Patent Description:
The present disclosure relates to metalworking generally and more specifically to systems and methods for processing metal from a coil that may be uncoiled at homogenizing, annealing, or other elevated temperatures.

To transport sheets of metal or other material more easily, the material can be coiled around a rotating mandrel. The resulting coil typically can be moved more easily than if the material were transported instead as one or more flat sheets. After transporting to a suitable location, the coil can be subsequently unwound and removed in cut lengths to permit access to the material in separated sheets for further processing or use.

Although useful for transport, the coil form factor may be unconducive to certain other processing activities. For example, certain heat treatment processes involve elevating a material to substantial temperatures and quickly quenching. Such processes may be impracticable to perform on a workpiece corresponding to an entire fully-formed coil, e.g., due to the overall size of the coil having a tendency to retain heat and prevent adequately high heat extraction rates suitable to obtain the desired outcome of a quenching process. Moreover, various materials (such as metal), if handled while in a coil form at high temperature, may be more susceptible to problems (such as scratching, stretching, or welding together of overlapping turns) than if processed in individual layers of discrete, separate, flat sheets. Accordingly, if heat treatment is desired for a coiled material, the material is typically first removed from the coil by cutting off lengths into separate strips prior to any heating operation of the heat treatment, and then the heat treatment is instead individually performed relative to the removed strips, i.e., the respective strips are subjected to suitable heating and quenching operations of the heat treatment process. <CIT> describes a high-performance aluminum alloy having high amounts of recycled material and methods of making the same. <CIT> describes a finishing mill for rolling steel sheet having a coiler furnace on either side. <CIT> discloses a thermo-electromechanical process and system for coiling and uncoiling an in-line hot rolled pre-strip for thin slab continuous casting. <CIT> describes a metal casting and rolling line.

The present invention relates to a method for heat-treating a coil of metal, wherein the metal is aluminum or an aluminum alloy, the method comprising:
heating the coil of metal within a furnace to elevate a temperature of the metal to be within a pre-heated temperature range corresponding to a homogenizing temperature range between <NUM> and <NUM> or an annealing temperature range between <NUM> and <NUM>; unwinding the coil of metal in a heated state in which the metal is within the preheated temperature range or before the metal has cooled past a threshold amount being <NUM> or less below the pre-heated temperature range, wherein the unwinding produces an unwound portion of the coil, wherein at least part of the unwinding of the coil is performed while the coil is maintained within the furnace that performed the heating of the coil; and quenching the unwound portion of the coil to reduce a temperature of the unwound portion to a quenched temperature range within a predetermined amount of time being less than <NUM> seconds, wherein the quenching produces a quenched portion.

The present invention further relates to a system for heat-treating a coil of metal, the system comprising:
a furnace sized for receiving the coil of metal and configured for elevating a temperature of the metal to be within a pre-heated temperature range corresponding to a homogenizing temperature range between <NUM> and <NUM> or an annealing temperature range between <NUM> and <NUM>; an unwinding system operable to unwind at least a portion of the coil in a heated state in which the metal is within the pre-heated temperature range or before the metal has cooled past a threshold amount being <NUM> or less below the preheated temperature range, wherein the unwinding system comprises an unwinding mechanism configured to at least partially unwind the coil while the coil is located within the furnace to produce an unwound portion of the coil; and a quenching system configured to receive an unwound portion of the coil from the unwinding system and reduce a temperature of the unwound portion to a quenched temperature range within a predetermined amount of time being less than <NUM> seconds.

The term embodiment and like terms are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this disclosure and the claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the claims below. Embodiments of the present disclosure covered herein are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the disclosure and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this disclosure, any or all drawings and each claim.

Certain examples herein address systems and methods for processing metal from a coil that may be uncoiled at homogenizing, annealing, or other elevated temperatures. For example, the entire coil may be heated at once in a furnace and then unwound while still at an elevated temperature (e.g., while still in the furnace, or shortly after removal from the furnace). This may be more efficient and/or effective in terms of time, space, energy, and/or other criteria than processing a series of individual strips from the coil. The unwound portion of the coil, while still at an elevated temperature may be cooled or quenched by spraying air, water, or other coolant onto the unwound portion of the coil and/or subjected to some other form of quenching system. Since the coil is not separated into individual severed lengths, the resulting quenched portion of the coil can be wound anew and form a new coil. Thus, for example, a heat-treated coil can be obtained without respective drawbacks that might be encountered in a process that instead involves severing the coil into lengths that are individually heated, quenched, and re-attached to one another into a continuous unit for forming a coil.

In various examples, a method for heat-treating a coil of metal is provided, wherein the metal is aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The method includes heating the coil of metal within a furnace to elevate a temperature of the metal to be within a pre-heated temperature range corresponding to a homogenizing temperature range or an annealing temperature range. The method further includes unwinding the coil of metal in a heated state in which the metal is within the pre-heated temperature range or before the metal has cooled past a threshold amount below the pre-heated temperature range. The unwinding produces an unwound portion of the coil and at least part of the unwinding of the coil is performed while the coil is maintained within the furnace that performed the heating of the coil. The method furthers include quenching the unwound portion of the coil to reduce a temperature of the unwound portion to a quenched temperature range within a predetermined amount of time. The quenching produces a quenched portion.

