A design package for steel rod
production scheduling and mill design
The software (named Auto
Rod) is for the continuous, high-speed (e.g., 120m/s, or 24,000ft/min) hot rolling
in a rolling block in which all stands are driven by a single motor. Influences
from speed, temperature, interstand tension and steel
grade, etc. are considered. Various design procedures are provided for designer
to selection. Graphic presentation of results and capability for technical
drawing for groove overlay, roll and groove geometry, rolling diagram as well
as of summarizing load, power, temperature and interstand
tension. The software is intended to solve various problems many steel producers
currently suffer with, such as flutter (mill vibration during high speed
rolling).
Windows environment, user
interface and part of graphic functionality are programmed with Visual Basic.
Database is implemented with Visual Basic together with SQL, etc. The
calculation and most of the graphic functionality are implemented with C/C++
and MFC/Windows API. ActiveX and OLE are used for interface design and data
output overlay, while DLL is applied to connect calculation part with the
interface. In the whole design and implementation process, Object-oriented
technology is employed. Such a combination makes full utility of today's
software technology, to insure best software functionality with minimal
development cost.
Fig. 1: Form of Auto Rod used to plan the number of total stands required for a
steel mill
As an example, the form to
plan required number of stands is introduced (Fig.1). When user selects the
number of stand to have a trial, say, 16, then, 16 groups of data boxes will
automatically generated, allows the user to plan the area reduction, toll
diameter, groove type, etc. If the user changes to, say, 18 stands, then 18
groups of data boxes will be produced. This functionality was implemented with VB's control array. The first group of
data boxes were drawn in design stage. The height of the form is
automatically adjusted with the number of data boxes. The software allows user,
either to make a totally new design, or to modify based an existing design.
After the number of stands (passes) has been planned, the user can switch to
the pass editor, either by double click a given stand (for example, stand 16)
in "Stand No." box, or single click the stand and click the
"Edit Std." Button, or switch through the main form. The "Pass
Edit" form for oval passes is shown in Fig. 2, as an example.
Fig. 2: The "Pass
Edit" form used to edit oval passes
The "Pass Edit"
form, either for an oval pass or for a round pass, consists of six major parts:
For the design through
modifying an existing pass, the data of reference pass are displayed in the
form for modification. For new design, the system provides a roughly suggested
data in each field for modification.
The Object-Oriented design for the software
follows steps such as Use-case study, Conceptual model design, Dynamic model
design, etc. Class
diagram were designed and drawn with the Rational Rose software. Nearly 20 classes
were used. By arranging the interactive relationship of the classes, e.g.,
composition, association, derivation, the code can be in very rational order.
The implementation for the
software began in May 1999, and planed to be finished it by end of September
1999.