US20030102105A1 - Apparatus for producing ingots of nonferrous metals by continuous casting - Google Patents
Apparatus for producing ingots of nonferrous metals by continuous casting Download PDFInfo
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- US20030102105A1 US20030102105A1 US10/298,089 US29808902A US2003102105A1 US 20030102105 A1 US20030102105 A1 US 20030102105A1 US 29808902 A US29808902 A US 29808902A US 2003102105 A1 US2003102105 A1 US 2003102105A1
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
- B22D11/00—Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths
- B22D11/06—Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths into moulds with travelling walls, e.g. with rolls, plates, belts, caterpillars
- B22D11/0631—Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths into moulds with travelling walls, e.g. with rolls, plates, belts, caterpillars formed by a travelling straight surface, e.g. through-like moulds, a belt
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
- B22D11/00—Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths
- B22D11/06—Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths into moulds with travelling walls, e.g. with rolls, plates, belts, caterpillars
- B22D11/0608—Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths into moulds with travelling walls, e.g. with rolls, plates, belts, caterpillars formed by caterpillars
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an apparatus for producing ingots of nonferrous metals by continuous casting.
- the present invention relates to the ingot type, i.e., to the “handy” format suitable for remelting and having a weight comprised for example between 1 and 25 kg.
- Ingots are required, according to their use, in various dimensions in terms of transverse cross-section and therefore of weight, and must have characteristics that ensure the intended quality of the molten metal.
- alloyed aluminum ingots from scrap: weight 5-10 kg, length approximately 650-750 mm;
- brass ingots weight 10-15 kg, length approximately 450-550 mm;
- ingots of zinc alloys for pressure die-casting weight 1-5 kg, length approximately 400-600 mm.
- the cross-sections and lengths of the ingots are the ones best suited for subsequent storage and shipping.
- the ingots are stacked so as to obtain packs that are convenient for transport, generally weighing between 500 and 1000 kg.
- the packs or piles or stacks are tied and kept together by two or more bindings provided by means of straps made of metal or plastics.
- method A casting in open shells, to be filled one by one and placed on a moving belt or on a wheel having a vertical axis (such as a Walker wheel);
- method B continuous casting through shells (cooled collars) which are fixed or oscillate and are vertical and horizontal, so as to obtain billets that have a generally rectangular cross-section with rounded edges, which are then cut to size by means of a cropping head with a rotating blade;
- method C continuous casting on a machine of the wheel and belt type, for example of the type disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/245,404 in the name of this same Applicant, which produces a continuous bar having a trapezoidal cross-section which is then cut to size by means of in-line shears.
- the upper surface of the ingot that is exposed to the atmosphere and to the turbulence of the pouring is highly oxidized and contains inclusions of impurities and slag that float on the molten metal during its solidification.
- the casting system is very complicated both structurally and in terms of its management, since in order to achieve industrially convenient production levels it is necessary to arrange in parallel (side by side) many casting lines that must operate simultaneously.
- the cooling-solidification shell by being a collar (a semi-oval or rectangular one with rounded edges) that is cooled with water and has a limited length (approximately 200-400 mm), has a very small heat exchange surface, and this causes low solidification rates and therefore low production per hour.
- the ingot obtained with this method has a very rough surface that can trap moisture and therefore cause explosions when it is returned into the casting furnace.
- Method C has solved the problems of methods A and B, since with said method the continuous casting of the ingot is free from slag and oxides and high production levels are achieved on a single machine because the shell is long (at least as long as half the circumference of the wheel) and therefore the heat exchange surface is large and it is possible to change the length of the ingot simply by varying the cropping pitch, and it is also possible to vary the cross-section of the ingot by changing only the casting ring.
- Another drawback is constituted by the fact that the bar that exits from the machine has to be straightened. This requires a rather expensive straightening machine because of the cross-section of the ingots and because the machine must comprise a pinch-roll assembly and a series of straightening rollers that are motorized synchronously with the casting machine.
