EP0178059A1 - The production of metal strip - Google Patents

The production of metal strip Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0178059A1
EP0178059A1 EP85306094A EP85306094A EP0178059A1 EP 0178059 A1 EP0178059 A1 EP 0178059A1 EP 85306094 A EP85306094 A EP 85306094A EP 85306094 A EP85306094 A EP 85306094A EP 0178059 A1 EP0178059 A1 EP 0178059A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
bars
uncoiled
coils
coil
bar
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP85306094A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Ewan Christian Hewitt
Harry Laurence Fred Bond
Kenneth Thomas Lawson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Davy Mckee Sheffield Ltd
Original Assignee
Davy Mckee Sheffield Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Davy Mckee Sheffield Ltd filed Critical Davy Mckee Sheffield Ltd
Publication of EP0178059A1 publication Critical patent/EP0178059A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21B—ROLLING OF METAL
    • B21B1/00—Metal-rolling methods or mills for making semi-finished products of solid or profiled cross-section; Sequence of operations in milling trains; Layout of rolling-mill plant, e.g. grouping of stands; Succession of passes or of sectional pass alternations
    • B21B1/46—Metal-rolling methods or mills for making semi-finished products of solid or profiled cross-section; Sequence of operations in milling trains; Layout of rolling-mill plant, e.g. grouping of stands; Succession of passes or of sectional pass alternations for rolling metal immediately subsequent to continuous casting
    • B21B1/466—Metal-rolling methods or mills for making semi-finished products of solid or profiled cross-section; Sequence of operations in milling trains; Layout of rolling-mill plant, e.g. grouping of stands; Succession of passes or of sectional pass alternations for rolling metal immediately subsequent to continuous casting in a non-continuous process, i.e. the cast being cut before rolling
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
    • C21D9/00—Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor
    • C21D9/52—Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor for wires; for strips ; for rods of unlimited length
    • C21D9/54—Furnaces for treating strips or wire
    • C21D9/68—Furnace coilers; Hot coilers

Definitions

  • bars from a plurality of continuous casting machines are coiled as they are cast and, when each coil is of a predetermined length, the coil is severed from the bar being cast and is kept in a heat retaining or heat improving environment until, in turn, the coils are uncoiled into a hot finishing mill where the bar is reduced to strip.
  • a number of bars are produced simultaneously and the storage area required for storing the bars is reduced by coiling the bars as they are cast.
  • the coils so formed are stored in a heat retaining or heat improving environment until they are ready to be uncoiled into the hot finishing mill.
  • the cast bars are cooled after they leave the continuous casting mould, in order to solidify the metal, the bars retain a considerable amount of heat and, by coiling the bars, the heat lost from the bars is reduced to a minimum. This means that no further heat need be applied to the coil so long as most of the heat in the coil is retained while it is waiting to be uncoiled into the hot finishing mill.
  • a small amount of heat may have to be introduced into the coil while it is waiting in order to keep it at a temperature suitable for uncoiling into the hot finishing mill.
  • the tail end of the coil which is being uncoiled into the mill may be secured to the leading end of the next coil to be uncoiled into the mill so that the bars are fed continuously into the mill.
  • the bars may be secured together by removing scale from the ends which are to be secured together, arranging the ends in overlapped relation and holding them in this overlapped relation until they pass between the rolls of the first stand of the hot finishing mill where the ends are welded together by the rolling action.
  • the ends are shaped so that the overall thickness of the overlapped ends is substantially equal to the thickness of one of the bars.
