EP1234619B1 - Installation and method for the treatment of a metal strip or sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for treating a metal strip or sheet (4) comprises treatment units (1, 2, 3) joined together via coupling units (11, 12) to enable the metal strip to continuously pass through. The treatment units are arranged so that they can be operated independently with a separated strip passage. An Independent claim is also included for a process for treating a metal strip or sheet using the above device. Preferred Features: The treatment units are arranged parallel to each other and have devices for conveying the strip from one unit to another unit so that a meandering strip flow is produced.

Description

The invention relates to a system and a method for the aftertreatment of a metal strip or sheet, in particular of steel with at least two treatment units.

It is known to subject hot-rolled strip after hot rolling to a post-treatment by cold rolling and surface coating. Cold rolling serves to smooth the surface of the hot-worked strip, to achieve high dimensional accuracy, to achieve higher strength through work hardening or smaller dimensions. The application of a protective layer serves to protect the metal strip surface against corrosion. Before such protective layers can be applied to the strip surface, for example by hot-dip galvanizing, the surface must be prepared accordingly, which in particular includes the removal of scale or oxide layers. A well-known cleaning method is pickling, in which the metal strip is cleaned by means of acids.

This (post-) treatment process is conventionally carried out in several steps on several units of equipment, wherein the tape is rewound after passing through each system unit again and is re-shredded before passing through the next system unit. In EP 0 863 222 A1 it is described as known that the pickling of the hot strip and reducing the strip to finished thickness in a separate or permanently coupled to the pickling device Cold rolling mill can take place. Subsequently, the cold-rolled strips are wound into bundles and transported to a remote hot-dip galvanizing plant to be surface-coated there. Furthermore, it is known from EP 0 863 222 A1 to permanently couple the cold rolling process with the pickling and the galvanizing process in a continuous line in a continuous line. The strip processing plant comprises an inlet part, to which a pickling part and a reduction stand for cold rolling and directly in line connect a galvanizing and ends with an outlet part.

Such a coupling of the unit pickling, cold rolling stand and coating plant is also known from EP 0 613 736 A1. Again, the band is guided in line through the three units coupled one behind the other. This known coupling of cold rolls and coating system eliminates the time-consuming and expensive coil handling.

In addition to this advantage, such an overall system, which comprises several treatment parts or units in line, nevertheless has the disadvantage of limited flexibility, because the belt to be post-processed can only pass through the entire system in the predetermined sequence.

The invention has for its object to provide a plant for the treatment of a metal strip and a method which do not have this disadvantage, i. provide greater flexibility for the plant operator.

This object is achieved by the system having the features of claim 1 and the method having the features of claim 17. Advantageous developments are described in the subclaims.

According to the invention, the individual treatment units can be operated both independently and in a coupled manner in accordance with the system or the system layout. The Treatment units are flexibly interconnected via coupling units, allowing both tape flow through a separate tape handling unit and continuous tape flow through a selected group of processing units and thus a predetermined treatment step sequence.

Preferably, the treatment units are arranged parallel to each other and are connected to coupling units having means for conveying the band from a treatment unit to a parallel adjacent treatment unit so as to form a meandering band flow within the unit. Meandering in this context means moving in a serpentine shape or passing through a series of turns, which do not necessarily have to have the same radius.

The coupling units in this case allow a flexible band flow, starting from a first treatment unit in an adjacent treatment unit, which does not necessarily have to be immediately adjacent. The respective treatment unit in which the beginning of the strip is introduced is determined by the plant operator as required.

According to a first, particularly preferred, embodiment of the invention, each treatment unit is designed as a completely separate unit, comprising an inlet part, a process part and an outlet part. The treatment units have a first transition between the inlet part and the process part beginning and a second transition between the process part end and the outlet part, wherein the respective coupling units are arranged on at least one of these transitions of each unit. The belt which is to pass successively through different treatment processes is thus conveyed from one process part to the next meandering.

This results in the advantage of a high flexibility of the entire system, because each unit can be operated separately or completely independently of the other treatment units or any chain of treatment units can be created by the coupling units. In this way, a plant operator can more easily respond to available material and production peaks.

According to a further development of the first embodiment, each treatment unit has a basic belt conveying direction, depending on the direction from the inlet to the outlet part. The treatment units are arranged parallel to one another in such a way that the basic belt conveying directions of directly adjacent treatment units run in opposite directions, whereby in each case the process part end of a treatment unit and the process part start of an adjacent treatment unit are connected via a common coupling device. For this purpose, the treatment units are arranged parallel to one another at the same height, that the inlet part of a treatment unit corresponds to the outlet part of a respective other adjacent treatment unit and wherein the tape running direction of the individual treatment units to each other in opposite directions.

