Snout Control System, and Hot-Dip Galvanizing Equipment Comprising Same

The present application is a U.S. National Phase of PCT Application No. PCT/KR2023/007040, filed May 24, 2023 which claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 10-2023-0026671 filed Feb. 28, 2023, Korean Application No. 10-2022-0066595 filed on May 31, 2022, Korean Application No. 10-2022-0066596 filed on May 31, 2022, which applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

The present disclosure relates to a snout control system and a hot dip galvanizing facility including the same, and more particularly, to a snout control system capable of automatically removing dross that floats within a snout apparatus during a process of producing a hot dip galvanizing steel plate and a hot dip galvanizing facility including the same.

A hot dip galvanizing facility is a molten metal facility that plates zinc coating on a surface of a steel plate having a high temperature by dissolving a zinc ingot into a high temperature melting state having 450 degrees or higher. In the hot dip galvanizing facility, dross having an Fe2Al structure, that is, an intermetallic compound, always occurs due to a temperature difference with ambient air and thermal and chemical instability, such as zinc oxidation attributable to a contact with discharging wiping air of an air knife that floats on a molten metal surface after colliding against a vertical strip surface. In particular, as various alloy element components, such as aluminum, manganese, and silicon, are added in order to enhance the corrosion-resistance of a plating steel plate, improve surface quality, etc., the amount of dross occurred is greatly increased due to external factors (a temperature difference, oxidation according to a wiping gas contact, etc.).

Such dross is adsorbed on a surface of the steel plate, and may cause various problems, such as a processing crack, plating peeling, the deterioration of coating properties, etc. during secondary processing. In particular, in order for the plating steel plate to be supplied for the cover panel of a vehicle, dross needs to be more strictly managed. In many steel companies, a lot of research is carried out even from the viewpoint of discharge management for minimizing the occurrence of dross by securing the thermal and chemical stability of a zinc plating bath so as to prohibit a dross defect and preventing alien substances, such as an ash (ZnO oxidation substances) defect, in addition to dross and floating matters on a molten metal surface, including both the alien substances and dross from being adsorbed onto the steel plate, by introducing a facility having a dam structure into a snout that has one end immersed in the zinc plating bath and that introduces the steel plate.

In general, many steel companies use a snout control system using a method of discharging dross that has crossed out to a dam to the back of a zinc plating bath, by using a structure having a dam form and a metal pump facility within the snorkel part of a snout apparatus in order to remove dross that floats within the snout apparatus.

However, such a conventional snout control system and a hot dip galvanizing facility including the same have a problem in that a defect occurs due to the adhesion of alien substances to a steel plate, because a case in which a dam is fully filled because the level of a zinc plating bath is too high during work or alien substances of dross, etc. are not discharged to the outside of the dam because the level of the zinc plating bath is too low frequently occurs. Furthermore, due to such a problem, there is a problem in that it is difficult for workers to handle dross management unless the workers monitor dam management within a snout apparatus according to a real-time change in the molten metal level of the zinc plating bath in real time, such as that the workers frequently check and manage the present dam management situation within the snout apparatus through hand work.

Furthermore, a snorkel part connected to the snout apparatus is integrally fabricated by being welded to the dam therein. In this case, the steel plate needs to be cut in order to replace the snorkel part, and thus there is a problem with productivity because a maintenance time for equipment is increased. Furthermore, there is a structural problem in that it is difficult to precisely process a surface of the dam. Accordingly, an object is to provide a snout control system capable of securing work convenience and quality stability and a hot dip galvanizing facility including the same, by applying a detachable dam and the detachable dam according to a real-time change in the molten metal level of the zinc plating bath and improving the aforementioned problems by automatically controlling the loads of the detachable dam and a pump unit based on the molten metal level by using a machine vision camera and a sensor.

Furthermore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a snout control system and method, which enable work convenience and quality stability to be secured by automatically analyzing the present work condition within a snout apparatus in real time.

Objects to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned object(s), and the other object(s) not described above may be evidently understood from the following description by those skilled in the art.

