Liuzhou Iron and Steel Group’s “Smart Hot Rolling”
In recent years, Liuzhou Iron and Steel Group has actively promoted the application of informatization and intelligent technology in hot rolling, carried out green and low-carbon development actions, and developed new technologies such as fully automatic and efficient rolling, intelligent combustion, industrial big data application, and product performance forecasting in the plant. It has been put into use one after another, using intelligence to help reduce production energy consumption, adding strong impetus to the realization of green and low-carbon production goals.
1. Let smart equipment improve quality and reduce costs
Under the wave of digital and intelligent production and the background of “dual carbon” production, Liuzhou Iron and Steel Group’s hot rolling mill knows that high efficiency and high-precision control of production throughout the production line are the core to ensuring green, low-consumption production and high product quality of the hot rolling line. To this end, the factory continues to make up for its equipment shortcomings through technical transformation.
(1) Application of robot automatic printing system.
In May 2017, a product identification printing system based on robot technology was successfully put into use in the 1450mm hot rolling line, achieving a “zero” breakthrough in the application of robot technology in Liuzhou Iron and Steel’s production line. With the application of this intelligent equipment, steel coil marking has realized the transformation of automatic robot printing and intelligent control to completely replace manual printing, improving the quality and efficiency of printing, and also helping to further enhance the image of hot-rolled products.
(2) Application of a non-destructive transportation system for steel coils.
The factory used to transport steel coils in the form of a chain plate transport chain, which was transported vertically. The steel coils had to go through multiple driving and lifting, two flips, and four transfers from the coiler to the warehouse. Uncoiling was prone to occur during the process. , pinching, cross-section crushing and other roll quality problems; the lubrication method of the chain conveyor is open, and the high-temperature steel coils are in direct contact with the lubricating oil, generating a large amount of high-temperature oil smoke, which has problems such as being unenvironmentally friendly, high consumption, and high failure rates.
The hot rolling mill of Liuzhou Iron and Steel Group transformed the original chain plate transport chain into a double-row pallet transport line based on the layout of the post-coiler area. By adding multiple lifts, turntable devices and various position detection sensors, the pallet line was ensured Efficient and stable operation. At present, the post-rolling warehouse area has realized the “one-stop, fully automatic” transportation function, which effectively reduces labour and material costs, greatly improves the steel coil transportation efficiency, reduces the equipment failure rate, and at the same time better improves the steel coil shape and appearance. Physical quality.
2. Intelligent systems improve work efficiency
As the industry enters the information age, industrial big data is based on data collection and feature analysis of industrial systems to more effectively optimize the quality and production efficiency of equipment and equipment. Industrial big data has become an important part of the new round of industrial revolution. power. The hot rolling mill of Liuzhou Iron and Steel Group keeps pace with the times. By drawing on the experience of domestic advanced steel mills and collaborating with multiple parties, it has independently developed an intelligent steel coil surface quality detection system, a product performance forecasting system, and a comprehensive automatic product quality determination system to continuously improve its work. While improving efficiency, it greatly reduces the labour intensity of employees.
(1) Application of intelligent detection technology for steel coil surface quality.
Previously, the surface quality inspection of steel plates was carried out manually, and the inspection area was narrow. Only the tail and outer ring could be inspected. Sampling inspections were highly random, resulting in delayed inspections and a poor working environment. With the application of the steel coil surface quality online inspection system, the factory can conduct high-precision detection and identification of product defects in real-time, and carry out intelligent judgment and early warning on defective parts and categories, bringing surface inspection efficiency and inspection accuracy to a new level. , further enriching the strip surface quality monitoring and control methods.
(2) Application of product performance forecasting system.
With in-depth research on physical metallurgical models and application analysis of big data in the process industry, a tissue performance prediction system was developed through a school-enterprise cooperation model. This system can be used for both offline prediction and online prediction of tissue status in the new product development process. The structural state and mechanical properties of the rolled products are used to replace manual sampling, and the idea of “sampling-free” products becomes a reality.
(3) Development and application of a comprehensive automatic product quality determination system.
The previous judgment method of manually checking the quality data curve has problems such as being time-consuming and over-reliance on the personal experience of the operator. In order to further improve the efficiency of quality inspection and overall product quality control. By drawing on the experience of domestic advanced steel mills and collaborating with Eastcom Company, Technology Center, Quality Department and other units, the factory independently developed the “Automatic Steel Coil Judgment System”, integrating the experience of manual judgment, MMS metallurgical specifications, product execution standards, etc. Key information is combined to design judgment formulas and logic, realizing the system’s function of automatically judging size and quality.
3. Intelligent transformation of old reservoir areas
In order to accelerate the high-efficiency and high-precision control of the entire hot-rolling production line, Liuzhou Iron and Steel Group’s hot-rolling mills are constantly making up for equipment shortcomings, and are also using digital and intelligent technology applications to speed up the process from slabs entering the factory to products. Full process modification from the factory.
(1) 5G+ smart slab warehouse system.
The raw material slab warehouse of the plant’s 2032mm production line is 208 meters long and has a span of 33 meters. Three cranes work together to store, stack and load the slabs. The raw material warehouse accepts slabs that are rolled off the continuous casting line. The temperature of the slabs is as high as 500°C to 800°C. The working area is at high temperatures all year round. It is difficult for the receiving workers to confirm the slab data and storage location information in the working area. The uploaded information is accurate and timely. Lower sex. At the same time, driving in the working area is subject to high-temperature radiation, and the driving working environment is harsh. To this end, the hot rolling mill has repeatedly investigated demonstrated and proposed the idea of building a 5G+ smart slab warehouse.
Since there is no experience to draw from similar cases of domestic hot-rolled slab warehouses, from equipment installation to system debugging, the hot-rolling plant technical team and partners overcame numerous difficulties, continuously optimized and improved the problem, and finally officially launched it in March 2022. This project uses information technology to break the information silos in each production line and link to ensure efficient docking of front-end and back-end processes; at the same time, it digitally upgrades the entire raw material warehouse and develops driving positioning, anti-collision, anti-sway, and AI visual recognition. , driving smart inspection, warehouse area intelligent management system and other functions to realize the informatization of slab warehouse data, intelligent management, unmanned operation, and visual work, greatly improving production efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and helping to advance the dual carbon goal. At the same time It solves the previous problems of high manual data verification work intensity, low efficiency, and difficulty in finding slabs, further improves the working environment of employees, and increases the employee happiness index.
(2) The intelligent warehouse management system is put into use.
Previously, the storage of hot-rolled coil products that had just come off the production line required employees to go to the site to directly and manually confirm the steel coil storage location. This was inefficient, had a high error rate, and required a high intensity of work for employees. The factory independently promoted the development and application of the smart warehouse APP in conjunction with the commissioning of the fully automatic rolled steel coil transportation system. Now it has achieved remote control of steel coil warehousing and delivery, further improving the efficiency of finished product warehouse management and control.
In recent years, with the successive putting into use of intelligent projects in various units of Liuzhou Iron and Steel Group, it has taken a solid step towards building a “black light factory” for the group. These technologies are also being promoted to other production lines in the two bases. In the next step, we will fully promote the development and application of full-process quality control, equipment health control, energy management and control systems with the goal of a “transparent factory”, and comprehensively improve the quality of each production line and energy process supervision.