ABB PFVL142R-40MN: Ultra-High Capacity Roll Force Load Cell

ABB PFVL142R-40MN: Ultra-High Capacity Roll Force Load Cell

The ABB PFVL142R-40MN is an elite-tier annular load cell designed for the most extreme industrial force measurement applications globally.

As a cornerstone of the Millmate Roll Force System (MRFS), this unit is engineered to measure a staggering 40 MN (4.000 Metric Tons) of force.

Utilizing ABB’s patented Pressductor® technology, it provides the heavy metals industry with a sensor that is virtually indestructible, maintaining laboratory-grade precision in the heart of a hot strip mill.

1. Technical Parameter Table

2. Unique Product Description

The ABB PFVL142R-40MN is defined by its “Solid-State” sensing philosophy. While conventional load cells rely on fragile strain gauges bonded with adhesives—which inevitably fail due to heat,

moisture, or vibration—the Pressductor sensor is a solid block of steel. It measures the change in magnetic permeability within the steel core itself when under pressure.

This translates to a sensor that can withstand the violent “shocks” and “cobbles” of a 4.000-ton mill without losing its zero-point or requiring mechanical recalibration.

3. Product Advantages and Features

Extreme Ruggedness: Specifically designed to survive in the world’s largest roughing stands and plate mills.

High Signal Power: Generates a high-level output signal that is naturally immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI) from massive mill motors.

Zero Drift: Unlike strain gauges, the magneto-elastic core does not experience “creep,” ensuring consistent measurements over decades of service.

Insulation Fault Tolerance: The low-impedance design allows the system to continue operating accurately even if cables are partially compromised by water or oil.

Minimal Mechanical Compression: The high spring constant ensures that the mill stand’s stiffness is maintained for precise gauge control.

4. Application Cases

Mega-Scale Hot Strip Mills: Crucial for Automatic Gauge Control (AGC) during the initial high-reduction passes of steel slabs.

Extra-Wide Plate Mills: Monitoring the massive forces required for shipbuilding and bridge-grade steel production.

Roughing Stands: Surviving the extreme impact loads as hot ingots first enter the rolling process.

Forging Presses: Used in high-tonnage hydraulic presses where exact force monitoring is required for part integrity.

5. Other Models in the Same Series

The PFVL series offers a full range of capacities for various mill geometries:

PFVL142R-25MN / 30MN: For medium-to-large capacity rolling stands.

PFVL141V Series: Rectangular versions for placement under the lower back-up roll bearing housings.

PFVL141C Series: Circular load cells typically integrated under the mill screw.

PFVO 142/143: Dedicated signal matching units used to bridge the load cell to the plant’s automation system.

6. Installation and Maintenance

Installation Guidelines

Surface Precision: Mounting plates must be machined to a flatness of 0.05 mm. Parallelism is critical; any “tilt” in the load will result in uneven internal stress.

Centralization: The annular ring must be perfectly aligned with the mill screw or hydraulic piston to ensure a vertical force vector.

Shielding: Use high-temperature, steel-armored conduits for the signal cables to prevent damage from falling scale or mechanical shearing.

Maintenance Requirements

Zero-Check: Perform a software “zero-balance” via the Millmate Controller when the rolls are fully open to account for the weight of the roll set.

Visual Inspection: Regularly check the stainless steel bellows and cable entry points for physical damage or excessive scale buildup.

Long-Term Calibration: Under normal operating conditions, the PFVL142R-40MN does not require periodic factory recalibration due to its magnetic sensing principle.

7. Related Models & Parts

PFEA111 / PFEA112 / PFEA113: Advanced signal processing electronics.

Millmate Controller 400: The central processing “brain” for roll force data.

ABB Pressductor Technology: The core measurement principle.

Industrial Load Cell Parts: PFVL142R series components.

The control unit supplies the load cells with power, processes

the signals from the load cells and communicates the result to

other systems. Communication can take place via digital in

puts/outputs, analog inputs/outputs, TCP/IP-communication,

RS-232 and as an option, via high-speed fieldbus.

The control unit can be manually operated using the

Millmate Operator Unit 400 and by external units via a serial

interface or digital/analog inputs. Setup and commissioning

are easy following step-by-step menus.

Measured values are displayed on the operator unit, con

nected to analog outputs or transmitted via a serial interface

to an external display or to other external units.

Features

The Millmate Controller 400 has been designed to offer a lot

of functionalities and at the same time very easy to use.

The control unit covers most mechanical arrangements.

This means the user only has to follow the step-by-step

menus in order to set up the control unit and to obtain correct

roll force measurement.

Some examples of the built-in functionalities:

•    Predefined    standard    measurement    modes

•    Built-in    load    cell    tables

•    Filter    times    from    1    up    to    2000    ms

•    Easy    configurable    analog/digital    inputs/outputs

•    Level    detectors

•    Unit    selection    (N,    kN,    MN,    kp,    t,    lb,    T)

•    Self-diagnostics    test    system    including    transducer    test

•    Simulation    mode    for    easy    check    of    system    integration