Novelis, Inc.

David Anthony Gaensbauer

Andrew James Hobbis

Rodger Brown

Robert Bruce Wagstaff

Antoine Jean Willy Pralong

David Michael Custers

Michael R Kosmicki

ChangOok Son

Rajeev G Kamat

Duane E Bendzinski

William Beck

Heinz Werner Becker

Donald Lynn Miller

Samuel Robert Wagstaff

Sazol Kumar Das

Tudor Piroteala

Rajasekhar Talla

David Skingley Wright

Peter Knelsen

Natasha Iyer

Rejean Lemay

Mehdi Shafiei

Christophe Besson

Devesh Mathur

Jeffrey Edward Geho

Timothy Francis Stanistreet

Matthew J Fairlie

Theresa Elizabeth MacFarlane

Carlos Eboli

Mark Finn

Stephen Lee Mick

Julio Malpica

Steven L Mick

Alp Manavbasi

Renato Rufino Xavier

Paul David Nelson

Dechao Lin

Barbara Lucille Hyde

Michael Bommarito

Curtis Eddie

Michael Kosmicki

Dewei Zhu

David Edward Gantzer

Francisco Carvalho

Eduardo Minniti

Jim McNeil

Doug Keim

Kyle Haines

Louis Mitchell Nazro

Tiago Moraes

Frank Su

Jeffery Edward Geho

Réjean Lemay

Matthew Seibert

Andrew Hobbis

David Gantzer

Stefan Felix Kempa

Julie Richard

Adolfo Rais

David Leyvraz

Aude Celine Despois

Changook Son

Debdutta Roy

Jim Mcneil

Theresa Elizabeth Macfarlane

A metal joiner system includes a power source and a metal joiner. The metal joiner includes a cleaning header, a cutting header, a joining header, and a joint finisher, each of which are communicatively coupled to the power source. The cutting header and cleaning header are configured to direct a first laser beam to prepare a joining region, and the joining header is configured to direct a second laser beam to form a joint in the joining region. A method of joining a metal substrates includes forming a joining region in abutting metal substrates, directing the first laser beam onto the joining region in a joint preparation stage, and directing the second laser beam onto the joining region to form a weld. A product of a metal joiner, a weld, has a portion of weld metal removed at the weld start and the weld crater regions.

Metal joiner system, associated methods, and products

A rotating magnet heater for metal products, such as aluminum strip, can include permanent magnet rotors arranged above and below a moving metal strip to induce moving or time varying magnetic fields through the metal strip. The changing magnetic fields can create currents (e.g., eddy currents) within the metal strip, thus heating the metal strip. A magnetic rotor set can include a pair of matched magnetic rotors on opposite sides of a metal strip that rotate at the same speed. Each magnetic rotor of a set can be positioned equidistance from the metal strip to avoid pulling the metal strip away from the passline. A downstream magnetic rotor set can be used in close proximity to an upstream magnetic rotor set to offset tension induced by the upstream magnetic rotor set.

Rotating magnet heat induction

Systems and methods of non-contact tensioning of a metal strip during metal processing include passing the metal strip adjacent a magnetic rotor. The magnetic rotor is spaced apart from the metal strip by a first distance. The systems and methods also include tensioning the metal strip through the magnetic rotor by rotating the magnetic rotor. Rotating the magnetic rotor induces a magnetic field into the metal strip such that the metal strip is tensioned in an upstream direction or a downstream direction. In other aspects, rotating the magnetic rotor induces a magnetic field into the metal strip such that a force normal to a surface of the metal strip is applied to the metal strip.

Systems and methods for non-contact tensioning of a metal strip

A flatness control system includes a work stand of a finishing line, a plurality of actuators, a flatness measuring device, and a controller. The work stand includes a pair of vertically aligned work rolls. A first work roll of the pair of work rolls includes a plurality of flatness control zones configured to apply a localized pressure to a corresponding region on a substrate. Each actuator corresponds with a one of the plurality of flatness control zones. The flatness measuring device is configured to measure an actual flatness profile of the substrate. The controller is configured to adjust the plurality of actuators such that the localized pressures modify the actual flatness profile to achieve the desired flatness profile at the exit of the stand. The thickness and a length of the substrate remain substantially constant when the substrate exits the work stand.

Systems and methods for controlling flatness of a metal substrate with low pressure rolling

Systems and methods of applying a texture on a substrate include applying a texture to the substrate with a work stand of a coil-to-coil process. The work stand includes an upper work roll and a lower work roll vertically aligned with the upper work roll. At least one of the upper work roll and the lower work roll includes the texture. Applying the texture includes applying, by the upper work roll and a lower work roll, a work roll pressure on an upper surface and a lower surface of the substrate. The method further includes adjusting a contact pressure parameter of the work stand such that the work stand provides a desired contact pressure distribution across the width of the substrate and a desired thickness profile of the edges of the substrate while an overall thickness of the substrate remains substantially constant.

