Device for monitoring an apparatus for induction heating of a metal material, method for automatic loading and control system
An apparatus for monitoring an apparatus for the inductive heating of a metal material, including a detection device and an evaluation device. In order to automate the loading of the inductive heating apparatus with bulk material or metal material, according to the invention the detection device is an optical sensor for detecting distance and the evaluation device is designed to determine, on the basis of the distance detected by the detection device, the fill level of the inductive heating apparatus and to output a corresponding signal, the signal being suitable for further use in a control process for the feeding of metal material to the inductive heating apparatus. The invention also relates to a method for automatically loading an apparatus for the inductive heating of a metal material and to a control system for an apparatus for the inductive heating of a metal material.
1 . A device for monitoring a device for inductive heating of a metal material during the filling of the device for induction heating with a detection device and with an evaluation device, wherein the detection device is a LIDAR sensor for detecting a distance, the detection device being configured to emit beams in the ultraviolet, infrared or visible range of light and to determine a distance value for a distance to be measured at a specific measurement time on the basis of a transit time of a measurement pulse between emission and reception after reflection, the detection device further configured such that several measuring pulses are emitted simultaneously and sent in the direction of a free surface of the metal material in order to observe a sinking behavior of several positions on the free surface of the metal material, and the evaluation device being configured to determine a fill level of the device for inductive heating on the basis of a distance detected by the detection device and to output a corresponding signal; wherein said corresponding signal being suitable for further use in a control process for a supply of metal material to the device for inductive heating; and wherein several distance values corresponding to several distances detected at the same time are taken into account in order to detect bridging in the metal material received by the device for inductive heating.
2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection device is configured for time-resolved detection of a distance and output of corresponding distance values, and in that the evaluation device is configured to trace a temporal development of the fill level on the basis of the distance values output by the detection device.
3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the fill level for a specific point in time corresponds to a distance between a reference position fixed relative to the device for inductive heating and a position on a free surface of the metal material received by the device for inductive heating at the specific point in time.
4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation device is further configured for accessing at least one preset and/or detected value for an operating parameter of the device for inductive heating, and in that the evaluation device is configured for recognising bridging in the metal material received by the device for inductive heating, taking into account a temporal development of the fill level and of the at least one preset and/or detected value for the operating parameter of the device for inductive heating.
5 . The device according to claim 4 , wherein the signal output by the evaluation device is suitable for further use by a warning device, and in that the warning device is configured for outputting a warning signal if the signal output by the evaluation device contains information about a positive detection of bridging.
6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection device is arranged at a conveying device for supplying metal material to the device for inductive heating.
7 . A control system for an apparatus for induction heating of a metal material comprising an apparatus according to claim 1 and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to regulate or control the supply of metal material to the device for induction heating as a function of a fill level of the device for induction heating.
8 . The control system according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit is configured to cause at least partial loading of the device for inductive heating by a conveying device when the fill level falls below a predetermined lower limit value, and/or to pause or stop when the fill level exceeds a predetermined upper limit value.