In various examples, a system for heat-treating a coil of metal is provided, wherein the metal is aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The system includes a furnace sized for receiving the coil of metal and configured for elevating a temperature of the metal to be within a pre-heated temperature range corresponding to a homogenizing temperature range or an annealing temperature range. The system further includes an unwinding system operable to unwind at least a portion of the coil in a heated state in which the metal is within the pre-heated temperature range or before the metal has cooled past a threshold amount below the pre-heated temperature range, wherein the unwinding system comprises an unwinding mechanism configured to at least partially unwind the coil while the coil is located within the furnace to produce an unwound portion of the coil. The system further includes a quenching system configured to receive an unwound portion of the coil from the unwinding system and reduce a temperature of the unwound portion to a quenched temperature range within a predetermined amount of time.

In various examples, another system for heat-treating a coil of metal can be provided. The system may include a furnace sized for receiving the coil of metal and configured for elevating a temperature of the metal to be within a pre-heated temperature range corresponding to a homogenizing temperature range or an annealing temperature range. The system may further include an unwinding system comprising an unwinding mechanism operable on the coil to unwind at least a portion of the coil while the coil is located within the furnace. The system may further include a quenching system configured to receive an unwound portion of the coil from the furnace and reduce a temperature of the unwound portion to a quenched temperature range within a predetermined amount of time.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting examples.

As used herein, the terms "invention," "the invention," "this invention," and "the present invention" are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent application and the claims below. The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is described here with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be interpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described. As used herein, the meaning of "a," "an," and "the" includes singular and plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In material processing and production, continuous casting processes or rolling processes (e.g., hot rolling) can result in a coiled product. Material processing may correspond to or include metal processing. For example, the metal processing may produce a coiled strip of material, such as conductive material. As disclosed herein, conductive material is inclusive of and may correspond to material that allows the flow of an electrical current in one or more directions, for example, metallic material. Suitable material may include articles of any suitable thickness capable of being coiled, for example, a metal sheet or metal shate. A coiled strip can have any suitable length or width. A coil can comprise or correspond to a strip coiled. For example, a metal coil can comprise a metal strip that is coiled around a spool and/or mandrel.

As used herein, a sheet generally refers to a product having a thickness of less than about <NUM>. For example, a sheet may have a thickness of less than about <NUM>, less than about <NUM>, less than about <NUM>, less than about <NUM>, less than about <NUM>, or less than about <NUM> (e.g., about <NUM>). As used herein, a plate generally has a thickness in a range of more than about <NUM>. For example, a plate may refer to an aluminum product having a thickness of greater than about <NUM>, greater than about <NUM>, greater than about <NUM>, greater than about <NUM>, greater than about <NUM>, greater than about <NUM>, greater than about <NUM>, or greater than about <NUM>. As used herein, a shate (also referred to as a sheet plate) generally has a thickness of from about <NUM> to about <NUM>. For example, a shate may have a thickness of about <NUM>, about <NUM>, about <NUM>, about <NUM>, about <NUM>, about <NUM>, about <NUM>, about <NUM>, about <NUM>, about <NUM>, about <NUM>, or about <NUM>.

While certain aspects of the present disclosure may be suitable for use with any type of material, such as metal, certain aspects of the present disclosure may be especially suitable for use with aluminum. In this description, reference is made to alloys identified by aluminum industry designations, such as "series" or "6xxx. " For an understanding of the number designation system most commonly used in naming and identifying aluminum and its alloys, see "<NPL>" or "<NPL>.

All ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass any and all subranges subsumed therein. For example, a stated range of " <NUM> to <NUM>" should be considered to include any and all subranges between (and inclusive of) the minimum value of <NUM> and the maximum value of <NUM>; that is, all subranges beginning with a minimum value of <NUM> or more, e.g. <NUM> to <NUM>, and ending with a maximum value of <NUM> or less, e.g., <NUM> to <NUM>.

The following examples will serve to further illustrate the present invention without, at the same time, however, constituting any limitation thereof.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a process <NUM> of heat treating a coil <NUM>, according to various embodiments. The coil <NUM> can be made of a suitable material <NUM>, such as metal, wherein the metal is aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In some examples, the metal is aluminum. The process <NUM> in <FIG> includes acts of producing the coil <NUM> (at act <NUM>), inserting a mandrel (at act <NUM>), heating the coil <NUM> (at act <NUM>), unwinding the coil <NUM> (at act <NUM>), quenching (at act <NUM>), and coiling (at act <NUM>), although other acts may be included additionally or alternatively and/or with other variations. In some embodiments, the process <NUM> may be performed such that the coil <NUM> may be maintained in a continuous band of material <NUM> without the band being subject to severing and re-connecting between respective acts of the process <NUM> or otherwise during the course of the process <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the process <NUM> can include producing a coil <NUM>. Producing the coil at <NUM> may include accessing a coil <NUM> that was made previously, for example. Alternatively, producing the coil <NUM> may include fabricating the coil <NUM>. In some embodiments, the coil <NUM> may be produced by a hot rolling line and optionally a cold rolling line. When the coil <NUM> is produced or obtained from a hot rolling line, the coil <NUM> may retain heat imparted by the hot rolling line, for example, which may reduce an amount of heat to be added to reach desired temperatures for the heat treating process <NUM>.

