Vision installations in the mill

Plate Flatness Gauge

System measures Plate flatness after the plate has been sheared to size in the Plate Mill.

The relative elevations are provided as graphical display of flatness and to the Mill computer and where outside specifications these plates detected. The Flatness gauge Camera operates by measuring the shadow produced by the Gauge bar from sodium street lighting secured above the line.

Relative elevations are produced as a flatness map to an accuracy of better than 1 mm with programmable accept /reject alarms provided.

• Features:
• Graphic display of plate flatness
• No lasers used, just street lighting
• Plate flatness shown to 1mm accuracy

Section and Rail Profile Inspection Gauge

Provides real time measurement of the profile for the controlling the rolling process as well as recorded visual information of profile for inspection records.

System operates on both cold and hot section from halogen lights and multiple Cameras secured on the Gauge Head surrounding the Section. System tailored to individual section profile requirements.

Any cooling water or scale present illuminated by software algorithms.

• Features:
• Single Gauge head provided whole profile
• No Lasers used, purely Halogen lamps
• Tailored to Section inspection requirements

Bar length System for the Cooling Bed in the Bar Mill

Multiple Cameras are mounted either in the roof of the Mill or on the side wall adjacent to the Cooling Bed and identify when the bar is transferred onto the Cooling Bed. Its length is then determined to better than 20mm.

The cameras are automatically calibrated from the fixed metalwork in the plant, so any movement in the cameras has no effect on System accuracy

• Features:
• Cameras mounted safe distance from the line
• Each camera tracks product edges to fractions of mm
• Cameras automatically calibrated by plant metalwork

Hot Slab Profile Gauge for the Primary Mill

The systems verifies the hot Slab length and width prior to reduction in the Primary Mill to enable control of the reduction process.

Typically a single camera is mounted well away from the line in or on the roof of the Mill building many meters above the line providing the slab dimensions to an accuracy of better than +-2mm.

Cameras are automatically calibrated from the fixed metalwork in the plant, so any movement in the cameras has no effect on System accuracy. System algorithyms ensure steam in field of view has no effect on measurement accuracy. System Display is tailored for Pulpit requirements and serial or ethernet interface provided to the Mill computer.

• Features:
• Single Camera operation
• Camera mounted high in the roof away from the heat
• Plate dimensions provided to +-2mm accuracy

Paint Marker Reader

A single or multiple Camera system is trained to read the dot matrix or spray marking identifying the product after the marking machine and the then the product is identified automatically as it continues in the production process.

• Features:
• Flexible recognition rules Verifies marking quality
• Interfaces directly to mill computer

Bloom Cropping System for the Shear in the Bar Mill

For Control of the cut at the shear in the Bar and Beam Mill.

The bars are automatically detected and length measured from the end of the product to the shear cut line by single or multiple Cameras mounted many meters away from the line. The system provides far more precise length measurement than individual Photocells or Velocity Meters as the Camera pixels provide edge determination to very high precision.

The Cameras are automatically calibrated from the fixed metalwork in the plant, so any movement in the cameras has no effect on System accuracy. Leading and trailing edge profiles are recognised via the system's algorithms to establish the true extreme point where fishtail or otherwise ensuring accurate cut-to-length at all times regardless of edge profile.

The Cropping System Display is tailored for Pulpit requirements and serial of Ethernet interface provided to the Mill computer. All discarded lengths recorded with time and date stamp.

• Features:
• Automatic detection and tracking of product at the shear
• Cameras mounted safe distance from the line
• Each camera tracks product edges to fractions of mm
• Edge profile addressed by system's algorithms
• Discarded lengths time and date recorded
• Cameras automatically calibrated by plant metalwork

Continuous Caster 3D Measuring and Cut-to-Length System

The slab thickness is provided to 0.5 mm and width to 2 mm accuracy. In addition, the System measures Slab speed. Combining these dimensions with the specific gravity enables the Plant to determine the slab exact weight for cutting to length. Weight of a 20 tonne slab determined to 100kg.

The speed of the cast product is determined to 0.1% from one camera, even where a multiple Billet Caster. In the case of the Billet Caster the Camera is mounted in the ceiling and on the Slab caster either from the ceiling or from the side of the line. The System controls the burner clamping actions.

• Features:
• Cut-to-length clamp based on weight calculation
• Thickness, width and length all determined at one time
• Interface to Mill computer