Level 2 Systems

The Level 2 systems provide "area" supervision and coordination between the many independent Level 1 functions.  Steel product entering, leaving, and moving between processes in an area, is manipulated by machinery controlled within Level 1.  Often this requires knowledge and direction by a Level 2 system.  For example, a reference to a side guide position regulator, based on known slab size entering the roughing mill is a supervisory or Level 2 function.  Modeling, such as a reheat furnace thermodynamic heat transfer model, which adjusts multiple furnace zone temperatures based on detailed information of material within the furnace, are examples of Level 2 utilities.  Depending upon the size and complexity of the application, there can be one or several Level 2 systems, working together to coordinate the facility.  Level 2 could analogous to the glue, which holds the fibers of the fabric together.

IPACT has been involved with a number of Level 2 hot mill systems.  Below are some examples of our experiences.

Hot Strip Mill Reheat Furnace Interface

IPACT has designed and implemented a VMS based software package for communicating between a VMS host and a distributed control system used to control the furnaces.  The package fully supported all communication capabilities of the control system software, and included utilities to help configure the communication services.  The package operated over Ethernet based LAT servers.

Hot Strip Mill Setup Models

IPACT possesses intimate engineering knowledge of hot strip mill gauge and speed setup models, both roughing and finishing, and has had extensive experience in developing and upgrading those models.

We have also implemented models supplied by other vendors as well, including those from well-known Japanese steel companies.

Hot Strip Mill Hot Runout Table Cooling Control

IPACT has designed an overall system upgrade for spray water cooling control systems.  Improvements included additional operating modes, new man machine interface, improved performance monitoring and historical data support.  The cooling models were modified to provide more flexibility and maintainability.

Hot Strip Mill - Steel Hardness and Stand Power Models

IPACT has designed and developed models of relative steel "hardness" (flow stress) based on steel chemistry in the roughing stands, and the required motor power at each roughing stand given that steel hardness and the slab temperature.

Hot Strip Mill Overall Temperature Models

IPACT has designed and developed models of product heat loss throughout a hot strip mill from reheat furnace to final finishing stand.  These models are used to set reheat furnace temperature knowing the required minimum temperature at the last finishing stand.

Finishing Mill Automatic Gauge Control

IPACT engineers have experience in the design and implementation of AGC (Automatic Gauge Control) systems on carbon steel hot strip mills.  We understand the complex interaction of the various components associated with rolling of hot strip, and we design control systems to insure product thickness control and mill stability. We have experience with electromechanical and hydraulic mill gap positioning systems, and both electric and pneumatic interactive looper control. Our control models account for product chemistries, strip temperatures, speeds, width, roll diameters, and thickness at each roll bite, allowing dynamic gain adjustments. Feed forward and feed back techniques are employed to develop an AGC system that promotes responsive but stable operation.

Finishing Mill Adaptive Mill Threading

IPACT engineers have intimate engineering knowledge of hot strip mill gauge and speed set up models.  Such models predict mill roll gap and roll speed settings to achieve the desired product thickness from the last finishing stand.  Any error in the set up is fed back to the model and the next set up is improved, based on a learning algorithm.

Taking another step forward, IPACT can dynamically apply mill set up information to correct any prediction errors while the strip is in the process of threading.  Using the first finishing mill stand as a measurement of departure from the expected results, the down stream stand roll gaps are re-positioned dynamically, while the strip is threading.

Hot Strip Mill Coil Tracking System

IPACT has designed and implemented coiler tracking systems for a hot mills coil production, enabling plant wide computers to track production and customer order information based on coil production.

Quality Degrades and Product Exception Reporting

IPACT has provided automated reporting of product that did not meet the customer’s quality requirements.  Based on parameters passed down from the mill order entry system, non conforming product can be identified and held from further processing until disposition can be made.

Mill Pacing

IPACT has experience in designing mill pacing models, which provide consistent product flow through the facility.  Whether the rolling schedule is furnace limited or mill limited, IPACT can provide inter-connections with the furnace, roughing and finishing mills to predict or automatically schedule the next furnace extraction.

Aluminum Hot Strip Automation Revamp

A large aluminum company chose IPACT to accomplish the revamp of its hot strip mill automation.  This included the functions of pacing, tracking, toughing mill setup model, finishing mill setup model, alarming, historical data collection, and interfacing to numerous devices in the mill such as x-ray gauges.  IPACT is also responsible for a new HMI system in the mill.  This project is currently in progress.

Integrated Process Automation & Control Technologies