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CONTINUOUS

CASTINg

-BY H. M. TARIQ
AZIZ

DEFINITION
Continuous casting, also called strand casting, is the process whereby

molten metal is solidified into a "semifinished" billet, bloom, or slab for


subsequent rolling in the finishing mills.
continuous casting is used to solidify most of the 750 million tons oof

steel produced in the world every year.


Sir Henry Bessemer, of Bessemer converter fame, received a patent in
1857 for casting metal between two contra-rotating rollers. The basic
outline of this system has recently been implemented today in the
casting of steel strip.

HOW CASTING IS DONE CONTINUOUSLY?


EQUIPMENTS:
The essential components of a continuous casting machine are tundish, water
cooled mold, water spray and torch cutters. Tundish, mold and water spray are
arranged such that molten stream is poured from tundish to mold and solidified
strand (billet/bloom/billet) is produced continuously. The required length of the
strand is cut by torch cutter. In figure the arrangement of tundish, mold and water

PROCESS:

BASIC PHENOMENA
Mollten
Mollten metal
metal is
is tapped
tapped into
into the
the ladle
ladle from
from furnaces.
furnaces.

From
From the
the ladle,
ladle, the
the hot
hot metal
metal is
is transferred
transferred via
via arefractoryshroud
arefractoryshroud (pipe)
(pipe) to
to
a
holding
bath
called
atundish.
a holding bath called atundish.

Metal
Metal is
is drained
drained from
from the
the tundish
tundish through
through another
another shroud
shroud into
into the
the top
top of
of an
an
open-base
open-base coppermold.
coppermold.

In
In the
the mold,
mold, a
a thin
thin shell
shell of
of metal
metal next
next to
to the
the mold
mold walls
walls solidifies
solidifies before
before the
the
middle
middle section,
section, now
now called
called a
a strand,
strand, exits
exits the
the base
base of
of the
the mold
mold into
into a
a spray
spray
chamber.
chamber.
To
To increase
increase the
the rate
rate of
of solidification,
solidification, the
the strand
strand is
is sprayed
sprayed with
with large
large
amounts
of
water
as
it
passes
through
the
spray-chamber;
amounts of water as it passes through the spray-chamber; this
this is
is
thesecondary
coolingprocess.
Final
solidification
of
the
strand
thesecondary coolingprocess. Final solidification of the strand may
may take
take
place
after
the
strand
has
exited
the
spray-chamber.
place after the strand has exited the spray-chamber.

TYPE OF CONTINUOUS CASTING

ADVANTAGE OF CONTINUOUS CASTING ARE

Quality of the cast


product is better

No need to have
slabbing/blooming
or billet mill as
required when
ingot casting is
used.

Higher extent of
automation is
possible

Width of the slab


can be adjusted
with the
downstream strip
mill.

Continuously cast
products show less
segregation.

Hot direct
charging of the
cast product for
rolling is possible
which leads to
energy saving.

PRECAUTIONS
The mold is water-cooled to solidify the hot metal directly in contact with it; this

is the primary cooling process.


It also oscillates vertically (or in a near vertical curved path) to prevent the metal
sticking to the mold walls.
A lubricant can also be added to the metal in the mold to prevent sticking, and
to trap any slag particlesincluding oxide particles or scalethat may be
present in the metal and bring them to the top of the pool to form a floating layer
of slag.
Often, the shroud is set so the hot metal exits it below the surface of the slag
layer in the mold and is thus called a submerged entry nozzle (SEN).
To increase the rate of solidification, the strand is sprayed with large amounts of
water as it passes through the spray-chamber.
Argon gas is injected into the nozzle to prevent clogging.
Mold powder is added to the top surface to provide thermal and chemical
insulation for the molten steel.

APPLICATION

Hydraulic and
pneumatic
components:
control blocks, valve
and armature
housings

Toolmaking and
mould making:
Glass moulds, chill
moulds, base plates

Helical
compressors:
Rotors, armatures

Pump construction:
Housings, spring
housings, pistons

Drive technology:
Gear wheels and
toothed racks

Automotive
industry:
Bearing bushes,
valve guides, brake
discs, bevel gears

Machine tool
making:
Clamping surfaces,
slide rails, machine
slides

CONCLUTION
the early 1960's significant amounts of steel began to be continuously

cast in a number of the world's steel industries.


1970s saw the establishment of basic equipment and operating
technologies for the continuous casting process, and Japans continuous
casting ratio jumped 6% to 60% in a mere 10 years.
Since the 1980s, measures have been taken to improve the quality of
continuously cast steel to meet the increasing severity of
steel quality requirements.
The
same period has witnessed remarkable progress in
productivity increase and labor savings, and the continuous casting ratio
has ex-ceeded 95% nationally.
Today continuous casting is the preferred choice in new steelmaking
plants, although there are still some types of steel which have not been
converted from the older ingot casting method to continuous casting.

EN
D

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