The coil <NUM> can be formed around a spool <NUM>. For example, the coil <NUM> may be formed by wrapping a sheet of material <NUM> in successive overlapping turns about the spool <NUM>. In some embodiments, the spool <NUM> may be rotated to cause additional layers to be wrapped around the spool <NUM> and formed into the coil <NUM>. The spool <NUM> may be in the shape of a tube. In some embodiments, the spool <NUM> may include an assembly of parts that may allow the spool <NUM> to change a radial size, for example, in response to dimensional changes that may result from temperature changes during the process <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the process <NUM> can include inserting a mandrel <NUM> into the coil. The mandrel <NUM> may engage the spool <NUM> in a manner that may facilitate subsequent rotating of the spool <NUM> for rotating the coil <NUM>. In some embodiments, the spool <NUM> and/or the mandrel <NUM> may be expandable (e.g., as illustrated by arrows <NUM>), for example, to permit radial expansion for adapting to a change in size of an inner diameter of the spool <NUM> that may result from the coil <NUM> being heated during the process <NUM>. Although the act <NUM> of inserting the mandrel <NUM> is shown before the act <NUM> of heating the coil <NUM>, in some embodiments, the mandrel <NUM> may be inserted after the coil <NUM> is heated. In other words, the act <NUM> of insertion can occur after, before, or during the act <NUM> of heating of the coil <NUM>.

Various suitable mechanisms and structures may be used for causing expansion of the mandrel <NUM> and/or the spool <NUM>. Non-limiting examples include clam-like structures (such as with hinged halves and a spring separator or other biasing mechanism that can separate the parts), a tooth and pin arrangement, or nesting tubes. In some examples, one or more of the components that cause the expansion may be commercially available components. The act of inserting the mandrel <NUM> into the spool <NUM> may be what expands the spool <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the coil <NUM> can be heated. For example, the heating may correspond to adding heat <NUM> to the coil <NUM> (e.g., as depicted by arrow <NUM>) for pre-heating the coil <NUM> to be within a particular pre-heated temperature range. To achieve the heating at act <NUM>, the coil <NUM> may be maintained in a furnace or other heated environment for a suitable amount of time to allow the material <NUM> of the coil <NUM> to reach a point of being within the particular pre-heated temperature range. In some embodiments, the pre-heated temperature range may be a homogenizing temperature range, for example. In some embodiments, the pre-heated temperature range may be an annealing temperature range, for example.

In some aspects, the homogenizing temperature range is defined by endpoints selected within the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. In some embodiments, the endpoints are selected within the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. In some aspects, the homogenizing temperature range may be selected based on a type of alloy to be processed. For example, <NUM> to <NUM> may be an appropriate range for homogenizing 7xxx alloys, whereas <NUM> to <NUM> may be an appropriate range for homogenizing 6xxx alloys.

More generally, the homogenizing temperature range may correspond to a suitable range for homogenization. Homogenization may refer to a high-temperature process performed on metal articles to reduce the grain-level heterogeneity of an as-cast microstructure. Homogenization is often performed at temperatures above the metal's recrystallization temperature. For example, in some types of aluminum alloy, the metal's recrystallization temperature may be around <NUM>-<NUM> and homogenization may be performed at temperatures of around <NUM>-<NUM>. When heated to these ranges of temperatures (e.g., at or above the recrystallization temperature), the metallurgical microstructure of the metal article can become more homogenous, improving the formability of the metal article and/or other metallurgical properties. However, at these high temperatures, the metal article may be especially susceptible to damage if mistreated.

In some aspects, the annealing temperature range is defined by endpoints selected within the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. In some embodiments, the endpoints are selected within further ranges, such as a range of <NUM> to <NUM>, a range of <NUM> to <NUM>, or a range of <NUM> to <NUM>, or a range of <NUM> to <NUM>. In some aspects, the annealing temperature range may be selected independent of a type of alloy to be processed. For example, <NUM> to <NUM> may be an appropriate range for annealing, regardless of whether processing 7xxx alloys, 6xxx alloys, or other series of alloys.

More generally, the annealing temperature range may correspond to a suitable range for annealing. Annealing may refer to a high-temperature process performed on metal articles to achieve any of a number of effects. Without intending to limit the present disclosure, the purpose for the annealing and the annealing parameters may include (<NUM>) releasing the work-hardening in the material to gain formability; (<NUM>) recrystallizing or recovering the material without causing significant grain growth; (<NUM>) engineering or converting texture to be appropriate for formability and for reducing anisotropy during forming; and/or (<NUM>) avoiding the coarsening of pre-existing precipitation particles. The annealing can result in an alloy with improved texture and/or with reduced anisotropy during forming operations, such as stamping, drawing, or bending. By applying annealing, the texture in a modified temper may be controlled/engineered to be more random and to reduce those texture components that can yield strong formability anisotropy (e.g., Goss, Goss-ND, or Cube-RD). This improved texture can potentially reduce the bending anisotropy and can improve the formability in the forming where a drawing or circumferential stamping process is involved, as it acts to reduce the variability in properties at different directions. However, at the high temperatures suitable for annealing, the metal article may be especially susceptible to damage if mistreated.

In some embodiments, the heating at act <NUM> can include multiple stages with respective temperature ranges and dwell times. For example, in some embodiments, the heating at act <NUM> can include one stage of maintaining the coil <NUM> in a pre-heated temperature range suitable for annealing and afterward or beforehand can include another stage of maintaining the coil <NUM> in a pre-heated temperature range suitable for homogenizing.

The heating at act <NUM> can be provided at any suitable rate. For example, in some embodiments, the heating may occur at a heating rate in the range of <NUM>/hour - <NUM>/hour. In some embodiments, slow heat up (e.g., <NUM>/hour - <NUM>/hour) may facilitate nucleation of dispersoid using dissolving precipitates as heterogeneous nucleation sites. This may also ensure uniform distribution of solute in matrix rather than incipient melting at the interface between precipitate and matrix.

