Systems and methods for annealing sheet metal coils

Abstract

A facility with an annealing system including one or more (typically a plurality of) autonomous vehicles, e.g., shuttles, cars, etc., which autonomous vehicles each receive sheet metal coils, e.g., one, two, or more sheet metal coils, and move the sheet metal coils about the facility. The sheet metal coils generally include aluminum coils, though other sheet metal coils, such as brass, copper, steel, etc. coils, can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The annealing system also can include a stationary unit or component, or a plurality of stationary units, configured to dock with the autonomous vehicles to facilitate annealing of the coils on or within the autonomous vehicles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A facility for processing sheet metal coils, comprising:
 a rolling mill configured to generate one or more sheet metal coils;   an annealing system for annealing of the one or more sheet metal coils, including:
 an autonomous vehicle that is configured to receive the one or more sheet metal coils from the rolling mill and to move the one or more coils about the facility, the autonomous vehicle including a coil support that receives and supports the one or more sheet metal coils on or within the autonomous vehicle; and 
 at least one stationary unit configured to dock with the autonomous vehicle to facilitate annealing of the one or more sheet metal coils on the autonomous vehicle; and 
   one or more post processing stations, the autonomous vehicle moving the one or more sheet metal coils to the one or more post processing stations after annealing.   
     
     
         2 . The facility of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one stationary unit comprises a stationary unit furnace chamber, the stationary unit furnace chamber being sized to receive within the stationary unit furnace chamber at least a portion of the autonomous vehicle that contains the coil support, and   wherein the at least one stationary unit is configured to dock with the autonomous vehicle to facilitate annealing of the one or more sheet metal coils within the stationary unit furnace chamber while the one or more sheet metal coils remain on the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         3 . The facility of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the at least one stationary unit further comprises one or more annealing facilitators selected from the group consisting of an air mover, a heat source, a cooling source, and a nitrogen source, and   wherein the at least one stationary unit is configured to place the one or more annealing facilitators in communication with the stationary unit furnace chamber during annealing of the one or more sheet metal coils within the stationary unit furnace chamber.   
     
     
         4 . The facility of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the autonomous vehicle comprises an autonomous vehicle furnace chamber, in which the coil support is located; and   wherein the at least one stationary unit is configured to dock with the autonomous vehicle to facilitate annealing of the one or more sheet metal coils within the autonomous vehicle furnace chamber.   
     
     
         5 . The facility of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the at least one stationary unit comprises one or more annealing facilitators selected from the group consisting of an air mover, a heat source, a cooling source, and a nitrogen source, and   wherein the at least one stationary unit and the autonomous vehicle are cooperatively configured to place the one or more annealing facilitators in communication with the autonomous vehicle furnace chamber during annealing of the one or more sheet metal coils within the autonomous vehicle furnace chamber.   
     
     
         6 . A facility for processing sheet metal coils, comprising:
 an annealing system for annealing of one or more sheet metal coils, comprising:
 an autonomous vehicle movable about the facility, the autonomous vehicle including a coil support; and 
 at least one stationary unit
 including one or more annealing facilitators selected from the group consisting of an air mover, a heat source, a cooling source, and a nitrogen source, and 
 including a stationary unit dock; 
 
 the autonomous vehicle being selectively and releasably dockable to the stationary unit dock, thereby defining a docked condition and an undocked condition; 
 wherein the one or more annealing facilitators of the at least one stationary unit are placed in communication with the coil support of the autonomous vehicle when the autonomous vehicle is the docked condition, such that annealing of a coil on the autonomous vehicle is facilitated when the autonomous vehicle is in the docked condition and while the coil remains on the coil support. 
   
     
     
         7 . The facility of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more annealing facilitators include three or more facilitators selected from the group consisting of an air mover, a heat source, a cooling source, and a hydrogen source. 
     
     
         8 . The facility of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the at least one stationary unit comprises a stationary unit furnace chamber in communication with the one or more annealing facilitators, the stationary unit furnace chamber being sized to receive within the stationary unit furnace chamber at least a portion of the autonomous vehicle that contains the coil support;   wherein the stationary unit dock includes an entry port to the stationary unit furnace chamber, the entry port being sized to accept through the entry port and into the stationary unit furnace chamber at least a portion of the autonomous vehicle that contains the coil support; and   wherein the one or more annealing facilitators are placed in communication with the stationary unit furnace chamber and thus with the coil support of the autonomous vehicle when the coil support is in a docked condition in the stationary unit furnace chamber.   
     
     
         9 . The facility of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the autonomous vehicle comprises
 an autonomous vehicle furnace chamber, in which the coil support is located, and 
 an autonomous vehicle dock including an inlet port in communication with the autonomous vehicle furnace chamber configured to interface with the stationary unit dock; 
   wherein the stationary unit dock comprises an outlet port in communication with the one or more annealing facilitators, the outlet port of the stationary unit dock and the inlet port of the autonomous vehicle dock being configured to interconnect and pass fluid flow from the outlet port to the inlet port when the autonomous vehicle is in the docked condition; and   wherein the one or more annealing facilitators of the at least one stationary unit are placed in communication with the autonomous vehicle furnace chamber and with the coil support therein when the autonomous vehicle is the docked condition, such that annealing of a coil on the autonomous vehicle is facilitated when the autonomous vehicle is in the docked condition and while the coil remains on the coil support.   
     
