Systems and methods for threading a hot coil on a mill

• US 10,370,749 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novelis Incorporated (Hindalco Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Novelis Incorporated (Hindalco Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Hobbis, Andrew James, Pralong, Antoine Jean Willy, Mick, Stephen Lee, Brown, Rodger, Finn, Mark, Knelsen, Peter, Lee, Terry, Alder, Hansjuerg, Beck, William, Quintal, Roberto, Iyer, Natasha, Geho, Jeffrey Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolan, Edward T
• Application Number:
  US15/717,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20180085803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 39/02 Feeding or supporting work; Braking or tensioning arrangements , e.g. threading arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 39/34 Arrangements or constructional combinations specifically designed to perform functions covered by more than one of groups B21B39/02, B21B39/14, B21B39/20
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 37/02 of sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 47/16 Unwinding or uncoiling
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 47/18 from reels or drums
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 47/3433 for guiding the leading end of the material, e.g. from or to a coiler
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 47/3483 Magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 22/022 by heating the blank or stamping associated with heat treatment C21D takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 37/16 Heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 54/02 electrostatic, electric, or magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/006 Winding articles into rolls
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/20 by contact with rotating friction members, e.g. rollers, brushes, or cylinders with suction rollers B65H29/243
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 1/04 with simultaneous application of supersonic waves, magnetic or electric fields
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 1/42 Induction heating
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/02 with silicon as the next major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/06 with magnesium as the next major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/10 with zinc as the next major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/12 with copper as the next major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/02 in inert or controlled atmosphere or vacuum adjusting the composition of the atmosphere C21D1/76
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/04 of aluminium or alloys based thereon
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 2019/0003 : Monitoring the temperature or a characteristic of the charge and using it as a controlling value
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 99/0001 : Heating elements or systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 15/00 : Holding or levitation devices using magnetic attraction or repulsion, not otherwise provided for electric or magnetic devices for holding work on machine tools B23Q3/15 ; monorail vehicle propulsion or suspension B60L13/00; sliding or levitation devices for railway systems B61B13/08; material handling devices associated with conveyors incorporating devices with electrostatic or magnetic grippers B65G47/92; separating thin or filamentary articles from piles using magnetic force B65H3/16; delivering thin or filamentary articles from magnetic holders by air blast or suction B65H29/24; bearings using magnetic or electric supporting means F16C32/04; relieving bearing loads using magnetic means F16C39/06; magnets H01F7/00; dynamo-electric clutches or brakes H02K49/00 ; electric furnaces with simultaneous levitation and heating H05B6/32
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/104 : metal pieces being elongated like wires or bands
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/32 : Arrangements for simultaneous levitation and heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/36 : Coil arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency

Abstract

Systems and methods of threading a metal substrate on a rolling mill include receiving a coil of the metal substrate. The method also includes uncoiling the metal substrate from the coil while the coil and guiding the metal substrate to a work stand of the rolling mill with a threading system.

Claims

1. A method of threading a metal substrate on a rolling mill comprising:

receiving a coil of the metal substrate;

uncoiling the metal substrate from the coil;

guiding the metal substrate to a work stand of the rolling mill with a threading system, wherein guiding the metal substrate to the work roll comprises;

guiding the metal substrate to a threading carriage of the threading system;

gripping the metal substrate with the threading carriage; and

moving the threading carriage towards the work stand,

wherein the threading carriage comprises a pair of gripping rolls, and wherein gripping the metal substrate with the threading carriage comprises directing the metal substrate between the pair of gripping rolls and gripping the metal substrate with the gripping rolls,

wherein the pair of gripping rolls grip the metal substrate at a position that is offset from a leading edge of the metal substrate such that when the leading edge is fed into a roll gap of the work stand, the threading carriage is spaced apart from work rolls of the work stand, and

wherein the method further comprises adding stiffness to the metal substrate by adding a diameter profile along a length of the gripping rolls such that the metal substrate comprises at least one non-planar lateral curvature across a width of the metal substrate while guiding the metal substrate to the work stand.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein guiding the metal substrate to the work stand of the rolling mill comprises directing the metal substrate into a roll gap defined between an upper work roll and a lower work roll of the work stand.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the threading carriage grips the metal substrate proximate to a leading edge of the metal substrate, and wherein the method further comprises disengaging the threading carriage from the metal substrate when the leading edge of the metal substrate is gripped by a recoiler.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the threading carriage grips the metal substrate proximate to a leading edge of the metal substrate, and wherein the method further comprises:

disengaging the threading carriage from the metal substrate when the leading edge of the metal substrate is proximate the work stand;

gripping the metal substrate proximate to a trailing edge of the metal substrate proximate an uncoiler; and

disengaging the threading carriage from the metal substrate when the trailing edge of the metal substrate is proximate to the work stand.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising quenching the metal substrate with at least one quench sprayer while guiding the metal substrate to the work stand.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling tension, controlling a metal substrate temperature, guiding the metal substrate, modifying a passline of the metal substrate, or non-contact supporting the metal substrate with at least one rotating magnet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a temperature of the metal substrate is greater than 450°

C.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the coil comprises receiving the coil on an unwind mandrel, and wherein guiding the metal substrate comprises moving the threading carriage independently and away from the unwind mandrel.

9. A system for threading a metal substrate on a rolling mill comprising:

a threading carriage comprising a gripper configured to grip a metal substrate; and

a track extending between an unwind mandrel and a work stand of the rolling mill,

wherein the threading carriage is movable along the track and relative to the unwind mandrel, and wherein the threading carriage is configured to guide and apply tension to the metal substrate between the unwind mandrel and the work stand,

wherein the gripper comprises a pair of gripping rolls configured to grip the metal substrate, and

wherein each gripping roll of the pair of gripping rolls comprises a varying diameter along a length of the gripping roll such that the gripping rolls impart at least one non-planar lateral curvature across a width of the metal substrate.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising at least at least one rotating magnet between the unwind mandrel and the work stand.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one rotating magnet comprises a pair of vertically aligned rotating magnets, and the metal substrate is configured to pass between the pair of vertically aligned rotating magnets.