GB2200308A

GB2200308A - Continuous casting installation

Info

Publication number: GB2200308A
Application number: GB08702096A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dmitry Alexandrovich Djudkin; Sergei Petrovich Efimenko; Gennady Evgenievich Gorjainov; Nikolai Vasilievich Kolupaev; Alexandr Ivanovich Vekke; Anatoly Mikhailovic Kondratjuk; Vladimir Grigorievich Korokhov; Boris Semenovich Kurapin
Original assignee: DO NII CHERNOJ METALLURGII; Donetsky Nauchno-Issledovatelsky Institut Chernoi Metallurgii
Current assignee: DO NII CHERNOJ METALLURGII; Donetsky Nauchno-Issledovatelsky Institut Chernoi Metallurgii
Priority date: 1986-12-08
Filing date: 1987-01-30
Publication date: 1988-08-03
Also published as: DE3641913A1; GB8702096D0

Abstract

A continuous casting installation comprises a mould (1), a secondary cooling system (3), a drawing-out device (4) and a device (6) for cutting the strand (5) to specified-length billets (7), said devices being arranged in series along a process line (0-0), while billet-delivery devices (9, 10, 11) and a device (12) for storage and feeding of dummy bars (13) are positioned immediately underneath the devices aligned on the single process line (0-0) which is typically a straight line inclinded e.g. at 20 DEG -60 DEG to the horizontal. A positioning device (8) transfers the billets (7) from the process line (0-0) to the delivery roller tables (9) below. A transfer roller table and carriage (10, 11) performs the dual functions of (a) delivery of billets (7) to a hoist for removal to store and (b) retrieval and replacement of dummy bars (13). The transfer roller table and carriage (10, 11) may serve plural continuous casting lines (Fig. 2, not shown). As an alternative to the inclined linear process line (0-0), the process line may comprise a curved Section and a straightener. <IMAGE>

Description

INCLINED CONTINUOUS CASTING INSTALLATION This invention relates generally to the field of continuous casting , and more specifically, to inclined continuous casting installations, and can be used to advantage in ferrous or non-ferrous metallurgy for the production of billets having a substantially rectangular or similar cross-sectional shape or for shaped sections or tubes.

The vertical continuous casting machinse developed by M.

Dahlen and referred to as 'tWater-cooled basins with a retractable bottom for metal casting" are widely known.

(cf., e.g. "Continuous Casting by Schwarzmeier, translated from the German, 'Metallurgizdat' Publishers, Moscow, 1962, pages 71-72. They comprise a movable bottom-tap ladle. a vertical mould, a secondary cooling system made essentially as a billet temperature equalizing chamber, drawing-out rollers and shears (which also serve for tipping the billets over to a horizontal roller conveyor) for cutting the billet to specified lengths.

Vertical arrangements of all the processing units of the installation gives it a considerable height (up to 40-43 m). Such installations require heavy capital outlay for construction,and their operation and the casting process itself become more complicated. Limits on the height of the installation however impose restrictions on the rate of casting or the billet cross-section erea. and hence on the output of the installation. For such installations. moreover, overall horizontal dimensions are determined by the length of the withdrawal-roller table.

The need for reduction in height of continuous casting installations has led to the development of continuous casting installations having a curved arrangement of the processing units (cf. e.g. "Continuous Casting of Steel", Proceedings of the International Conference, London 1977. translated from the English. "Metallurgiya" Publishers, Moscow 1982, pages 116-140). Installations of this kind, compared to the vertical continuous casting installations, have additional devices for deflecting and straightening the moulded billets. In these installations. elcher the metal is moulded into a billet in a radial mould and is passed to a secondary cooling system arranged on a curvilinear axis, or the initially straight billet is deflected in a special device, the latter process being referred to as the "vertical continuous casting with curved guidance of the billet".In either case, a curved billet is straightened and withdrawn horizontally.Disposed along the horizontal portion of the process axis are a straightening device, and a billet cutting-and-delivery device which comprises a run-out roller table for carrying billets to a storage rack or hoist.

The process of moulding of curved billets with their subsequent horizontal withdrawal does enable casting installations to have a relatively small height and enables billets of any given length to be produced.

However, such installations are of considerable construction length which demands a larger building site for the shop. Besides, the lateral deflection of the billet calls for high temperature (up to 1000"C) to be maintained at the deflection area and, as a consequence, a reduction in the casting rate resulting in heavier loads on the equipment particularly on the rollers of the secondary cooling system and on the straightening device) which leads to the need for more powerful and metal-intensive machinery and prevents the production of rectangular billets of considerable thickness as well as shaped billets because of their increased susceptability to internal and surface defects.

