Looper-less smart rolling in long product mills

Abstract

A rolling mill for producing rolling mill product is provided. The rolling mill includes a rolling mill line that moves the rolling mill product. A plurality of rolling mill stands are coupled to the rolling mill line that receives the rolling mill product and rolls the rolling mill product. A plurality of speed measuring devices that are positioned in close proximity to each rolling mill stand, where each speed measuring device measures the speed of the rolling mill product as it passes the speed measuring devices. A control device receives information associated with the speed measuring devices and adjusts the speed of the rolling mill product for any speed differential that might exist between any of the rolling mill stands.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rolling mill for producing rolling mill product, said rolling mill comprising:
 a rolling mill line that moves the rolling mill product;   a plurality of rolling mill stands that are coupled to the rolling mill line that receives the rolling mill product and rolls the rolling mill product;   a plurality of speed measuring devices that are positioned in close proximity to each rolling mill stand, each speed measuring device measures the speed of the rolling mill product as it passes the speed measuring devices; and   a control device that receives information associated with the speed measuring devices and adjusts the speed of the rolling mill product for any speed differential that might exist between any of the rolling mill stands.   
     
     
         2 . The rolling mill of  claim 1 , wherein the speed measuring devices comprise a laser and camera. 
     
     
         3 . The rolling mill of  claim 2 , wherein the camera assesses the quality of the rolling mill product. 
     
     
         4 . The rolling mill of  claim 3 , wherein the laser measures the actual speed of the rolling mill product. 
     
     
         5 . The rolling mill of  claim 4 , wherein the speed differential is the difference between the actual speed of the rolling mill product with a calculated speed at a point on the rolling mill line. 
     
     
         6 . The rolling mill of  claim 1 , wherein the speed measuring devices comprise a plurality of lasers. 
     
     
         7 . The rolling mill of  claim 6 , wherein the lasers are arranged such that a selective number of the lasers is associated with each rolling mill stand. 
     
     
         8 . The rolling mill of  claim 7 , wherein the selective number of the lasers measure the incoming and outgoing speeds of the rolling mill product for its respective rolling mill stand. 
     
     
         9 . The rolling mill of  claim 8 , wherein the speed differential is the difference in speed between the entry to the subsequent rolling mill stand compared to the exit of the previous rolling mill stand. 
     
     
         10 . The rolling mill of  claim 1 , wherein the control device increases or decreases the rolling speed of one or more rolling mill stands to ensure the mill speeds are equalized to stabilize the rolling mill. 
     
     
         11 . A method for producing rolling mill product in a rolling mill, said method comprising:
 providing a rolling mill line that moves the rolling mill product;   providing a plurality of rolling mill stands that are coupled to the rolling line that receives the rolling mill product and rolls the rolling mill product;   positioning in close proximity to each rolling mill stand a plurality of speed measuring devices, each speed measuring device measures the speed of the rolling mill product as it passes the speed measuring devices; and   adjusting the speed of the rolling mill product for any speed differential that might exist between any of the rolling mill stands using a control device that receives information associated with the speed measuring devices.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the speed measuring devices comprise a laser and camera. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the camera assesses the quality of the rolling mill product. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the laser measures the actual speed of the rolling mill product. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the speed differential is the difference between the actual speed of the rolling mill product with a calculated speed at a point on the rolling mill line. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the speed measuring devices comprises a plurality of lasers. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the lasers are arranged such that a selective number of the lasers is associated with each rolling mill stand. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the selective number of the lasers measure the incoming and outgoing speeds of the rolling mill product for its respective rolling mill stand. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the speed differential is the difference in speed between the entry to the subsequent rolling mill stand compared to the exit of the previous rolling mill stand. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the control device increases or decreases the rolling speed of one or more rolling mill stands to stabilize the rolling mill.