According to another development, the units are arranged parallel to each other, that the inlet part of a unit corresponds to the inlet part of a respective other adjacent unit. The tape is - if it is subjected to a treatment chain - promoted by the process part, then back in the opposite direction back to enter via coupling means at the beginning of the process part in the process part of the adjacent unit. For example, when being returned, the strip may be conveyed along the hall ceiling, when it is no longer to be exposed to the process part.

In both developments, a meandering band promotion takes place, the turns of the first type are about the same size, while after the second kind of tight turn within a first process part follows a large turn to a next process part and so on.

The coupling unit can connect two directly adjacent treatment units or serves to connect two parallel, but not immediately adjacent, units, for example when a relatively seldom-to-travel treatment chain is to be run. The coupling of two treatment systems located farther apart is achieved via a corresponding tape guide or deflection.

The system according to the invention is preferably a system for the treatment of a metal strip, starting from rolled stock. The installation comprises at least two treatment units, which are a unit for preparing the strip surface and / or a unit for applying a protective layer to the strip surface and / or a unit for cold rolling.

Another embodiment of the invention proposes that the units are arranged offset from each other in parallel. It is advisable in this case that the units comprise at least one inlet part and a process part and are arranged so that the process part end of a unit is arranged at about the same height with the process part of the adjacent unit to allow a meandering transition.

A specific embodiment offers a particular advantage. It is proposed that a unit for preparing the surface and a second unit for applying a protective layer are combined with each other, both having an inlet part, while the unit for preparing the surface has no outlet part. Hot rolled stock can now be cleaned separately in the first unit and then surface coated in the second unit be, with the second unit is optionally equipped by the separate input with cold-rolled strip. The result is a system concept with two separate inlet parts. The advantage of this plant layout is that scaled hot strip is introduced completely separated from a cold strip in the system and thus the Zunderstaub does not affect the treatment of the cold strip.

As means for conveying the band within the coupling units for deflecting the band from one treatment unit to the neighboring treatment unit, roller combinations are considered which redirect the band according to different techniques. After the roll method, the tape is passed over several rollers arranged one behind the other. Similarly, the twist method works, in which the band is deflected by running over many roles - in the form of a sling tower. Also possible is the deflection with a driven roller and the twist with a free sling. Preferably, the coupling units have so-called Twistrollen.

Such a Twistrolle is arranged at an angle of 45 ° to the tape running direction. The metal band is guided on a helical track around the Twistrolle and thereby deflected by 90 °.

Preferably, the proposed plant layout relates in its entirety to a treatment plant of rolled metal strip, in particular steel strip. In this case, the unit for preparing the strip surface is to be understood as meaning all known means which in some form prepare the strip for cold rolling or coating, either by changing the surface geometry and / or for cleaning and / or activating the metal surface. Here come mechanical devices, such as grinding in question, as well as thermal facilities, such as the flame blasting. The preparation is particularly preferably proposed by cleaning on chemical (for example degreasing) or electrochemical routes, for example pickling).

In particular, the treatment unit for applying a protective layer comprises means for applying metallic coatings by chemical means, i. via alloy formation and diffusion, such as hot-dip galvanizing or galvannealing. In addition, all other means for applying protective layers are included on metal surfaces, such as means for the electrolytic deposition of metal coatings or possibly also means for applying organic coatings (plastic coatings).

The process part of the unit for cold rolling comprises at least one cold rolling mill; it is preferably a tandem street, i. several rolling mills arranged one behind the other, for example two to five Duooder Quarto scaffolds assembled together.

Fig. 1

eine erste Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Anlagen-Layouts;

Fig. 2

eine Variante der ersten Ausführungsform nach Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

eine zweite Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Anlagen-Layouts;

Fig. 4

eine erste Variante der Ausführungsform nach Fig. 3;

Fig. 5

eine zweite Variante der Ausführungsform nach Fig. 3;

Fig. 6

eine dritte Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Layouts;

Fig. 7

eine Variante der dritten Ausführungsform nach Fig. 6;

Fig. 8

eine schematische Darstellung einer Twisterrolle als Teil einer Kopplungseinheit zwischen zwei Behandlungseinheiten mit einer Umlenkungswinkel von 90°;

Fig. 9

ein Layout einer Twisterrolle nach Fig. 8.