A snout control system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a snout apparatus configured to have one end immersed in a plating bath in which a hot dip galvanizing solution to plate a hot dip galvanizing steel plate has been accommodated during a process of producing the steel plate and to introduce the steel plate into the plating bath; a first sensor disposed on any part of the plating bath and capable of measuring a first water level of a bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solution; and a processor configured to control the snout apparatus and the first sensor. The snout apparatus includes a snorkel part configured to surround the steel plate that is introduced into the plating bath and to guide the steel plate so that the steel plate is introduced into the hot dip galvanizing solution accommodated in the plating bath through an opening that is formed at a bottom thereof, which has been immersed in the bath surface of the plating bath; a dam unit physically coupled to an outer wall part of the snorkel part as a detachable structure, capable of being driven along an outer wall of the snorkel part based on information on the first water level of the bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solution while operating in conjunction with the first sensor, including a first dam wall part that is spaced apart from an inner wall part of the snorkel part at a predetermined distance and that is formed along an inner circumference of the snorkel part so that the first dam wall part protrudes at a predetermined height in a height direction of the snorkel part in the opening of the snorkel part and a second dam wall part that is spaced apart from the first dam wall part at a predetermined distance and that is exposed to the bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solution, and configured to form an accommodation space capable of accommodating the hot dip galvanizing solution that is introduced through the opening between the inner wall part of the snorkel part and the first dam wall part and that then runs over the first dam wall part; and a pump unit installed outside the snorkel part and configured to pump the hot dip galvanizing solution accommodated in the accommodation space of the dam unit to the plating bath. The processor automatically controls a location of the dam unit based on a difference of a gap G between the first water level measured by the first sensor and the first dam wall part so that the gap is constantly maintained.

A snout control system according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a snout apparatus configured to have one end immersed in a plating bath in which a hot dip galvanizing solution to plate a hot dip galvanizing steel plate has been accommodated during a process of producing the steel plate and to introduce the steel plate into the plating bath; a first sensor disposed on any part of the plating bath and capable of measuring a first water level of a bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solution; and a processor configured to control the snout apparatus and the first sensor. The snout apparatus includes a dam unit physically coupled to an outer wall part of the snorkel part as a detachable structure, capable of being driven along an outer wall of the snorkel part based on information on the first water level of the bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solution while operating in conjunction with the first sensor, including a first dam wall part that is spaced apart from an inner wall part of the snorkel part at a predetermined distance and that is formed along an inner circumference of the snorkel part so that the first dam wall part protrudes at a predetermined height in a height direction of the snorkel part in the opening of the snorkel part and a second dam wall part that is spaced apart from the first dam wall part at a predetermined distance and that is exposed to the bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solution, and configured to form an accommodation space capable of accommodating the hot dip galvanizing solution that is introduced through the opening between the inner wall part of the snorkel part and the first dam wall part and that then runs over the first dam wall part; a camera module installed within the snorkel part, disposed on any part of the dam unit, and capable of recognizing alien substances that float on the bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solution; and a pump unit installed outside the snorkel part and configured to pump the hot dip galvanizing solution accommodated in the accommodation space of the dam unit to the plating bath. The processor controls a location of the dam unit or adjusts a load of the pump unit based on information that is obtained through a learning of an image of the alien substances by using the camera module so that a mixing of the alien substances that move into the steel plate is suppressed.

In the present disclosure, the processor receives a sensing signal from the first sensor, and constantly controls the gap by constantly controlling the gap by raising or lowering the dam unit so that a depth of the dam unit that has been immersed in the plating bath is capable of being adjusted or adjusting the load of the pump unit so that a rate of flow of the hot dip galvanizing solution that is pumped by the pump unit is capable of being controlled, based on the sensing signal.

In the present disclosure, the processor derives information on the gap G between a protrusion part that protrudes to the first dam wall part and the bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solution by combining the information on the first water level of the bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solution through the first sensor and information on the location of the dam unit, and constantly maintains the gap by controlling the location of the dam unit based on the derived information on the gap and information on the load of the pump unit.

In the present disclosure, the dam unit is constructed in a sliding rail form and is physically coupled to the outer wall part of the snorkel part. A driving apparatus for driving the dam unit is connected to any part of the snout apparatus in order to minimize an influence of heat energy that is transferred to the plating bath.

In the present disclosure, the processor increases a depth of the first dam wall part of the dam unit, which has been immersed in the plating bath, by lowering the dam unit when the information on the gap is smaller than a preset reference, and reduces the depth of the first dam wall part of the dam unit, which has been immersed in the plating bath, by raising the dam unit when the information on the gap is greater than a preset reference water level.

