Primetals Technologies Germany Gmbh

Alexander Thekale

Matthias Kurz

Marco Miele

Friedemann Schmid

Andreas Maierhofer

Christopher Gusek

Martin Vogt

Matthias Dressler

Martin Kerschensteiner

Andreas Müller

Slobodan Veljovic

Jens Frenzel

Samuel Walter

Andrea Schmidt

Apparatus and method for controlling and/or monitoring a technical installation for producing and/or processing metal, having an assistant program with at least one interface for connection to application programs, wherein the assistant program receives a request for an item of information relating to the installation from at least one requesting application program via the interface, wherein the assistant program can access a data model that provides a suggestion of which information can be provided by at least one further application program. The assistant program determining, based on the request and on the data model, which application program can provide the requested information, wherein the assistant program transmits the request to the at least one determined application program which can provide the requested information, wherein the assistant program receives a response from the determined application program, and wherein the assistant program outputs the received response to the requesting application program.

Apparatus for controlling and/or monitoring a technical installation

Prior to the rolling of a flat rolling material () on a rolling line that includes a number of roll stands (), a control system () receives actual variables (I) and target variables (Z) of the material (). The control system () determines desired values (S*) for the roll stands (), based on the actual (I) and target variables (Z) in combination with a model () of the rolling line, such that expected variables (E) of the material () after its rolling are aligned as far as possible with the target variables (Z) and transfers the desired values (S*) to the roll stands () such that the material () is rolled according to the desired values (S*). The target variables (Z) comprise at least one freely selectable, discrete characteristic variable (Kto K, K' to K&#x2032;, K&#x2033; to K&#x2033;) defining the contour (K) of the flat rolling material ().

Targeted adjusting of the contour using corresponding specifications

A model () is based on mathematical-physical equations. The model models the production of a particular output product () from at least one input product () supplied in each case to an installation in the raw materials industry on the basis of operation (B) of the installation. During production of the output products (), the installation is controlled by a control device () in such a manner that particular actual operation (B) of the installation corresponds as far as possible to particular desired operation (B*) of the installation. The desired operation (B*) is determined by the control device () using the model () of the installation. The model () is parameterized according to a number of first model parameters (P) for the purpose of modelling the installation. After a multiplicity of output products () have been produced in each case, actual sizes (A) of the output products () in the particular multiplicity are compared with expected sizes (A') of the output products () in the particular multiplicity. On the basis of the comparison, the first model parameters (P) are newly determined and the model () in the control device () is newly parameterized according to the new values of the first model parameters (P). After this time, the desired operation (B*) is determined by the control device () using the newly parameterized model () of the installation in the raw materials industry. The expected sizes (A&#x2032;) are determined by means of the model (), wherein the determination of the expected sizes (A&#x2032;) is based on the actual operation (B) of the installation.

Optimization of the modeling of process models

A metal strip is rolled in a roll stand and a control device for the roll stand determines, by means of a working cycle, a number of manipulated variables for flatness actuators of the roll stand and actuates them accordingly. The control device implements an optimizer, which provisionally sets the current correction values, and determines a totality of flatness values. Then, the optimizer minimizes the relationship by varying the current correction variables. When determining the current correction variables (s), the optimizer considers linear ancillary conditions, based at least in part on a vector having the ancillary conditions upheld by the current correction values and a vector having the ancillary conditions upheld by the difference of the current correction values relative to the correction values of the preceding working cycle. The control device determines the manipulated variables for the flatness actuators in consideration of the determined current correction variables.

Flatness control using optimizer

Pickling a plurality of steel strips () having initial material properties (ME) on a pickling line: A computer () defines a number of sequences (Gi), which each contain the number of strips () to be pickled. For each of the defined sequences (Gi), the computer () determines an optimized mode of operation of the pickling line and, on the basis of the mode of operation, at least one measure (M), by means of a model () of the pickling line based on mathematical physical equations and by using the initial material properties (ME) of the strips. As long as a termination criterion (K) is not met, the computer () varies the defined sequences (Gi) and determines respective optimized modes of operation of the pickling line and associated measures (M) anew. As soon as the termination criterion (K) is met, the computer () either selects one of the last defined sequences (Gi) and initiates the control of the pickling line in accordance with the selected sequence (Gi) or offers to an operator () a plurality of the last defined sequences (Gi) together with the respective measures (M) thereof, receives a selection command (SEL) for selecting one of the offered sequences (Gi) from the operator (), and initiates the control of the pickling line in accordance with the sequence (Gi) selected from the operator ().

Optimization of a sequence of strips to be pickled, on the basis of modelling of a pickling line

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Erlangen, Germany

Alexander Thekale