Further details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and from the following description in which the embodiments of the invention shown in the figures are explained in more detail. In addition to the combinations of features listed above, features alone or in other combinations are essential to the invention. Show it:

Fig. 1

a first embodiment of the plant layout according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a variant of the first embodiment of FIG. 1;

Fig. 3

a second embodiment of the plant layout according to the invention;

Fig. 4

a first variant of the embodiment of FIG. 3;

Fig. 5

a second variant of the embodiment of FIG. 3;

Fig. 6

a third embodiment of the layout according to the invention;

Fig. 7

a variant of the third embodiment of FIG. 6;

Fig. 8

a schematic representation of a Twisterrolle as part of a coupling unit between two treatment units with a deflection angle of 90 °;

Fig. 9

a layout of a Twisterrolle of FIG. 8.

Fig. 1 shows a plant layout with three parallel treatment units arranged 1,2 3, namely treatment units for a hot rolled steel strip 4. Each treatment unit 1, 2, 3 comprises an inlet part (1E, 2E, 3E), a subsequent process part 1P, 2P, 3P with a process part start 1 Pa, 2Pa, 3Pa and a process part end 1 Pe, 2Pe, 3Pe and an adjoining Outlet part 1A, 2A, 3A. In all embodiments or FIG. The inlet and outlet parts are denoted by E and A and the process parts by P. The individual process parts are still the nature of running in them process step, PBV the process part for strip surface preparation (BV), preferably by pickling, PK process part for cold rolling (K), preferably in a tandem framework, and PAS the process part for applying a Protective layer (AS), preferably by hot-dip galvanizing designated.

The process parts have at their ends, ie at the process part beginning 1Pa, 2Pa, 3Pa or process part end 1Pe, 2Pe, 3Pe transitions 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 of the inlet parts 1E, 2E, 3E or to the outlet parts 1A , 2A, 3A. At these junctions are at the points (6, 7, 8, 9), where a band flow continuously in an adjacent process unit is to take place, coupling units 11, 12 are arranged.
Such a coupling unit 11, 12, which must deflect the band in the embodiment shown by 180 °, preferably consists of two Twisterrollen (see Figures 8 and 9). By means of the coupling units 11, 12 it is achieved that the steel strip is conveyed from the one treatment unit 1 into a downstream treatment unit 2 without a time-consuming intermediate step, ie without having to wind it up and develop it again.

It is fundamentally essential to the invention that all treatment units 1, 2, 3 as such can also be operated separately, which is illustrated by the independent band course (or arrow profile) through each individual treatment unit 1, 2, 3 in the figures.

Such a separate treatment will be explained with reference to the treatment unit 1. The pre-strip 4, which is usually wound into a bundle, is unwound before passing through the pickling device 1PBV in the lead-in part 1E by one or two reeling means (not shown), the strip starts being welded to the respective end of a coil (not shown). and conveyed the tape to process part 1PBV. After passing through the process part 1PBV, the strip 4 is cut within the outlet part 1A of the treatment line, which in turn has a reeling device (not shown), and wound up into a coil. This extensive processing should in principle be retained for each unit, although it is canceled according to the invention for a continuous belt flow through a selectable treatment step sequence.

According to the embodiment of a layout according to FIG. 1, three treatment units 1, 2, 3 are arranged parallel to one another in such a way that the basic belt conveying direction (see arrow direction) of directly adjacent treatment units is opposite. The resulting meandering band profile is illustrated in FIG. 1 by means of the arrow course.

The coupling of the individual treatment units 1, 2, 3 according to the system layout according to FIG. 1 grants, for example, the production of a galvanized cold strip 13 as an end product in the case of hot-rolled preliminary strip 4.

2 comprises two treatment units 101 and 103. A pretreatment unit 101 PBV, here a pickling unit, is connected to a unit for coating the strip surface 103 PAS, here a hot-dip galvanizing unit, by means of a flexible coupling unit 111. This coupling creates a plant layout for producing hot-dip galvanized hot strip 114 as a final product.