     
         10 . The facility of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the autonomous vehicle is a first autonomous vehicle and the facility comprises a plurality of autonomous vehicles independently movable about the facility, each including a coil support, and   wherein the at least one stationary unit comprises a plurality of stationary units,   each stationary unit of the plurality of stationary units including one or more annealing facilitators selected from the group consisting of an air mover, a heat source, a cooling source, and a nitrogen source, and   each stationary unit of the plurality of stationary units including one or more stationary unit docks,   each autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicles being selectively and releasably dockable to each stationary unit dock of each stationary unit of the plurality of stationary units, and   wherein the one or more annealing facilitators of each respective stationary unit are placed in communication with the coil support of each autonomous vehicle when the respective autonomous vehicle is in the docked condition, such that annealing of a coil on the autonomous vehicle is facilitated when the autonomous vehicle is in the docked condition and while the coil remains on the coil support.   
     
     
         11 . The facility of  claim 6 , further comprising a controller configured to control functions and operations of the autonomous vehicle and the at least one stationary unit, including identification of stationary units available for docking, movement of autonomous vehicles about the facility, and operation of docking communications. 
     
     
         12 . The facility of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the autonomous vehicle comprises an autonomous vehicle dock through which the autonomous vehicle communicates with external systems; and   the facility further comprises
 a rolling mill configured to generate one or more sheet metal coils, the rolling mill including a rolling mill dock configured to communicate with the autonomous vehicle dock to facilitate delivery of one or more sheet metal coils to the autonomous vehicle; and 
 one or more post processing stations, each post processing station including a station dock configured to communicate with the autonomous vehicle dock to facilitate post processing of coils annealed while on the autonomous vehicle. 
   
     
     
         13 . A method for operating a facility for processing sheet metal coils, the method comprising:
 receiving one or more sheet metal coils on an autonomous vehicle;   moving the autonomous vehicle about a facility to a stationary unit within the facility;   docking the autonomous vehicle with the stationary unit, while the one or more sheet metal coils remain on the autonomous vehicle; and   annealing the one or more sheet metal coils while the one or more sheet metal coils are still on the autonomous vehicle,   wherein the stationary unit provides during annealing, one or more of air flow, heated air flow, cooled air flow, and nitrogen introduction.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein moving the autonomous vehicle comprises:
 identifying via a control system the stationary unit as an available stationary unit, from among a plurality of stationary units within the facility, that is available for docking; and   directing via the control system a coil laden autonomous vehicle to the identified, available stationary unit.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein moving the autonomous vehicle comprises:
 identifying via a control system an available stationary unit dock of an available stationary unit, from among a plurality of stationary units within the facility, that is available for docking; and   directing via the control system a coil laden autonomous vehicle to the identified, available stationary unit dock.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein moving the autonomous vehicle comprises:
 identifying via a control system a stationary unit dock, from among a plurality of docks of a single stationary unit within the facility, that is available for docking; and   directing via the control system a coil laden autonomous vehicle to the identified, available stationary unit dock.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising generating one or more sheet metal coils at a rolling mill; and wherein the receiving one or more sheet metal coils on an autonomous vehicle includes receiving the sheet metal coils on the autonomous vehicle while at the rolling mill. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising moving the one or more sheet metal coils to one or more post processing stations after annealing and while still on the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 ,
 wherein docking the autonomous vehicle with the stationary unit comprises placing the one or more sheet metal coils into a furnace chamber defined within the stationary unit, while the one or more sheet metal coils remain on the autonomous vehicle; and   wherein annealing the one or more sheet metal coils further comprises providing one or more of air flow, heated air flow, cooled air flow, and nitrogen introduction to the furnace chamber of the stationary unit, while the one or more sheet metal coils are simultaneously on the autonomous vehicle and in the furnace chamber.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 ,
 wherein receiving one or more sheet metal coils on an autonomous vehicle comprises receiving the one or more sheet metal coils into a furnace chamber defined on the autonomous vehicle; and   wherein annealing the one or more sheet metal coils further comprises providing one or more of air flow, heated air flow, cooled air flow, and nitrogen introduction from the stationary unit to the furnace chamber of the autonomous vehicle, while the one or more sheet metal coils remain on the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13 ,
 wherein docking the autonomous vehicle with the stationary unit comprises a docking step selected from the group consisting of (i) the autonomous vehicle being received within a chamber of the stationary unit and (ii) an external dock of the autonomous vehicle communicating with an external dock of the stationary unit, and   wherein annealing the sheet metal coils while the sheet metal coils are still on the autonomous vehicle comprises heating the sheet metal coils to a prescribed temperature, holding heating of the sheet metal coils at the prescribed temperature for a set period of time, and then cooling the sheet metal coils.