Process line control apparatus and method for controlling process line

Abstract

A process line control apparatus which controls a process line including an annealing furnace ( 3 ) including a heating process apparatus executing a heating process and a cooling process apparatus executing a cooling process, the heating and cooling processes being continuously executed on a steel material, the apparatus having feed forward control means ( 112, 113 ) for measuring quality of the steel material by a material quality measuring apparatus ( 6 ) installed in an inlet stage ( 1 ) preceding the heating process in the annealing furnace ( 3 ), and on the basis of measurement results, determining modifications for respective temperature set values set by temperature setting means ( 111 ) for the heating and cooling apparatuses in the annealing furnace ( 3 ), and feedback control means ( 114, 115 ) for measuring the quality of the steel material by a material quality measuring apparatus ( 7 ) installed in an outlet stage ( 5 ) succeeding the cooling process in the annealing furnace ( 3 ), and on the basis of measurement results, determining modifications for the respective temperature set values set by the temperature setting means ( 111 ) for the heating and cooling apparatuses in the annealing furnace ( 3 ).

1 . A process line control apparatus which controls a process line comprising an annealing furnace which continuously executes a heating process and a cooling process on a steel material, the apparatus characterized by:
 measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process and a position succeeding the cooling process in the annealing furnace and controlling the temperature of the annealing furnace on the basis of measurement results for the quality of the steel material.   
     
     
         2 . A process line control apparatus which controls a process line comprising an annealing furnace including a heating process apparatus and a cooling process apparatus which continuously execute a heating process and a cooling process, respectively, on a steel material, the process line control apparatus characterized by:
 measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process apparatus in the annealing furnace and setting temperatures for the heating and cooling apparatuses in the annealing furnace on the basis of measurement results for the quality of the steel material yet to be subjected to the heating process, and   measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, the quality of the steel material at a position succeeding the cooling process apparatus in the annealing furnace and correcting the temperatures for the heating and cooling apparatuses in the annealing furnace on the basis of the measurement results for the quality of the steel material.   
     
     
         3 . A process line control apparatus which controls a process line comprising an annealing furnace which continuously executes a heating process and a cooling process on a steel material, the apparatus characterized by:
 measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process and a position succeeding the cooling process in the annealing furnace as well as between a position succeeding the heating process and a position preceding the cooling process in the annealing furnace and controlling the temperature of the annealing furnace on the basis of measurement results for the quality of the steel material.   
     
     
         4 . A process line control apparatus which controls a process line comprising an annealing furnace including a heating process apparatus and a cooling process apparatus which continuously execute a heating process and a cooling process, respectively, on a steel material, the process line control apparatus characterized by:
 measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process apparatus in the annealing furnace in order to measure the quality of the steel material yet to be subjected to the heating process and measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, the quality of the steel material between a position succeeding the heating process and a position preceding the cooling process in the annealing furnace and setting temperatures for the heating and cooling apparatuses in the annealing furnace on the basis of measurement results for the quality of the steel material, and   measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, the quality of the steel material at a position succeeding the cooling process apparatus in the annealing furnace and correcting the temperatures for the heating and cooling apparatuses in the annealing furnace on the basis of the measurement results for the quality of the steel material.   
     
     
         5 . A process line control apparatus which controls a process line comprising an annealing furnace which continuously executes a heating process and a cooling process on a steel material, the apparatus characterized by:
 measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process and a position succeeding the cooling process in the annealing furnace and controlling a conveyance speed for the steel material in the annealing furnace on the basis of measurement results for the quality of the steel material.   
     
     
         6 . A process line control apparatus which controls a process line comprising an annealing furnace including a heating process apparatus and a cooling process apparatus which continuously execute a heating process and a cooling process, respectively, on a steel material, the process line control apparatus characterized by:
 measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process apparatus in the annealing furnace and setting a conveyance speed for the steel material in the annealing furnace on the basis of measurement results for the quality of the steel material yet to be subjected to the heating process, and   measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, the quality of the steel material at a position succeeding the cooling process apparatus in the annealing furnace and correcting the conveyance speed for the steel material in the annealing furnace on the basis of the measurement results for the quality of the steel material.   
     
