Learning to predict metal deformations in hot-rolling processes

TL;DR

This paper introduces a supervised learning model trained on FEM simulation data to rapidly predict metal deformations in hot-rolling, significantly reducing computation time and aiding in automatic sequence planning.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel machine learning approach trained on a large FEM dataset to predict hot-rolling deformations efficiently, enabling faster and more automated process design.

Findings

Predictor is four orders of magnitude faster than FEM simulations.

Achieves an average Jaccard Similarity Index of 0.972 against simulations.

Achieves an average Jaccard Similarity Index of 0.925 against real-world data.

Abstract

Hot-rolling is a metal forming process that produces a workpiece with a desired target cross-section from an input workpiece through a sequence of plastic deformations; each deformation is generated by a stand composed of opposing rolls with a specific geometry. In current practice, the rolling sequence (i.e., the sequence of stands and the geometry of their rolls) needed to achieve a given final cross-section is designed by experts based on previous experience, and iteratively refined in a costly trial-and-error process. Finite Element Method simulations are increasingly adopted to make this process more efficient and to test potential rolling sequences, achieving good accuracy at the cost of long simulation times, limiting the practical use of the approach. We propose a supervised learning approach to predict the deformation of a given workpiece by a set of rolls with a given geometry; the model is trained on a large dataset of procedurally-generated FEM simulations, which we publish as supplementary material. The resulting predictor is four orders of magnitude faster than simulations, and yields an average Jaccard Similarity Index of 0.972 (against ground truth from simulations) and 0.925 (against real-world measured deformations); we additionally report preliminary results on using the predictor for automatic planning of rolling sequences.