily coiled and the subsequent passes through the twin mill stands 16 and 18 are taken by passing the strip back and forth between the coiler furnaces 20 and 22. The use of the second mill stand 18 not only increases productivity over a single mill stand, but also improves efficiency by providing an additional source for tensioning, which is particularly relevant as the thinner gauge hot mill bands are rolled. 
     Generally, a coil is formed on the upstream coiler 20 prior to the last pass through each of the mill stands 16 and 18. Following the last pass through each of the mill stands 16 and 18, the coil, which is now reduced to the desired thickness, enters the finishing unit 26. The finishing unit can either be a down coiler, a cut-to-length line or an appropriate shear and cooling bed crossover for the handling of plate product. Conventional equipment, such as crop shears, scale breakers, cooling sprays and the like is obviously present but is not shown in the schematic drawing. 
     In order to support the unique operation of the twin stand hot reversing mill 10, a sophisticated control strategy incorporating specialized software and hardware components has been developed to control the operation of the mill 10. Dependent upon the rolling parameters required for a particular product, the control system will first calculate the rolling schedule for that product empirically. Then as the band is being processed from pass to pass, the control system will recalculate the rolling schedule for each subsequent pass based on the actual data acquired during the rolling process. This recalculation will maximize the operation of the twin stand mill 10 based on the actual temperature characteristics and gauge of the band as it exits the second mill stand 16 or 18 for that particular pass. This recalculation will reset the speed and the roll gap settings for each mill stand 16 and 18, predicated on which mill stand 16 or 18 is now the first stand and which mill stand 16 or 18 is now the second stand which alternates with each pass. The key to the operation of the mill 10 is that the new operating parameters, as calculated by the control system, will determine the maximum speed each mill stand 16 and 18 can operate at, taking into consideration the percent of reduction required in each mill stand 16 and 18, mass flow of the hot band between mill stands 16 and 18, required band temperature, and the amount of horsepower/torque per mill stand 16 or 18, which will vary with each pass as the thickness of the band is reduced. Further to providing the operational parameters for the mill 10, the speed at which this calculating process takes place is critical, in that, any type of delay can effect the properties, quality and the production rate for any particular product being produced on the mill 10. 
     The utilization of the twin stand hot mill has been projected to produce 1,295,000 tons annually of the product mix set forth in Table I. 
     
                       TABLE I______________________________________PRODUCT MIXSteel Grade  Tons       Gauge (in)                            Width (in)______________________________________AISI 1002-1008        465,000    .040-.375                            30-62AISI 1009-1018        185,000    .040-.375                            30-62AISI 1019-1050        170,000    .040-.375                            30-62AISI 1051-1095        205,000    .061-.375                            30-62HSLA          95,000    .061-.375                            30-62409 Stainless Steel         70,000    .060-.375                            37-62304 Stainless Steel         45,000    .060-.250                            37-62316 Stainless Steel         25,000    .091-.375                            37-62Silicon Steel         35,000    .060-.126                            37-55Total        1,295,000______________________________________ 
    
     This product mix is produced from a mix of slab thicknesses ranging from 5.5 inches to 10.0 inches. Such a slab mix can be supplied from on site steelmaking facilities, toll production or purchased slabs. 
     The use of the twin stand hot reversing mill results in production rates of generally 190 tons per hour, and greater, depending upon the finish gauge and width. 
     The above description will be clarified in the following examples. The following computer simulated examples illustrate three different sized slabs all being hot rolled on the twin stand mill 10. 
     EXAMPLE I 
     A 51/2 inch thick slab 37 inches wide of high carbon AISI 1051-1095 steel is reduced to a hot mill band of 0.060 inches in a series of ten passes. Coiling begins on the upstream coiler after the fourth pass. 