By means of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, another type of plant layout or the coupling of the different treatment units is shown. In this layout, the treatment units 201, 202, 203 are each arranged so that the inlet part 201E, 202E, 203E of one unit corresponds to the inlet part of a respective other immediately adjacent unit. The basic belt conveying direction of the treatment units is in the same direction. The coupling units 211, are arranged at the transitions 205, 208, 209. In order to ensure a continuous ribbon flow, means for reversing 215, 216 of the belt conveyor against the original belt conveying direction are arranged at the respective end of a process part. It is clear from the band progression indicated by the arrows that a meandering course also takes place in this plant layout. The starting product is hot-rolled preliminary strip 204, end product is cold-rolled galvanized strip 213.

The embodiment according to FIG. 3 is varied by dispensing with the cold rolling treatment unit 202 and the treatment unit 301 for preparation (here pickling unit) is directly coupled to the treatment unit 303 for coating (here hot dip galvanizing unit) by means of the coupling unit 311. Both hot and cold strip 317 for producing galvanized hot or cold strip 318 can be introduced into this plant layout. 5 corresponds to that of FIG. 4 with the difference that the arrangement of the units 401, 403 is reversed.

The embodiment shown by means of FIG. 6 is a plant layout with parallel treatment units 519, 520 which are arranged offset from each other. By means of the layout according to FIG. 6, a large variety with respect to pretreated or not yet pretreated hot strip is possible. The first hot strip pretreatment unit 519, such as pickling, enables the separate treatment of the hot strip 521 with the combined treatment with a subsequent coating step (eg, hot dip galvanizing) in the second processing unit 520 via a coupling unit 522. The second processing unit 520 also includes a separate inlet and outlet part 502 E, 502A. As a final product, a total of hot-dip galvanized strip 523 is obtained.

In a preferred modification to the embodiment according to FIG. 6, the system layout according to FIG. 7 shows the difference that the outlet part in the pretreatment unit 619 is dispensed with. The result is a system layout with two inlet parts 619E, 620E, each for hot strip 624, which still has to pass through the process part 619 PBV for pickling and the cold strip 625, which passes through only the treatment unit 620. Overall, in turn, there is the advantage that scale coated hot strip can be placed completely separated from the cold strip treatment in the system and thus accumulating Zunderstaub does not interfere with the cold strip treatment, but can be omitted in this embodiment on the outlet part 619A for economic reasons.

Fig. 8 shows schematically a Twistrolle, which is used for deflecting the tape direction by 90 °. Two side by side Twistrollen allow a deflection by 180 °. The Twistrolle 26 is arranged at 45 ° to the direction of tape travel. The metal strip 27 is guided on a helical path around the Twistrolle 26 and thereby deflected by 90 °.

In addition to the twist roll 26, two S-roll stands 28, 29, a control roll unit 30 and a soothing roll unit 31 are required. With the help of the S-roller stands 28, 29, a constant tensile force is set. The control roller unit 30 serves to influence the tape running direction. The reassurance rollers 31 are intended to dampen vertical movement of the belt.

About such Twistrollen and coupling units according to the invention various treatment units flexible, i. optionally, connected to each other, wherein the tape flow and thus the sequentially proceeding treatment steps can be determined by the band is guided by a coupling unit or not.

Claims (19)

