Method and apparatus for controlling metal strip profile during rolling with direct measurement of process parameters

1. A rolling mill comprising:

a first work stand defining a first roll gap;

a second work stand downstream from the first work stand and comprising an upper work roll, a lower work roll, and a roll tilt actuator, wherein the upper work roll and the lower work roll define a second roll gap, wherein the first work stand and the second work stand are adapted to receive a metal substrate moving along a pass line, and wherein the roll tilt actuator is configured to control an inclination of at least one of the upper work roll or the lower work roll relative to the pass line;

a strip sensor at an interstand location along the pass line between the first work stand and the second work stand, wherein the strip sensor is configured to measure a parameter of the metal substrate at the interstand location; and

a controller operably coupled to the roll tilt actuator and the strip sensor, wherein the controller is configured to receive sensor data from the strip sensor comprising the measured parameter of the metal substrate, compare the measured parameter to a target parameter, and actuate the roll tilt actuator such that the measured parameter is within a predefined tolerance of the target parameter,

wherein the strip sensor is a strip property sensor, wherein the rolling mill further comprises a position sensor along the pass line between the first work stand and the second work stand, wherein the position sensor is configured to detect a relative location of the metal substrate, and wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a three-dimensional position of the metal substrate based on the measured parameter from the strip property sensor and the detected relative location of the metal substrate from the position sensor; and

actuate the roll tilt actuator such that the determined three-dimensional position is within a predefined tolerance of a target position.

2. The rolling mill of claim 1 , wherein the second work stand is a last work stand of the rolling mill, wherein the rolling mill further comprises an exit sensor downstream from the last work stand, wherein the exit sensor is operably connected to the controller and is configured to measure an exit parameter of the metal substrate after the last work stand, and actuate the roll tilt actuator based on the measured exit parameter.

3. The rolling mill of claim 2 , wherein the exit sensor comprises a thickness sensor configured to measure a thickness of the metal substrate across a width of the metal substrate after the last work stand.

4. The rolling mill of claim 2 , wherein the exit sensor comprises a flatness sensor configured to measure a flatness of the metal substrate across a width of the metal substrate after the last work stand.

5. The rolling mill of claim 1 , wherein the strip sensor comprises a tension sensor, a temperature sensor, a width sensor, or a thickness sensor.

6. The rolling mill of claim 1 , wherein the measured parameter comprises a thickness of the metal substrate across a width of the metal substrate.

7. The rolling mill of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to calibrate a setup model of the second work stand based on the measured parameter.

8. The rolling mill of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to calculate a second parameter of the metal substrate based on the measured parameter, compare the calculated second parameter with a target second parameter, and actuate the roll tilt actuator such that the calculated second parameter is within a predefined tolerance of the target second parameter.

9. The rolling mill of claim 1 , wherein the target position is a centerline of the upper work roll and the lower work roll of the second work stand.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a metal substrate moving along a pass line in a first roll gap of a first work stand of a rolling mill;

receiving the metal substrate moving along the pass line in a second roll gap of a second work stand of the rolling mill, wherein the second work stand is downstream from the first work stand and comprises an upper work roll, a lower work roll, and a roll tilt actuator, wherein the upper work roll and the lower work roll define the second roll gap, wherein the roll tilt actuator is configured to control an inclination of at least one of the upper work roll or the lower work roll relative to the pass line;

measuring a parameter of the metal substrate with a strip sensor at an interstand location along the pass line between the first work stand and the second work stand;

comparing the measured parameter to a target parameter; and

actuating the roll tilt actuator such that the measured parameter is within a predefined tolerance of the target parameter,

wherein measuring the parameter comprises measuring a strip property parameter of the metal substrate, and wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a relative location of the metal substrate with a position sensor between the first work stand and the second work stand;

determining a three-dimensional position of the metal substrate based on the measured strip property parameter and the detected relative location of the metal substrate; and

actuating the roll tilt actuator such that the determined three-dimensional position is within a predefined tolerance of a target position.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second work stand is a last work stand of the rolling mill, wherein the method further comprises measuring an exit parameter of the metal substrate after the last work stand, and wherein actuating the roll tilt actuator comprises actuating the roll tilt actuator based on the measured exit parameter.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein actuating the roll tilt actuator based on the measured exit parameter comprises actuating the roll tilt actuator based on a measured exit thickness of the metal substrate across a width of the metal substrate after the last work stand.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein actuating the roll tilt actuator based on the measured exit parameter comprises actuating the roll tilt actuator based on a measured exit flatness of the metal substrate after the last work stand.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein measuring the parameter comprises measuring at least one of a tension in the metal substrate, a temperature of the metal substrate, a width of the metal substrate, or a thickness of the metal substrate.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising calibrating a setup model of the second work stand based on the measured parameter.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising calculating a second parameter of the metal substrate based on the measured parameter, comparing the calculated second parameter with a target second parameter, and actuating the roll tilt actuator such that the calculated second parameter is within a predefined tolerance of the target second parameter.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein actuating the roll tilt actuator comprises actuating the roll tilt actuator such that the determined three-dimensional position is within a predefined tolerance of a centerline of the upper work roll and the lower work roll of the second work stand.

18. A method comprising:

measuring a thickness profile of a metal substrate with a thickness profile measurement sensor, wherein the thickness profile measurement sensor is disposed at an interstand location between work stands of a rolling mill;

measuring a flatness of the metal substrate with a flatness measurement sensor, wherein the flatness measurement sensor is disposed downstream from a last work stand of the rolling mill;

receiving data at a controller from the thickness profile measurement sensor and the flatness measurement sensor;

detecting a relative location of the metal substrate with a position sensor between a first work stand of the work stands and a second work stand of the work stands;

determining a three-dimensional position of the metal substrate based on the measured thickness profile and the detected relative location of the metal substrate; and

actuating, by the controller, a roll tilt actuator such that a work stand of the rolling mill provides a desired thickness profile and a desired flatness of the metal substrate within predefined tolerances and wherein actuating comprises actuating such that the determined three-dimensional position is within a predefined tolerance of a target position.