In the present disclosure, the snout apparatus further includes a second sensor installed on any one side of an internal space of the snorkel part and configured to detect information on the location of the dam unit or measure a second water level of the bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solution runs over the dam wall part and that is accommodated in the accommodation space of the dam unit.

In the present disclosure, the processor controls a gap between the second water level and the first water level to always have a set value or more through the second sensor so that the hot dip galvanizing solution does not flow backward from the accommodation space of the dam unit to the opening of the snorkel part.

In the present disclosure, the pump unit includes a housing part installed at a location corresponding to the dam unit outside the snorkel part, configured to have a pumping space therein connected to the accommodation space of the dam unit so that the pumping space communicates with the accommodation space, and configured to have an outlet formed on one side thereof so that the hot dip galvanizing solution that is introduced from the accommodation space to the pumping space is discharged to the plating bath; an impeller part rotatably installed in the pumping space of the housing part and configured to run, toward the outlet, the hot dip galvanizing solution introduced into the pumping space by its rotation driving; and a driving motor installed on one side of the housing part, connected to a rotation shaft of the impeller part, and configured to rotate and drive the impeller part.

In the present disclosure, the snout apparatus further includes a gas supply part formed on one side of the camera module and a gas suction part formed on the other side of the camera module in order to prevent zinc vapor that is generated from the hot dip galvanizing solution from being fixed to a lens of the camera module. The zinc vapor is removed by inert gas that is moved to a surface of the lens through the gas supply part and adsorbed by the gas suction part.

In the present disclosure, zinc vapor that is generated from the hot dip galvanizing solution is removed by adding a swirling flow to inert gas that is moved to a surface of a lens of the camera module in order to prevent the zinc vapor from being fixed to the lens of the camera module.

A snout control system according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a snout apparatus that is immersed in a plating bath in which a hot dip galvanizing solution has been accommodated and that introduces a steel plate into the plating bath; and a processor connected to the snout apparatus. The processor recognizes a difference between heights of a water level that is measured through a sensor for measuring a water level of a bath surface of a hot dip galvanizing solution and a dam unit of the snout apparatus, recognizes at least one of a structure within a snorkel part and alien substances on the bath surface based on an image that is photographed through a photographing apparatus installed in the snout apparatus, and controls the snout apparatus based on at least one of the recognized difference between the heights, the recognized structure within the snorkel part, and the recognized alien substances on the bath surface.

In the present disclosure, the processor recognizes a flow of the alien substances on the bath surface, which float on the bath surface within the snorkel part and approach the steel plate, by applying an optical flow to the image.

In the present disclosure, the processor indicates a first color when the alien substances are mixed into the bath surface within the snorkel part and indicates a second color when the alien substances are discharged from the bath surface within the snorkel part to an outside of the dam unit so that a present work condition within the snorkel part is able to be monitored in real time.

In the present disclosure, the processor maintains the height of the snout apparatus, when the difference between the heights is equal to or greater than a preset reference value, the preset structure is present in the image at a preset and predetermined ratio or more, and a direction of a flow of the alien substances on the bath surface is a forward direction.

In the present disclosure, the processor raises the height of the snout apparatus so that the alien substances on the bath surface are discharged to an outside of the dam unit, when the difference between the heights is equal to or greater than a preset reference value, the preset structure is present in the image at a predetermined ratio or more, and a direction of a flow of the alien substances on the bath surface is a backward direction.

In the present disclosure, the processor raises the snout apparatus so that the structure is present in the image at a predetermined ratio or more, when the difference between the heights is equal to or greater than a preset reference value and the structure is not present in the image at the predetermined ratio or more.

In the present disclosure, the processor maintains the height of the snout apparatus, when the difference between the heights is less than a preset reference value, the structure is present in the image at a predetermined ratio or more, and a direction of a flow of the alien substances on the bath surface is a forward direction.

In the present disclosure, the processor lowers the height of the snout apparatus so that the alien substances on the bath surface are discharged to an outside of the dam unit, when the difference between the heights is less than a reference value, the structure is present in the image at a predetermined ratio or more, and a direction of a flow of the alien substances on the bath surface is a backward direction.

