Automation systems for heat treatment and controlled cooling of plates and bars

摘要

Be it a plate or a bar, uniformity of mechanical properties is an important indicator of superior quality. To manufacture such products the cooling systems are required to be properly controlled and tuned. In the conventional practice, the mechanical properties are tested after the product is manufactured. This leaves no room to take any corrective action. An accurate estimation of property during actual processing stage itself is required to control the cooling system. Danieli has developed PQM and QTB PLUS systems for monitoring and control of plates and bars respectively in real time. The estimation of mechanical properties such as Yield Strength, Tensile Strength, Hardness, and Elongation is made with the help of a series of interconnected, physically based mathematical models, complemented by empirical and data driven techniques to include processing uncertainties. The accuracy of the PQM system is ± 54 MPa for both YS and UTS, and ± 32 points for HV. And that for the QTB PLUS system is ± 20 MPa for YS, and ± 25 MPa for UTS. Such systems are useful for Testing, Quality Assurance, and Process Control. QTB Plus has been implemented in Riva Plants at Verona (Italy) and Seville (Spain). PQM is scheduled to be implemented in Iran this year.