Hazelett Strip-casting Corporation

Thomas S Graham

Norman J Bergeron

R William Hazelett

Jerome B Allyn

Wojtek S Szczypiorski

S Richard Hazelett

Dean A Boozan

John E Pennucci

George Desorcie

Electrostatic application of a dusting of dry, electrostatically adherable, thermally insulative powder particles over a workface of a continuous metal-casting machine in which the mold surface or surfaces which provide the workface or workfaces revolve in a generally oval course. A dry dusting of protective powdery refractory material is applied to the workface after being entrained in an air stream and electrostatically charged by suitable electrostatic apparatus. The workface to be dusted is electrically grounded for attracting the charged powder particles for adhering them to the workface. The resultant coating formed by the dusting so deposited is remarkably uniform over a substantial area of the workface, a phenomenon explainable by mutual electrostatic repulsion of the dry powder particles being deposited. Continuously re-applied dusting over the workface during a continuous cast provides an immediately useful repair or replacement of dusting powder lost from the coating on the workface of a revolving mold surface during casting. The dusting may be removed at will by means of an air knife.

Method and apparatus for continuous casting of metal

Electrostatic application of a dusting of dry, self-adhering, thermally and electrically insulative powder particles over a work face of an endless, thin, flexible, water-cooled, metallic casting belt advantageous for use in a continuous metal-casting machine. A dry dusting of protective powdery refractory substance is applied to the belt after being rendered airborne and electrostatically charged by various embodiments of suitable electrostatic apparatus. The casting belt to be dusted is electrically grounded for attracting the charged powder particles for adhering them to the casting belt. The dusting so deposited is remarkably uniform over a substantial area, a phenomenon explainable by mutual electrostatic repulsion of the dry powder particles being deposited. Continuously re-applied dusting over the work face of an endless casting belt during a cast provides an immediately useful repair of lost dusting powder. The dusting may be removed at will by means of an air knife. Certain powders that are effectively soft afford high thermal insulativity for the metallic casting belt, and desirably they cause only minimal interference with further mechanical processing of a cast metallic product into which they might inadvertently become entrained.

Electrostatic application of insulative refractory dust or powder to

The flatness of a casting belt in a continuous metal casting machine is continuously monitored and thereby also the condition of its thermal protective coating. One or more non-contacting eddy-current sensing probes are placed in proximity to the reverse or coolant side of a belt for sensing and measuring the distance of the belt from the probe to reveal irregularities in the flatness of the belt while it travels past the probe. A deficiency of insulative belt coating can cause variations in belt flatness during casting. By monitoring such variations an operator of the continuous casting machine is alerted that the coating needs to be retouched or replaced without interrupting the casting process. Or such monitoring can alert the operator that the belt has become inherently not flat. A similar proximity sensing probe is utilized for the purpose of supplying an instant report of the initial entrance of molten metal into the casting cavity adjacent to a casting belt at the start of a cast. In this way, forward travel of the casting belt is initiated in synchronized relationship with introduction of the molten metal into the casting cavity by starting the forward belt motion at the appropriate instant before the entrained plug ('dummy bar') which is positioned between the two casting belts is moved out of position.

Method and apparatus for sensing the condition of casting belt and belt

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Shelburne, VT, United States of America

Thomas S Graham