- the aim of the present invention is to solve the problems and obviate the drawbacks mentioned above, by providing an apparatus for producing, by continuous casting, ingots of nonferrous metals that has all the advantages of the method of continuous casting on a machine of the wheel and belt type but is simpler as regards both production and installation.
- an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that is easy to operate.
- Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that is capable of producing a straight metal bar and therefore does not require the adoption of complicated ingot straightening machines.
- an apparatus for producing, by continuous casting, ingots of nonferrous metals which comprises a continuous casting machine provided with a moving casting shell, characterized in that said shell is composed of a plurality of segments arranged in succession, each segment having a portion, with bottom and side walls, of said casting shell formed therein and being open on the sides directed toward the contiguous segments; said segments being movable along a closed path that has at least one substantially straight portion at the casting region; said segments, along said at least one portion of path, being substantially aligned and forming a casting shell, with a bottom and side walls, that is continuous, substantially straight and closed, along at least one portion of path downstream of the casting region, by closure means at its side that is arranged opposite with respect to the bottom; downstream of said substantially straight portion said segment path having a change in direction for the gradual exit from said casting shell of the metal bar produced by the solidification of the metal in the casting shell.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation view of the apparatus according to the invention.
- FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevation view of the continuous casting machine
- FIG. 3 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of FIG. 2, taken along the line III-III.
- the apparatus according to the invention generally designated by the reference numeral 1 , comprises a casting machine 2 provided with a moving casting shell.
- the shell is composed of a plurality of segments 3 , which are arranged in succession and can move along a path that has at least one straight portion 4 at the casting region 5 .
- the segments 3 are substantially aligned and form a moving, continuous and rectilinear casting shell that is closed, along a portion arranged downstream of the casting region, by closure means 6 at its side that lies opposite with respect to the bottom 3 a of the various segments 3 .
- the path of the segments 3 has a change in direction that produces a gradual exit from the casting shell of the bar 7 produced by the solidification of the metal in the casting shell.
- the portion 4 proximate to the casting region 5 , is preferably inclined downward in the direction in which the segments 3 advance along the corresponding path.
- the segments 3 are connected to the links 8 of a chain 9 that is closed in a loop and winds around at least two sprockets 10 a and 10 b that have horizontal and mutually parallel axes and are supported by the supporting structure of the casting machine 2 , which is not shown for the sake of simplicity.
- the segments 3 are preferably made of copper-silver alloy or copper-chromium-zirconium alloy, and the length of each segment 3 is exactly identical to the pitch of the chain 9 .
- the portion 4 of the path of the segments 3 is formed by the upper portion of the chain 9 that lies between the sprockets 10 a and 10 b .
- At least one of the sprockets 10 a and 10 b can be actuated with a rotary motion about its own axis in a per se known manner in order to produce the advancement of the chain 9 and therefore of the segments 3 along the path formed by the chain 9 .
- the links of the chain 9 are mutually articulated by way of pivots 11 , whose axes are parallel to the axes of the sprockets 10 a and 10 b and mesh with the central region of the pivots 11 .
- two idler wheels 12 a and 12 b are mounted on the pivots 11 , proximate to their axial ends, laterally to the links of the chain and on mutually opposite sides, and two mutually parallel profiles 13 a and 13 b are provided at the portion 4 , and the wheels 12 a and 12 b rest thereon.
- At least one of the wheels, the wheel 12 a in the illustrated case, has a race 14 that has a V-shaped cross-section and the corresponding profile 13 a with which it engages is shaped correspondingly, so as to prevent the chain 9 from moving laterally at least along the portion 4 .
- the profiles 13 a and 13 b ensure the perfect alignment of the segments 3 along the portion 4 .
- the means 6 for closing the side of the casting shell that lies opposite the bottom 3 a comprise a belt element 15 , which is preferably made of steel, is slightly wider than the shell formed by the segments 3 , and can move along a path that faces, with one of its portions, the portion 4 .
- Engagement means act on the belt element 15 and press said belt element 15 against the edges of the upper side of the casting shell formed by the segments 3 along the portion 4 .
- the engagement means are constituted by rollers 16 a and 16 b , whose axes are parallel to the axes of the pivots 11 .
