Method and apparatus for joining steel pieces in a hot rolling mill.

摘要

Methods and apparatus for joining conveyed steel pieces in a hot rolling mill are disclosed. A joining apparatus having a series of fusing torches (6) extending laterally across the steel path is used, either before a rough rolling stage or between rough rolling and finish rolling. The fusing torches (6) which operate at the side edges of the pieces to be joined are controlled to have independent movement by a controller (37), in such a way that the time elapsing between fusing and pressing together of portions at the lateral edges of the join line does not exceed a critical time for regrowth of oxide scale. Various mounting and control techniques for the fusing torches (6) are proposed, including the possibility of two independently-driveable sets (8,8a) the controller can base its control of the torches (6) on steel strip width information obtained from the processing path.