Methods and apparatus to determine a plunge depth position of material conditioning machines

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to determine a plunge depth position of material conditioning machines are disclosed. An example method incrementally adjusting a first plunge depth position of a first adjustable work roll and a first fixed work roll between an initial first roll plunge depth position and a final first roll plunge depth position. The method includes incrementally adjusting a second plunge depth position of a second adjustable work roll and a second fixed work roll between an initial second roll plunge depth position and a final second roll plunge depth position. The method includes measuring first pressure values of a first actuator associated with the first adjustable work roll at each incremental first plunge depth position, identifying a first relative minimum pressure value of the measured first pressure values, and determining a first incremental plunge depth position corresponding to the first relative minimum pressure value.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A leveler to process a strip material, the leveler comprising:
 a first adjustable work roll supported by a first adjustable flight that is movable via a first actuator, the first actuator having a first pressure sensor to sense a pressure change in the first actuator, the first adjustable work roll being movable relative to a first fixed work roll via the first adjustable flight and the first actuator to adjust a first plunge depth position between the first adjustable work roll and the first fixed work roll;   a second adjustable work roll supported by a second adjustable flight that is movable via a second actuator, the second actuator having a second pressure sensor to sense a pressure change in the second actuator, the second adjustable work roll being movable relative to a second fixed work roll via the second adjustable flight and the second actuator to adjust a second plunge depth position between the second adjustable work roll and the second fixed work roll, the first adjustable flight being movable independently from the second adjustable flight; and   a controller programmed with instructions to:
 incrementally adjust the first plunge depth position and the second plunge depth position to a plurality of incremental plunge depth positions between an initial plunge depth position and a final plunge depth position; 
 measure a plurality of first pressure values of the first actuator at the incremental plunge depth positions; 
 associate respective ones of the first pressure values with respective ones of the incremental plunge depth positions. 
   
     
     
         2 . The leveler of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is to detect a first relative minimum pressure value of the measured first pressure values. 
     
     
         3 . The leveler of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is to identify a first respective one of the incremental plunge depth positions corresponding to the first relative minimum pressure value. 
     
     
         4 . The leveler of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is to adjust the first plunge depth and the second plunge depth to the first respective one of the incremental plunge depth positions corresponding to the first relative minimum pressure value to process the strip material. 
     
     
         5 . The leveler of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is to measure a plurality of second pressure values of the second actuator at the incremental plunge depth positions. 
     
     
         6 . The leveler of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is to associate respective ones of the second pressure values with respective ones of the incremental plunge depth positions. 
     
     
         7 . The leveler of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is to detect a second relative minimum pressure value of the measured second pressure values. 
     
     
         8 . The leveler of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is to identify a second respective one of the incremental plunge depth positions corresponding to the second relative minimum pressure value. 
     
     
         9 . The leveler of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is to determine an average incremental plunge depth position of the first respective one of the incremental plunge depth positions and the second respective one of the incremental plunge depth positions. 
     
     
         10 . The leveler of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is to adjust the first plunge depth and the second plunge depth to the average incremental plunge depth position to process the strip material. 
     
     
         11 . A method to process a strip material, the method comprising:
 incrementally adjusting a first plunge depth position of a first adjustable work roll and a first fixed work roll between an initial first roll plunge depth position and a final first roll plunge depth position;   incrementally adjusting a second plunge depth position of a second adjustable work roll and a second fixed work roll between an initial second roll plunge depth position and a final second roll plunge depth position   measuring first pressure values of a first actuator associated with the first adjustable work roll at each incremental first plunge depth position;   identifying a first relative minimum pressure value of the measured first pressure values; and   determining a first incremental plunge depth position corresponding to the first relative minimum pressure value.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further including adjusting the first plunge depth position and the second plunge depth position to the first incremental plunge depth position to process the strip material. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , measuring second pressure values of a second actuator associated with the second adjustable work roll at each incremental second plunge depth position. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further including identifying a second relative minimum pressure value of the measured second pressure values. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further including determining a second incremental plunge depth position corresponding to the first relative minimum pressure value. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further including determining an average plunge depth position of the first incremental plunge depth position and the second incremental plunge depth position. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further including adjusting the first plunge depth position and the second plunge depth position to the average plunge depth position to process the strip material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the first adjustable work roll or the second adjustable work roll is to engage the strip material at the initial plunge depth position, and wherein the final plunge depth position is a maximum allowable plunge depth position. 
     
     
         19 . A system for setting a plunge depth of a leveler comprising:
 first means for processing a strip material and second means for processing a strip material;   first means for incrementally adjusting the first means for processing between a plurality of incremental plunge depth positions;   second means for incrementally adjusting the second means for processing between the incremental plunge depth positions;   means for measuring pressure values that is to determine first pressure values at the incremental plunge depth positions; and   means for associating pressure values to incremental plunge depth positions that is to associate respective ones of the measured first pressure values to respective ones of the incremental plunge depth positions.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , further including means for detecting a relative minimum of pressure values that is to determine a first relative minimum of the first pressure values. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , further including means for identifying a plunge depth position corresponding to a relative minimum that is to identify a first respective one of the incremental plunge depth positions corresponding to the first relative minimum. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first means for incrementally adjusting and the second means for incrementally adjusting are to adjust the first means for processing and the second means for processing to the first respective one of the incremental plunge depth positions corresponding to the first relative minimum pressure value. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the means for measuring pressure values is to measure second pressure values at the incremental plunge depth positions. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the means for associating pressure values to incremental plunge depth positions is to associate respective ones of the measured second pressure values to respective ones of the incremental plunge depth positions. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the means for detecting relative minimum pressure values is to identify a second relative minimum of the second pressure values. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , further including second means for identifying a second respective one of the incremental plunge depth positions corresponding to the second relative minimum. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , further including means for averaging the first respective one of the incremental plunge depth positions and the second respective one of the incremental plunge depth positions to determine an average incremental plunge depth position value. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the first means for incrementally adjusting and the second means for incrementally adjusting are to adjust the first means for processing and the second means for processing to the average incremental plunge depth position value to process the strip material.