IP Library Granted Patent US 9,033,220
Granted Patent B2
US 9,033,220 · App. 14/355,646 · Granted May 19, 2015

Production management method for steel tubes and pipes

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,033,220
App. No.
14/355,646
Granted
May 19, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is provided a production management method for steel tubes and pipes produced through a plurality of production processes, including: a step of machining a matrix code, which encodes tube or pipe information, in a tube or pipe end by a laser beam so that the central angle of width of the matrix code in a circumferential direction of the tube or pipe is 30° or smaller; and a step of reading the matrix code automatically by using a linear sensor type camera, wherein through reading the matrix code, the production history is managed by identifying and recording the production information and quality information corresponding to each steel tube or pipe for each tube or pipe number, and the tube or pipe information is retrievable as necessary.

Claims (11)

1. A production management method for steel tubes and pipes produced through a plurality of production processes, including:

a step of machining a matrix code, which encodes tube or pipe information, in a tube or pipe end by a laser beam so that the central angle of width of the matrix code in a circumferential direction of the tube or pipe is 30° or smaller;

a step of reading the matrix code automatically by using a linear sensor type camera, wherein the matrix code machined on the surface of the steel tube or pipe is read while rotating and conveying the steel tube or pipe; and

a step of reading the matrix code manually by using an area sensor type camera, wherein

through reading the matrix code, the production history is managed by identifying and recording the production information and quality information corresponding to each steel tube or pipe for each tube or pipe number, and

the tube or pipe information is retrievable as necessary.

2. The production management method for steel tubes and pipes according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of reading the matrix code automatically by using the linear sensor type camera, a feed skew angle of steel tube or pipe is set at 16° or smaller.

3. The production management method for steel tubes and pipes according to claim 1 , wherein the method is a production management method for a heat exchanger tube for steam generators.

4. The production management method for steel tubes and pipes according to claim 3 , wherein the production processes of the steel tube include a grinding process, and in the grinding process, the method further includes a step of controlling a grinding head retraction to avoid grinding the tube end portion on which the matrix code is machined.

5. The production management method for steel tubes and pipes according to claim 2 , wherein the method is a production management method for a heat exchanger tube for steam generators.

6. The production management method for steel tubes and pipes according to claim 5 , wherein the production processes of the steel tube include a grinding process, and in the grinding process, the method further includes a step of controlling a grinding head retraction to avoid grinding the tube end portion on which the matrix code is machined.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 14, 2019
From: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
To: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 049257/0828 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 7, 2014
From: HYODO, SHIGETOSHI; TSUYUGUCHI, SATOSHI; KUBOTA, KAZUTO
To: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 033247/0677 →