TPT September 2008

 Figure 4 : Typical configuration of the Tumicon system

4.1 Interface and automation concept The diagram (figure 4) shows a typical configuration of the Tumicon system integrated in the automation schedule of a stretch reducing mill. The mill must be equipped with a wall thickness gauge at the entry side of the stretch reducing block. This system is required for the automatic wall thickness control (AWC). The AWC also requires speed measurement instruments on the entry and exit side of the mill to calculate the mass flow through the mill. The reference speeds (motor speeds for the stationary condition) are multiplied by correction values coming from the TecBox. In this situation, the TecBox controls the speed of the individual motors during rolling of the tube. Different functions are applied to the tube, which are described in the chapters below. 4.2 Automatic wall thickness control (AWC) The AWC function controls the wall thickness of the outcoming tube during rolling. The wall thickness can be adjusted by applying tension to the tube.

Roll inventory The roll inventory module handles all kinds of roll preparation and modification. All steps are traced internally so that the roll life is completely available in a roll history module (option). Roll shelf A roll shelf can be defined in Tumicon according to the actual situation at the customer’s mill. If the roll shelf option is switched on, the location of each roll set in the shelf is indicated in the roll inventory module. External systems can read this information. The staff members of the roll shop can easily find the roll set in the shelf. 4. Tumicon TecBox and Inspect In order to profit from all the technical possibilities of the new Kocks SRB, Kocks developed a new online control system based on a very fast VME-bus high-speed controller – called Tumicon TecBox. Due to its open connectivity, the system can be easily adapted to different drive systems and is, therefore, also applicable to other stretch reducing mills, eg with 1 or 2 group drives. The TecBox is completed by the visualization system – Tumicon Inspect, a user-friendly interface to the technological functions of this system.

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S eptember 2008

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