DETERMINING THE POSITION OF THE GALVANIZING

ROLLS RELATIVE TO THE MOLTEN ZINC

A. G. Protsai, Bo V . K r a i n e v UDC 621.771.23:669.586.5.002.56

Lo G . C h u b r i k o v , Eo K . S h e v t s o v ,
V. N. Khristov, and A. A. Chuba

The Zhdanov Metallurgical Institute in c o l l a b o r a t i o n with the I1t ieh Plant h a s developed and introduced
a unit f o r d e t e r m i n i n g the position of the galvanizing r o l l s r e l a t i v e to the bath in the continuous hot-galva~
n i z i n g l i n e o f t h e c o l d - r o l l i n g mill. At the p r e s e n t t i m e the hot galvanizing line is equipped with two r a d i o -
isotope t h i c k n e s s gauges which m e a s u r e f r o m two sides the thickness of the zinc plating on the c o l d - r o l l e d
s t e e l s t r i p . The position of the galvanizing r o l l e r s r e l a t i v e to the bath h a s a s u b s t a n t i a l e f f e c t on the thick-
n e s s of the zinc coating.
The position of the galvanizing r o l l e r s w a s d e t e r m i n e d by a p i e z o m e t r i c method, which e s s e n t i a l l y
c o n s i s t e d of m e a s u r i n g the p r e s s u r e of the gas exhausted through the l a y e r of liquid. The level sought is
d e t e r m i n e d f r o m the equation P = ?/h, w h e r e 7 is the density of the zinc and h is the level.
F i g u r e 1 shows the plan of the p i e z o m e t r i c tubes on the c r o s s p i e c e of the galvanizing machine. Gas
(nitrogen) is fed to the tubes u n d e r a p r e s s u r e sufficient for the p a s s a g e of one to two bubbles p e r second.
Since zinc c o r r o d e s the m a j o r i t y of m e t a l s , p i e z o m e t r i c tubes of q u a r t z w e r e f i r s t t r i o & However,
b e c a u s e of t h e i r high b r i t t l e n e s s t h e i r u s e was discontinued. Then tubes of 08kp s t e e l with a wall t h i c k n e s s
of 3 m m w e r e tried. In s e v e n days in m o l t e n zinc at 440-445~ t h e i r leng~da d e c r e a s e d by only 0.1 ram.
But e v e n an insignificant d e c r e a s e in the tube length c a u s e s an e r r o r in the depth of i m m e r s i o n of the gal-
vanizing r o l l s . To c o r r e c t the a d j u s t m e n t of the s y s t e m f o r d e t e r m i n i n g the level is p o s s i b l e when new
r o l l s a r e p l a c e d in the galvanizing machine, which is done e v e r y five to s e v e n days.
The two p i e z o m e t r i c tubes a r e located at the
DM e d g e s of the r e m o v a b l e c r o s s p i e c e of the galvanizing
machine and a r e i m m e r s e d in the molten zinc 45 m m
SRI below the axis of the galvanizing r o l l s . This tube
position i s conditionally taken as " z e r o . '
The unit is adjusted b e f o r e taking m e a s u r e -
m e n t s in the following m a n n e r . The p i e z o m e t r i c
tubes a r e fastened to the c r o s s p i e c e b e f o r e placing
it in the galvanizing machine and l o w e r e d 45 m m
below the axis of the galvanizing r o l l s . Then nitrogen
is fed to the tube. The p r e s s u r e is c o n t r o l l e d by the
r e d u c e r so that at the m a x i m u m depth of i m m e r s i o n
.... =-zTnoT2---~ of the galvanizing r o l l e r s the bubbles of n i t r o g e n p a s s
~ ~ o o ~ 1 7 6 1 7 6 1 7 6 1 7 6 1 70,6
through the molten zinc. F o r this line the m a x i m u m
depth of i m m e r s i o n of the r o l l s is 60 m m and the
Fig. 1. Plan of the p i e z o m e t r i c s e n s o r s on the
nitrogen p r e s s u r e 1.2 T h m a x . Then the c r o s s p i e c e
c r o s s p i e c e of the galvanizing machine: 1) c r o s s -
t o g e t h e r with the p i e z o m e t r i c tubes is placed in the
piece; 2) p i e z o m e t r i c tubes; 3) zinc bath; 4) g a l -
b r a c k e t s of the galvanizing machine in a h o r i z o n t a l
vanizing r o l l e r s ; 5) s c r e w f o r f a s t e n i n g the tube;
position at m a r k s which provide identical p r e s s u r e s
6) r e d u c e r .
in the left and r i g h t tubes.
Zhdanov Metallurgical Institute. I I ' i c h Plant. T r a n s l a t e d f r o m Metallurg, No. 2, pp. 37-38,
F e b r u a r y , 1975.

9 1975Plenum Publishing Corporation, 227 West 17th Street, New York, N. Y.. 10011. No part o f this publication may be reproduced,
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 A change in the level of zinc in the bath (with consumption of it or when adding more) and also in the
position of the c r os s pi e c e with fl~e galvanizing rolls relative to the bath causes a change in the i m m e r s i o n
of the piezometric tubes and, consequently, a change in the p r e s s u r e of the gas exhausted. The change in
gas p r e s s u r e is r e g i s t e r e d by the differential manometer DM and the secondary recording indicator SRI,
the scale of which is calibrated in millimeters of zinc.
The installation of the piezometric tubes on the edges of the crosspi ece of the galvanizing machine
makes it possible to not only measure the position of the rolls relative to the bath but also to measure
bending of the c r o s s p i e c e and consequently of the rolls. Long service of this unit has shown it to be highly
reliable, sensitive, and quite accurate.

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