US 5,706,688 AGranted

Plant capacity optimizing method for use with steckel mill

AssigneeIPSCO Enterprises Inc.

InventorJonathan Dorricott

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Abstract

An optimizing method for improving the efficiency of production is provided for a steel rolling mill using a Steckel mill to roll steel slab to end-product thickness, and associated downstream equipment of limited capacity to generate strip and/or plate end-product. The optimizing method allows for continuous processing of steel slab of a mass within the capacity limits of the Steckel mill and equipment upstream of the Steckel mill, but in excess of the capacity of the associated downstream equipment, by first rolling the slab in the Steckel mill to intermediate coilable thickness, and then severing the intermediate steel product to produce two derivative segments, one of a target mass within the limit of capacity of the coiler furnaces and downstream equipment, and another, typically smaller, residual segment. The residual segment is disposed of, optionally first milled to end-product thickness in the Steckel mill, and transferred to conventional downstream equipment. In the meantime, the target segment is held within a coiler furnace. The target segment is subsequently milled and finished to end-product thickness. The method improves the efficiency of production in a steel rolling mill.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of optimizing the production of a steel rolling mill that includes a Steckel mill, the operation of said rolling mill being limited at least in part by at least one flow-through capacity parameter for strip and plate end-products respectively, to perform the rolling of a maximum-weight slab exceeding the flow-through capacity for an end-product of target thickness, the Steckel mill having associated therewith upstream and downstream coiler furnaces capable of coiling plate up to a coiler furnace thickness limitation and downstream equipment for further processing and handling of the steel following its rolling, the weight of the end-products of target thickness being limited by the limiting flow-through capacity parameter;

said method comprising the steps of:
(a) flat-pass rolling the maximum-weight slab in the Steckel mill to produce an interim steel product of a thickness not exceeding the coiler furnace thickness limitation;
(b) transversely severing the interim steel product into two portions, viz a pre-determined target portion whose weight and dimensions are at or below the limiting flow-through capacity parameter for the end-product targeted, and a residual surplus portion;
(c) retaining the target portion coiled within a selected one of the coiler furnaces, pending disposition of the surplus portion;
(d) disposing of the surplus portion;
and then
(e) disposing of the target portion.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.