     
                                           TABLE II__________________________________________________________________________18.500 tons  1000. PIWRolling Schedule HSM - 37.00 - 5.500/ .0600   Mill           Bite     Mill Speed                               Strip Speed                                         Roll                                             Delay                                                ElapsedPass   Stand Gauge      %  Draft             Angle                 Length                      FPM      FPM       Time                                             Time                                                TimeNo.   Name in.  Red         in. Deg.                 ft.  Thread                          Roll Front                                    Body sec.                                             sec.                                                sec.__________________________________________________________________________0  FCE: 5.5000      .0 .000             .00 53.5 .0  .0   .0   .0   .00 .00                                                .001  TF1: 3.9350      28.5         1.565             17.99                 74.8 336.2                          512.3                               336.2                                    512.3                                         8.76                                             .00                                                8.762  TF2: 2.5200      36.0         1.415             17.10                 116.9                      525.0                          800.0                               525.0                                    800.0                                         8.76                                             3.00                                                14.983  TF2: 1.5250      39.5         .995             14.33                 193.1                      309.8                          737.7                               737.7                                    309.8                                         25.71                                             .00                                                40.684  TF1: .9000      41.0         .625             11.34                 327.2                      525.0                          1250.0                               1250.0                                    525.0                                         23.69                                             3.00                                                45.155  TF1: .4750      47.2         .425             9.35                 619.9                      273.0                          1040.0                               273.0                                    1040.0                                         50.76                                             .00                                                95.916  TF2: .2470      48.0         .228             6.84                 1192.2                      525.0                          2000.0                               525.0                                    2000.0                                         47.84                                             3.00                                                99.957  TF2: .1420      42.5         .105             4.64                 2073.7                      342.0                          1628.5                               1628.5                                    342.0                                         93.34                                             .00                                                193.288  TF1: .0925      34.9         .050             3.19                 3183.5                      525.0                          2500.0                               2500.0                                    525.0                                         90.84                                             3.00.                                                196.959  TF1: .0690      25.4         .024             2.20                 4267.7                      456.5                          2173.9                               456.5                                    2173.9                                         120.15                                             .00                                                317.1010 TF2: .0600      13.0         .009             1.36                 4907.8                      525.0                          2500.0                               525.0                                    2500.0                                         117.79                                             .00                                                317.10__________________________________________________________________________Mill       Entry Exit   Roll                       RMSStandGauge Temp. Temp.  Force  Torque Horse  Load  TimeName in.   Deg. F            Deg. F lb × 10**6                          lb-ft × 10**6                                 Power  Ratio sec.__________________________________________________________________________FCE: 5.5000      2250.00            2250.00                   .0000  .0000  0.     .0000 .00TF1: 3.9350      2218.77            2213.86                   2.6062 1.0802 12578. 1.8360                                              29.54TF2: 2.5200      2210.34            2219.73                   2.9032 1.1425 20773. 1.9419                                              33.05TF2: 1.5250      2170.17            2164.92                   3.0640 1.0080 16901. 1.7133                                              75.47TF1: .9000 2151.90            2167.15                   2.9209 .7575  21520. 1.5371                                              55.96TF1: .4750 2131.18            2150.47                   3.2585 .6902  16315. 1.1732                                              69.86TF2: .2470 2138.61            2162.57                   3.1644 .4810  21866. 1.5619                                              116.71TF2: .1420 2088.70            2102.68                   3.0025 .2980  11030. .7879 57.94TF1: .0925 1999.91            2012.92                   2.9099 .1867  10610. .7579 52.18TF1: .0690 1920.02            1919.28                   2.6649 .1088  5378.  .3841 17.73TF2: .0600 1893.00            1875.83                   1.6542 .0384  2180.  .1557 2.86__________________________________________________________________________Reversing Tandem Mill RMS Production:             210.03 TPHReversing Tandem Mill Peak Production:             210.03 TPHCoiling begins at Pass Number:             4 TF1Tandem Passes begin at Pass Number:             1 TF1Distance Between Cfce #1 and Mill:             35.00 ft.Distance Between Mill and Cfce #2:             35.00 ft.__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     EXAMPLE II 
     A 7 inch thick, 48 inch wide slab of AISI Type 304 stainless steel is reduced to 0.070 gauge in twelve passes. Coiling of the intermediate product begins at the conclusion of the sixth pass in the upstream coiler. 