At act <NUM>, the process <NUM> can include unwinding the coil <NUM>. The unwinding occurs while the coil <NUM> is in an elevated temperature range (e.g., which may correspond to the pre-heated temperature range imparted by the heating at act <NUM> or a different range that is within a threshold amount below the pre-heated temperature range). The unwinding occurs while the coil <NUM> is in a furnace. In various embodiments, the unwinding occurs while the coil is in a heated state in which the metal is within the homogenous temperature range and/or before it has cooled past a threshold amount below the homogenous temperature range or other relevant pre-heated range (such as an annealing temperature range). In some embodiments, the threshold amount that may be pertinent may be <NUM> or less. For example, before being unwound, the coil may cool less than <NUM>° from the temperature at which it was removed from the furnace. In some embodiments, the threshold amount may be selected to avoid a nose or drop along a continuous cooling transformation (CCT) curve and/or to avoid undesired precipitation in the coil. The threshold amount may be selected based on a type of alloy to be processed, such as whether processing 7xxx alloys, 6xxx alloys, or other series of alloys.

The unwinding at <NUM> may be a result of the mandrel <NUM> and/or spool <NUM> being rotated. The unwinding may produce an unwound portion <NUM> of the coil <NUM>. The unwound portion <NUM> of the coil <NUM> may be processed by other acts in the process <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the process <NUM> can include quenching the unwound portion <NUM> of the coil <NUM>. For example, this may be accomplished by subjecting the unwound portion <NUM> to a quenching system <NUM>. The quenching system <NUM> may have suitable structure for delivering a quenching medium <NUM>. For example, although jets are shown in <FIG>, a bath or other delivery system for quenching medium may be utilized. Suitable quenching mediums may include, but are not limited to, air, water, or oil. The act <NUM> of quenching in the process <NUM> may produce a quenched portion <NUM> of the coil <NUM>.

The quenching at <NUM> may involve reducing the temperature in the unwound portion <NUM> of the coil <NUM> to reach a quenched temperature range within a predetermined amount of time. The quenching at <NUM> may include rapid quenching (e.g., imparting a temperature reduction within minutes or seconds or over some other short predetermined amount of time) or extended cooling (e.g., imparting a temperature reduction within hours or over some other lengthy predetermined amount of time). In some embodiments, the quenching or types thereof may be defined in terms of heat extraction rate, for example, such that a rapid quenching may relate to a heat extraction rate of greater than <NUM>/s or such that an extended cooling may relate to a heat extraction rate of less than <NUM>/s.

The quenching at <NUM> may be defined by any suitable parameter or combination of parameters in addition to or in lieu of heat extraction rate, however. In a non-limiting example that may illustrate some possible relevant parameter types, a coil <NUM> heated to <NUM> at act <NUM> may cool by an amount of approximately <NUM> to reach a temperature of approximately <NUM> prior to the quenching at act <NUM>, which may utilize water (at room temperature (e.g., <NUM> - <NUM>) or at some other temperature, such as within a range of between <NUM> - <NUM>) sprayed through a series of jets to reduce a temperature of the material <NUM> of the coil <NUM> to <NUM> over a time interval of approximately <NUM> seconds to <NUM> seconds to produce a quenching rate or heat extraction rate between <NUM>/s - <NUM>/s. However, other values may be utilized.

For example, in some embodiments, the quenched temperature range may correspond to a range defined by endpoints selected within the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. In some embodiments, the quenched temperature range is defined by endpoints selected within a smaller range, such as the range of <NUM> to <NUM> or the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. In some examples, a lower end of the range may correspond to <NUM> or other temperature below which coiling for high solute alloys (e.g., alloys in which a sum of solutes such as Magnesium, Silicon, Copper, and/or Zinc is more than <NUM> percent by weight) could result in difficulty for cold rolling. In some embodiments, the quenched temperature range is selected for continuity with a process of achieving a T6, T8, T9 or other particular temper. In some embodiments, the quenched temperature range is selected to facilitate precipitation of dispersoids or to homogenize continuously cast material before subsequent cold work. In some embodiments, the quenched temperature range may correspond to <NUM> to <NUM> or other suitable range for resulting material to be soft enough for subsequent cold rolling and not otherwise too strong for subsequent processing.

In some embodiments, quenching to reach a quenched temperature range may be a result of exposing the unwound portion <NUM> of the coil <NUM> to a quenching medium provided within a quenching temperature range (e.g., the temperature of the medium may be referred to as a "quenching" temperature and the resulting temperature of the metal may be referred to as a "quenched" temperature). In some embodiments, the quenching temperature range for the quenching medium may be defined by endpoints selected within the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. In some embodiments, water may be used as the quenching medium and may be provided in a liquid form, e.g., at a temperature between <NUM> to <NUM>. Providing water in liquid form may allow water to be provided at room temperature or with minimal heating or cooling relative to room temperature and with significantly less energy expenditure than if the water is heated to convert from liquid state to steam. In some embodiments, water or other quenching medium may be provided at a temperature above <NUM> or otherwise in an at least partially non-liquid form. For example, in various scenarios, if water is used as the quenching medium, providing water at a temperature greater than <NUM> will cause the water to be steam and prevent condensation on the quenched portion <NUM> that could become entrained in the material <NUM> in a manner that may be deleterious downstream in the process <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the quenching temperature range for the quenching medium may be defined by endpoints selected within the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. For example, in various scenarios, providing water at a temperature in such range may strike a balance between incorporating a suitable factor of safety for ensuring the temperature of the water does not inadvertently drop into a range in which condensation may occur, while also providing a sufficiently low temperature of medium for providing a suitable heat extraction rate for causing the material <NUM> to quench within the predetermined amount of time.

