Laser sensors for cold rolling mills

Improve coil quality and yield in tandem mills with enhanced strip speed measurements for mass flow – Automatic Gauge Control (AGC).

Mass Flow, Automatic Gauge Control (AGC) is a technique used for many years to control strip thickness in Tandem Cold Rolling Mills. It enables tighter control of thickness by providing faster and more accurate control of the roll gap. Utilizing Mass Flow AGC control techniques permit operations to achieve specified thickness requirements over a greater percentage of the coil length, thus greatly improving the final yield.

The mass flow technique states that the strip thickness and speed entering the stand must equal the strip thickness and speed exiting the stand, while the width remains constant. Since the response time of a speed measurement is significantly faster than that of the thickness gauge measurement, the exit thickness can be predicted and controlled by measuring the thickness and speed entering the stand and the speed exiting the stand.

LSV Laser Surface Velocimeters measure the strip speed optically. The non-contact measuring method works reliably and accurately. As optical encoders, LSVs even detect changes in the speed of the rolling mill where contact-based measurement techniques often reach their limits. Contact-based or mechanical encoders are subject to wear and slippage, potentially causing less accurate measurement results.

Integrating LSV optical sensors can make a change in terms of sustainability and efficiency regarding the use of resources like energy and raw material, while leading to improved quality and yield.

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