- the rollers 16 a and 16 b are supported, so that they can rotate about their own axes, by a supporting structure 17 , which can move toward or away from the portion 4 and is pushed toward the same portion 4 by means of springs or fluid-actuated cylinders of a known type, not shown for the sake of simplicity, in order to press, by means of the rollers 16 a and 16 b , the belt element 15 against the segments 3 along the portion 4 .
- the pressing action of the belt element 15 against the upper side of the segments 3 can be obtained by means of sliding blocks instead of by means of rollers.
- the belt element 15 is closed in a loop and winds, so as to be tensioned conveniently, around two pulleys 18 a and 18 b that have horizontal axes that are parallel to the axes of the sprockets 10 a and 10 b and are supported by the structure 17 . Both of said pulleys are movable in order to tension the belt element 15 and allow to replace it.
- the belt element 15 is normally moved by friction by contact against the segments 3 , or at least one of the pulleys 18 a and 18 b is actuated with a rotary motion about its own axis in order to produce the advancement of the belt element 15 concordantly with the advancement of the segments 3 along the common portion of path.
- cooling means comprise a plurality of nozzles 20 for dispensing a cooling fluid (generally water), which face in a downward region and laterally the segments 3 along the portion 4 , so as to affect their lower side and their side walls with the cooling liquid.
- a cooling fluid generally water
- the cooling means also comprise a plurality of nozzles 21 for dispensing a cooling fluid, which face in an upper region the portion of the belt element 15 that in each instance engages the segments 3 along the portion 4 so as to strike, with the cooling fluid, the upper face of the belt element 15 that engages the segments 3 .
- the portion of the casting shell formed in each one of the segments 3 preferably has, in a transverse cross-section with respect to the direction of the advancement of the segments 3 along the path set by the chain 9 , the shape of an isosceles trapezoid that is open at its longer parallel side.
- the apparatus comprises, downstream of the casting machine 2 along the advancement direction of the bar that exits from the casting machine 2 , a first cooling station 31 , preferably of the tunnel type.
- a cropping unit 32 Downstream of the first cooling station 31 there is a cropping unit 32 , preferably of the rotary type, for cutting into ingots of preset length the produced metal bar, and downstream of the cropping unit 32 there is conveniently a second cooling station 33 of the tunnel or tank type.
- a station 34 for the automatic stacking, weighing and binding with straps of the ingots In output from the second cooling station 33 there is a station 34 for the automatic stacking, weighing and binding with straps of the ingots.
- the apparatus can be completed by a system for the continuous marking of the ingots in order to mark thereon all the intended identification data.
- the molten metal is fed continuously into the crucible 25 , wherein the level of said metal is controlled and kept constant with means of a known type, for example of the type currently used in continuous casting machines of the wheel and belt type.
- the metal is poured and fed into the moving shell, which is formed by the segments 3 along the portion 4 , by way of the casting channel 26 in a manner similar to what occurs currently in continuous casting machines of the wheel and belt type.
- the metal is cooled gradually by way of the jets of cooling fluid emitted by the nozzles 20 and 21 and solidifies, generating the bar 7 , which leaves the shell in the region of the sprocket 10 b.
- Passage through the first cooling station 31 completes the solidification of the bar 7 and its temperature is brought to the level most suitable for the subsequent cropping operation, i.e., to the optimum temperature for reducing to a minimum the shearing stress to the extent compatible with the solidification and uniformity of the bar 7 .
- the cooling of the bar 7 can be of the spray type, which by having a direct action has a high efficiency and therefore requires shorter times.
- the bar segments 7 or ingots are cooled further in the second cooling station 33 at a temperature that is close to the ambient temperature and are then stacked, weighed and bound with straps in the station 34 .
- the straps would in fact loosen owing to the thermal contraction of the ingots if they were bound at a high temperature.
- the ingots obtained with the apparatus according to the invention have a rectilinear structure that is not subjected to plastic deformation after solidification, which occurs in a continuous shell formed by a sequence of concatenated segments and closed by a continuous belt element.