In the present disclosure, the processor lowers the snout apparatus so that the structure is present at a predetermined ratio or more, when the difference between the heights is less than a reference value and the structure is not present in the image at the predetermined ratio or more.

As described above, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a flow of alien substances near the dam unit that is physically coupled to the outside of the snorkel part of the snout apparatus is detected in real time, and a difference between the water levels of bath surfaces inside and outside the dam unit is recognized through the sensor. Accordingly, a proper load is maintained by automatically controlling the depth of the bottom of the dam unit that has been immersed in the plating bath by raising or lowering the dam unit of the snout apparatus when the alien substances near the dam unit approach a steel plate so that the mixing of the alien substances into the steel plate is suppressed and a load of the pump unit is automatically adjusted based on a water level difference of a bath surface inside and outside the dam unit. Accordingly, alien substances that float within the snorkel part can be easily discharged, thereby increasing the lifespan of the pump unit.

As described above, the snout control system which may have an effect in that work convenience and quality stability are secured and the hot dip galvanizing facility including the same can be implemented by automatically controlling the management of the dam unit that is physically coupled to an external surface of the snout apparatus by using the sensor capable of detecting a real-time water level of a bath surface of a zinc plating bath.

Furthermore, the present disclosure may have effects in that the present work condition within the snorkel part can be monitored in real time and thus work convenience and quality stability can be secured by automatically controlling the snout apparatus based on at least one of the water level of a bath surface that is measured through the sensor, a structure within the snorkel part based on an image captured by the camera, and alien substances on the bath surface.

Moreover, there are effects in that alien substances can be prevented from adhering to a steel plate in a hot dip galvanizing process and a process trouble and a human error can be prevented, by monitoring a change in the water level of a bath surface through the sensor in real time, monitoring the present work condition within the snorkel part in real time by analyzing an image captured by the camera, and controlling the raising and lowering of the snout apparatus based on the results of the monitoring.

Meanwhile, effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned effects, and may include various effects within a range that is evident to a person skilled in the art from contents to be described hereinafter.

Hereinafter, several preferred embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The embodiments of the present disclosure are provided to a person having ordinary knowledge in the art in order to describe the present disclosure more fully. The following embodiments may be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more thorough and complete and to fully convey the spirit of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to drawings schematically illustrating ideal embodiments of the present disclosure.

is a process diagram schematically illustrating a method of manufacturing a hot dip galvanizing steel plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.is a perspective view schematically illustrating a hot dip galvanizing facility in the method of manufacturing a hot dip galvanizing steel plate in.is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the side of a snout control system installed in the hot dip galvanizing facility of.is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the front of the snout control system installed in the hot dip galvanizing facility of.is a perspective view schematically illustrating the inside of the snorkel part of a snout apparatus of.is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the front of the snout control system installed in the hot dip galvanizing facility of.is a perspective view schematically illustrating the inside of snorkel part of the snout apparatus of.are diagrams schematically illustrating a construction that protects the lens of a machine vision camera against zinc vapor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

First, as illustrated in, a facility using a method of manufacturing a hot dip galvanizing steel plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may basically include a welding facility, a heating facility, a rolling facility, and a post-processing facility. Furthermore, the facility may include a hot dip galvanizing facility, including a plating bath, a snout apparatus, a processorcontrolling the snout apparatus, and an air knife. The processormay be implemented with a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a micro controller unit (MCU), or a system on chip (SoC), may control a plurality of hardware or software components connected to the processorby driving an operating system or an application, may perform various types of data processing and operations, and may be constructed to execute at least one instruction stored in memory (not illustrated) and to store the resulting data of the execution in the memory (not illustrated).

As illustrated in, a steel platethat has been coiled after cold rolling or hot rolling is mounted on a payoff reel C. Welding between a preceding steel plateand a following steel plateis completed through the welding facility. Heat treatment may be performed on the steel platein the heating facilityin order to secure desired material strength and plating adhesion upon hot dip galvanizing.

Next, the steel plateon which the heat treatment has been completed may be input to the plating bathof the hot dip galvanizing facility in the state in which the steel plate has been maintained at a temperature suitable for a dip galvanizing process. In this case, the steel plate may be input through the snout apparatus, that is, a steel plate induction facility, in order to prevent the oxidation of a surface of the steel platewhich occurs because the steel plateon which the heat treatment has been performed at a high temperature is exposed to the atmosphere and a plating peeling phenomenon attributable to the exposure of the steel plate.