In some embodiments, a range of suitable quenching rates or heat extraction rates may be defined by endpoints selected within the range of <NUM>/s and <NUM>/s, for example. The heat extraction rate may be selected based on composition and/or other processing to be utilized. For example, different heat extraction rates can be used to deliver different properties downstream. As illustrative examples, a heat extraction rate of <NUM>/s may be suitable in situations in which subsequent cold work is to be implemented, or a heat extraction rate of <NUM>/s may be suitable to facilitate suppression of ludering in 5xxx alloys.

Non-limiting examples of the predetermined time may be less than an hour, less than <NUM> minutes, less than <NUM> minutes, less than <NUM> seconds, less than <NUM> seconds, or some other suitable timeframe. The predetermined time may be based on or dependent on a particular target heat extraction rate. In some embodiments, a rate of unwinding of the coil <NUM> may be used as a corollary or measure that may affect or impart a suitable heat extraction rate. In some embodiments, suitable heat extraction rates may be obtained by a range of unwinding speeds defined by endpoints selected within the range of <NUM> meter per minute and <NUM> meters per minute, for example.

The quenching at <NUM> may involve any suitable sequence of temperature decreases and/or increases. For example, the quenching at <NUM> may include or be supplemented by a re-heating process. As an illustrative example, the unwound portion <NUM> of the coil <NUM> may be initially quenched to a lower temperature (e.g., less than <NUM>) to allow re-tensioning or other beneficial effect, and then re-heated to a higher quenched temperature (e.g., between <NUM> and <NUM>) before coiling anew as at act <NUM>. Any suitable structure may be utilized to provide associated temperature increases, including, but not limited to, additional ovens or oil or other heating medium provided in a suitable bath or via nozzles (e.g., such as if some nozzles or other structure of the quenching system <NUM> provide quenching medium at a temperature selected to impart heat transfer into the unwound portion <NUM> and other instances of the nozzles or structure of the quenching system <NUM> provide quenching medium at a temperature selected to impart heat transfer out of the unwound portion <NUM>).

At act <NUM>, the process <NUM> can include coiling the quenched portion <NUM>. For example, the quenched portion <NUM> may be coiled anew or re-coiled to form a second coil <NUM>. This may provide a coil <NUM> with heat treated and quenched material. Subjecting the coil to a heat treatment process <NUM> as described may provide a heat-treated coil <NUM> in which favorable precipitants or other microstructure or characteristics of the coil <NUM> may be obtained.

<FIG> is a side view of an example of a system <NUM> that may be used for performing the process <NUM> of <FIG>. The system <NUM> in <FIG> is shown with a furnace <NUM>, an unwinding system <NUM>, a quenching system <NUM>, and a winding system <NUM>, although other elements may be included additionally or alternatively and/or with other variations.

The furnace <NUM> may be sized for receiving the coil <NUM>. The furnace <NUM> may be formed of one or more walls <NUM> that define an interior volume that can be heated by burners or other suitable elements. The furnace <NUM> may be capable of pre-heating or elevating a temperature of the metal of the coil <NUM>. For example, the furnace may pre-heat or elevate the temperature of the metal to be within a homogenizing temperature range, annealing temperature range, or other particular heated temperature range as discussed at act <NUM> of heating the coil <NUM> in <FIG>. In some embodiments, the interior of the furnace <NUM> may be an inert environment or otherwise controlled to prevent or reduce possible oxidation of the coil <NUM>.

The unwinding system <NUM> can include suitable components for unwinding at least a portion of the coil <NUM>. The unwinding system <NUM> may unwind a part of the coil <NUM> while the coil <NUM> is still at an elevated temperature (e.g., per the discussion at act <NUM> in <FIG>). In some embodiments, the unwinding system <NUM> can include a suitable unwinding mechanism <NUM> for rotating the coil <NUM>. In <FIG>, the unwinding mechanism <NUM> is depicted as a motor with a belt operable to rotate a mandrel <NUM>, although any other suitable mechanism may be employed for rotating a mandrel <NUM> and/or spool <NUM> that may be engaged and/or supporting the coil <NUM>.

The furnace <NUM> in <FIG> is depicted with an opening <NUM>. The opening <NUM> can be sized for passage of the unwound portion <NUM> of the coil <NUM>. The furnace <NUM> can include suitable structure for defining the size of the opening <NUM>. In some examples, the size of the opening <NUM> may be varied. For example, the furnace <NUM> may include one or more doors <NUM> that may be adjustable (e.g., as illustrated by arrows <NUM>) by actuators or other suitable movement-imparting components to adjust a size of the opening <NUM> defined by the door <NUM>.

The quenching system <NUM> can receive the unwound portion <NUM> of the coil <NUM> from the unwinding mechanism <NUM> and/or the furnace <NUM>. The quenching system <NUM> in <FIG> is depicted as a series of jets for delivering quenching medium <NUM>, although the quenching system <NUM> can correspond to other structures, including, but not limited to, those described with respect to <FIG> in relation to the act <NUM> of quenching. Moreover, although respective pairs of jets are shown in <FIG>, any number of jets or other structures for delivering quenching medium <NUM> may be utilized. In some embodiments, successive stages of the quenching system <NUM> may be provided with quenching medium <NUM> provided at different (e.g., successively lower) temperatures, for example, which may allow a progression through multiple quenching stages and/or moving between mediums of different temperatures to bring the temperature down over a particular profile or gently over a duration of time.