     
         7 . A process line control apparatus which controls a process line comprising an annealing furnace which continuously executes a heating process and a cooling process on a steel material, the apparatus characterized by:
 measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process and a position succeeding the cooling process in the annealing furnace as well as between a position succeeding the heating process and a position preceding the cooling process in the annealing furnace and controlling a conveyance speed for the steel material in the annealing furnace on the basis of measurement results for the quality of the steel material.   
     
     
         8 . A process line control apparatus which controls a process line comprising an annealing furnace including a heating process apparatus and a cooling process apparatus which continuously execute a heating process and a cooling process, respectively, on a steel material, the process line control apparatus characterized by:
 measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process apparatus in the annealing furnace in order to measure the quality of the steel material yet to be subjected to the heating process and measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, the material quality measuring apparatus to measure the quality of the steel material between a position succeeding the heating process and a position preceding the cooling process in the annealing furnace and setting a conveyance speed for the steel material in the annealing furnace on the basis of measurement results for the quality of the steel material, and   measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, the quality of the steel material at a position succeeding the cooling process apparatus in the annealing furnace and correcting the conveyance speed for the steel material in the annealing furnace on the basis of the measurement results for the quality of the steel material.   
     
     
         9 . A process line control apparatus which controls a process line comprising an annealing furnace which continuously executes a heating process and a cooling process on a steel material, the apparatus characterized by:
 measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process and a position succeeding the cooling process in the annealing furnace and controlling the temperature of the annealing furnace and a conveyance speed for the steel material in the annealing furnace on the basis of measurement results for the quality of the steel material.   
     
     
         10 . A process line control apparatus which controls a process line comprising an annealing furnace including a heating process apparatus and a cooling process apparatus which continuously execute a heating process and a cooling process, respectively, on a steel material, the process line control apparatus characterized by:
 measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process apparatus in the annealing furnace and setting temperatures for the heating and cooling apparatuses in the annealing furnace and a conveyance speed for the steel material in the annealing furnace on the basis of measurement results for the quality of the steel material yet to be subjected to the heating process, and   measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, the quality of the steel material at a position succeeding the cooling process apparatus in the annealing furnace and correcting the temperatures for the heating and cooling apparatuses in the annealing furnace and the conveyance speed for the steel material in the annealing furnace on the basis of the measurement results for the quality of the steel material.   
     
     
         11 . A process line control apparatus which controls a process line comprising an annealing furnace which continuously executes a heating process and a cooling process on a steel material, the apparatus characterized by:
 measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process and a position succeeding the cooling process in the annealing furnace as well as between a position succeeding the heating process and a position preceding the cooling process in the annealing furnace and controlling the temperature of the annealing furnace and a conveyance speed for the steel material in the annealing furnace on the basis of measurement results for the quality of the steel material.   
     
     
         12 . A process line control apparatus which controls a process line comprising an annealing furnace including a heating process apparatus and a cooling process apparatus which continuously execute a heating process and a cooling process, respectively, on a steel material, the process line control apparatus characterized by:
 measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process apparatus in the annealing furnace in order to measure the quality of the steel material yet to be subjected to the heating process and measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, the quality of the steel material between a position succeeding the heating process and a position preceding the cooling process in the annealing furnace and setting temperatures for the heating and cooling apparatuses in the annealing furnace and a conveyance speed for the steel material in the annealing furnace on the basis of measurement results for the quality of the steel material, and   measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, the quality of the steel material at a position succeeding the cooling process apparatus in the annealing furnace and correcting the temperatures for the heating and cooling apparatuses in the annealing furnace and the conveyance speed for the steel material in the annealing furnace on the basis of the measurement results for the quality of the steel material.   
     
