Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D11/00—Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths
  • B22D11/16—Controlling or regulating processes or operations
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D11/00—Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths
  • B22D11/14—Plants for continuous casting

Definitions

• the invention relates to a continuous caster with at least one robot for carrying out process-controlled or automated interventions in a continuous caster and access to associated auxiliary devices.
• the invention further relates to a method for operating a continuous casting installation with the involvement of a robot.
• the present invention extends to all types of continuous casting plants in which molten metal is passed from a melt container, such as a ladle, via a distributor vessel into a cooled mold, where it is formed with intensive cooling to form an at least partially solidified strand of any cross section and from the continuous casting plant is continuously promoted.
• the casting systems can be equipped with oscillating tube and plate molds, caterpillar molds, rotating casting rollers with side plates (two-roller casting systems) or molds with rotating belts.
• the strands can have slab, thin slab, strip, billet or billet cross-sections or any other pre-profile cross-sections of any dimensions.
• Robots are used on a continuous caster to carry out recurring work and to eliminate malfunctions in hazardous areas where the operating personnel are exposed to excessive heat from the molten metal and the cast metal strand, or slag and metal splashes.
• Robots are already used on the open continuous casting mold for observing the melt pool surface, for removing caking on the inside of the mold walls, for pouring powder, for temperature measurement and sampling and the like.
• robots are used to change the shade tube, change the pouring tube and to change the closing plates of the slide valve and to blow out the outlet opening on distribution vessels and ladles.
• the use of a multi-function robot on a continuous casting mold is already known from EP-B 371 482, the robot receiving data from the measuring process on the mold on the one hand and measurement data on the mold itself, for example, being recorded by an optical detection system, for example, and a deployment plan based on this information created and processed with priority assignment.
• This is a stationary robot, the location of which has been specially selected for use on the mold and which is therefore not suitable for carrying out any activities that occur in areas of the continuous casting plant adjacent to the continuous casting mold.
• Robots which are also assigned to a singular working area on a continuous caster, are known from US-A 5,067,553, JP-A 5-169206, JP-A 9-109100, JP-A 7-60434 and JP-A 5 -293615 known.
• JP-A 3-71959 discloses the use of two robots on the casting platform of a multi-strand continuous casting installation, with each robot being assigned a roadway and the robot being able to assume an operating position on this in order to replace casting pipes on a large trough distributor and at the outlet openings to carry out cleaning work on the distribution vessel and the pouring pipes.
• a defined work area is assigned to each robot, whereby it is not possible for a robot to work in the work area of the other robot, so that if one robot fails, the other robot cannot take over this work and the operator must intervene in the continuous caster.
• the majority of robots increase investment and operating costs without at the same time achieving better availability of the individual robot.
• the object of the present invention is therefore to avoid these disadvantages and difficulties of the known prior art and to provide a continuous casting installation with at least one robot of the type described at the outset and a method for operating a To propose a continuous caster with the involvement of a robot, with which different interventions on a continuous caster can be carried out at different working positions that are beyond the reach of a single application position of a robot.
• Another object of the invention is to increase the degree of utilization and the availability of the robot or robots used.
• the continuous casting system is assigned a carriageway, that the robot is assigned a carriage and the carriage is guided displaceably on the carriageway, that at least one parking position and at least two application positions for the robot and each application position are defined on the carriageway Only accessible working areas on the continuous caster are assigned from this application position, that the distance between each application position of the robot and the assigned work area or supply area is defined within the minimum and maximum range of the robot arm and that the robot is equipped with a data transmission and data receiving device and this is connected to a central control device or a process computer of the continuous casting installation.
• Use positions for the robot define locations of the robot along the road, from which one or more work areas on the continuous caster are within the reach of the robot gripper.
• the use positions of the robot on the roadway are determined solely by the position of the chassis.
• the pivoting angle of the boom of the swivel mechanism is also decisive for determining the position of the robot in addition to the position of the chassis.
• Working areas of the robot are spatial areas or individual locations on the continuous caster, where the robot intervenes, starting from a predetermined position of use.
• supply areas include storage bins with auxiliary devices, such as tool magazines, resource magazines and similar devices, which have defined positions for receiving and storing tools, spare parts and resources by the robot.
• tools for the robot are stored in the auxiliary devices, such as e.g. Pliers, measuring probes, grinding heads, secondly spare parts for the continuous casting system, such as pouring pipes or slide plates, and thirdly, equipment for the ongoing operation of the continuous casting system, such as e.g. Casting powder.
• the tool magazines and equipment magazines provided in the respective supply areas can be formed by stationary or mobile auxiliary devices, the mobile auxiliary devices, for example an equipment trolley, possibly only being brought into the supply area of a specific application position when necessary and being stored away from its supply position.
