Nucor Corporation

Castrip, LLC

W Kent Cooper

Rama Ballav Mahapatra

Peter Andrew Woodberry

James Leacock McIntosh

Steven R Gage

Malcolm McDonald

Walter N Blejde

Mark Schlichting

David John Sosinsky

Mike Schueren

Brian D White

A metal strip casting apparatus and a method of casting continuous metal strip includes assembling a pair of counter-rotatable casting rolls having casting surfaces positioned laterally forming a nip between for casting, and delivering molten metal through a delivery nozzle disposed above the nip capable to form a casting pool supported on the casting rolls. The delivery nozzle comprises segments each having elongate nozzle body with longitudinally extending side walls, end walls and a bottom part to form an inner trough, a nozzle insert disposed above bottom portions of the inner trough of each segment and supported relative to the nozzle body through which incoming molten metal may be delivered to the inner trough of each segment of the delivery nozzle, and the elongate nozzle body of each segment having passageways in fluid communication with the inner trough and outlet openings capable of discharging molten metal from the nozzle body outwardly into the casting pool.

Casting delivery nozzle with insert

A method of and apparatus for casting metal strip involving assembling a pair of casting rolls laterally disposed to form a nip between them, assembling an elongated metal delivery nozzle extending along and above the nip between the casting rolls, with at least one segment having opposing side walls and end walls, an inner trough extending longitudinally within between side walls and forming passages between the side walls and the inner trough and communicating with side outlets adjacent bottom portions, introducing molten metal through the elongate metal delivery nozzle to form a casting pool of molten metal supported on the casting rolls above the nip, such that molten metal is caused to flow into the inner trough of the delivery nozzle, from the inner trough through the passages between the inner trough and sidewalls, and from the passages through the side outlets in a substantially lateral direction into the casting pool, and counter rotating the casting rolls to deliver cast strip downwardly from the nip.

Delivery nozzle with more uniform flow and method of continuous casting by use thereof

Thin cast strip is produced in a twin roll caster by delivering molten steel between the rolls to form a casting pool confined between the rolls by a pair of side dams adjacent the ends of the casting rolls. Steel strip is delivered downwardly to the nip through a metal delivery system having a tundish and core nozzles. One or more of the refractory components, including the tundish, core nozzles and side dams, or portions thereof, are replaced by first preheating the refractory component(s) being replaced at a removed location, and then rapidly transferring the preheated component(s) from the preheating position and installing the same in the operating position by a transfer device. The desired refractory component is rapidly removed and the preheated replacement refractory component rapidly transferred and installed in the operating position in an amount of time that avoids thermal shock to the refractories that are not replaced.

Continuously casting steel strip

Thin cast strip is produced in a twin roll caster by delivering molten steel between the rolls to form a casting pool. The casting pool is confined between the rolls by a pair of side dams adjacent the ends of the casting rolls. Steel strip is delivered downwardly to the nip through a metal delivery system having a tundish and core nozzles. One or more of the refractory components, including without limitation the tundish, core nozzles and side dams, or portions thereof, are replaced by first preheating the refractory component(s) to be replaced at a removed location, and then rapidly transferring the preheated component(s) from the preheating position and installing the same in the operating position by a transfer device. The desired refractory component is rapidly removed and the preheated replacement refractory component rapidly transferred and installed in the operating position in an amount of time that avoids thermal shock to the refractories that are not replaced. This replacement can be accomplished in less than 15 minutes or less than 5 or 2 minutes.

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Greencastle, IN, United States of America

W Kent Cooper