Alusuisse-lonza Services Ltd.

Jean-Jaques Theler

Miroslaw Plata

Jean-Francois Jordan

Edmond Rey

Upstream of the dies (14) internally insulated in the upper region is a casting furnace and a runner system, which latter comprises a distributor through feeding all the dies (14) with metal at an identical level (60). In the region situated below an inner ring (32), a gas cushion (54) which prevents direct contact of the die (14) with the molten metal (30) is maintained, and oil is injected into this region. A joint main having distribution lines conducts air or an inert gas having the same, slight overpressure into all the dies (14). The relative pressure between a desired value dependent on the metal level (H.sub.1) and computed by program and an actual value measured in the main (62) serves for regulation and monitoring. Upon overshooting of the programmed, maximum deviation of the controlled variable, a processor triggers a manipulated variable for the actuator of the pressure control valve.

Program-controlled feeding of molten metal into the dies of an automatic

The method and the apparatus serve to cool cast billets made of an aluminum alloy after a homogenizing anneal. The billets emerging from a full-annealing furnace continuously one after the other in the longitudinal direction at a first temperature are guided in-line through a spray unit at a program-controlled feed rate and while being sprayed on all sides with the cooling medium in a program-controlled manner to reach an adjustable surface temperature. The internal and surface temperature of the billets are equalized a short time after leaving the spray unit. The spray unit for the billets (16) passing through in-line is equipped over its entire length and over the entire periphery of its inner space with nozzles which can be adjusted as a whole, in groups or individually.

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Sierre, Switzerland

Jean-Jaques Theler