     
                                           TABLE III__________________________________________________________________________24.596 tons  1025. PIWRolling Schedule HSM - 48.00 - 7.0000/ .0700   Mill           Bite     Mill Speed                               Strip Speed                                         Roll                                             Delay                                                ElapsedPass   Stand Gauge      %  Draft             Angle                 Length                      FPM      FPM       Time                                             Time                                                TimeNo.   Name in.  Red         in. Deg.                 ft.  Thread                          Roll Front                                    Body sec.                                             sec.                                                sec.__________________________________________________________________________0  FCE: 7.0000      .0 0.000             .00 42.1 .0  .0   .0   .0   .00 .00                                                .001  TF1: 5.8500      16.41         .150             15.41                 50.3 412.8                          511.1                               412.8                                    511.1                                         5.91                                             .00                                                5.912  TF2: 4.6000      21.4         1.250             16.07                 64.0 525.0                          650.0                               525.0                                    650.0                                         5.91                                             3.00                                                11.533  TF2: 3.4000      26.1         1.200             15.74                 86.6 359.8                          548.2                               548.2                                    359.8                                         9.48                                             .00                                                21.004  TF1: 2.3300      31.5         1.070             14.86                 126.4                      525.0                          800.0                               800.0                                    525.0                                         9.48                                             3.00                                                27.015  TF1: 1.6250      30.3         .705             12.05                 181.2                      313.4                          626.8                               313.4                                    626.8                                         25.70                                             .00                                                52.706  TF2: .9700      40.3         .655             11.61                 303.6                      525.0                          1050.0                               525.0                                    1050.0                                         23.97                                             3.00                                                57.437  TF2: .5450      43.8         .425             9.35                 540.3                      269.7                          642.2                               642.2                                    269.7                                         60.79                                             .00                                                118.218  TF1: .2800      48.6         .265             7.38                 1051.8                      525.0                          1250.0                               1250.0                                    525.0                                         58.47                                             3.00                                                122.909  TF1: .1527      45.5         .127             5.11                 1928.6                      367.5                          1400.1                               367.5                                    1400.1                                         96.89                                             .00                                                219.7810 TF2: .1069      30.0         .046             3.07                 2754.8                      525.0                          2000.0                               525.0                                    2000.0                                         94.72                                             3.00                                                223.5511 TF2: .0825      22.8         .024             2.24                 3569.6                      445.5                          2121.2                               2121.2                                    445.5                                         117.32                                             .00                                                340.8812 TF1: .0700      15.2         .013             1.60                 4207.0                      525.0                          2500.0                               2500.0                                    525.0                                         115.41                                             3.00                                                344.39__________________________________________________________________________Mill       Entry Exit   Roll                       RMSStandGauge Temp. Temp.  Force  Torque Horse  Load  TimeName in.   Deg. F            Deg. F lb × 10**6                          lb-ft × 10**6                                 Power  Ratio sec.__________________________________________________________________________FCE: 7.0000      2250.00            2250.00                   .0000  .0000  0.     .0000 .00TF1: 5.8500      2225.76            2220.18                   2.6948 1.2945 15038. 2.2004                                              28.61TF2: 4.6000      2217.64            2219.82                   2.8119 1.3201 19502. 2.2438                                              29.75TF2: 3.4000      2204.01            2196.48                   3.0226 1.3178 16420. 2.2399                                              47.56TF1: 2.3300      2190.77            2196.72                   3.3121 1.2929 23508. 2.1976                                              45.78TF1: 1.6250      2100.01            2089.67                   3.9770 1.2686 18072. 2.1564                                              119.49TF2: .9700 2084.05            2101.49                   4.8244 1.2755 30440. 2.1743                                              113.34TF2: .5450 2058.06            2074.48                   5.3385 1.1238 16403. 1.9101                                              221.78TF1: .2800 2038.23            2063.77                   6.0436 .9815  27885. 1.9918                                              231.94TF1: .1527 1988.20            2008.94                   6.5193 .6983  22221. 1.5872                                              244.08TF2: .1069 1986.44            1992.88                   4.7014 .2783  12651. .9036 77.34TF2: .0825 1904.54            1905.01                   4.7312 .1872  9027.  .6448 48.78TF1: .0700 1802.94            1799.37                   4.4714 .1126  6396.  .4569 24.09__________________________________________________________________________Reversing Tandem Mill RMS Production:             121.66 TPHReversing Tandem Mill Peak Production:             190.68 TPHCoiling begins at Pass Number:             6 TF2Tandem Passes begin at Pass Number:             1 TF1Distance Between Cfce #1 and Mill:             35.00 ft.Distance Between Mill and Cfce #2:             35.00 ft.__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     EXAMPLE III 
     A 10 inch thick, 48 inch wide slab of AISI Type 1095 carbon steel is reduced to a 0.0910 inch coil in fourteen passes with coiling beginning following the eighth flat pass. 
