Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
FACILITY FOR PROCESSING STEEL
FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to the field of steel processing.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Coiled steel is ubiquitously produced by steel mills around the world.
These coils are often shipped to secondary processors at which various
machines
are situated.
[0003] A decoiler turns a coil of steel into a long ribbon of steel having the
same
width as the coil.
[0004] A slitter turns a long ribbon of steel into two or more narrow ribbons
having the same length as the long ribbon.
[0005] A cut-to-length line turns a long ribbon of steel into a plurality of
sheets
of steel, each having the same width as the ribbon.
[0006] A coiler turns a long ribbon of steel into a coil having the same width
as
the ribbon.
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[0007] Secondary processors serve a wide variety of customers with equally
varied needs for product. To meet these needs, processors conventionally
produce product as needed. Thus, if a customer has a need for a coil of a
certain
width and length, the processor draws a coil from inventory that can be cut
and slit
to that length and passes it through the machines to produce the coil.
Similarly, if
a customer has a need for sheets of steel of a certain width and length, the
processor draws a coil from inventory that can be cut and slit into sheets of
those
widths and lengths and passes it through the machines as required.
[0008] At the end of each of the above process, the remaining material is
coiled
and returned to inventory using a manual overhead crane.
[0009] Coils are conventionally placed in a single layer in a storage area and
stabilized against rolling movement.
[0010] Attention is given to the coil selected for slitting and cutting-to-
length,
with a view to minimizing, inter alia, material waste.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Forming one aspect of the invention is a facility comprising: a
line, a
plurality of stackable cassettes, premises, a splitter subfacility, automated
transfer
apparatus; and an automated overhead crane.
[0012] The line is for producing packages, the line being selected from
slitting
line and cut-to-length line, the packages being coils of steel when the line
is the
slitting line and being stacks of steel sheets when the line is the cut-to-
length line.
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'
[0013] In the plurality of stackable cassettes, each cassette is adapted to
receive
at least one package.
[0014] The premises include: a loading area for loading cassettes with
packages;
a storage area in which cassettes are stored; and a transition zone including
at
least one transfer position.
[0015] The splitter subfacility is for: receiving the contents of a cassette,
removing and packaging for shipment at least some of such contents and
returning
the remainder; or receiving a cassette, removing and packaging for shipment at
least some of such contents and returning the cassette.
[0016] The automated transfer apparatus for moving: the contents of a cassette
disposed at the transfer position to the splitter subfacility and for moving a
package
from the splitter subfacility to a cassette in the transfer position; or for
moving a
cassette in the transfer position to the splitter subfacility and for moving a
cassette
from the splitter subfacility to the transfer position.
[0017] The automated overhead crane extends over the storage area, the loading
area and the transition zone and is adapted to move cassettes therebetween.
[0018] According to another aspect, the facility can further comprise a manual
overhead receiving crane for moving packages from the line to the loading area
and
be characterized in that it is adapted to arrest movement of the automated
overhead crane in the loading area, if a human is in the loading area.
[0019] According to another aspect, the facility can comprise a receiving area
for
receiving packages from the line and the manual overhead crane can be adapted
to
move packages from the receiving area to the loading area.
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[0020] According to another aspect, the facility can further comprise: a bay
for
receiving trucks; and a manual overhead shipping crane for moving packages
from
the splitting subfacility to the bay.
[0021] According to another aspect, the facility can comprise: a shipping
area;
and a manual overhead shipping crane for moving packages from the splitting
subfacility to the shipping area.
[0022] According to another aspect, the line can be the cut-to-length line;
and
the automated apparatus can be for moving the contents of a cassette in the
transfer position to the splitter subfacility and for moving a package from
the
splitter subfacility to a cassette in the transfer position.
[0023] According to another aspect, each cassette can have a plurality of
apertures in the base thereof; and the transfer apparatus can comprise a
conveyor
and a lifter.
[0024] The conveyor has a plurality of rollers over which packages pass to and
from the splitter subfacility. The lifter has a plurality of rollers, the
rollers: having a
lowered position whereat, when a cassette, loaded with a package, is at the
transfer position, the rollers are beneath the package; and having a raised
position,
whereat the rollers protrude through the apertures of the cassette to form an
extension of the conveyor adapted to deliver packages to the conveyor and to
receive packages from the conveyor.