     
         13 . The process line control apparatus according to any of  claims 1  to  12 , characterized in that the measurement of the quality of the steel material by the material quality measuring apparatus is performed after the conveyance of the steel material has been stopped or after the conveyance speed for the steel material has decreased from a normal conveyance speed. 
     
     
         14 . A method of controlling a process line comprising an annealing furnace which continuously executes a heating process and a cooling process on a steel material, the method characterized by comprising:
 a step of measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process and a position succeeding the cooling process in the annealing furnace, checking measurement results to determine whether or not the material is acceptable on the basis of determination criteria, and recording, in a database, those of the determinations which indicate the acceptability of the material, the determinations corresponding to processing conditions including set and/or actual values for a heating temperature and a cooling temperature at the corresponding positions in the annealing furnace and/or a set value for a conveyance speed for the steel material; and   a step of reading the processing conditions recorded in the database and indicating the acceptability of the material to apply the processing conditions to the annealing furnace.   
     
     
         15 . A method of controlling a process line comprising an annealing furnace which continuously executes a heating process and a cooling process on a steel material, the method characterized by comprising:
 a step of measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process and a position succeeding the cooling process in the annealing furnace as well as between a position succeeding the heating process and a position preceding the cooling process in the annealing furnace, checking measurement results to determine whether or not the material is acceptable on the basis of determination criteria, and recording, in a database, those of the determinations which indicate the acceptability of the material, the determinations corresponding to processing conditions including set and/or actual values for a heating temperature and a cooling temperature at the corresponding positions in the annealing furnace and/or a set value for a conveyance speed for the steel material; and   a step of reading the processing conditions recorded in the database and indicating the acceptability of the material to apply the processing conditions to the annealing furnace.   
     
     
         16 . A method of controlling a process line comprising an annealing furnace including a heating process apparatus and a cooling process apparatus which continuously execute a heating process and a cooling process, respectively, on a steel material, the method characterized by comprising:
 a step of measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process and a position succeeding the cooling process in the annealing furnace, recording the measurement results for the quality of the steel material in a database, and recording, in the database, set and actual values for a heating temperature and a cooling temperature at appropriate positions in the annealing furnace and/or a set and an actual value for a conveyance speed for the steel material as well as information such as the plate thickness and width of the steel plate which is required to determine whether or not the material quality is acceptable;   a step of determining whether or not the material quality is acceptable on the basis of the information recorded in the database and recording, in the database, those of the pieces of information which have been determined to be acceptable, the information indicating the temperature settings for the heating and cooling processes in the furnace and the conveyance speed for the steel material; and   a step of, for a steel material to be processed after the step of recording the information in the database is completed, applying, to the process line, processing conditions similar to those for the steel material determined to be acceptable which are recorded in the database.   
     
     
         17 . A method of controlling a process line comprising an annealing furnace including a heating process apparatus and a cooling process apparatus which continuously execute a heating process and a cooling process, respectively, on a steel material, the method characterized by comprising:
 a step of measuring, by a material quality measuring apparatus, quality of the steel material at a position preceding the heating process and a position succeeding the cooling process in the annealing furnace as well as at a position between the heating and cooling apparatuses in the annealing furnace, recording the measurement results for the quality of the steel material in a database, and recording, in the database, set and actual values for a heating temperature and a cooling temperature at appropriate positions in the annealing furnace and/or a set and an actual value for a conveyance speed for the steel material as well as information such as the plate thickness and width of the steel plate which is required to determine whether or not the material quality is acceptable;   a step of determining whether or not the material quality is acceptable on the basis of the information recorded in the database and recording, in the database, those of the pieces of information which have been determined to be acceptable, the information indicating the temperature settings for the heating and cooling processes in the furnace and the conveyance speed for the steel material; and   a step of, for a steel material to be processed after the step of recording the information in the database is completed, applying, to the process line, processing conditions similar to those for the steel material determined to be acceptable which are recorded in the database.