More specifically, the snout apparatusmay have one side connected to the heating facilityand the other side immersed in a bath surface of the plating bath, so that the steel plateon which the heat treatment has been performed in the heating facilitymay be introduced into the plating bathin which a hot dip galvanizing solutionhas been accommodated. The inside of the snout apparatusmay be filled with inert gas (NHx) in order to prevent plating peeling attributable to the oxidation of a surface of the steel plate.

Next, after the steel platethat has passed through the snout apparatusis plated with molten zinc in the plating bathin which the hot dip galvanizing solutionhas been accommodated, the amount of plating attached to the steel plate may be adjusted to a preset thickness by the air knifethat is installed above the plating bathand that adjusts the thickness of the molten zinc attached to the steel plate.

The steel plateon which the plating has been completed as described above may be fabricated in the state in which a surface of the steel plate is beautiful through temper rolling in the rolling facility. Thereafter, the steel plate may be finally commercialized by being wound on tension reel Cthrough a shape corrector, post-processing for securing corrosion resistance, and the post-processing facilityincluding a cutter.

The hot dip galvanizing facility in the method of manufacturing a hot dip galvanizing steel plate is described more specifically. As illustrated in, the steel platemay be introduced into the plating bathin which the hot dip galvanizing solutionhas been accommodated, by the snout apparatusthat is connected to the heating facilityand that has one end immersed in a bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solutionthat has been accommodated in the plating bath, a first sensorthat is disposed above a part of the plating bathand that may measure a first water level of a bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solution, and the processorthat controls the first sensor.

Furthermore, the steel platemay be consecutively transferred while the path line of the steel plate is vertically changed right above the plating bath, by a sink roll Rimmersed in the plating bathand stabilizing rolls Rinstalled right above the sink roll. Through such a process, the hot dip galvanizing solutionthat has been accommodated in the plating bathmay be attached to a surface of the steel plate.

Thereafter, the bending of the steel platethat has passed through the sink roll Rmay be corrected while the steel plate passes between the pair of stabilizing rolls Rinstalled right above the sink roll. The amount of molten zinc that is attached to a surface of the steel plate may be adjusted while the steel plate passes through the air knife.

As illustrated in, in the hot dip galvanizing facility, the snout apparatusbasically includes a snorkel part, a detachable dam unit, a pump unit, and the first sensorcapable of measuring the water level of a bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solution, and may be controlled by the processorthat operates in conjunction with the first sensor.

The snout apparatusis formed to surround the steel plateand has an internal space Afilled with inert gas (NHx), and can thus prevent the oxidation of a surface of the steel plateon which heat treatment has been performed at a high temperature in the heating facilityas the steel plate is exposed to the atmosphere. Furthermore, the snout apparatus may have a structure for preventing a surface defect from occurring because ash that is formed because vapor of the hot dip galvanizing solutionthat has been accommodated in the plating bathis condensed is attached to a surface of the steel plateas alien substances.

The snorkel parthaving a part immersed in a bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solutionthat has been accommodated in the plating bathmay be installed on a lower side of the snout apparatus. More specifically, the snorkel partis formed to surround the steel platethat has been introduced into the plating bath, and may guide the steel plateso that the steel plate is introduced into the hot dip galvanizing solutionthat has been accommodated in the plating bath, through an openingthat has been formed at a bottom thereof that has been immersed in a bath surface of the plating bath.

In this case, the snorkel part further includes the detachable dam unit, which includes a first dam wall partand a second dam wall partthat are physically coupled to an outer wall part of the snorkel part, that may be driven along an outer wall of the snorkel partbased on information on the first water level of a bath surface of the hot dip galvanizing solutionwhile operating in conjunction with the first sensor, that are spaced apart from an inner wall partof the snorkel partat a predetermined distance in the opening of the snorkel part, and that are formed along the inner circumference of the snorkel partso that the first dam wall part and the second dam wall part protrude at a predetermined height in the height direction of the snorkel part, and which forms an accommodation space capable of accommodating the hot dip galvanizing solutionthat runs over the first dam wall partafter being introduced through the opening between the second dam wall partand the first dam wall partspaced apart from the inner wall partof the snorkel part.