Plate Rolling Gets AI Assist

One of the most significant advantages of incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into the plate rolling process is that it eliminates the need for conventional radius-measuring templates. As a result, the process requires less leg work on the part of operators, in-process measurements are more accurate, and the need for skilled operators is reduced. But most importantly, the elimination of manual templates makes the plate rolling process faster and more productive. Plate rolling is often considered an art because it requires an operator who has learned the skills and nuances of the job through experience.

While there are more advanced and complex machines in fabrication operations, plate rolling requires a different skillset, and it is for this reason that plate rolling for many fabrication shops often causes production bottlenecks. Furthermore, when long-time plate rolling operators retire, they take with them decades of knowledge and experience. To overcome this loss, machine controls that incorporate AI make the plate rolling process significantly easier for operators and provide better results. With the recent advent of AI-augmented laser radius measuring systems, workers with a basic understanding of the rolling process and how to navigate the machine’s control can quickly start producing simple parts.

Plus, shops using this technology can further optimize the output of their existing skilled operators for more complex jobs. AI-augmented laser radius measuring systems for both hydraulically and electrically powered plate rolling machines eliminate the use of templates and the need for operators to physically traipse back and forth from the machine’s control console to the part. Thanks to AI, that process is now accomplished from the machine’s control console. By eliminating the need to take multiple measurements during the rolling process, the shop can increase throughput and make better use of the time its plate rolling veterans spent walking back and forth.

AI-Augmented Measurement

For conventional hydraulic-type plate rolling machines, AI-augmented laser radius measuring systems provide operators with faster and more accurate plate radius readings that are then used to manually make necessary roll position adjustments at the machine’s control console. These same capabilities hold true for all-electric plate rolling machines, but instead of manual adjustments, the all-electric machine’s control makes the adjustments automatically — all in an autonomous operation requiring no operator intervention. While AI-augmented laser radius measuring systems for hydraulic machines operate regardless of specific plate width, thickness or material, the algorithms for all-electric machine AI measuring systems require this information.

The systems use it not only to provide an in-process reading of a current radius, but also to determine how much the rolls need to move for the next pass to achieve the final desired results. On Davi e-POWER all-electric plate rolling machines, that positioning accuracy is as tight as 0.05" as compared to conventional plate rolling machines that are typically around 0.1".