Method and device for changing the temperature of metal strips in a flatness-adaptive manner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10676807-B2
Application number	US-201815867289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2018
Priority date	Jul 28, 2015
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for changing the temperature of a metal strip including means for changing the temperature of the metal strip by heating or cooling. By using means for conveying the metal strip, the metal strip is moved in the strip direction relative to the means for changing the temperature of the metal strip. The object of providing a device for changing the temperature of metal strips, which allows improved process control and improved flatness of the treated metal strip, is achieved according to the invention by a device in that means for changing the temperature of the metal strip include a plurality of individual temperature-control means which each heat or cool the metal strip only in some regions, and at least the position of a plurality of the temperature-control means can be individually changed translationally and/or rotationally relative to the metal strip.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for changing the temperature of a metal strip, comprising means for changing the temperature of the metal strip by heating or cooling, in which, by using means for conveying the metal strip, the metal strip is moved in the strip direction relative to the means for changing the temperature of the metal strip,
wherein the means for changing the temperature of the metal strip comprise a plurality of individual temperature-control means which each heat or cool the metal strip only in some regions, and the position of a plurality of the temperature-control means can be individually changed translationally relative to the metal strip, wherein said means for changing the temperature of the metal strip are suitable to change the position of at least one temperature-control means individually translationally in the longitudinal direction of the metal strip, in the transverse direction of the metal strip and/or at a distance from the metal strip, continuously whilst conveying the metal strip relatively to the means for changing the temperature of the metal strip.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the temperature-control means can be individually changed rotationally relative to the metal strip continuously whilst conveying the metal strip relatively to the means for changing the temperature of the metal strip.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein at least one temperature-control means is arranged individually rotatable about an axis of rotation so that, by means of rotation, the temperature-control means is variably positionable in its angle to the metal strip surface.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the position of at least one temperature-control means can be changed with respect to all the translational and rotational degrees of freedom whilst conveying the metal strip relatively to the means for changing the temperature of the metal strip.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling and/or heating power of the individual temperature-control means can be adjusted separately from one another.

6. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising means for measuring the flatness of the metal strip and at least one control unit, which control or regulate the geometric position, the geometric orientation of at least one temperature-control means according to the determined flatness of the metal strip.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one control unit controls or regulates the geometric position, the geometric orientation and/or the cooling or heating power of a plurality of temperature-control means according to the determined flatness of the metal strip.

8. The device according to claim 6 , wherein means for measuring the flatness of the metal strip and at least one control unit are provided, which control or regulate the cooling or heating power of at least one temperature-control means according to the determined flatness of the metal strip.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the individual temperature-control means transmit heat to the metal strip or extract heat from the metal strip by radiation, conduction, convection and/or induction.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature-control means have an arcuate position in relation to the transverse direction of the metal strip, the temperature-control means arranged in the region of the centre of the metal strip being arranged so as to lead or trail in the direction of travel of the metal strip.

11. A method, comprising the step of utilizing a device according to claim 1 in a device for continuously machining metal strips.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal strips are aluminium or aluminium alloy strips.

13. A method for continuously changing the temperature of a metal strip using a device according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the metal strip is changed in a heat treatment apparatus, in a coating plant or in a rolling mill for metal strips.

14. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the position of at least one variably positionable temperature-control means is changed relative to the metal strip in such a way that the stresses in the metal strip are reduced as a result of the change in temperature of the metal strip.

15. A method according to claim 13 , wherein a change in temperature of the metal strip takes place by individual temperature-control means which are arranged in an arcuate shape relative to the transverse direction of the metal strip.

16. A method according to claim 13 , wherein, by means for measuring flatness, the flatness of the metal strip is detected before and/or after the change in temperature and, according to the measured flatness, using control means, the position of the individual temperature-control means relative to the metal strip is changed.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the metal strip is an aluminium or aluminium alloy strip.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the metal strip is made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy.

19. A method for continuously changing the temperature of a metal strip using a device for changing the temperature of a metal strip, comprising means for changing the temperature of the metal strip by heating or cooling, in which, by using means for conveying the metal strip, the metal strip is moved in the strip direction relative to the means for changing the temperature of the metal strip, the means for changing the temperature of the metal strip comprise a plurality of individual temperature-control means which each heat or cool the metal strip only in some regions, and the position of a plurality of the temperature-control means can be individually changed translationally relative to the metal strip, wherein said means for changing the temperature of the metal strip are suitable to change the position of at least one temperature-control means individually translationally in the longitudinal direction of the metal strip, in the transverse direction of the metal strip and/or at a distance from the metal strip, whilst conveying the metal strip relatively to the means for changing the temperature of the metal strip;
wherein the temperature of the metal strip is changed in a heat treatment apparatus, in a coating plant or in a rolling mill for metal strips and the position of the individual temperature-control means relative to the metal strip is changed continuously.

Assignees

• Karhausen Kai Friedrich
• Aretz Holger
• Hydro Aluminium Rolled Prod

Inventors

• Karhausen Kai-Friedrich
• Aretz Holger

Classifications

• C21D2221/00

  Treating localised areas of an article · CPC title

• C21D1/34

  Methods of heating (C21D1/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C22F1/04 Primary

  of aluminium or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• B21B37/44

  using heating, lubricating or water-spray cooling of the product · CPC title

• C21D9/46

  for sheet metals · CPC title