Regulating crown and flatness during hot rolling: A multiobjective optimization study using genetic algorithms

A genetic algorithms-based multioptimization study has been carried out for the hot rolling practice in an integrated steel plant. The aim is to identify the parameter settings and rolling schedules that would result in the optimum values of crown and flatness-two major parameters related to the geometric tolerances in the rolled sheet. Two objective functions and some appropriate constraints have been formulated for this purpose, and two different evolutionary algorithms are tried out on them. The optimized results are presented in the forms of Pareto fronts and discussed in the context of the actual process.