     
                                           TABLE IV__________________________________________________________________________24.003 tons  1000. PIWRolling Schedule HSM - 48.00 - 10.0000/ .1185   Mill           Bite     Mill Speed                               Strip Speed                                         Roll                                             Delay                                                ElapsedPass   Stand Gauge      %  Draft             Angle                 Length                      FPM      FPM       Time                                             Time                                                TimeNo.   Name in.  Red         in. Deg.                 ft.  Thread                          Roll Front                                    Body sec.                                             sec.                                                sec.__________________________________________________________________________0  FCE: 10.0000      .0 .000             .00 29.5 .0  .0   .0   .0   .00 .00                                                .001  TF1: 8.7000      13.0         1.300             16.39                 33.9 446.6                          510.3                               446.6                                    510.3                                         3.98                                             .00                                                3.982  TF2: 7.4000      14.9         1.300             16.39                 39.8 525.0                          600.0                               525.0                                    600.0                                         3.98                                             3.00                                                9.403  TF2: 6.1000      17.6         1.300             16.39                 48.3 413.1                          472.1                               472.1                                    413.1                                         6.14                                             .00                                                15.534  TF1: 4.8000      21.3         1.300             16.39                 61.4 525.0                          600.0                               600.0                                    525.0                                         6.14                                             3.00                                                21.155  TFI: 3.5500      26.0         1.250             16.07                 83.0 369.7                          739.4                               369.7                                    739.4                                         6.73                                             .00                                                27.886  TF2: 2.5000      29.6         1.050             14.72                 117.8                      525.0                          1050.0                               525.0                                    1050.0                                         6.73                                             3.00                                                33.807  TF2: 1.5300      38.8         .970             14.14                 192.5                      308.8                          617.6                               617.6                                    308.8                                         27.07                                             .00                                                60.878  TF1: .9000      41.2         .630             11.39                 327.2                      525.0                          1050.0                               1050.0                                    525.0                                         25.32                                             3.00                                                65.629  TF1: .4900      45.6         .410             9.18                 601.0                      283.9                          838.3                               283.9                                    838.3                                         55.28                                             .00                                                120.9010 TF2: .2650      45.9         .225             6.80                 1111.3                      525.0                          1550.0                               525.0                                    1550.0                                         52.76                                             3.00                                                125.1911 TF2: .1550      41.5         .110             4.75                 1900.0                      401.4                          1414.4                               1414.4                                    401.4                                         93.86                                             .00                                                219.0512 TF1: .1185      23.5         .036             2.74                 2485.2                      525.0                          1850.0                               1850.0                                    525.0                                         91.93                                             3.00                                                222.8113 TF1: .1000      15.6         .019             1.95                 2945.0                      477.7                          1683.5                               477.7                                    1683.5                                         107.22                                             .00                                                330.0314 TF2: .0910      9.0         .009             1.36                 3236.3                      525.0                          1850.0                               525.0                                    1850.0                                         104.96                                             .00                                                330.03__________________________________________________________________________Mill       Entry Exit   Roll                       RMSStandGauge Temp. Temp.  Force  Torque Horse  Load  TimeName in.   Deg. F            Deg. F lb × 10**6                          lb-ft × 10**6                                 Power  Ratio sec.__________________________________________________________________________FCE: 10.0000      2250.00            2250.00                   .0000  .0000  0.     .0000 .00TF1: 8.7000      2233.52            2230.65                   2.9455 1.1122 12901. 1.8905                                              14.22TF2: 7.4000      2228.90            2231.02                   2.9444 1.1118 15162. 1.8898                                              14.21TF2: 6.1000      2223.40            2218.64                   2.9807 1.1255 12077. 1.9131                                              22.45TF1: 4.8000      2215.76            2218.92                   2.9799 1.1252 15344. 1.9125                                              22.44TF1: 3.5500      2197.47            2194.82                   3.0996 1.1473 19281. 1.9501                                              25.60TF2: 2.5000      2192.27            2199.25                   3.1747 1.0753 25662. 1.8330                                              22.62TF2: 1.5300      2152.23            2162.99                   3.9125 1.2708 17839. 2.1600                                              126.39TF1: .9000 2150.13            2164.66                   3.8200 .9946  23736. 1.6954                                              72.79TF1: .4900 2122.20            2138.42                   4.1219 .8576  16340. 1.4577                                              117.47TF2: .2650 2124.48            2144.50                   3.9851 .6028  21235. 1.5168                                              121.39TF2: .1550 2066.25            2079.02                   3.8870 .3972  12769. .9121 78.08TF1: .1185 2000.17            1996.30                   2.4799 .1389  5842.  .4173 16.01TF1: .1000 1910.11            1896.43                   2.0006 .0766  2931.  .2094 4.70TF2: .0910 1873.84            1853.88                   1.3299 .0342  1436.  .1026 1.11__________________________________________________________________________Distance Between Mill and Cfce #2:             35.00 ft.                   Coiling begins at Pass Number:                                    8 TF1Reversing Tandem Mill RMS Production:             220.01 TPH                   Tandem Passes begin at Pass Number:                                    1 TF1Reversing Tandem Mill Peak Production:             261.83 TPH                   Distance Between Cfce #1 and Mill:                                    35.00 ft.__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     Having thus described the invention in the detail and particularity required by the Patent Laws, what is desired protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.