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Home > Case Studies > Case One Confirmation of correct stamping of identification numbers on red-hot steel The Problem A semi-automatic system stamps identification numbers on the end of a steel billet as it moves along a conveyor in a rolling mill. The steel is approximately 900 degrees Celsius, and the surface may be heavily covered with scale. Because of this scale, the stamping is occasionally faulty, and so it is necessary to confirm a 'good' marking has been made. The steel billet cannot be stopped at this point, and visual inspection is difficult, uncomfortable and potentially hazardous. The Solution A camera was located in a heavy-duty cooled housing close to the path of the hot billets, with a field of view that presented a clear close-up view of the stamped mark. Special filtering was used to enhance the visibility of the stamp. As each billet passed a sensor, it triggered the camera to make a 'snapshot' of the stamp, with an exposure time of around 1 millisecond to provide a sharp, non-blurred image of the moving billet. An operator located in a safe and comfortable location then inspects the stamp, and if it is satisfactory, allows the billet to proceed further. If a fault is seen, the billet can be diverted for re-processing. All stamp marks can be recorded for archiving and product quality assurance if required. A variation of this equipment is also used to monitor the size of the leading-end cut-off of material in a bar mill, reducing scrap amounts to the minimum safe length. This equipment gives a payback time measured in a few weeks by increasing yield at a point in the process where almost all the added-value of the product has been incurred. |
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