Optimal control system for hot strip finishing mill

This paper describes how to control the strip gauge, looper angle, and stri p tension for a hot strip finishing mill, and gives the results of a real a pplication. This is based on optimal servo theory and the model decoupling method. In the finishing mill process, there exists a mutual interaction am ong the strip gauge, the looper angle, and the strip tension. Conventionall y, each of them is controlled independently. To improve the control perform ance, multivariable control that considers this interaction is applied to t he whole productions process. The new control system is also used for the t ension control of the automatic width control. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Lt d. All rights reserved.