Method for operating a steckel mill

A method for operating a Steckel mill having a reversing unit for rolling a rolled product, the Steckel mill having winding furnaces for the rolled product, the winding furnaces including an entry-side winding furnace arranged at an entry side of the reversing unit, and an exit-side winding furnace arranged at an exit side of the reversing unit, the method comprising:

• during rolling of the rolled product in the reversing unit, in a region of a head end of the rolled product, ignoring a target thickness of the rolled product;
• while rolling the rolled product and ignoring the target thickness, determining a measured variable which correlates to at least one of a current thickness and a current hardness of the rolled product, the measured variable being determined as the rolled product progresses through the reversing unit;
• comparing the measured variable with a reference value;
• and
• if the measured variable is equal to or less than the reference value, operating the reversing unit with an aim of achieving the target thickness of the rolled product.

A Steckel mill comprising:

• a reversing unit for rolling a rolled product;
• winding furnaces for the rolled product arranged respectively at an entry side and an exit side with respect to the reversing unit;
• and
• an open-loop and/or closed-loop control device to:
• ignore a target thickness of the rolled product, during rolling of the rolled product in the reversing unit, in a region of a head end of the rolled product;
• determine a measured variable which correlates to at least one of a current thickness and a current hardness of the rolled product, the measured variable being determined while rolling the rolled product and ignoring the target thickness, the measured variable being determined as the rolled product progresses through the reversing unit;
• compare the measured variable with a reference value;
• and
• operate the reversing unit with an aim of achieving the target thickness of the rolled product if the measured variable is equal to or less than the reference value.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program, which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for operating a Steckel mill having a reversing unit for rolling a rolled product, the Steckel mill having winding furnaces for the rolled product, the winding furnaces including an entry-side winding furnace arranged at an entry side of the reversing unit, and an exit-side winding furnace arranged at an exit side of the reversing unit, the method comprising:

• during rolling of the rolled product in the reversing unit, in a region of a head end of the rolled product, ignoring a target thickness of the rolled product;
• while rolling the rolled product and ignoring the target thickness, determining a measured variable which correlates to at least one of a current thickness and a current hardness of the rolled product, the measured variable being determined as the rolled product progresses through the reversing unit;
• comparing the measured variable with a reference value;
• and
• if the measured variable is equal to or less than the reference value, operating the reversing unit with an aim of achieving the target thickness of the rolled product.