Method of controlling the strip shape and apparatus therefor

A method of controlling width-wise shape of a strip according to a predetermined shape, said strip rolled by a rolling mill of the type provided with back-up rolls, whose amount of the crown is variable by expanding or shrinking its shell radially using pressure of a liquid fed into the inside thereof, work rolls, right and left pressing-down balancers, roll benders and a roll cooling apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

• operating said rolling mill to form a strip with a width;
• generating a first power function indicating the predetermined strip shape, said first power function being of a variable which is a distance in a width-wise direction from a selected location on such strip and including a term of a first power, a term of the second power and a term of at least one of the fourth, sixth and eighth powers of said variable,
• repetitively generating a signal indicating strip shape rolled by said strip mill, said generated signal including readings of strip shape at preselected distances in a width-wise direction from the selected location on the strip;
• obtaining a second power function approximating the generated signal, said second power function being of a variable which is a distance in a width-wise direction from the selected location on the strip and including a term of the first power, a term of the second power and a term of at least one of the fourth, sixth and eighth powers of said variable;
• adjusting the amount of right and left pressing-down of said right and left pressing-down balancers so that said term of the first power of said second power function accords with said term of the first power of said first power function;
• adjusting the amount of the crown of said back-up roll so that said term of the second power of said second power function accords with said term of the second power of said first power function;
• adjusting the roll bending force of said roll bender so that said term of at least one of the fourth, sixth and eighth powers of said second power function accords with said term of at least one of the fourth, sixth and eighth powers of said first power function;
• and
• compensating for deviation of the second power function from the generated signal by cooling said work rolls at locations along said work rolls according to differences between values of said second power function and readings of said generated signal at said preselected distances.

An apparatus for controlling width-wise shape of a strip according to a predetermined shape, said strip rolled by a rolling mill of the type provided with work rolls, said apparatus comprising:

• roll benders operatively connected to rolls of said rolling mill;
• variable crown back-up rolls backing-up said work rolls, the roll crown of said back-up rolls being adjusted by pressure of a liquid fed into the inside thereof;
• shape meter means disposed at a location along a feed path of said rolling mill for generating a signal indicating the strip shape;
• calculation means operatively connected to said shape meter means for obtaining a power function approximating the generated signal from said shape meter means, said power function being of a variable which is a distance in a width-wise direction from a selected location on such strip and including a term of the second power and a term of at least one of the fourth, sixth and eighth powers of said variable;
• and
• means operatively connected to said roll benders and said back-up rolls for controlling operation of said roll benders and said back-up rolls according to signals received from said calculation means, and said control means adjusting the roll crown of said back-up roll responsive to said term of the second power of said power function and said controlling means adjusting said roll-bender responsive to said term of at least one of the fourth, sixth and eighth powers of said power function.

An apparatus for controlling width-wise shape of a strip according to a predetermined shape, said strip rolled by a rolling mill of the type provided with work rolls, said apparatus comprising:

• roll benders operatively connected to rolls of said rolling mill;
• right and left pressing-down balancers operatively connected to rolls of said rolling mill;
• variable crown back-up rolls backing-up said work rolls, the roll crowns of said back-up rolls being adjusted by pressure from a liquid fed into the inside thereof;
• shape meter means disposed at a location along a feed path of said rolling mill for generating a signal indicating strip shape;
• calculation means operatively connected to said shape meter means for obtaining a power function approximating the generated signal of said shape meter means, said power function being of a variable which is a distance in a width-wise direction from a selected location on such strip and including a term of the first power, a term of the second power and a term of at least one of the fourth, sixth and eighth powers of said variable;
• and
• means operatively connected to said roll benders, said right and left pressing-down balancers and said back-up rolls for controlling operation of said roll benders, said right and left pressing-down balancers and said back-up rolls, said controlling means adjusting said right and left pressing-down balancers responsive to said term of the first power of said power function, said controlling means adjusting the roll crown of said back-up roll responsive to said term of the second power of said power function and said controlling means adjusting said roll-bender responsive to said term of at least one of the fourth, sixth and eighth powers of said power function.

An apparatus for controlling width-wise shape of a strip rolled by a rolling mill of the type provided with work rolls, said apparatus comprising:

• roll benders operatively connected to rolls of said rolling mill;
• right and left pressing-down balancers operatively connected to rolls of said rolling mill;
• a roll cooling apparatus operatively connected to work rolls of said rolling mill and adapted to cool locations along said work rolls;
• variable crown back-up rolls backing-up said work rolls, the roll crowns of said back-up rolls being adjusted by pressure of a liquid fed into the inside thereof;
• shape meter means disposed at a location along a feed path of said rolling mill for producing readings of strip shape at preselected distances in a width-wise direction from a selected location on the strip to generate a signal indicating strip shape;
• calculation means operatively connected to said shape meter means for obtaining a power function approximating the signal of said shape meter means, said power function being of a variable which is a distance in a width-wise direction from the selected location on such strip and including a term of the first power, a term of second power, and a term of at least one of the fourth, sixth and eighth powers of said variable;
• and
• means operatively connected to said roll benders, said right and left pressing-down balancers, said back-up rolls and said roll cooling apparatus, for controlling operation of said roll benders, said right and left pressing-down balancers, said back-up rolls and said roll cooling apparatus, said controlling means adjusting said right and left pressing-down balancers responsive to said term of the first power of said power function, said controlling means adjusting the roll crown of said back-up roll responsive to said term of the second power of said power function, said controlling means adjusting the roll benders responsive to said term of at least one of the fourth, sixth and eighth powers of said power function, said controlling means adjusting said roll cooling apparatus responsive to differences between readings of said generated signal and values of said power function at said preselected distances to compensate for deviation of the shape expressed by the generated signal of said shape meter means from the shape expressed by said power function.