- Metallographic discontinuities are detectable in said ingots in the sections that correspond to the contact surfaces of the various segments that compose the shell.
- the foundations of the casting machine of the apparatus according to the invention are considerably shallower and therefore far cheaper than the foundations required by continuous casting machines of the wheel and belt type.
- the apparatus according to the invention moreover, allows to produce a straight continuous bar that does not require the use of complicated ingot straightening machine with a pinch roll and motorized straightening rollers synchronized with the speed of the line.
- Another advantage of the apparatus according to the invention is that it is possible to vary the cross-section of the produced ingots and the required level of hourly production simply by replacing the segments that form the casting shell and optionally by extending the chain of segments.
- the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
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- Treatment Of Steel In Its Molten State (AREA)
- Refinement Of Pig-Iron, Manufacture Of Cast Iron, And Steel Manufacture Other Than In Revolving Furnaces (AREA)
Abstract
An apparatus for producing ingots of nonferrous metals, comprising a continuous casting machine provided with a moving casting shell composed of a plurality of segments arranged in succession, each segment having a portion, with bottom and side walls, of the casting shell formed therein and being open on the sides directed toward the contiguous segments. The segments are movable along a closed path that has at least one substantially straight portion at the casting region. The segments, along the at least one portion of path, are substantially aligned and form a casting shell that is continuous and substantially straight and is closed, along at least one portion of path downstream of the casting region, by closure means at its side that is arranged opposite with respect to the bottom.
Description
- The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing ingots of nonferrous metals by continuous casting.
- In general, all metals are extracted from mined minerals or are obtained by recycling scrap and, after many steps of pyrometallic refinement and/or electrolysis, are provided in commercial form, i.e., reduced to suitable sizes. These forms, depending on their type, have various names, such as for example wire bars, billets, T-bars, pigs or ingots, and the metals that constitute them can be pure or alloyed.
- The present invention relates to the ingot type, i.e., to the “handy” format suitable for remelting and having a weight comprised for example between 1 and 25 kg.
- Ingots are required, according to their use, in various dimensions in terms of transverse cross-section and therefore of weight, and must have characteristics that ensure the intended quality of the molten metal.
- By way of example, the characteristics of some ingots are cited hereafter:
- primary aluminum ingots (obtained by electrolysis): weight 10-25 kg, length approximately 650-750 mm;
- alloyed aluminum ingots (from scrap): weight 5-10 kg, length approximately 650-750 mm;
- brass ingots: weight 10-15 kg, length approximately 450-550 mm;
- ingots of zinc alloys for pressure die-casting: weight 1-5 kg, length approximately 400-600 mm.
- The cross-sections and lengths of the ingots are the ones best suited for subsequent storage and shipping. In general, the ingots are stacked so as to obtain packs that are convenient for transport, generally weighing between 500 and 1000 kg.
- The packs or piles or stacks are tied and kept together by two or more bindings provided by means of straps made of metal or plastics.
- Currently, the most common ingot production methods are the following:
- method A: casting in open shells, to be filled one by one and placed on a moving belt or on a wheel having a vertical axis (such as a Walker wheel);
- method B: continuous casting through shells (cooled collars) which are fixed or oscillate and are vertical and horizontal, so as to obtain billets that have a generally rectangular cross-section with rounded edges, which are then cut to size by means of a cropping head with a rotating blade;
- method C: continuous casting on a machine of the wheel and belt type, for example of the type disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/245,404 in the name of this same Applicant, which produces a continuous bar having a trapezoidal cross-section which is then cut to size by means of in-line shears.
- These production methods have problems and drawbacks.
- In the case of method A, the discontinuous pouring of the metal performed individually, shell by shell, also due to the high speeds required, has never reached the sought reliability. Filling of the shell is never constant and therefore produces variable ingot heights, with consequent problems in stacking the ingots.
- Furthermore, the upper surface of the ingot that is exposed to the atmosphere and to the turbulence of the pouring is highly oxidized and contains inclusions of impurities and slag that float on the molten metal during its solidification.