  • apparatus for use with a hot finishing mill comprises a plurality of continuous casting machines for producing metal bars; means for severing the bars; coilers for coiling the bars into coils of predetermined size; an enclosure providing a heat retaining or heat improving environment where the coils are stored, and an uncoiler for uncoiling the coils in turn into a hot finishing mill.
  • the invention is not simply that of producing a plurality of metal bars simultaneously and collecting them until sufficient have been produced to enable the hot finishing mill to be operated for an economic length of time.
  • the invention resides in coiling the output from the continuous casting machines, keeping the coils in an environment where the heat in the coils is retained or improved, and uncoiling them in turn into the hot finishing mill. While the coils are waiting to be fed into the mill, they are kept in a heat retaining environment to minimise heat loss from the coils and, if necessary, heat can be applied to the coils before they are uncoiled and the bars fed into the hot finishing mill.
  • the output from each continuous casting machine may be coiled in a separate Stelco coil box. When the coil is of a predetermined size, it is severed from the bar and lifted out of the Stelco box. It is kept in the enclosure until it is ready to be uncoiled and fed into the mill train.
  • An uncoiling station where coils of metal bar are uncoiled and fed into a hot strip finishing mill is indicated by reference 1, the arrow 2 indicates the entrance to the hot finishing mill train.
  • a plurality of continuous casting machines, say four machines, are indicated by reference numerals 5, 6, 7 and 8, respectively.
  • Cast metal bar 9 having a thickness of between 5 and 40 mm, and conveniently 30 mm, is produced simultaneously by these continuous casting machines and the bar from each machine is fed directly into a separate coiler 5' - 8', respectively.
  • the coilers may be of the well known Stelco type coil box. As soon as the coil is of the predetermined size, the coil is severed from the bar 9 being cast by a shear (not shown) and the coil 10 is taken from the coiler by a conveyor system 11.
  • the coils taken from each of the coilers are passed along the conveyor system so that, in turn, they arrive at the uncoiler 1.
  • At least the conveyor system 11, and preferably the coilers 5' - 8', and the uncoiler 1 are contained in an enclosure 12, which provides a heat retaining or heat improving environment for the coils.
  • the enclosure is conveniently constructed from panels 13 of a thermal insulating material having a reflecting inner surface. Such panels are known as ENCO panels. Provision is also made for a heat toppingrup facility so that coils stored in the enclosure 12 can have their temperature raised to a temperature suitable for hot rolling.
  • the surface area of the bar is reduced, thus reducing the heat loss considerably. While the coils are being conveyed by the conveyor system 11, they are in a heat retaining or heat improving environment so that, in some cases, no extra heat is required before the coils are ready to be uncoiled and for the bar to enter the hot finishing mill. In some cases, a small amount of heat is applied to the coils from electrical heating means. If desired, the tail end of the bar being fed into the hot finishing mill can be prepared for securement to the leading end of the next coil to be uncoiled.
  • the preparation consists essentially of removing scale from the adjacent end portions which are to be secured together, arranging them in overlapped relation and holding them in this overlapped relation until they pass between the rolls of the first stand of the hot finishing mill.
  • the rolling action causes the overlapped ends to be welded together.
  • the ends to be overlapped may be shaped so that, when they are overlapped, the overall thickness is substantially equal to the thickness of one bar.
  • the coilers 5' - 8' and the uncoiler 1 may be outside the enclosure 12.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Metal Rolling (AREA)
  • Winding, Rewinding, Material Storage Devices (AREA)

