Real time on-line microstructure analysis using magnetic induction spectroscopy (ROMA)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Abstract
During hot-rolling, the steel industry has no means of determining microstructure development in real-time. Offline analysis of coil-end samples is slow, destructive and does not allow monitoring and control of material properties throughout a production run. Research at the University of Manchester has resulted in the development of a new non-contact system (ROMA), exploiting a novel multi-frequency electromagnetic technique to monitor material microstructure during forced cooling. An important benefit is that it can measure from 0-100% transformation. This collaboration will transfer knowledge to Siemens and enable commercial exploitation by reference-site installation on the Tata Steel hot-strip mill at Port Talbot.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Anthony Peyton (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Peyton A J
(2014)
EM inspection of microstructure during hot processing: the journey from first principles to plant
in Iron and Steel Technology
Peyton A J
(2014)
EM inspection of microstructure during hot processing: the journey from first principles to plant
in The Iron and Steel Technology Conference and Exposition
| Description | This project has help to demonstrate that the sensor technology can operate in a harsh industrial environment on the hot strip mill in a format that can be manufactured by Primetals Technologies Ltd |
| Exploitation Route | A new micro structure monitoring system, trademarked as "EMspec" is available to the steel industry. EMspec targets the production of advanced high strength strip steels. This kind of steel can be difficult for manufacturers to produce reliably owing to the lack of on-line microstructural information, but it is vital to the car industry for reducing vehicle weight. Crucially, EMspec technology has recently been deployed on Tata steel IJmuiden hot strip mill, which is now a reference site for the roll-out of the technology globally. |
| Sectors | Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | The aim of this project was to prove the feasibility of new microstructure monitoring sensor using multi-frequency excitation for operation on-line on a full scale steel production process. Prior to this project, the steel industry has no direct means of determining microstructure development in real-time. Transformation had to be inferred from thermodynamic models and from temperature measurement from optical pyrometers and confirmed by off-line tests on samples. Off-line analysis of coil-end samples is slow, destructive and does not allow monitoring and control of material properties throughout a production run. This project demonstrated the efficacy of the sensing technology on-line for the first time. This gave the steel industry the confidence to invest in further development of the technology, via a series of industry, EPSRC and EU projects. The resulting EMspec technology is now licensed Primetals Technologies and offered as a commercial product with deployment at the Tata Steel IJmuiden plant as the first reference site. Over 10 million tons of hot steel production has passed over this sensor since. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | UK & India Partnership in Advanced Manufacturing Research Challenges |
| Amount | £623,165 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/K027700/1 and EP/K027956/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2014 |
| End | 02/2017 |
| Description | EM microstructure monioring technology |
| Organisation | Primetals technologies ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The company are a licencing partner |
| Collaborator Contribution | Intellectual property - patents / know-how |
| Impact | Commercialisation of sensor technology. The technology has now been licenced to Primetals, who have developed a commercial version and are now marketing the system. The hot strip mill at IJmuiden Hot strip mill a reference site for demonstrating the technology to the industry. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | PowerEMS - Tata Steel |
| Organisation | Tata Steel Europe |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Project partners in the PowerEMS project |
| Collaborator Contribution | Project partners in the PowerEMS project - supply of materials and expertise |
| Impact | Longstanding multidisciplinary collaboration to apply the sensors developed during EPSRC project to steel production processes |
| Title | Electromagnetic sensor for detecting microstructure of metal target |
| Description | An electromagnetic sensor 400 for detecting a microstructure of a metal target comprises a means 410, 420 for providing a magnetic field 440, a magnetometer 430 for detecting the magnetic field 440 induced in the target, and a calibration circuit 450 for generating a reference magnetic field for calibrating the sensor unit, wherein the reference magnetic field is generated by an electrical current induced in the calibration circuit coil 451 by the magnetic field. The reference field has the effect of simulating eddy currents which would flow in a metal target and is sensed by the magnetometer. Plural sensors may be used on a rolling metal hot mill to monitor metal properties during production. |
| IP Reference | GB2481482 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2011 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | installation of a prototype system on a hot strip mill as a reference site for futre commercialisation |
| Title | Monitoring microstructure of a metal target |
| Description | A system for monitoring a microstructure of a metal target comprises a plurality of electromagnetic sensors 911-91n for outputting a magnetic field, wherein an excitation signal output by each of the electromagnetic sensors is a multi-frequency waveform, detecting a resultant magnetic field and outputting a detection signal in response thereto, and a control unit 920 arranged to receive the detection signals from the plurality of sensors, to determine a phase change between the output magnetic field and the resultant magnetic field at each of a plurality of frequencies forming the multi-frequency waveform for each of the sensors, and to determine a microstructure of a metal target at the plurality of electromagnetic sensors based on the phase changes. The system can be used on a hot steel production line. |
| IP Reference | GB2490393 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2012 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | A prototype system has been deployed on a production hot strip mil as a reference site for future commercialisation. |