- This phenomenon has been solved only partially with more or less automated foaming operations (a process that is always incomplete and unsatisfactory) and produces losses of metal in foaming and in the subsequent melting of the ingots.
- Furthermore, with this method cracks and cavities can occur during solidification, which is slow, produces a coarse grain and generates concentrated gas. This is a severe danger, since any infiltrations of rainwater in the cracks or cavities can cause a powerful explosion when the ingot is immersed in a bath of molten metal where remelting occurs.
- Finally, again with this method, the dimensions of the ingot are closely correlated to the dimensions of the shell, and changing them is very onerous.
- As regards method B, the casting system is very complicated both structurally and in terms of its management, since in order to achieve industrially convenient production levels it is necessary to arrange in parallel (side by side) many casting lines that must operate simultaneously. The cooling-solidification shell, by being a collar (a semi-oval or rectangular one with rounded edges) that is cooled with water and has a limited length (approximately 200-400 mm), has a very small heat exchange surface, and this causes low solidification rates and therefore low production per hour.
- Furthermore, the cropping of the billets, in addition to requiring a very complicated movable disk cutter, generates a large quantity of chips, which must be first recovered and then returned to the furnace for remelting.
- The ingot obtained with this method has a very rough surface that can trap moisture and therefore cause explosions when it is returned into the casting furnace.
- Method C has solved the problems of methods A and B, since with said method the continuous casting of the ingot is free from slag and oxides and high production levels are achieved on a single machine because the shell is long (at least as long as half the circumference of the wheel) and therefore the heat exchange surface is large and it is possible to change the length of the ingot simply by varying the cropping pitch, and it is also possible to vary the cross-section of the ingot by changing only the casting ring.
- However, even this method is not devoid of drawbacks.
- With this method, the bar in fact solidifies on the wheel and cannot be removed from said wheel (and therefore straightened) if it has not solidified fully. This requires a very long shell and therefore large dimensions for the casting wheel.
- Moreover, as a consequence of this fact, there are high equipment and foundation costs. Wheel dimensions of more than four meters in diameter may in fact be required. Since the wheel must be arranged on a vertical plane and is fed with liquid metal that arrives from the furnace, in the highest point, a very deep foundation pit is required for the casting machine.
- Another drawback is constituted by the fact that the bar that exits from the machine has to be straightened. This requires a rather expensive straightening machine because of the cross-section of the ingots and because the machine must comprise a pinch-roll assembly and a series of straightening rollers that are motorized synchronously with the casting machine.
- The aim of the present invention is to solve the problems and obviate the drawbacks mentioned above, by providing an apparatus for producing, by continuous casting, ingots of nonferrous metals that has all the advantages of the method of continuous casting on a machine of the wheel and belt type but is simpler as regards both production and installation.
- Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that is easy to operate.
- Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that is capable of producing a straight metal bar and therefore does not require the adoption of complicated ingot straightening machines.
- This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by an apparatus for producing, by continuous casting, ingots of nonferrous metals, which comprises a continuous casting machine provided with a moving casting shell, characterized in that said shell is composed of a plurality of segments arranged in succession, each segment having a portion, with bottom and side walls, of said casting shell formed therein and being open on the sides directed toward the contiguous segments; said segments being movable along a closed path that has at least one substantially straight portion at the casting region; said segments, along said at least one portion of path, being substantially aligned and forming a casting shell, with a bottom and side walls, that is continuous, substantially straight and closed, along at least one portion of path downstream of the casting region, by closure means at its side that is arranged opposite with respect to the bottom; downstream of said substantially straight portion said segment path having a change in direction for the gradual exit from said casting shell of the metal bar produced by the solidification of the metal in the casting shell.
- Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
- FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation view of the apparatus according to the invention;
- FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevation view of the continuous casting machine;
- FIG. 3 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of FIG. 2, taken along the line III-III.
