Norskhydro Asa

Arild Håkonsen

John Erik Hafsås

Rune Ledal

Terje Iveland

Britt Elin Gihleengen

John Olav Fagerlie

Ulf Håkon Tundal

Geir Atle Røen

Harald Næss, Jr

Bjørn Vaagland

Geir Øyen

Qiang Du

Mohammed M'Hamdi

Knut Omdal Tveito

Daniel Anders Sjølset

Tore Strandheim

Kjerstin Ellingsen

Ulf Bersås

Daniel Anders SJØLSET

Jr Harald NÆSS

The invention provides a casting equipment () for casting melt () into a cast product () comprising a supply reservoir () for supplying the melt (), a distribution reservoir (), a casting apparatus () having a melt inlet connected to the distribution reservoir () for producing the cast product (), a supply conduit () fluidly connecting the supply reservoir () and the distribution reservoir (), an electromagnetic pump () provided on the supply conduit () and operable to generate a force in the melt () in the supply conduit (), a level sensor () for measuring a level of the melt () in the distribution reservoir () and/or in the supply reservoir (), a controller operably connected to the pump () and the level sensor (), wherein the supply conduit () is sealed or sealable from a pressure of the atmosphere, wherein the controller is configured to control an operation of the pump () based on a level signal from the level sensor (), and wherein, at least during a steady-state casting operation, the casting equipment is configured such that the supply conduit () defines a flow path that has a point that is higher than a surface of the melt in the supply reservoir () and/or the distribution reservoir (), and the pump () is operated such that the metal level in the distribution reservoir () is at a predefined level such as to control a pressure of the melt () in the melt inlet of the casting apparatus ().

Casting equipment

A casting apparatus for continuous or semi-continuous casting having a reservoir for supplying liquid metal, a direct chill casting mold having a mold cavity for at least temporarily holding liquid metal and to at least partially solidify the liquid metal into a cast product, and a pump disposed on the flow path between the reservoir and the mold cavity, wherein the pump is operable to generate a force in the liquid metal that is acting against the tendency of the liquid metal to flow along the flow path from the reservoir into the mold cavity by gravity to control a flow of the liquid metal from the reservoir into the mold cavity, wherein the pump is a direct current electromagnetic pump.

Casting apparatus and casting method

A method for casting that includes a.) determining a diameter (D) of a cross section of a product to be cast in meter (m), b.) determining an intended steady-state casting speed (V) of the product to be cast using direct chill casting in meter per second (m/s), c.) determining a Si content (cSi) in percent by weight based on the total weight of a melt (wt-%) for the melt to be used for casting the cast product, d.) preparing a melt comprising Zn: 5.30 to 5.9 wt-%, Mg: 2.07 to 3.3 wt-%, Cu: 1.2 to 1.45 wt-%, Fe: 0 to 0.5 wt-%, Si: according to cSi, impurities up to 0.2 wt-% each and 0.5 wt-% in total, and balance aluminium, and e.) casting the melt into the cast product having the intended diameter (D) using direct chill casting, wherein the casting is carried out using the intended steady-state casting speed (V).

Method for casting

An apparatus for continuous or semi-continuous low pressure casting of metal, in particular directly-cooled (DC) casting of extended objects such as a rods, bars or billets of aluminium. The apparatus includes a frame construction with at least one chill or mould having a mould cavity that is provided with an upwardly open inlet and an outlet with cooling means. The inlet of the mould is connected to a distribution chamber receiving liquid metal from a metal store such as a holding furnace via a metal supply channel or launder. A flexible launder section is provided between the launder and the metal distribution chamber whereby the frame construction with the moulds and distribution chamber can be raised and lowered to enable complete filling of metal to the moulds. Subsequently it is possible to control the metal level in each respective mould cavity in relation to the metal level in the launder and thereby controlling the low pressure casting.

Equipment for continuous or semi-continuous casting of metal with improved metal filling arrangement

Equipment for the semi-continuous direct chill (DC) casting of sheet ingot or slabs of different dimensions, in particular for rolling purposes, including a mold frame () with a pair of facing long side walls () and a pair of facing short end walls (). The walls of the mold define an upwardly open inlet for the supply of metal and a downwardly facing outlet provided with a starter block () on a movable support which prior to each casting closes the opening. The equipment includes a device for changing the mold dimensions where at least one end wall can be displaced to enable casting of ingots with different sizes, and it further includes a device for indirect and direct cooling of the metal during casting. The equipment also includes apparatus for flexing the long side walls () of the mold, thereby enabling adjustment of the flexible middle part of the long side walls () inwardly or outwardly to adapt to the desired sheet ingot size, the desired casting speed and/or alloy composition.

Casting equipment for the casting of sheet ingot

A device in connection with equipment for continuous or semi-continuous casting of metal, in particular direct mold (DC) casting of aluminum in the form of a billet or wire billet. The device includes a mold with a cavity or a mold () that is provided with an inlet connected, via supply channels () and a distribution chamber (), to a metal reservoir () and an outlet arranged in the mold with a support and devices for cooling the metal. In connection with the supply channels () between the metal reservoir () and the molds (), a metal lifting container () is arranged at an inlet () to the metal reservoir () via a channel () and to the distribution chamber () and the molds () via an outlet () via another channel (). The metal lifting container is sealed from the surroundings and has a connection socket () for connection to a vacuum source so that, when a casting operation starts, metal is sucked into the metal lifting container and lifted to a level that is higher than the level of the distribution chamber () above the molds ().

Arrangement related to equipment for continuous or semi-continuous casting of metal

Growing community of inventors

Sunndalsøra, Norway

Arild Håkonsen