Method for controlling materials quality in rolling, forging, or leveling process

Abstract

This invention matches the material quality of a product to target data, even when a materials quality model is insufficient in prediction accuracy. Heating a metallic material, rolling, forging, or leveling the metallic material, and cooling the metallic material are each conducted at least once. Prior to manufacture of a metallic product of a desired size and shape, qualitative data of the metallic material are measured at a position by a materials quality sensor in a manufacturing line, and modifications based on measured data are made to heating, processing, or cooling conditions in at least one of the steps, upstream of the materials measured data sensor so that the quality of the metallic material at the measuring position agrees with target data.

1 . A method for controlling materials quality in a rolling, forging, or leveling process, the method comprising:
 conducting, at least once, each of heating a metallic material, rolling, forging, or leveling the metallic material, and cooling the metallic material; and   prior to manufacture of a metallic product of a desired size and shape, measuring qualitative data of the metallic material at a measuring position, using a materials quality sensor installed in a manufacturing line, and, in accordance with the qualitative data measured, making modifications to at least one of heating, processing, or cooling conditions upstream of the materials quality sensor so that the qualitative data of the metallic material at the measuring position agrees with target data.   
   
   
       2 . A method for controlling materials quality in a rolling, forging, or leveling process, the method comprising:
 conducting, at least once, each of heating a metallic material, rolling, forging, or leveling the metallic material, and cooling the metallic material; and   prior to manufacture of a metallic product of a desired size and shape, measuring qualitative data of the metallic material at a measuring position, using a materials quality sensor installed in a manufacturing line, comparing the qualitative data measured with metallic material quality data estimates at the measuring position that have been calculated from actual heating conditions, processing conditions, and cooling conditions of the metallic material, using a materials quality model, modifying the materials quality model in accordance with results of the comparison, and determining subsequent heating conditions, processing conditions, and cooling conditions of the metallic material using the materials quality model as modified.   
   
   
       3 . A method for controlling materials quality in a rolling, forging, or leveling process, the method comprising:
 conducting, at least once, each of heating a metallic material, rolling, forging, or leveling the metallic material, and cooling the metallic material; and   prior to manufacture of a metallic product of a desired size and shape, measuring qualitative data of the metallic material, using a materials quality sensor installed in a manufacturing line, and, in accordance with the qualitative data measured, calculating at least one of heating, processing, or cooling conditions of the metallic material, downstream with respect to the materials quality sensor, using a materials quality model so that equality of the metallic material at a materials quality control point located at any position downstream with respect to the materials quality sensor will agree with target data.   
   
   
       4 . A method for controlling materials quality in a rolling, forging, or leveling process, the method comprising:
 conducting, at least once, each of the heating a metallic material, rolling, forging, or leveling the metallic material, and cooling the metallic material; and   prior to manufacture of a metallic product of a desired size and shape, measuring qualitative data of the metallic material, using a materials quality sensor installed in a manufacturing line, and, in accordance with the qualitative data measured, modifying at least one of heating, processing, or cooling conditions of the metallic material, downstream with respect to the materials quality sensor, using a materials quality model so that the quality of the metallic material at a materials quality control point located at any position downstream with respect to the materials quality sensor will agree with target data.   
   
   
       5 . The rolling process materials quality control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the manufacturing line comprises
 a water-cooling site immediately after of a processing site which uses a rolling mill, and   a materials quality sensor at both or either of two locations, one location being between the processing site and the cooling site, and the other location being an outlet of the cooling site.   
   
   
       6 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the materials quality sensor comprises ultrasonic wave transmitting means, ultrasonic wave detecting means, and signal processing means, and the method includes detecting the quality of the metallic material based on ultrasonic wave propagation characteristics of the material. 
   
   
       7 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 6 , wherein the material quality data detected by the materials quality sensor is crystal grain size of a crystal-containing metallic material in a path of ultrasonic wave propagation. 
   
   
       8 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 7 , including generating an ultrasonic wave by irradiating the metallic material with pulsed laser light. 
   
   
       9 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 7 , including detecting ultrasonic vibration of the metallic material based on a phase difference between the laser light irradiating the metallic material, and a reflected beam of the irradiatling light. 
   
   
       10 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 1 , including heating the material by induction. 
   
   
       11 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the metallic material is selected from the group consisting of an iron-containing alloy, an aluminum-containing alloy, a copper-containing alloy, and a titanium-containing alloy. 
   
   
       12 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 1 , including heating an iron-and-steel material by induction. 
   
   
       13 - 16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . The rolling process materials quality control method according to  claim 2 , wherein the manufacturing line comprises
 a water-cooling site at immediately after of a processing site which uses a rolling mill, and   a materials quality sensor at both or either of two locations, one location being between the processing site and the cooling site, and the other location being an outlet of the cooling site.   
   
   
       18 . The rolling process materials quality control method according to  claim 3 , wherein the manufacturing line comprises
 a water-cooling site at immediately after of a processing site which uses a rolling mill, and   a materials quality sensor at both or either of two locations, one location being between the processing site and the cooling site, and the other location being an outlet of the cooling site.   
   
   
       19 . The rolling process materials quality control method according to  claim 4 , wherein the manufacturing line comprises
 a water-cooling site at immediately after of a processing site which uses a rolling mill, and   a materials quality sensor at both or either of two locations, one location being between the processing site and the cooling site, and the other location being an outlet of the cooling site.   
   
   
       20 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 2 , wherein the materials quality sensor comprises ultrasonic wave transmitting means, ultrasonic wave detecting means, and signal processing means, and the method includes detecting the quality of the metallic material based on ultrasonic wave propagation characteristics of the material. 
   
   
       21 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 3 , wherein the materials quality sensor comprises ultrasonic wave transmitting means, ultrasonic wave detecting means, and signal processing means, and the method includes detecting the quality of the metallic material based on ultrasonic wave propagation characteristics of the material. 
   
   
       22 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 4 , wherein the materials quality sensor comprises ultrasonic wave transmitting means, ultrasonic wave detecting means, and signal processing means, and the method includes detecting the quality of the metallic material based on ultrasonic wave propagation characteristics of the material. 
   
   
       23 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 2 , including heating the material by induction. 
   
   
       24 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 3 , including heating the material by induction. 
   
   
       25 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 4 , including heating the material by induction. 
   
   
       26 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 2 , wherein the metallic material is selected from the group consisting of an iron-containing alloy, an aluminum-containing alloy, a copper-containing alloy, and a titanium-containing alloy. 
   
   
       27 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 3 , wherein the metallic material is selected from the group consisting of an iron-containing alloy, an aluminum-containing alloy, a copper-containing alloy, and a titanium-containing alloy. 
   
   
       28 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 4 , wherein the metallic material is selected from the group consisting of an iron-containing alloy, an aluminum-containing alloy, a copper-containing alloy, and a titanium-containing alloy. 
   
   
       29 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 2 , including heating an iron-and-steel material by induction. 
   
   
       30 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 3 , including heating an iron-and-steel material by induction. 
   
   
       31 . The materials quality control method according to  claim 4 , including heating an iron-and-steel material by induction.