Also known are continuous casting installations in which a straight inclined billet is produced to be deflected afterwards. The present invention is most closely related to an inclined continous casting -installation (cf., "Continuous Casting of Steel" by M.S.Boychenko, V.S. Rutes, V.V. Ful'makht, Moscow, "Metallurgizdat" Publishers, 1961, pages 1S-16, 62-64) comprising an inclined mould, a secondary cooling system, an intermediate roller table and a drawing-out caterpillar unit linked to a curved roller table for deflecting the billet sideways to the horizontal position, all said members being arranged in series along an inclined straight portion of the process line.Further along the horizontal extension of the process line, there is provided a straightening device, a billet cutting-and-delivery device which incorporate a withdrawal roller table with a side pusher, and a hoist for handling the billets to a storage rack.

The inclined installation is of fairly small height whereby the cost of construction is materially reduced, and the machinery is easy to install and attend to.

However. installa6tions of this design fail to dispense with the need to deflect the continually moulded billet, as well as with the attendant disadvantages of its deflection.

Positioning the components of the billet delivery devices, particularly the withdrawal roller table, along the horizontal extension of the process axis increases the construction length of the installation,. renders it more metal-intensive and ,generally, prevents optimum utilization of the shop floor area or requires larger floor areas.

The present invention sets out to provide an inclined continous casting installation having minimal overall dimensions.

The invention consists in an inclined continous casting installation comprising the following components arranged in series along a line of billet withdrawal.,namely an inclined mould; a secondary cooling system; a drawing-out device intended for pulling said billet out of said inclined mould; and a device for cutting said billet to specified-length billets; there being further provided a device for delivery of said specified-length billets which comprises a positioner and a sectional withdrawal roller table, and a device for storage and feeding of dummy bars, at least said device for storage and feeding of dummy bars being positioned immediately underneath the linear sequence of devices.

The above enables the construction length of the installation to be substantially decreased and permits optimum utilization of the shop floor area. The various devices typically operate along a straight line.

inclined (e.g. 200C-600C) to the horizontal although the invention can also be applied to a curved guidance continous billet system.

Whenever a number of billets are to be produced simultaneously it is advisable that the billet delivery device be equipped with a transfer car carrying a roller table section installed next to the withdrawal roller table This ensures uninterrupted operation of the installation and allows additional handling units to be dispensed with.

The present invention will le further describad by a detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, whrein Figure 1 is a general view of an embodiment of the inclined installation, according to the invention, with part positioned below the shop level; Figure 2 is a layout of the devices in the horizontal portion of the installation designed to produce a number of billets simultanecusly, according to the invention.

The inclined continous casting installation shown comprises an inclined mould 1 resting on a tilting mechanism 2, a secondary cooling system 3, a drawing-out device 4 for pulling a continous billet 5 from the mould 1, and a device 6 for cutting the continous billet 5 to specified-length billets 7, all these being arranged in series in a straight inclined portion of a process line 0-0 which is tilted at an angle of about 200C to 600C to to the horizontal. A billet delivery device 7 includes a positioner 8. Arranged immediately underneath the above sequence of devices installed on the straight inclined portion of the process line 0-0 are a withdrawal roller-table section 10 itself mounted on a crosswise traversable transfer car (see Figure 2) and reversible roller racks 12.These racks carry dummy bars, when in the inoperative position and are located behind the transfer car 11. Aligned parallel to the withdrawal roller table 9 is a vertical hoist 14 (Figure 2) used for lifting the specified-length billets 7 to a storage rack (not shown in Figure 2).

Mounted above the mould 1 is a casting ladle 15 (Figure 1) and an intermediate ladle 16 having an extended sleeve to be introduced in the mould 1.

The arrangements of the principal processing units (the mould 1, the secondary cooling system 3, the drawing-out device 4, and the device 6 for cutting the billet 5 to specified-length billets 7 along the straight inclined portion of the process line 0-0) prevents deflection of the moulded billet and of the requisita equipment components, obviates the danger of internal or surface defects, and enables billets of considerable thickness, or shaped billets, (e.g. beam-like castings) to be produced.

The inclination of the straight portion of the process line 0-0 at an angle of about 200C to 600C reduces the construction height of the installation and allows much of the billet delivery devices (if desired) and the dummy bar storage device 13 to be placed directly anderneath the inclined portion of the process line O-O.This, in turn, reduces the construction length of the installation and permits optimum utilization of the shop floor area.

If the angle of incline of the straight portion of the process line 0-0 to the horizontal is less than 20 C, supply of the metal to the inclined mould 1 through the vertically arranged extended sleeve 17 tends to become impractical, The layer Of molten metal above the lower edge of the mould 1 is too thin, because of a highly convex meniscus.If the angle of incline of the straight portion of the process line 0-0 to the horizontal is more than 600C, the advantages (reduction in the height of the installation, lower cost of its construction) afforded by the proposed installation as compared to the vertical continuous casting installations, become much less.

