According to Primetals Technologies, the solution is being added to the medium-wide hot strip mill at thyssenkrupp Hohenlimburg in Hagen. 

The system utilizes a camera mounted at the exit side of the roughing mill and a machine learning model that continually monitors the strip for cracks. 

“When the transfer bars then enter the finishing mill, the crack may spread, further increasing in size and creating holes in the rolled material. In the worst case, a defect like this can lead to cobbles in the finishing mill, with the risk of damaging the work rolls, backup rolls, and other production equipment,” Primetals Technologies explained. 

“The main benefits for thyssenkrupp are a reduction in downtime and wear related to the rolls of the hot strip mill,” Primetals Technologies said.