Systems and methods for controlling surface texturing of a metal substrate with low pressure rolling

Systems and methods of quenching a metal substrate include cooling a top surface and a bottom surface of the metal substrate until a strip temperature is cooled to an intermediate temperature. Cooling of the top surface of the metal substrate is discontinued when the strip temperature reaches the intermediate temperature, and cooling of the bottom surface of the metal substrate continues until the metal substrate reaches a target temperature, where the target temperature is less than the intermediate temperature.

Systems and methods for quenching a metal strip after rolling

A method of steering a moving metal strip by positioning one or more magnetic rotors near a metal strip. Each rotor includes one or more permanent magnets and rotates to impart a changing magnetic field on the metal strip passing nearby. The magnetic rotors can rotate around an axis of rotation that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of travel of the metal strip. The magnetic rotors can be positioned to impart forces on the strip in any combination of laterally, vertically, or longitudinally. A control mechanism can control the rotor speed, rotor direction, vertical position of the rotors, vertical spacing between rotors, and/or lateral position of the rotors. In some cases, the control mechanism can be coupled to sensors, such as a light curtain and a laser distance sensor, in order to provide closed loop feedback control of a metal strip passing through the non-contact magnetic rotor steering device.

Non-contact magnetic steering

Provided herein are systems and methods for removing a viscous material from a material article. In particular, a viscous material removal system can include a seal and a biasing mechanism. The viscous material removal system can also serve as a viscous material containment system. The systems can provide viscous material removal from planar and non-planar articles, as well as articles having surface irregularities or a topography including ridges and valleys. A method for removing viscous materials can include contacting the seal to the material article, maintaining contact of the seal across a width of the material article via the biasing mechanism, and passing the material article over the seal, thus removing the viscous material from the material article.

Systems and methods for removing viscous materials in metal article processing

Systems and methods for using full-width hot sprays to pre-heat rolling mills prior to processing of metal sheet or plate are described herein. The hot sprays may be individually controlled. Using hot sprays can allow the rolling mill to reach operating temperature and achieve a desired thermal crown so that metal sheet or plate may be processed immediately within tolerances for flatness and gauge accuracy. Pre-heating of rolling mills can eliminate the need of the rolling mill to operate in a transitional period of work roll heating and can increase efficiency by eliminating or reducing scrap material and mill downtime. Hot sprays may also be incorporated with existing coolant systems to provide thermal control systems for rolling mills with bi-directional temperature controls.

Pre-heating and thermal control of work rolls in metal rolling processes and control systems thereof

A compact heat treatment line can include a short heating zone capable of rapidly bringing a metal strip to a suitable solutionizing temperature through the use of magnetic rotors, such as permanent magnet magnetic rotors. A fast and efficient soaking zone can be achieved as well, such as through the use of magnetic rotors to levitate the metal strip within a gas-filled chamber. Magnetic rotors can further levitate the metal strip through a quenching zone, and can optionally reheat the metal strip prior to final coiling. Magnetic rotors used to heat and/or levitate the metal strip can also provide tension control, can facilitate initial threading of the metal strip, and can cure coatings and/or promote uniformity of coatings/lubricants applied to the metal strip without overheating. Such a heat treatment line can provide continuous annealing and solution heat treating in a much more compacted space than traditional processing lines.

Compact continuous annealing solution heat treatment

A non-contact heating apparatus uses a series of rotating magnets to heat, levitate, and/or move metal articles therethrough. A first series of rotating magnets heats the metal article to a desired temperature. A second series of rotating magnets levitates the metal article within the heating apparatus and maintains desired tension in the metal article, including urging the metal article through the heating apparatus. The heating apparatus can extend sufficiently far to soak the metal article at the desired temperature for a desired duration. The rotating magnets can be positioned outside of an electrically non-conductive, heat resistant chamber filled with an inert or mildly reactive gas, through which the metal article passes in the heating apparatus.

Magnetic levitation heating of metal with controlled surface quality

A non-contact steering device includes one or more magnetic rotors positioned near a metal strip. Each rotor includes one or more permanent magnets and rotates to impart a changing magnetic field on the metal strip passing nearby. The magnetic rotors can rotate around an axis of rotation that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of travel of the metal strip. The magnetic rotors can be positioned to impart forces on the strip in any combination of laterally, vertically, or longitudinally. A control mechanism can control the rotor speed, rotor direction, vertical position of the rotors, vertical spacing between rotors, and/or lateral position of the rotors. In some cases, the control mechanism can be coupled to sensors, such as a light curtain and a laser distance sensor, in order to provide closed loop feedback control of a metal strip passing through the non-contact magnetic rotor steering device.

Control of self-excited third octave vibration in a metal rolling mill can be achieved by adjusting the tension of the metal strip as it enters a stand. Self-excited third octave vibration can be detected and/or measured by one or more sensors. A high-speed tension adjustor can rapidly adjust the entry tension of the metal strip (e.g., as the metal strip enters a mill stand) to compensate for the detected self-excited third octave vibration. High-speed tension adjustors can include any combination of hydraulic or piezoelectric actuators coupled to the center roll of a bridle roll to rapidly raise or lower the roll and thus induce rapid tension adjustments in the strip. Other high-speed tension adjustors can be used.

Process damping of self-excited third octave mill vibration

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Atlanta, GA, United States of America

David Anthony Gaensbauer