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US 2004/0050132 A1Published application
Mill variation control apparatus and method
AssigneeNovelis Inc.
InventorThomas William Dashwood Farley
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AssigneeNovelis Inc.
InventorThomas William Dashwood Farley
Estimating the term…
Apparatus and method for reducing vibration in a mill stand. The apparatus comprises a roll (4) positioned upstream or downstream of the mill stand (1) and over which the strip material (2) being rolled is passed. The vibration control apparatus comprises an inertia element in the form of a flywheel (7) connected to the roll (4) by a stiffness element in the form of a compliant shaft (6). The components (6) and (7) form a mechanical system which can be tuned in such a way as to introduce a speed fluctuation at the roll (4) which exactly matches the speed fluctuation of the strip material as it enters the roll bite. Both the inertia element (7) and stiffness element (6) can take other forms: for example, the stiffness element could be a flexible drive belt or belts; the inertia element could be a shaft about which the roll (4) rotates, via a stiffness element.
Mill apparatus for rolling strip material, said apparatus comprising a set of rolls between which the strip material is passed, and vibration control apparatus comprising a roll positioned so that the strip material passes over it at a position upstream or downstream of the set of rolls, said apparatus being characterised in that said vibration control apparatus further comprises an inertia element mechanically connected to the roll via a stiffness element.
A mill apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the inertia element comprises a flywheel.
A mill apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the inertia element is rotatable about an axis which is coaxial with that of the roll.
A mill apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the moment of inertia of the inertia element is greater than that of the roll.
A mill apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said roll is positioned such that, between it and the entry bite, the strip material is substantially free.
A mill apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the strip material is metallic.
A mill apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the combined inertia element and stiffness element are tuned to a resonant condition above the frequency of vibration which it is desired to inhibit.
A method of restricting vibration in a rolling mill comprising a set of rolls between which a strip material is passed, said method comprising passing the strip material over a roll positioned upstream or downstream of the set of rolls, said roll being mechanically connected to a vibration control apparatus comprising an inertia element connected to the roll via a stiffness element, and tuning the vibration control apparatus to dampen vibration by adjusting the stiffness of the stiffness element and/or the moment of inertia of the inertia element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.