Abstract

57 In the production of metal strip, continuous casting machines produce metal bar which is coiled and the coils are kept in an enclosure providing a heat retaining or heat improving environment until the coils are ready to be uncoiled one at a time into a hot strip mill where the bar is reduced to strip.

Description

  • It has been proposed to continuously cast steel workpieces, referred to as bars, having a thickness within the range of 5 to 40 mm. A preferred thickness is 30 mm. It is intended that the cast bar will be passed through a finishing mill to reduce the bar to strip having a thickness in the range of 1 to 15 mm. The speed of production of a continuous casting machine producing metal bars is considerably less than the speed at which the material can be handled by a hot finishing mill. Particularly if the bars are to be joined end-to-end before being introduced into the finishing mill, the mill can only be operated after a number of bars have been produced by the continuous casting machine.
  • It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of, and apparatus for, producing metal strip in which the difficulty of the difference between the production speeds of a continuous casting machine and a hot finishing mill can.be overcome.
  • According to the first aspect of the present invention, in a method of producing metal strip, bars from a plurality of continuous casting machines are coiled as they are cast and, when each coil is of a predetermined length, the coil is severed from the bar being cast and is kept in a heat retaining or heat improving environment until, in turn, the coils are uncoiled into a hot finishing mill where the bar is reduced to strip.
  • By employing a plurality of continuous casting machines, a number of bars are produced simultaneously and the storage area required for storing the bars is reduced by coiling the bars as they are cast. The coils so formed are stored in a heat retaining or heat improving environment until they are ready to be uncoiled into the hot finishing mill. Although the cast bars are cooled after they leave the continuous casting mould, in order to solidify the metal, the bars retain a considerable amount of heat and, by coiling the bars, the heat lost from the bars is reduced to a minimum. This means that no further heat need be applied to the coil so long as most of the heat in the coil is retained while it is waiting to be uncoiled into the hot finishing mill. Alternatively, a small amount of heat may have to be introduced into the coil while it is waiting in order to keep it at a temperature suitable for uncoiling into the hot finishing mill.
  • It may be convenient for the tail end of the coil which is being uncoiled into the mill to be secured to the leading end of the next coil to be uncoiled into the mill so that the bars are fed continuously into the mill. The bars may be secured together by removing scale from the ends which are to be secured together, arranging the ends in overlapped relation and holding them in this overlapped relation until they pass between the rolls of the first stand of the hot finishing mill where the ends are welded together by the rolling action. Preferably the ends are shaped so that the overall thickness of the overlapped ends is substantially equal to the thickness of one of the bars.
  • According to a second aspect of the present invention, apparatus for use with a hot finishing mill comprises a plurality of continuous casting machines for producing metal bars; means for severing the bars; coilers for coiling the bars into coils of predetermined size; an enclosure providing a heat retaining or heat improving environment where the coils are stored, and an uncoiler for uncoiling the coils in turn into a hot finishing mill.
  • The invention is not simply that of producing a plurality of metal bars simultaneously and collecting them until sufficient have been produced to enable the hot finishing mill to be operated for an economic length of time. The invention resides in coiling the output from the continuous casting machines, keeping the coils in an environment where the heat in the coils is retained or improved, and uncoiling them in turn into the hot finishing mill. While the coils are waiting to be fed into the mill, they are kept in a heat retaining environment to minimise heat loss from the coils and, if necessary, heat can be applied to the coils before they are uncoiled and the bars fed into the hot finishing mill. The output from each continuous casting machine may be coiled in a separate Stelco coil box. When the coil is of a predetermined size, it is severed from the bar and lifted out of the Stelco box. It is kept in the enclosure until it is ready to be uncoiled and fed into the mill train.
  • In order that the invention may be more readily understood, it will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
    • Figure 1 shows diagrammatically the operation of the invention; and
    • Figure 2 is a section on the line II-II of Figure 1.
  • An uncoiling station where coils of metal bar are uncoiled and fed into a hot strip finishing mill is indicated by reference 1, the arrow 2 indicates the entrance to the hot finishing mill train. A plurality of continuous casting machines, say four machines, are indicated by reference numerals 5, 6, 7 and 8, respectively. Cast metal bar 9 having a thickness of between 5 and 40 mm, and conveniently 30 mm, is produced simultaneously by these continuous casting machines and the bar from each machine is fed directly into a separate coiler 5' - 8', respectively. The coilers may be of the well known Stelco type coil box. As soon as the coil is of the predetermined size, the coil is severed from the bar 9 being cast by a shear (not shown) and the coil 10 is taken from the coiler by a conveyor system 11. The coils taken from each of the coilers are passed along the conveyor system so that, in turn, they arrive at the uncoiler 1. At least the conveyor system 11, and preferably the coilers 5' - 8', and the uncoiler 1 are contained in an enclosure 12, which provides a heat retaining or heat improving environment for the coils. The enclosure is conveniently constructed from panels 13 of a thermal insulating material having a reflecting inner surface. Such panels are known as ENCO panels. Provision is also made for a heat toppingrup facility so that coils stored in the enclosure 12 can have their temperature raised to a temperature suitable for hot rolling.
  • By coiling the bars as they are cast, the surface area of the bar is reduced, thus reducing the heat loss considerably. While the coils are being conveyed by the conveyor system 11, they are in a heat retaining or heat improving environment so that, in some cases, no extra heat is required before the coils are ready to be uncoiled and for the bar to enter the hot finishing mill. In some cases, a small amount of heat is applied to the coils from electrical heating means. If desired, the tail end of the bar being fed into the hot finishing mill can be prepared for securement to the leading end of the next coil to be uncoiled. The preparation consists essentially of removing scale from the adjacent end portions which are to be secured together, arranging them in overlapped relation and holding them in this overlapped relation until they pass between the rolls of the first stand of the hot finishing mill. The rolling action causes the overlapped ends to be welded together. The ends to be overlapped may be shaped so that, when they are overlapped, the overall thickness is substantially equal to the thickness of one bar.
  • In an alternative embodiment, the coilers 5' - 8' and the uncoiler 1 may be outside the enclosure 12.

Claims (10)

