DelayLengthL / DelayLengthV

Arguments

Description

This function uses the 'Length' signal (in m) or the ‘Speed’ signal to create a length-based version of 'Expression' with a delay of 'DelayInMeter' meters. Changes in the length signal that exceed the 'MaxLengthDelta' are ignored. The ‘Resolution’ is the length base of the result (in m).

These functions can be used to delay a signal by a particular distance. For example, this enables a signal to be assigned a length offset relative to a measuring location. The function is suitable for individual measurement signals that have a longer distance to the associated measuring location (> 1 m), but for which setting up a separate measuring location is not worthwhile.

This also enables simple material tracking to be implemented, as described in the following application example.

Application example

Setting up simple material tracking using the example of the simulation model.

The material tracking system ensures that the change in the ID of the tracked part always takes place at the correct length at the measuring locations. It considers the standard measuring locations at the transitions between line sections with different speeds.

In the example of our simulation, these are the following line sections:

• From welder to gauging roll 2, including entry looper

• From gauging roll 2 to skin pass

• From skin pass to gauging roll 5, including exit looper

Therefore, the tracking IDs for 4 measuring locations have to be determined:

• Welder

• Gauging roll 2

• Skin pass

• Gauging roll 5

To change the tracking ID at the correct length, the following distances have to be determined:

• Strip length between welder and gauging roll 2, consisting of a constant component and a variable component (entry looper fill level)

• Strip length between gauging roll 2 and skin pass, in this case constant

• Strip length between skin pass and gauging roll 5, consisting of a constant component and a variable component (exit looper fill level)

The following figure shows the principle and the signal names, as used in the simulation example.

The principle is based on the idea that the ID assigned at the welder is transferred to the second standard measuring location delayed by the strip length, and from there to the third standard measuring location and so on.

The distances traveled between the measuring locations are calculated from the speed signals for the corresponding line sections using the DelayLengthV function.

The definition of the virtual signals looks like this:

The ID is first determined at the welder. In the simulation this is done using a simple counter, which increments by one with each “Welded on” signal.

To determine the tracking ID at the next measuring location “[v_tracking_id_gauging_roll_2]” the DelayLengthV function is used:

DelayLengthV([v_tracking_id_welder],[speed_welder_v], [distance_looper_1_gauging_roll_2] + [looper_1_length_smooth] , 1, 0 )

The value for the tracking ID is only adopted at the next measuring location when the strip has traveled the distance corresponding to the spacing of the two measuring locations, taking into account the fill level of the entry looper.

The same method is used for the subsequent line sections.

Measuring locations between the standard measuring locations do not have to be taken into account, as they are configured as measuring locations with offset and consequently do not require a separate tracking ID signal.