Level 1 Systems

The heart of process control is the Level 1 system. Here devices are moved, positioned, sequenced, weighed, measured, sped up, slowed down, raised, lowered, heated, cooled, cut, dimensioned, carried, marked, or any of a number of operations required to convert a slab into a coil.  How well each operation is performed, and in the proper sequence, is important to safety, quality, and productivity.

The mark of a well-designed Level 1 system is its ability to aid the operation and the operator.  It should increase throughput, not impede it. It should be operator friendly, allowing for manual, semi-automatic, and automatic operation.  The operator should be permitted to intervene and then resume the sequence, or allow complete automatic unattended operation, provided all prerequisites and interlocks have been met.  Intrinsic safety for the operator and equipment must be inherent in the design.

IPACT has extensive experience in the design of Level 1 systems using a variety of different manufacturer’s hardware.  We have experience in a variety of applications through out the hot strip mill. We can work with your choice of mechanical and machinery suppliers to add, replace, or upgrade your mill equipment to meet your needs.

Pusher and Walking Beam Furnaces

• Furnace material tracking – charging and discharging
• Furnace charging tables and pushers
• Furnace extractors
• Slab depilers
• Interface with measuring devices
• Data collection
• Furnace mapping
• Hydraulic and auxiliary control
• Alarming
• Instrumentation interfacing
• Interfacing to drive systems
• Furnace pacing

IPACT can partner with a variety of furnace manufacturers and combustion control manufacturers to improve reheating furnace operation.  We can provide programmable controller rooted solutions or instrumentation based systems.  Our approach to the overall system architecture provides for integration of components over a network that will meet requirements for communication and control now and in the future.

Roughing Mill and Scale Breaker

• Mill screw down control, based on set-up model
• Mill edger control for proper transfer bar width
• Descale spray operation
• Table control for mill pacing
• Edger and entry table speed draft compensation
• Roll change guidance
• Material tracking in the roughing train
• Alarming
• Data collection and process feedback

Finishing Mill

• Mill drive motor speed set up based on set-up model
• Initial roll gap positioning based on set-up model
• Looper tension control settings (both electric and pneumatic designs)
• Inter stand spray control for finishing temperature adjustment
• Roll bending adjustment based on mill set-up information
• Entry descale spray control
• Crop shear head and tail cutting lengths
• Delay table control
• Mill automatic gauge control
• Mill finishing temperature control
• Mill adaptive threading
• Mill acceleration rate control for consistent finishing temperature
• Data collection and process feedback
• Roll change assist
• Interface to X-ray and gamma ray units for measurement and profiling
• Entry guide set-up

Run-Out Table and Spray Control

• Control of run-out table speeds – both variable voltage DC and variable frequency.
• Laminar flow control for product cooling and coiling temperature control.

Down Coiler Area

• Coiler selection and sequencing
• Coiler acceleration and automatic slowdown
• Coiler speed and tension control
• Coiling temperature control
• Hot coil removal
• Automated hot coil handling systems
  • Conveyors
  • Automated cranes
  • Upending equipment
  • Marking systems

Hot Coil Process Line

• Data collection
• Automation of coil charging and discharging
• Material tracking

Integrated Process Automation & Control Technologies