An initial roller <NUM> is shown downstream of the quenching system <NUM> in <FIG>. Arranging the system <NUM> so that the material <NUM> from the coil <NUM> only contacts the initial roller <NUM> after already having passed through a quenching system <NUM> may be advantageous. For example, the initial roller <NUM> may be less prone to stretch or scratch the material <NUM> after the material <NUM> has been quenched than if the initial roller <NUM> had been brought in contact before the material <NUM> had been cooled by the quenching system <NUM>. The initial roller <NUM> can allow tensioning of the material of the coil <NUM>, for example, to facilitate subsequent stages of the process as the material <NUM> travels through the system <NUM>.

The coil <NUM> may be arranged in any suitable orientation for passage from the furnace <NUM> and through the quenching system <NUM>. Although the material <NUM> is shown in a vertical orientation in solid line in <FIG> while exiting the furnace <NUM> and passing through the quenching system <NUM>, other orientations are also possible. One example of an alternate path is shown in dashed lines in <FIG>. For example, the material <NUM> may assume a catenary or other shape as routed.

A robotic arm <NUM> is also shown within the system <NUM> in <FIG>. The robotic arm <NUM> may be useful for handling an end or initial portion of the unwound portion <NUM> from the coil <NUM>. For example, the robotic arm <NUM> may grasp an initial free end unwound from the coil <NUM> and direct it to a suitable downstream location, such as for introduction into other elements in the system <NUM>.

Other components may be included in the process line. For example in <FIG>, bridles <NUM> are shown. The bridles <NUM> may correspond to magnetic bridles that can advance and/or support the material <NUM> without physically contacting the material <NUM>.

A lubrication system <NUM> is also shown in <FIG>. The lubrication system <NUM> may include nozzles and/or other suitable structure for applying lubricant to material <NUM> passing by or through the lubrication system <NUM>. A subsequent roller <NUM> is shown in <FIG>. The subsequent roller <NUM> may be utilized for tensioning or other suitable purposes.

As noted previously, the system <NUM> may also include a winding system <NUM>. The winding system <NUM> may re-coil or coil anew with material <NUM> received from other parts of the system <NUM>. For example the winding system <NUM> may include another spool <NUM> and/or mandrel <NUM> that can be rotated to form a new or second coil <NUM> of the received material <NUM>. The new or second coil <NUM> may correspond to material <NUM> that has been treat heat treated by the system <NUM>.

<FIG> (not according to the invention) is a side view of components of a system <NUM> that may be used for performing the process <NUM>. <FIG> shows examples of options for transporting the coil <NUM> from a furnace <NUM> (e.g., either furnace 142A or 142B in <FIG>) to an unwinding location <NUM>, e.g., where the coil <NUM> can be unwound while still at an elevated temperature and/or before substantial cooling (e.g., cooling of <NUM> or other threshold amount as discussed herein) has occurred relative to an pre-heated temperature imparted by the furnace <NUM>.

Various options for variations of different components are shown in <FIG>. For simplicity, examples of various components are shown on the left side of <FIG> and will be described first and referenced with reference numerals with suffixes ending with "A", while some variations of such components will thereafter be described with suffixes of "B" with respect to components depicted by way of example at the right side of <FIG>.

The system <NUM> in <FIG> is shown with a furnace 142A capable of being unloaded from underneath or below. The furnace 142A can be sized to receive a coil <NUM>. The furnace 142A can include or be associated with an unloading system 176A that allows the furnace 142A to be unloaded from a bottom side <NUM>. The unloading system 176A can include suitable hooks <NUM> or other structures for supporting the coil <NUM> and/or moving the coil <NUM>. For example, the coil <NUM> may be supported by a spool <NUM> and/or mandrel <NUM>, and the spool <NUM> and/or mandrel <NUM> may be supported within the furnace 142A by hooks <NUM> or other structures of the unloading system 176A. Suitable actuators (not shown) may be incorporated to enable movement of the hooks <NUM> or other structures of the unloading system 176A to facilitate unloading of the coil <NUM> from the furnace 142A. As non-limiting examples, the hooks <NUM> or other structures of the unloading system 176A may be moveable vertically (e.g., as depicted by arrows <NUM>) and/or laterally (e.g., which may include a direction corresponding to into or out of the page in <FIG> as depicted by arrows <NUM>, and/or a direction corresponding to left or right in the view in <FIG>).

The furnace 142A may be accompanied by or associated with a transport system 186A. The transport system 186A may be capable of moving the coil <NUM>, such as between the furnace 142A and an unwinding location <NUM>. The transport system 186A may include one or more carriers 188A. The carrier 188A may correspond to a cart, vehicle, movable platform, or any other structure capable of moving the coil <NUM> from the furnace 142A to the unwinding location <NUM>. Such transport may allow the coil <NUM> to be unwound while still at a pre-heated temperature imparted by the heating in the furnace 142A, or while at an elevated temperature within a threshold below the pre-heated temperature (e.g., per the discussion at act <NUM> in <FIG>). In some embodiments, the carrier 188A (or portion thereof) may be pre-heated, e.g., which may reduce a temperature differential between the coil <NUM> and a portion of the carrier 188A in a manner that may mitigate against heat loss by the coil <NUM> during transport by the carrier 188A.

In operation, upon the coil <NUM> reaching a suitable temperature by heating from the furnace 142A, the unloading system 176A can lower the coil <NUM>, such as depicted by the arrow <NUM>. For example, the coil <NUM> can be lowered relative to a carrier 188A of the transport system 186A. The coil <NUM> can be received by the carrier 188A, for example, such that the spool <NUM> and/or mandrel of the coil <NUM> is received and supported by a stand <NUM> (e.g., a fork or other support) of the carrier 188A. Elements of the unloading system 176A may move in appropriate directions to release the coil <NUM> relative to carrier 188A. For example, the hooks <NUM> or other structure of the unloading system 176A can move laterally (e.g., as illustrated by arrow <NUM>) and past ends of the spool <NUM> and/or mandrel of the coil <NUM>, which may correspond to moving clear of the carrier 188A so that the carrier 188A can close, move away from the furnace 142A, and/or perform other actions without interference by elements of the unloading system 176A.