• the parking position is defined as the position of the robot on the lane where it is when it is not performing any interventions and is waiting for a new application signal from the central control device or the process computer. If several robots are assigned to one lane, several parking positions are defined accordingly. In the case of two robots, the two parking positions are preferably arranged at opposite ends of the road.
• the execution of process-controlled or automated interventions by the robot also includes the alternative possibility of manual intervention by the operating personnel.
• These manual remote-controlled interventions can take place from the control room or via other portable control units.
• the carriageway for the robot is preferably formed by a track system or by at least one track in the manner of a monorail or crane track. Appropriate control devices (position sensors, tracking systems) are used to move to predetermined positions.
• the carriageway has branches with the integration of conventional rail switches. This means that operational positions away from a main carriageway can be defined and taken and multiple robots can be used without mutual hindrance.
• individual sections of the carriageway are height-adjustable by means of lifting mechanisms or pivotable by pivoting mechanisms in order to change the position of the robot on the carriageway in such a way that the best possible access to the assigned work area is achieved.
• Each robot is assigned a chassis on which it is supported or hangs, depending on the design of the road.
• a robot swivel mechanism can be assigned to the undercarriage to enlarge its area of application, as a result of which the swivel position of the robot swivel mechanism determines at least two use positions for the robot.
• the swivel mechanism preferably comprises a cantilever arm, on the cantilever end of which the robot is arranged.
• the boom can be adapted to the needs of the application environment, and thus can also be designed to be height-adjustable, for example.
• the robot is preferably fixed in its respective use positions with a locking device in order to avoid changes in position due to reaction forces from the interventions.
• the carriageway can extend along the entire continuous caster and to different height levels and, preferably if the carriageway is designed as a track of a monorail, can also include inclines and descents.
• the roadway is preferably limited to the casting platform and / or to the outlet area of the continuous casting installation.
• the lanes are preferably arranged in a horizontal plane.
• two robots are arranged on a carriageway, one robot as the primary robot intervening on the continuous casting installation and the second robot being used as the auxiliary robot in the event of priority collisions of the work to be carried out and in the event of faults in the primary robot.
• Another division of the work to be carried out between the robots e.g. by assigning priorities to individual robots to specific positions of use or by manual remote control is quite possible, and is within the scope of the invention.
• the invention further comprises a method for operating a continuous casting installation with the inclusion of at least one robot that can be displaced on a roadway between a parking position and at least two use positions and is characterized in that control signals are sent to the robot by a process computer or a central control device and in accordance with these control signals a selected application position is approached and automated interventions on the continuous casting system are carried out by the robot, the process signals or a central control device giving the control signals for the interventions to be carried out on the continuous casting system to the robot in the sequence of the priority of the interventions to be carried out.
• the use of the robot is determined and managed by the process computer of the continuous caster or a central control device, the activities to be carried out being determined with regard to the quality of the product to be produced.
• the basis for the priority assignment is an ongoing diagnosis of the casting process, thus the continuously collected measurement data and model calculations compared to the default data.
• the robot itself also conducts state observations on the ongoing casting process at the continuous casting plant and collects measurement data. These measurement data are transmitted to the process computer or a central control device, processed by the process computer or the control device and the results of this data evaluation are converted into control signals for the robot or the continuous casting system.
• a first robot that can be moved on the roadway receives all control signals as the primary robot (master robot) and carries out interventions on the continuous caster and another robot that can be moved on the roadway is an auxiliary robot (slave robot) preferably assigned to a parking position.
• the primary robot and the auxiliary robot are activated and both robots are guided to the respective application positions, with the exception of mutual disability.
• FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the possible uses of one or two robots on the casting platform of a continuous caster
• FIG. 2 shows a robot swivel with two positions of the robot in an elevation
• FIG. 3 shows the robot swivel according to FIG. 2 with two positions on the casting in a plan view
• FIG. 4 a robot track with a vertically liftable and lowerable track section
• FIG. 5 a robot track with a track section pivotable in a horizontal plane.
• a pouring ladle 2 with a ladle spout 3 (shadow pipe) and a distributor vessel 4 positioned below it with an immersion pouring tube 5, which protrudes into a continuous casting mold 6, are shown with outlines.
• a further distribution vessel 4 ′ is indicated by dash-dotted lines in a preparation position on the casting platform 1.
• a carriageway 7 is laid on the casting platform 1 in such a way that a plurality of work areas A ⁇ A 2 , A 3 , A 4 can be operated by a single robot 8 starting from a plurality of use positions E ⁇ E 2 , E 3 along the carriageway.
• the robot 8 is in a waiting position in the parking position P ⁇ at one end of the lane 7.
• a further parking position P 2 which can also be used, is located at the opposite end of the lane 7.
• the robot 8 can carry out interventions in the work areas A ⁇ (ladle) and A 4 (distributor), which relate to the ladle spout 3 and the shadow pipe, as well as the pouring area of the distributor vessel 4.
• the activities to be carried out at intervals in these work areas include, for example, changing the shade tube, burning the pan spout, or pouring the powder into the distribution vessel.