[0025] According to another aspect, each cassette can define a hollow and, at
each end of the hollow, an aperture, the aperture providing for communication
between the rollers of the lifter when in the raised position and the rollers
of the
conveyor.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a facility according to an exemplary
embodiment of the invention;
[0027] FIG. 2 is a view of the structure of FIG. 1 with portions removed;
[0028] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the structure of encircled area 3 of
FIG. 1;
[0029] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the structure of encircled area 4 of
FIG. 2, in a lowered position;
[0030] FIG. 5 is a view of the structure of FIG. 4 in a raised position;
[0031] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the structure of
encircled
area 6 of FIG. 1;
[0032] FIG. 7 is a view of the structure of FIG. 4 in use with the
structure of
FIG. 3 and with a stack of sheet steel;
[0033] FIG. 8 is a view of the structure of FIG. 7 with the rollers
raised;
[0034] FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 with the stack partially
ejected;
[0035] FIG. 10 is a view of an alternate embodiment of the structure of FIG.
3;
[0036] FIG. 11 is a view of an alternate embodiment of the structure of FIG.
6;
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[0037] FIG. 12 is a view of an alternate embodiment of a stack, a lifter for
the
stack and a splitter subfacility for splitting the stack; and
[0038] FIG. 13 is a view of a pallet used in the embodiment of FIG. 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0039] A facility 20 constructed according to an exemplary embodiment of the
invention is shown in FIG. 1 and will be understood to include premises and
equipment as shown in FIG. 2 and cassettes as shown in FIG. 3
Premises
[0040] The premises will be seen to include a package receiving area 22, a
loading area 24, a cassette storage area 26, a shipping area 28, a transition
zone
30 having at least one transfer position 32 and a truck bay 34.
Equipment
[0041] The equipment will be seen to comprise a line 36, a splitter
subfacility 38,
a manual overhead receiving crane 40, an automated storage crane 42, a manual
overhead shipping crane 44 and an automated transfer apparatus 46.
[0042] The line 36 is a cut-to-length line for producing packages in the form
of
stacks of steel sheets from coils of steel.
[0043] The splitter subfacility 38 in this embodiment is defined by a pair of
lifters
48 and a pair of conveyors 50.
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[0044] The lifter will be seen in isolation in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 and will be
understood to include a plurality of rollers 51, each roller being adapted for
driving
rotational movement about its axis in fore and aft directions and the
plurality of
rollers being adapted for movement between a lowered position as shown in FIG.
4
and a raised position as shown in FIG. 5. The conveyor (not shown in detail)
will
be understood to function generally similarly to the lifter but with rollers
fixed at an
elevation intermediate the raised and lowered position of the lifter.
[0045] The manual overhead receiving crane extends from the receiving area 22
to the loading area 24 as indicated by dotted line 40'.
[0046] The automated overhead receiving crane 42 extends over the cassette
storage 26 area, the transition zone 30 and the loading area 24 as indicated
by
dotted line 42'.
[0047] The manual overhead shipping crane 44 extends over the conveyors
50,50 of the splitter subfacility 38, the shipping area 28 and the truck bay
34, as
indicated by dotted line 44'.
[0048] The automated transfer apparatus 46 includes a pair of lifters 48 as
aforedescribed, a plurality of conveyors 50 as aforedescribed and a pair of
turntables 52. The turntables (not shown in detail) will be understood to
function
generally similarly to the conveyors but the plurality of rollers are adapted
for
rotation about a vertical axis. The lifters are each positioned at one of
the
transfer positions. One of the turntables is provided for each lifter. One of
the
conveyors is provided for each lifter to couple said each lifter to the
turntable
provided therefor. A further one of the conveyors extends between the
turntables
and the final of the conveyors extends to the lifters of the splitter
subfacility from
one of the turntables.
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Cassette
[0049] As seen in FIG. 3, the cassette 54 used in this embodiment: defines a
rectangular hollow 56; has four peripherally spaced lugs 58; has a base 60
defining
the bottom of the hollow in which a plurality of apertures 62 are defined;
has, at
each end of the hollow, a rectangular aperture 64; and has a plurality of
receptacles 66 on the underside having a shape complementary with the lugs, to
permit stacking.