In some embodiments, the elements of the unloading system 176A may function as or be supplemented by elements capable of loading the furnace 142A. For example, the unloading system 176A may perform movements in reverse order to those described for unloading and thereby insert a coil <NUM> into the furnace 142A from a carrier 188A or other supply source.

The carrier 188A can include an insulating enclosure 194A. The insulating enclosure 194A may be capable of at least partially enclosing the coil <NUM>. The insulating enclosure 194A can include insulation <NUM> to reduce heat loss of the coil <NUM> during transport by the carrier 188A. For example, the insulation <NUM> may be included in sides <NUM> and/or ends <NUM> of the insulating enclosure 194A. Non-limiting examples of suitable insulation <NUM> may include refractory materials.

The term "refractory material" as used herein may include any materials that are relatively resistant to attack by molten metals and that are capable of retaining their strength at the high temperatures contemplated for the material in use. Such materials may include, but are not limited to, ceramic materials (inorganic non-metallic solids and heat-resistant glasses) and non-metals. A non-limiting list of suitable materials for the insulation <NUM> includes the following: the oxides of aluminum (alumina), silicon (silica, particularly fused silica), magnesium (magnesia), calcium (lime), zirconium (zirconia), boron (boron oxide); metal carbides, borides, nitrides, silicides, such as silicon carbide, particularly nitride-bonded silicon carbide (SiC/Si3N4), boron carbide, boron nitride; aluminosilicates, e.g. calcium aluminum silicate; composite materials (e.g. composites of oxides and non-oxides); glasses, including machinable glasses; mineral wools of fibers or mixtures thereof; carbon or graphite; and the like. As an illustrative example, in some contexts, refractory materials may withstand temperatures up to <NUM>° C (e.g., which may be suitable for processing of aluminum or copper, though not likely steel, which tends to be processed at higher temperatures for which other suitable refractory material may nevertheless be available), although in some other contexts, refractory material suitable for processing aluminum and its alloys may be selected to withstand working temperatures in the lesser range of <NUM> to <NUM>° C.

The carrier 188A can include one or more releasably separable members 202A to facilitate receiving and unloading of the coil <NUM>. The carrier 188A is depicted with two releasably separable members 202A in <FIG>, and although other numbers including one, two, or more than two could be utilized, for simplicity, description hereafter will primarily refer to a single member 202A. The separable member 202A may be movable between a closed configuration in which the coil <NUM> is at least partially enclosed by the insulation <NUM> and an open configuration in which the coil <NUM> is accessible for loading or unloading relative to the carrier 188A.

As noted previously, in use, the coil <NUM> can be lowered by the unloading system 176A and toward the carrier 188A, such as depicted by arrow <NUM>. Once the coil <NUM> is received by the carrier 188A (e.g., with the spool <NUM> and/or mandrel <NUM> through the coil <NUM> being supported by the stand <NUM> or other support structure within the carrier 188A), the separable member <NUM> of the carrier 188A can close around the coil <NUM> (such as depicted by arrows <NUM>), which may effectively insulate the coil <NUM> and prevent or reduce heat loss from the coil <NUM> while within the carrier 188A.

The carrier 188A may convey the coil <NUM> away from the furnace, such as illustrated at arrow 206A. In some embodiments, the carrier 188A may be prepared for removal of the coil <NUM> by the separable member 202A opening, such as depicted by arrows 208A.

A transfer system <NUM> may transfer the coil <NUM> from the carrier <NUM> and into engagement with an unwinding mechanism <NUM> at the unwinding location <NUM> in some embodiments (e.g., as illustrated by arrow 212A). The transfer system <NUM> is depicted as a robotic arm in <FIG>, but may correspond to any suitable structure for transferring the coil <NUM> from the carrier 188A to the unwinding mechanism <NUM>. The unwinding mechanism <NUM> may include a motor or other device capable of rotating the spool <NUM> and/or mandrel <NUM> about which the coil <NUM> is formed and thus unwind the coil <NUM>.

A resulting unwound portion <NUM> of the coil <NUM> may be passed through a quenching system <NUM> and produce a quenched portion <NUM> of the coil <NUM>. The quenching system <NUM> may (but need not) correspond to the components described elsewhere herein-thus, description will not be repeated. The quenched portion <NUM> subsequent to passage from the quenching system <NUM> may be coiled anew and form a new or second coil <NUM> in a similar fashion to the winding system <NUM> described with respect to <FIG>.

The system <NUM> may alternatively or additionally include other components depicted and described with respect to <FIG> and or may include other components. As an illustrative example of other elements not depicted in <FIG> (but which may be used with the system of <FIG> if desired), the unwinding location <NUM> of the unwinding system <NUM> in <FIG> is at an unwinding station <NUM> that also includes insulation <NUM> (e.g., which may be similar to insulation <NUM>) for retention of heat during the unwinding process. Also shown in <FIG> is a biased roller <NUM>. The biased roller <NUM> may be biased by a spring <NUM> or other biasing mechanism. In some embodiments, the biased roller <NUM> may be biased solely or at least partially by a weight of the biased roller <NUM>. The biased roller <NUM> may provide amounts of force appropriate to prevent an end or other portion of the coil <NUM> near the biased roller <NUM> from "springing away" from other laps of the coil <NUM> in use. The biased roller <NUM> may be pivotally mounted and/or otherwise capable of changing position to remain pressed or otherwise in engagement with the coil <NUM> so that contact with the coil is maintained even as the coil <NUM> reduces in diameter due to being unwound by the unwinding mechanism <NUM>.

