Continuous Casting Installation with at Least One Robot and Method for Operating a Continuous Casting Installation Including at Least One Robot

Abstract

A continuous casting installation is equipped with at least one robot for carrying out process-controlled or automated interventions on the continuous casting installation and accessing the assigned auxiliary devices. To ensure optimum use of the robot(s), the continuous casting installation is assigned a runway, the robot is assigned a travelling mechanism and the travelling mechanism is displaceably guided on the runway, at least one parking position and at least two operating positions are defined for the robot on the runway and each operating position is assigned working areas on the continuous casting installation that can only be reached from this operating position, the distance between each operating position of the robot and the assigned operating area or supply area is fixed within the minimum and maximum range of the robot arm and the robot is equipped with a data transmitting and receiving device and the latter is connected by signalling technology to a central control device or a process computer of the continuous casting installation. Furthermore, the invention comprises a method for operating a continuous casting installation including at least one robot which can be displaced on a runway between a parking position and at least two operating positions.

1 . Continuous casting installation with at least one robot for carrying out process-controlled or automated interventions on a continuous casting installation and accessing assigned auxiliary devices, wherein 
 the continuous casting installation is assigned a runway,    the robot is assigned a travelling mechanism and the travelling mechanism is displaceably guided on the runway,    at least one parking position and at least two operating positions are defined for the robot on the runway and each operating position is assigned working areas on the continuous casting installation that can only be reached from this operating position,    the distance between each operating position of the robot and the assigned operating area or supply area (V 1 , V 2 , V 3 ) is fixed within the minimum and maximum range of the robot arm ( 15 ) and    the robot is equipped with a data transmitting and receiving device and the latter is connected by signalling technology to a central control device or a process computer of the continuous casting installation.    
     
     
         2 . Continuous casting installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the runway is formed by a track system.  
     
     
         3 . Continuous casting installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the runway is formed by at least one running rail of an overhead monorail conveyor.  
     
     
         4 . Continuous casting installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the runway has branches (points).  
     
     
         5 . Continuous casting installation according to  claim 1 , wherein a runway section is formed in such a way that it can be adjusted in height or can be swiveled.  
     
     
         6 . Continuous casting installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the travelling mechanism is assigned a robot swiveling mechanism and at least two operating positions are defined for the robot with the swiveling position of the robot swiveling mechanism, the swiveling mechanism preferably comprising a jib, on the extending end of which the robot is arranged.  
     
     
         7 . Continuous casting installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the robot is fixed in its operating position by an arresting device.  
     
     
         8 . Continuous casting installation according to  claim 1 , wherein each operating position of the robot on the runway is assigned at least one operating area at the continuous casting installation and a supply area at an auxiliary device (tool store, utilities store).  
     
     
         9 . Continuous casting installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the runway is arranged on the casting platform, preferably in a horizontal plane.  
     
     
         10 . Continuous casting installation according to  claim 1 , wherein a number of robots, preferably two robots, are assigned to a single runway.  
     
     
         11 . Method for operating a continuous casting installation including at least one robot which can be displaced on a runway between a parking position and at least two operating positions, wherein control signals are issued from a process computer or a central control device to the robot and, on the basis of these control signals, a selected operating position is moved to and automated interventions on the continuous casting installation are performed by the robot, the control signals for the interventions to be carried out on the continuous casting installation being issued by the process computer or a central control device to the robot in the sequence of the priority of the interventions to be carried out.  
     
     
         12 . Method according to  claim 11 , wherein measurement data are gathered by the robot on the continuous casting installation, these measurement data are transmitted to the process computer or a central control device, are processed by the process computer or the control device and results of this data evaluation are converted into control signals for the robot or the continuous casting installation.  
     
     
         13 . Method according to  claim 11 , wherein, of at least two robots which can be made to move on a runway, a first robot which can be made to move on the runway, as the primary robot (master), receives all the control signals and carries out interventions on the continuous casting installation and a further robot which can be made to move on the runway, as the auxiliary robot (slave), is preferably assigned to a parking position.  
     
     
         14 . Method according to  claim 13 , wherein, if there is a conflict of priorities of control signals, the primary robot and the auxiliary robot are activated both robots are directed to the respective operating positions while excluding the possibility of them hindering one another.  
     
     
         15 . Method according to  claim 12 , wherein, of at least two robots which can be made to move on a runway, a first robot which can be made to move on the runway, as the primary robot (master), receives all the control signals and carries out interventions on the continuous casting installation and a further robot which can be made to move on the runway, as the auxiliary robot (slave), is preferably assigned to a parking position.