Development of an Automatic On-line Gap Detection Scheme for Levitated Industrial Steel Plate Conveyance System

For stabilizing the steel plate conveyance process, efforts on providing appropriate extra electromagnetic forces at the run-out-table of a steel mill have been extensively investigated. Such objectives can be achieved by implementing fixed poles on top of the rollers at the run-out-table to provide the controllable two-dimensional (2D) lift and propulsive forces, and the movable steel plate can then be driven to the desired directions. To realize the entire process, by considering the operational environment at a steel mill, an image-based on-line gap detection scheme with real-time parameter adjustment process has been developed. Results show that the system, which being implemented with a fine-tuned interfacing/processing scheme, can supply rapid and accurate on-line 2D gap profile and thus fulfil the design and on-site operational objectives