ANNEALING AGING ENTRY FURNACE FURNACE EXIT LOOP LOOP TOWER I I TOWER SETUP AND UPDATE MODELS ENTRY QUENCH e LINE SPEED

This paper presents the development of a state-variable design approach to control strip temperature in a continuous anneal process producing a variety of highstrength low-alloy steels. In this process, a steel strip passes continuously through five consecutive heat-treating operations to achieve desired metallurgical properties for the automotive market. Each operation is controlled by an individual controller designed to maintain the tight strip temperatures required for the product mix. To achieve this goal, linear quadratic Gaussian control techniques were used to develop the control system.