Steel Casting Engineering, Ltd.

Other

Boehler Aktiengesellschaft

Voest-alpine Aktiengesellschaft

Vereinigte Edelstahlwerke Aktiengesellschaft

Manfred Haissig

Max Ahrens

Josef Lothmann

Hermann Schubert

An improved, more economical mold for use in continuously casting metals or alloys comprises a mold tube and a pair of flanges, one flange peripherally disposed of and in abutting, liquid sealing relation with each end of the tube. Such sealing relation is preferably provided by a continuous knife-edged protrusion formed in and disposed peripherally of each flange and adapted to sealingly cooperate with a continuous shallow groove formed in and disposed peripherally of each end of the tube. Cooling means including a jacket and a baffle surround the tube between the flanges, and the baffle further defines a channel immediately circumjacent a substantial portion of the outer surface of the tube for directing a flow of cooling liquid about the tube in direct contact with such surface. Removable assembly means releasably interconnect the two flanges and the baffle disposed therebetween in such a way as to clamp each of the flanges to its respective end of the mold tube, thus effecting both liquid-tight seals as well as creating a unitary assembly. Accordingly, an efficient method for repairing the mold via quick dissassembly, tube replacement and quick reassembly is also provided.

Horizontal continuous casting mold

A moving plate aftercooler for use in a continous casting system includes a plurality of cooling plates having means for circulation of coolant therethrough arranged in a serially overlapping configuration in which the plates are individually moveable to accomodate variations of the casting. Hydraulic means are operative upon the cooling plates to assert a contact force and hold the cooling plates in contact with the surfaces of the casting. The individual plate motions provide for accomodation of the taper of the cooling casting. A serial arrangement of three aftercoolers which cooperate to provide a continuous partially flexible cooling passage is also shown.

Moving plate continuous casting aftercooler

An apparatus for continuous horizontal casting with a stationary mold and the casting method accomplished with such apparatus contemplates employing at least one gripper roll pair which directly engages a casting which is then withdrawn in steps or incrementally from the mold. At least one roll of each roll pair is driven by a stepping DC-motor to which it is directly coupled. Each casting withdrawal step can be divided into substeps which are controllable to produce a uniform preset speed pattern during each step.

Method and apparatus for horizontal continuous casting

In a horizontal continuous casting plant which includes a mold and an oscillatory withdrawal device downstream of the mold, the withdrawal device is positioned along the strand path, by a computer-controlled motor, at a point such that the strand will not be damaged or impaired by the pressure applied to it by the strand engagement elements of the withdrawal device. Preferably, the strand engagement elements comprises one or more pairs of rollers which also are adjustable, by computer-controlled motors, to a desired elevation and separation to accommodate a range of cross-sectional dimensions of the strand.

Device for horizontal continuous casting of metals and alloys

An aftercooler for a horizontal continuous casting system is comprised of a plurality of individual cooling elements adapted to be positioned in contact with the strand after it leaves the mold. Each of the cooling elements has a passage for the flow of a fluid cooling medium through it and either or both of the contact pressure of the element against the strand and the flow rate of cooling medium may be adjusted to control the rate of cooling to suit the solidification characteristics of the metal being cast. Preferably, a plurality of sets of cooling elements are sequentially disposed along the length of the strand immediately downstream of the mold, each of the sets being disposed circumferentially around the strand so as to cool it on all sides. Control of the contact pressure and cooling medium flow rate is effected by a computer which compares measured values of cooling medium temperatures and flow rates in the elements with stored data representing desired characteristics for the metal being cast. The computer controls D.C. stepping motors to adjust the contact pressure and valves to vary the flow rate to maintain the measured values substantially the same as the stored values.

Cooling apparatus for horizontal continuous casting of metals and

An improved take-off device for a horizontal continuous-casting installation is provided. The arrangement comprises a frame and a mounting seated on rollers in the frame. The mounting is rotatable relative to the frame and supports the drive roll and its drive shaft, and a counter-pressure roll, which rolls preferably have counter-profiles corresponding to the cross section of the casting. The mounting comprises two concentrically arranged tubes which are sealed at their ends, thereby defining a cooling area therein. The adverse effects of gravity on casting quality may be mitigated by rotating the mounting relative to the frame, and locking it as a desired relative position, depending upon the cross-sectional configuration of the casting.

Continuous casting installation

In a horizontal continuous casting plant having a horizontally oriented discharge duct for conveying molten metal from a container to the casting mold, a closure assembly for selectively blocking the flow of molten metal is provided in the duct. The closure assembly comprises a stationary headplate and a vertically disposed slider plate, the latter movable across the headplate between positions blocking and unblocking the flow of metal. To prevent solidification of metal around the closure when in the blocked position, gas supply means are provided in the headplate and slider plate to create a flow of gas at the closure that inhibits solidification and keeps the molten metal from penetrating between the fixed and movable parts of the closure assembly. The gas supply means comprises a plurality of nozzle openings in either the headplate or slider plate or both, connected with a source of gaseous media, and oriented substantially tangentially of and at an angle to the juncture of the headplate and slider plate. To counteract the differential ferrostatic pressure over the vertical face of the slider plate, more nozzle openings are provided in the lower half of the closure member than in the upper half. Variations of the basic arrangement include a porous plug inserted in the slider plate, in place of the upper nozzle openings, for enabling a distributed gas flow over the upper portion of the plate surface and a circular recess in the slider plate with nozzle openings disposed about the periphery of the recess.

Horizontal continuous casting apparatus

A process for controllng the withdrawal of a casting from a cooled, horizontal, continuous casting mold involves withdrawing the casting from the mold in a series of steps, between which steps the casting is pushed back by a partial step to insure the welding together of casting sections. A melt breakthrough of the casting skin is prevented by measuring the expansion or contraction of a wall of the mold in contact with the casting and controlling the withdrawal of the casting in response thereto.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Manfred Haissig