1. A method of producing metal strip from cast bar characterised in that bars (9) from a plurality of continuous casting machines (5-8) are coiled as they are cast and, when each coil is of a predetermined length, the coil (10) is severed from the bar being cast and is kept in a heat retaining or heat improving environment (12) until, in turn, the coils (10) are uncoiled into a hot finishing mill where the bar is reduced to strip.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the bars cast in the continuous casting machines enter into said environment and are coiled in the environment.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the coils are uncoiled in the environment and the uncoiled bar leaves the environment and enters into the hot finishing mill.
4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the tail end of the coil being uncoiled into the mill is secured to the leading end of the next coil to be uncoiled into the mill so that the bars are fed continuously into the mill.
5. A method as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the ends to be secured together are arranged in overlapped relation and held in overlapped relation until they pass between the rolls of the first stand of the hot finishing mill where the ends are welded together by the rolling action.
6. A method as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the ends of the bars to be secured together are shaped prior to being arranged in overlapped relation so that the-overall thickness of the overlapped ends is substantially equal to the thickness of one of the bars.
7. Apparatus comprising a plurality of continuous casting machines for producing metal bars (5-8); means for severing the bars; coilers (5'-8') for coiling the bars into coils (10) of predetermined size; an enclosure (12) providing a heat retaining or heat improving environment where the coils are stored; and an uncoiler (1) for uncoiling the coils in turn into a hot finishing mill.
8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the coilers (5'-8') are located within said enclosure.
9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the uncoiler (1) is located within said enclosure.
10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, 8 or 9, characterised in the provision of apparatus for securing the tail end of a coil being uncoiled to the leading end of the next coil to be uncoiled.
EP85306094A 1984-09-07 1985-08-28 The production of metal strip Withdrawn EP0178059A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8422609 1984-09-07
GB848422609A GB8422609D0 (en) 1984-09-07 1984-09-07 Metal strip

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0178059A1 true EP0178059A1 (en) 1986-04-16

Family

ID=10566392

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP85306094A Withdrawn EP0178059A1 (en) 1984-09-07 1985-08-28 The production of metal strip

Country Status (3)

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EP (1) EP0178059A1 (en)
JP (1) JPS61111702A (en)
GB (1) GB8422609D0 (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0319808A1 (en) * 1987-12-05 1989-06-14 Sms Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft Continuous-casting plant for strip
EP0361058A1 (en) * 1988-09-03 1990-04-04 Didier Ofu Engineering Gmbh Furnace plant to heat and reheat strip
EP0438066A2 (en) * 1990-01-18 1991-07-24 Sms Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft Installation for rolling out of hot wide strip

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS58122107A (en) * 1982-01-18 1983-07-20 Hitachi Ltd Continuous and direct sheet rolling plant
GB2129723A (en) * 1982-11-11 1984-05-23 Mannesmann Ag Manufacture of metal strip
JPS5992103A (en) * 1982-11-18 1984-05-28 Kawasaki Steel Corp Rolling method of hot strip
JPS59110403A (en) * 1982-12-14 1984-06-26 Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Ind Co Ltd Installation for producing hot rolled steel sheet
JPS59141303A (en) * 1983-01-31 1984-08-14 Sumitomo Metal Ind Ltd Continuous hot rolling method

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS58122107A (en) * 1982-01-18 1983-07-20 Hitachi Ltd Continuous and direct sheet rolling plant
GB2129723A (en) * 1982-11-11 1984-05-23 Mannesmann Ag Manufacture of metal strip
JPS5992103A (en) * 1982-11-18 1984-05-28 Kawasaki Steel Corp Rolling method of hot strip
JPS59110403A (en) * 1982-12-14 1984-06-26 Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Ind Co Ltd Installation for producing hot rolled steel sheet
JPS59141303A (en) * 1983-01-31 1984-08-14 Sumitomo Metal Ind Ltd Continuous hot rolling method

Non-Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENTS ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 7, no. 230 (M-249) [1375], 12th October 1984; & JP - A - 58 122 107 (HITACHI SEISAKUSHO K.K.) 20-07-1983 *
PATENTS ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 8, no. 201 (M-325) [1638], 14th September 1984; & JP - A - 59 92 103 (KAWASAKI SEITETSU K.K.) 28-05-1984 *
PATENTS ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 8, no. 227 (M-332) [1664], 18th October 1984; & JP - A - 59 110 403 (ISHIKAWAJIMA HARIMA JUKOGYO K.K.) 26-06-1984 *
PATENTS ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 8, no. 270 (M-344) [1707], 11th December 1984; & JP - A - 59 141 303 (SUMITOMO KINZOKU KOGYO K.K.) 14-08-1984 *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0319808A1 (en) * 1987-12-05 1989-06-14 Sms Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft Continuous-casting plant for strip
EP0361058A1 (en) * 1988-09-03 1990-04-04 Didier Ofu Engineering Gmbh Furnace plant to heat and reheat strip
EP0438066A2 (en) * 1990-01-18 1991-07-24 Sms Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft Installation for rolling out of hot wide strip
EP0438066A3 (en) * 1990-01-18 1991-12-27 Sms Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft Installation for rolling out of hot wide strip

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8422609D0 (en) 1984-10-10
JPS61111702A (en) 1986-05-29

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Inventor name: BOND, HARRY LAURENCE FRED