• the robot takes the spare parts and resources necessary for these interventions, such as a replacement shadow tube, the necessary specific casting powder in the predetermined quality and quantity, or a burner, from the assigned supply area V 1 f, where these resources are readily available at predetermined magazine locations of the auxiliary device H 1 .
• the robot 8 can carry out interventions in the working areas A 2 (mold) and A 4 (distributor), which relate to the pouring area of the distributor vessel 4, the immersion pouring tube 5 and the opening of the continuous casting mold 6 on the inlet side.
• the activities in these work areas include, for example, a pouring powder application in the distributor vessel, a change of the immersion pouring tube, burning the distributor outlet opening, a pouring powder application into the mold, observing the level of the bath in the mold, sampling from the mold, etc.
• These interventions necessary equipment and spare parts, such as one to be cast on the
• the robot takes steel quality and current casting conditions of coordinated casting powder, immersion pipes, measuring lances, etc. from the auxiliary device H 2 in the supply area V 2 .
• the robot 8 can carry out interventions on a further distributor vessel 4 ′ in the work area A 3 (distributor change stand), whereby it draws the necessary operating resources from the auxiliary device H 3 in the supply area V 3 .
• the parking position P 2 is available to the robot as a second parking position if only one robot is provided on the casting platform.
• FIGS. 2 and 3 show a robot 8 in two operating positions E ⁇ and E 2 on the continuous caster.
• the continuous caster is indicated by dashed lines through the outer contours of the ladle 2, the distributor vessel 4 and the continuous casting mold 6.
• the path 7 of the robot is formed by two rails 9, 9 ', which are guided in a straight line at a distance above the casting platform 1 past the distributor vessel 4 and the continuous casting mold 6.
• a robot swivel mechanism 11 is fastened to the chassis 10 with a boom 12, which can assume two positions pivoted by 90 ° relative to one another, which include the use positions E ⁇ and E 2 .
• the robot is arranged in a hanging manner and can assume the two use positions Ei and E 2 .
• the boom 12 In the use position E the boom 12 is shown with dash-dotted lines and in the use position E 2 with solid lines.
• the working areas A 1 and A 2 of the robot arm 15 are illustrated by the kidney-shaped range lines 13, 14 in FIG. 2 and the circular range lines 13 ', 14' in FIG.
• the working area Ai which is assigned to the use position Ei, all essential areas from the ladle 2 to the mold 6 can be reached by the robot 8.
• interventions in the transition area from the distributor vessel 4 to the continuous casting mold 6 and on this itself can preferably be carried out in the working area A 2 .
• the robot is in an edge area of the casting platform assigned a parking position Pj.
• a supply position Vi is also provided in the immediate vicinity of this parking position, from which the robot can remove all the aids for its use. Regardless of the ongoing casting operation, manual preparation work for robot use can be carried out safely and safely in this parking position.
• the control station 18 is located on the casting platform 1, from which the continuous casting installation is monitored and operated largely automatically by a process computer or a central control device.
• the process computer 19 or the central control device as well as the individual robot or several robots are assigned data transmission and data reception devices 20, 21, via which all information necessary for performing the interventions, preferably on a radio link, is transmitted.
• FIG. 4 shows a roadway section 22 of the roadway 7 that can be raised and lowered, with which the robot 8, of which only the lower base part is shown, is lifted into an engagement position E that is raised relative to the roadway plane.
• the roadway section 22 is supported on lifting cylinders 23 and is positioned accordingly by these.
• the position of the robot 8 in its engagement position E which in turn is determined by a robot axis of rotation in the base region, is clearly fixed in its position by a locking device 24 on the roadway section 22, and thus a fixed point essential for robot control is established.
• FIG. 5 shows a roadway section 27 which can be pivoted about a vertical pivot axis 26 into a predetermined angular position in its starting position aligned with the roadway 7 and in a pivoted-out position which defines the engagement position E for the robot.
• the carriageway section 27 can be moved in a horizontal plane on rails 29 designed in the form of a circular arc.
• branches can also be used on the carriageway using conventional switches known from the railway industry.
• the invention is not limited to the use of special types of robots. Articulated arm robots or gantry robots are particularly suitable for use on the casting platform of a continuous caster, as they are offered universally and with special adaptations by many manufacturers for a wide range of applications.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Manipulator (AREA)
• Continuous Casting (AREA)
• Control Of Position, Course, Altitude, Or Attitude Of Moving Bodies (AREA)

Priority Applications (7)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=35149149

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (10)

Cited By (8)

Families Citing this family (10)

Citations (12)

Family Cites Families (27)

• 2004
  • 2004-05-26 AT AT0091104A patent/AT413950B/de not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2005
  • 2005-04-21 TW TW094112698A patent/TWI394618B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2005-04-28 EP EP05739979A patent/EP1750872B1/de active Active
  • 2005-04-28 CN CN200580017222.3A patent/CN1960824B/zh active Active
  • 2005-04-28 WO PCT/EP2005/004569 patent/WO2005118182A1/de active Application Filing
  • 2005-04-28 JP JP2007513722A patent/JP2008500176A/ja active Pending
  • 2005-04-28 DE DE502005008710T patent/DE502005008710D1/de active Active
  • 2005-04-28 AT AT05739979T patent/ATE451987T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2005-04-28 BR BRPI0511579-5A patent/BRPI0511579A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2005-04-28 US US11/569,666 patent/US20080058981A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-04-28 RU RU2006146047/02A patent/RU2363561C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (12)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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