1. Plant for treatment of a metal strip or plate (4) by at least two treatment units (1, 2, 3), characterised in that the treatment units (1, 2, 3) are flexibly connected together, by way of coupling units (11, 12), for a continuous metal strip flow through a selected group of treatment units and that the individual treatment units (1, 2, 3) are so arranged that they are also operable independently with a separate strip transit.
2. Plant according to claim 1, characterised in that the treatment units (1, 2, 3; 201, 202, 203) are arranged parallel to one another and so connected by coupling units (11, 12; 211, 212), which have means for conveying the strip from one treatment unit to a parallel, adjacent treatment unit, that a meandering strip flow within the plant arises.
3. Plant according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each treatment unit (1, 2, 3) as independent unit has an inlet part (1E, 2E, 3E), a process part (1PBV, 2PK, 3PAS) and an outlet part (1A, 2A, 3A) with a first transition (5, 7, 9) between the inlet part (1E, 2E, 3E) and the process part start (1 Pa, 2Pa, 3Pa) as well as a second transition (6, 8, 10) between the process part end (1Pe, 2Pe, 3PE) and the outlet part (1A, 2A, 3A) and that the respective coupling units (11, 12) are arranged at at least one of these transitions of each treatment unit.
4. Plant according to claim 3, characterised in that each treatment unit (1, 2, 3) has a basic strip conveying direction depending on the direction of the inlet part (1 E, 2E, 3E) to the outlet part (1A, 2A, 3A), that the treatment units (1, 2, 3) are so arranged parallel to one another that the basic strip conveying directions of directly adjacent units run in opposite sense and that each time the process part end (1 Pe, 2Pe) of a unit and the process part start (2Pa, 3Pa) of an adjacent unit are connected by way of a common coupling unit (11, 12).
5. Plant according to claim 3, characterised in that each treatment unit (201, 202, 203) has a basic strip conveying direction depending on the direction from the inlet part (201 E, 202E, 204E) to the outlet part (201A, 202A, 203A), that the treatment units (201, 202, 203) are so arranged parallel to one another that the basic strip conveying directions of directly adjacent units run in opposite sense and that in each instance the process part start (201 Pa, 202Pa) of a unit and the process part start (202Pa, 203Pa) of an adjacent unit are connected by way of a common coupling unit (211, 212), wherein reversing means (215, 216) for the strip conveying are present at the respective process part end (201 Pe, 202Pe) so as to convey the strip with a conveying direction of opposite sense to the coupling unit (211, 212) and from there to the process part of the adjacent unit.
6. Plant according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the respective coupling units (11, 12; 211, 212) are arranged in each instance between two directly adjacent treatment units or between two spaced-apart adjacent treatment units.
7. Plant according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the treatment units (1, 2, 3) are at least one unit for pretreatment of the strip surface of the rolled pre-strip and/or at least one unit for application of a protective layer to the strip surface and/or at least one unit for cold rolling.
8. Plant according to one of claims 7, characterised by three treatment units (1, 2, 3), wherein the unit (2) for cold rolling a hot-rolled pre-strip is arranged parallelly between the unit (1) for pretreatment of the strip surface and the unit (3) for application of a protective coating to the strip surface.
9. Plant according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the treatment units (519, 520; 619, 620) are arranged parallel and offset relative to one another.
10. Plant according to claim 9, characterised in that the treatment units (519, 520; 619, 620) comprise at least one inlet part (519E, 520E; 619E, 620E) and a process part (519PBV, 520PAS; 619PBV, 620PAS) and are so arranged that the process part end (519 PBVe) of one treatment unit is arranged at approximately the same height as the process part start (520PASa) of the adjacent treatment unit (520).
11. Plant according to claim 9 or 10, characterised by two treatment units (619, 620) with a first unit for pretreatment of the surface of a hot-rolled pre-strip (624), which comprise an inlet part (619E) and a process part (619PBV), and with a second unit for application of a protective coating selectably to the surface of the pretreated hot-rolled pre-strip or the surface of cold-rolled strip (625), which comprises an inlet part (620E), a process part (620PAS) and an outlet part (620A), and a coupling unit (622) which is arranged between the process part end (619 PBVe) of the first unit (619) and the process part start (620PASa) of the second unit (620).
12. Plant according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the coupling units (11, 12; 211, 212) comprise at least one twist roller (26).
13. Plant according to claim 12, characterised in that a coupling unit with a twist roller (26) additionally has two S roller stands (28, 29) a control roller unit (30) and a contact roller unit (31).
14. Plant according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterised in that the process part (PBV) of the unit (1; 201) for strip surface pretreatment comprises means of a mechanical and/or thermal and/or chemical or electrochemical kind for changing the surface geometry and/or for cleaning and/or for activation of the metal surface.
15. Plant according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterised in that the process part (PAS) of the unit (3; 203) for application of a protective layer comprises means for application of metal coatings in a chemical manner.
16. Plant according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterised in that the process part (PK) of the unit (2; 202) for cold rolling comprises a tandem train.
17. Method for treatment of a metal strip or metal plate (4; 204) in a plant according to one of claims 1 to 16 with at least two treatment units (1, 2, 3), characterised in that the metal strip is guided from a treatment unit (1, 2, 3) flexibly to a selected adjacent treatment unit by means of coupling units (11, 12), which are arranged therebetween, for a continuous metal strip flow through a selected group of units, wherein the metal strip can also be guided in each instance separately through the individual treatment units for performance of a separate treatment step.
18. Method according to claim 17, characterised in that the continuous strip flow runs in meandering manner within the plant.
19. Method according to claim 18 or 19, characterised in that the metal strip in the form of metal pre-strip runs through a treatment sequence consisting of a selectable combination of treatment steps, which comprise pretreatment of the strip surface and/or application of a protective layer to the strip surface and/or cold rolling.

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