Components shown in the system <NUM> in <FIG> may alternatively be used in the system <NUM> of <FIG> or vice versa. For example, although the biased roller <NUM> shown in <FIG> is not also depicted in <FIG>, the biased roller <NUM> could nevertheless be implemented at a suitable location within the system <NUM> described with respect to <FIG>. Similarly, the insulation <NUM> and/or insulation <NUM> described with respect to <FIG> could also be arranged in a relevant manner with respect to the system <NUM> of <FIG>.

Other variations are shown at the right side of <FIG>. For example, in some embodiments, the system <NUM> may implement a furnace 142B capable of unloading from a side of the furnace 142B and/or from beside the furnace 142B. An unloading system 176B may push or pull the coil <NUM> out of the furnace 142B in a lateral direction, such as in a direction generally corresponding to a direction out of the page in <FIG>, e.g., graphically depicted by the doubleheaded arrow <NUM>. The unloading system 176B may additionally or alternatively be capable of moving the coil <NUM> in a vertical direction, e.g., to move up and over structure of the carrier 188B and into a position of being supported by a stand <NUM> or otherwise into an interior defined within the carrier 188B.

The carrier 188B and insulating enclosure 194B depicted at right in <FIG> differs from those shown at left in <FIG>. In the carrier 188B and insulating enclosure 194B at right in <FIG>, for example, the insulating enclosure 194B may include one or more releasably separable members 202B that can be closed with a technique that may correspond to linearly aligning tube parts (e.g., in contrast to the clamshell-like or hinged approach of the carrier 188A at left in <FIG>).

In use, the insulating enclosure 194B at right in <FIG> may include a lid <NUM> or other element that can be raised and/or lowered (such as by depicted by arrow <NUM>) or otherwise moved into engagement with other portions of the insulating enclosure 12B. The carrier 188B may move the coil <NUM> away from the furnace 142B (as at arrow 206B and akin to arrow 206A). After a suitable distance has been traversed by the carrier 188B, the insulating enclosure 194B may be opened to allow access to the coil <NUM>. For example, the lid <NUM> of the insulating enclosure 194B may be lifted as at arrow 208B.

As illustrated e.g., by arrow 212B, the coil <NUM> may be transferred to the unwinding location <NUM> by the transfer system <NUM> in some embodiments. This may allow the coil <NUM> to be unwound, quenched by the quenching system <NUM>, and re-wound by the winding system <NUM>, in a manner similar to that described previously with respect to the coil <NUM> provided from the left side of <FIG>.

In some embodiments, different types of unloading system <NUM> and/or transport system <NUM> (e.g., including carrier <NUM> and/or associated components) may be utilized and suitable for different styles of furnace <NUM>. For example, a clam-shell type of insulating enclosure 194A may be well-suited to forming an upward facing opening for receiving from a bottom-loading furnace 142A, while an insulating enclosure 194B with linearly aligning tube parts may be well-suited for lowering over an unloading zone adjacent a side-loading furnace 142B. Nevertheless, the respective types of furnace <NUM> are not limited to such options or the context shown in <FIG> by way of example, and elements in <FIG> (or variations thereof) may be utilized with any other desired combination of elements.

Additionally, any suitable combination of one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many options are possible. For example, although the arrangement at the right of <FIG> shows a single furnace <NUM> that may load into an individual carrier <NUM>, in some embodiments, a single carrier <NUM> may service multiple furnaces <NUM> (such as at the left in <FIG>, where an individual carrier <NUM> is arranged for servicing any one of three different furnaces <NUM> shown overhead of the carrier <NUM>). In some embodiments, multiple carriers <NUM> may be used relative to an individual furnace <NUM>, e.g., such that one carrier <NUM> may carry away a heated coil <NUM> while another carrier positions a fresh coil <NUM> for loading into and heating within the furnace <NUM>. <FIG> by way of example also shows that an unwinding location <NUM> may serve multiple carriers <NUM> and/or furnaces <NUM>. Using an unwinding station <NUM> in conjunction with multiple furnaces <NUM> may allow efficiency in equipment usage (e.g., if an unwinding process is faster than heating processes, start times between heating in different furnaces could be staggered to allow an unwinding mechanism <NUM> to be in more frequent use and have less down time between cycles). Additionally or alternatively, different furnaces <NUM> may be serviced by a single carrier <NUM>, such as to reduce complexity and/or cost of elements within the system <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A method for heat-treating a coil of metal, wherein the metal is aluminum or an aluminum alloy, the method comprising:
heating the coil of metal within a furnace to elevate a temperature of the metal to be within a pre-heated temperature range corresponding to a homogenizing temperature range between <NUM> and <NUM> or an annealing temperature range between <NUM> and <NUM>;
unwinding the coil of metal in a heated state in which the metal is within the preheated temperature range or before the metal has cooled past a threshold amount being <NUM> or less below the pre-heated temperature range, wherein the unwinding produces an unwound portion of the coil, wherein at least part of the unwinding of the coil is performed while the coil is maintained within the furnace that performed the heating of the coil; and
quenching the unwound portion of the coil to reduce a temperature of the unwound portion to a quenched temperature range within a predetermined amount of time being less than <NUM> seconds, wherein the quenching produces a quenched portion.