Use of the billet delivery device comprising the positioner 8, the withdrawal roller table 9 and the roller table section 10 mounted on the transfer car 11, for loading the dummy bars 13 into the mould 1 obviates the need for additional devices and mechanisms intended for this operation.

Whenever the installation is adapted to produce a number of billets 5 simultaneously, provision of the common roller table section 10, mounted on the crosswise traversable transfer car 11, ensures uninterrupted operation of the herein proposed installation and allows additional handling units to be dispensed with.

In a continuous casting installation with curved (i.e.

radial) guidance of the billet, it is also possible that the withdrawal roller table 9 and the roller table section 10 mounted on the transfer car 11, which serve for the delivery of the specified-length billets 7 and for loading and removal of the dummy bars 13 into the mould 1. as well as the roller racks 12 used for the storage of the dummy bars 13, all be positioned along the horizontal portion of the process line, underneath the processing units. In this case, the billet 5 is finally straightened and cut to the specified-length billets 7 on the straight region.Billets 7 are placed, by the positioner 8, on the horizontal withdrawal roller table 9 and are passed on to the roller table section 10 mounted on the transfer car 11, as shown in Figure 1, the car being used for carrying the specified-langth] billets 7 to the hoist 14, as shown in Figure 2, or to the storage rack (omitted in Figure 2). This considerably reduces the construction length even of the continuous casting installations with curved (radial) guidance of the billet, and permits optimum utilization of the shop floor area The herewith proposed inclined continous casting installating operates according to the following procecure.

The metal from the casting ladle 15 is cast, via th intermediate ladle 16 and the extended sleeve 17, into the inclined mould 1. After having been moulded in the inclined mould 1, the continous billet 5 is pulled by the drawing-out device 4 into and through the secondary cooling system 3. where it is intensively cooled down.

The completely solidified continuous billet 5 is then passed to the device 6 to be cut to the specified-length billets 7. Aft-er the cutting-off, the positioner 8 takes the specified-length billets 7 and places them, one by one, on the horizontal withdrawal roller table 9 which carries the specified-length billets 7 to the roller table section 10. Next, the specified-length billets 7 are moved, by means of the transfer car 11 and the roller table section 10, to the vertical hoist 14 which passes them to the storage rack (not shown in Figure 1) arranged at the floor level.

To prepare the continous casting installation for operation, the dummy bars 13 stored in the inoperative position on the roller rack 12 must be loaded into the mould 1 using the roller table section 10, the withdrawal roller table 9, the positioner 8 and drawing-out device 4. At the start-up stage of pulling the continuous billet 5 out, the dummy bar 13 must be removed using the reverse procedure: the dummy bar 13 followed by the billet 5 is fed by the drawing-out device 4 to the positioner 8, detached from the billet S, and placed, by the positioner 8, on the withdrawal roller table 9 to be carried, via the roller table section 10, to the rack 12 for storage.

The arrangement of the billet delivery device incorporating the units 8-13 on the horizontal portion immediately nunderneath-continous casting units positioned on the inclined .portion of the process line 0.-0 reduces the construction length of the installation and permits optimum utilization of the shop floor area.

Besides, the use of the billet delivery device for the loading of the dummy bars 13 into the mould 1 enables additional units and mechanisms to be dispensed with.

The use of the common roller table section 10 mounted on the crosswise traversable transversable transfer car 11.

in the case when a number of the billets 5 are to be produced simultaneously , ensures uninterrupted operation of the installation and allows additional handling units to be dispensed with.

A streight arrangement of the inclined portion of the process line 0.-0 from the mould 1 to the positioner 8 prevents deflection of the moulded billet 5 and of the requisite equipment components, obviates the dange of internal or surface defects, and enables the billets 7 of considerable thickness or sheped billete, e.g.

beam-like castings, to be produced.

Claims

CLAIMS.

1. An inclined continous casting installation comprising the following components arranged in series along a line of billet withdrawal, namely: an inclined mould; a secondary cooling system; a drawing-out device intended for pulling said billet out of said inclined mould; anda device for cutting said billet to specified-length billets; there being further provided a device for delivery of said specified-length billets which comprises a positioner and a sectional withdrawal roller table, and a device for storage and feeding of dummy bars;at least said device for storage and feeding of dummy bars being positioned immediately underneath the linear sequence of said devices.

2. An installation as claimed in claim 1 in which the mould, cooling system, drawing device and cutting device are all arranged to operate along a straight line inclined to the horizontal.

3. An installation as claimed in claim 2 in which the said straight line is at 200 to 600 to the horizontal.

4. An inclined installation as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 in which, when a number of billets are to be produced simultaneously said billet delivery device is equipped w"4ith- a transfer car carrying a roller table section.

adjacent to the withdrawal roller tale.

5. An inclined continuous casting installation as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings.