Chatterblock® Control: Elimination Of Mill Chatter Vibration In Cold Rolling

The origin and elimination of 3rd octave mill chatter is a frequently investigated topic since tandem cold mills are in operation. So far only chatter monitoring systems have been successfully deployed, but this implies speed reductions and therefore a significant loss in mill output. Primetals Technologies has developed a new system using active injection of damping in order to eliminate 3rd octave mill chatter. The new hydraulics-based ChatterBlock® Control has now been proven successfully in mill operation. 3rd octave mill chatter, typically occurring in a frequency range between 90 and 150Hz, is a self-excited vibration phenomena typically occurring in the rear stands of tandem cold mills. It can produce significant gauge variations and even cause strip breaks. 3rd octave mill chatter is characterized by a quickly diverging vertical vibration of the rolls for specific rolling conditions (material, mill speed, forces, gauge etc.). Its occurrence requires immediate speed reduction of the mill in order to avoid strip breakage and/or strip quality degradation. This phenomenon thus severely limits mill productivity. The first step to proof the industrial feasibility of the new system was its installation on stand no. 4 of a 5-stand tandem mill. The development process and first results of the industrial implementation will be presented in this paper.