Receiving
[0050] In operation, the cut-to-length line 36 delivers packages (stacks of
sheets) to the receiving area 22. In this embodiment, packages are banded for
transport in this area.
Loading
[0051] Banded packages are transported by overhead crane 44 to an empty
cassette in the loading area 24. Banding is manually removed in this location.
Storage
[0052] The automated overhead crane 42 transfers empty cassettes to the
loading area 24 and loaded cassettes to the storage area26. Access control is
provided around the perimeter of the loading area; humans cannot enter the
loading area when the automated crane is overhead and the overhead crane
cannot
overly the loading area when humans are therewithin. FIG. 6 shows a loaded
cassette in the carriage of the overhead crane.
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Splitting
[0053] The contents of a cassette are split by delivery, by the automated
crane,
of the cassette to one of the transfer areas 32 in the transition zone, as
shown by
FIG. 7. So positioned, the rollers of the lifter 48 will be at the lowered
position,
beneath the package, and the rollers of the adjacent conveyor 50 will lead to
the
aperture 64 of the cassette. The rollers of lifter 48 are raised to an
elevated
position, as shown in FIG. 8, whereat the rollers protrude through the
apertures 62
of the cassette to form an extension of the adjacent conveyor. Thereafter, the
rollers drive the package onto the adjacent conveyor, as indicated by the
sequence
of FIGS. 8, 9. The package is then passed by such conveyor to the adjacent
turntable 52, optionally through a further combination of conveyor 50 and
turntable
52, and ultimately on to a final conveyor 50 that communicates with the
lifters 48
of the splitting subfacility 38.
[0054] In this embodiment, splitting is done manually, by moving sheets from
the package to a pallet. To minimize effort, this is done through a pair of
adjacent
lifters, to minimize the elevation difference between the sheet being removed
from
the package and the pallet onto which the sheet is to be loaded. Once the
pallet
has been suitably loaded, the pallet is passed to the conveyors 50 within
reach of
the manual overhead crane, banded and removed by the overhead crane to a truck
in the bay 34 or the shipping area 28, as appropriate. If only a portion of
the
cassette has been loaded onto a pallet, the remainder is returned to a
cassette,
using a reversal of the process indicated above, and then returned to storage.
If
the intent of the transfer was to fully empty the cassette, the cassette from
which
the material was removed is automatically stored by the overhead crane either
within the transition zone or the storage area.
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[0055] It has been found, surprisingly, that if the line is operated with a
view to
maximum throughput, the production costs benefit outweigh the incremental
costs
of carrying the inventory and splitting the production, resultant from the
relatively
low amounts of floor space occupied by the inventory and the relatively low
cost at
which it can be accessed by virtue of the automated crane.
[0056] Whereas a specific embodiment has been hereinbefore described, it will
be evident that variations are possible.
[0057] For example, only, whereas the exemplary embodiment handles stacks
of
steel, the invention can be embodied for use with a slitter by providing
= cassettes that handle multiple coils, as shown by FIG. 10
= overhead cranes adapted for carriage thereof as shown by FIG. 11
= a splitter subfacility adapted to receive a cassette, remove and package
for
shipment at least some of such contents and returning the cassette; and
= automated transfer apparatus for moving a cassette in the transfer
position
to the splitter subfacility and for moving a cassette from the splitter
subfacility to the transfer position
[0058] As an alternative to the cassettes above, split coils could also be
stored in
stacks 70, as shown in FIG. 12, either in cassettes of the general type shown
in
FIG. 3 or in isolation. Cassettes loaded with split coils could be moved with
an
overhead crane in the manner indicated above and unloaded with the lifter
indicated above. Stacks of the type shown in FIG. 12 could alternatively be
moved
with a four arm pallet lifter 72, as indicated in FIG. 12, if positioned upon
a pallet
such as that shown in FIG. 13. Splitting can be done with the four arm pallet
lifter
or, one slit coil at a time, with a magnetic lifter 76, as shown in FIG. 12.
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[0059] Other variations can also be provided, for example, secondary
inspection
could be provided by providing another access controlled area, similar to the
loading area.
[0060] Accordingly the invention should be understood to be limited only by
the
accompanying claims, purposively construed.
11.
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