Metal treatment – Process of modifying or maintaining internal physical... – Heating or cooling of solid metal
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-24
2001-11-13
Ip, Sikyin (Department: 1742)
Metal treatment
Process of modifying or maintaining internal physical...
Heating or cooling of solid metal
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315845
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of straightening rolled sectional steel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cooling of rolled sectional steel, for example, I-sections and U-sections or angles, usually takes place on a cooling bed. Because of non-uniform cooling, the sections become distorted. This distortion has a negative effect on the straightness and internal stress state of the sections. Taken together, these two quality criteria can be compared to the quality criterion flatness in strip rolling. A reduced straightness (section curvature, twist and bending curvature) frequently occurs when high internal stresses occur. Curved sections must be further processed. Internal stresses reduce the load bearing capacity of the sections.
In accordance with the prior art, when curvatures occur they are returned at low section temperatures by means of one or more straightening processes to a tolerable extent. Used for this purpose are roller straightening machines and straightening presses.
Roller straightening machines which continuously straighten the sections, initially produce another curvature of the section to a defined dimension. As this occurs, the existing internal stresses are eliminated by new defined internal stresses. However, this is inherently not possible over the entire cross-section of the section. In the area of the neutral fiber, a material area remains which is not influenced over the entire straightening process. After the first bending process has occurred, the product is subjected to a defined alternating bending with several changes of the curvature. This changes the internal stresses in such a way that the section is straight after the straightening process. Inherently, residual internal stresses remain. The internal stresses remaining in the sectional steel are a disadvantage because of the already mentioned problems with respect to the load bearing capacity of the sections. Sections with substantial curvatures additionally pose problems during the straightening process, for example, the threading-in into the machine.
In the discontinuously operating straightening press, individual portions of the sectional steel which are impermissibly strongly curved are one after the other compensated by a bending process which is as much as possible the opposite of the curvature. When using the straightening press, it is not possible to influence the internal stress state. The discontinuous and unknown internal stress state after the straightening process has a disadvantageous effect on the load bearing capacity of the section. This process harmfully influences the material flux during the manufacture of sectional steel and requires a lot of time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, starting from the prior art discussed above, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a method of straightening rolled sectional steel which does not require the complicated apparatus of the straightening devices described above and produces a sectional steel which is of high quality and is low in internal stress.
The straightening effect of the method according to the present invention is based on the known effect of straightening by stretching, as used, for example, in stretching devices in which the product is actively pulled or drawn until a plastic deformation occurs in the stretching direction over the cross-section of the product. However, in the method according to the present invention, and contrary to known methods and devices, the straightening effect is not achieved actively through tools which carry out a pulling and/or possible bending operation, but by transforming a thermal elongation into a plastic elongation of the sectional steel.
Specifically, in a method of the above-described type, this is achieved by clamping and subsequently cooling at least a sectional steel whose maximum local cross-sectional temperature is below A
r1
and whose minimum local cross-sectional temperature is above a lower limit temperature &ugr;
u
wherein already the lower limit temperature &ugr;
u
produces as a result of clamping a thermal elongation in all fibers of the sectional steel which is greater than the elongation which would be required for a plastification of the fibers which would be subjected to the greatest internal compressive stresses if the sectional steel were exclusively air cooled without clamping.
A prerequisite for carrying out the method according to the present invention is that the sectional steel is only clamped after it has been completely transformed. Due to cooling, the sectional steel held in stationary clamping means is elongated as a result of the temperature decrease (thermal elongation). This thermal elongation is transformed into a combined elastic/plastic elongation of the sectional steel. In spite of different plastic elongations over the cross-section of the sectional steel, the elastic elongation component is uniform, so that no curvature of the sectional steel has to be expected even after untensioning of the sectional steel. The reason for this is to be seen in the fact that, due to the generally low elongation difference over the cross-section of the sectional steel, no significant yield stress differences due to solidification have to be expected.
When the sectional steel is being clamped, the temperature of the sectional steel may not exceed A
r1
at any location of the sectional steel and may not drop below a lower limit temperature &ugr;
u
at any location. This is because if the temperature drops below the lower limit temperature &ugr;
u
, the elongation in the clamped sectional steel resulting at this temperature is not sufficient for plasticizing those fibers which are subjected to the greatest internal compressive stress E
&sgr;D
, max which occurs at normal air cooling of the sectional steel without clamping of the sectional steel.
The lower limit temperature &ugr;
&sgr;
, at which the straightening method according to the present invention can still be carried out, can be obtained by computation using the following formula:
ϑ
u
=
ϑ
end
of
clamping
+
k
f
+
E
ϑ
Di
max
α
·
E
,
wherein
&ugr;
u
:
lower limit temperature
&ugr;
end of clamping
:
temperature toward the end of clamping
of the sectional steel,
k
f
:
cold yield point of the sectional steel,
E:
modulus of elasticity E of the sectional
steel at RT,
&agr;:
linear coefficient of thermal expansion
of the sectional steel,
E
&sgr;D
, max:
maximum value of the internal
compressive stress of the sectional
steel when cooling the sectional steel
in air without clamping.
&ugr;
end of clamping
= 80° C. and k
f
= 380 N/mm
2
results for steel in a lower limit temperature of about &ugr;
u
= 330° C.
In order to prevent damage at the usable portions of the sectional steel, the steel is clamped during cooling at its ends which are cut off after cooling.
When different rolled lengths of the sectional steel are produced, at least one of the means for clamping the sectional steel which are stationary during cooling must be moveable.
For reducing the internal stresses remaining in the section, it has been found advantageous to cool the clamped sectional steel to a temperature of below 100° C., particularly in the range of about 80° C., which is the temperature at which the sectional steel is usually transferred to a cooling bed. Since, in the method according to the present invention, the internal stresses remaining in the sectional steel depend primarily on the temperature level toward the end of the cooling process with the sectional steel being clamped, no significant thermal inhomogeneities and, thus, internal stresses have to be expected at these temperatures after further cooling to ambient temperature.
When the sectional steel is cooled in an accelerated manner, the time during which the clamping means and cooling devices are required for carrying out the method is shortened. This makes it p
Bohmer Bruno
Hartung Georg
Kummel Lutz
Roloff Wolfgang
Ip Sikyin
Kueffner Friedrich
SMS Schloemann--Siemag Aktiengesellschaft
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