- With reference to the figures, the apparatus according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral1, comprises a
casting machine 2 provided with a moving casting shell. - According to the invention, the shell is composed of a plurality of
segments 3, which are arranged in succession and can move along a path that has at least onestraight portion 4 at thecasting region 5. - A portion of the casting shell, with a bottom3 a and side walls 3 b and 3 c, is formed in each
segment 3 and is open on its sides directed toward thecontiguous segments 3 as well as on its side that lies opposite with respect to the bottom 3 a. - Along the
portion 4, thesegments 3 are substantially aligned and form a moving, continuous and rectilinear casting shell that is closed, along a portion arranged downstream of the casting region, by closure means 6 at its side that lies opposite with respect to the bottom 3 a of thevarious segments 3. - Downstream of the
portion 4, the path of thesegments 3 has a change in direction that produces a gradual exit from the casting shell of thebar 7 produced by the solidification of the metal in the casting shell. - Conveniently, in the
segments 3, at theportion 4, the side that lies opposite the bottom 3 a is directed upward. - The
portion 4, proximate to thecasting region 5, is preferably inclined downward in the direction in which thesegments 3 advance along the corresponding path. - In greater detail, the
segments 3 are connected to thelinks 8 of achain 9 that is closed in a loop and winds around at least twosprockets casting machine 2, which is not shown for the sake of simplicity. - The
segments 3 are preferably made of copper-silver alloy or copper-chromium-zirconium alloy, and the length of eachsegment 3 is exactly identical to the pitch of thechain 9. - The
portion 4 of the path of thesegments 3 is formed by the upper portion of thechain 9 that lies between thesprockets sprockets chain 9 and therefore of thesegments 3 along the path formed by thechain 9. - The links of the
chain 9 are mutually articulated by way ofpivots 11, whose axes are parallel to the axes of thesprockets pivots 11. - Conveniently, along the
portion 4 of the path of thesegments 3 there are resting and guiding means for thechain 9 that supports thesegments 3. - More particularly, two
idler wheels pivots 11, proximate to their axial ends, laterally to the links of the chain and on mutually opposite sides, and two mutuallyparallel profiles portion 4, and thewheels - At least one of the wheels, the
wheel 12 a in the illustrated case, has arace 14 that has a V-shaped cross-section and the correspondingprofile 13 a with which it engages is shaped correspondingly, so as to prevent thechain 9 from moving laterally at least along theportion 4. - The
profiles segments 3 along theportion 4. - The means6 for closing the side of the casting shell that lies opposite the bottom 3 a comprise a
belt element 15, which is preferably made of steel, is slightly wider than the shell formed by thesegments 3, and can move along a path that faces, with one of its portions, theportion 4. Engagement means act on thebelt element 15 and press saidbelt element 15 against the edges of the upper side of the casting shell formed by thesegments 3 along theportion 4. - The engagement means are constituted by
rollers 16 a and 16 b, whose axes are parallel to the axes of thepivots 11. Therollers 16 a and 16 b are supported, so that they can rotate about their own axes, by a supportingstructure 17, which can move toward or away from theportion 4 and is pushed toward thesame portion 4 by means of springs or fluid-actuated cylinders of a known type, not shown for the sake of simplicity, in order to press, by means of therollers 16 a and 16 b, thebelt element 15 against thesegments 3 along theportion 4. - As an alternative, the pressing action of the
belt element 15 against the upper side of thesegments 3 can be obtained by means of sliding blocks instead of by means of rollers. - The pressing action of the
belt element 15 against the shell formed by thesegments 3 along theportion 4 performed by therollers 16 a and 16 b or sliding blocks helps to push thewheels profiles segments 3 along theportion 4 in all directions. - The
belt element 15 is closed in a loop and winds, so as to be tensioned conveniently, around twopulleys sprockets structure 17. Both of said pulleys are movable in order to tension thebelt element 15 and allow to replace it. Thebelt element 15 is normally moved by friction by contact against thesegments 3, or at least one of thepulleys belt element 15 concordantly with the advancement of thesegments 3 along the common portion of path. - Advantageously, there are means for cooling the metal poured into the casting shell and the elements of the machine that are in contact with the poured metal. Said cooling means comprise a plurality of
nozzles 20 for dispensing a cooling fluid (generally water), which face in a downward region and laterally thesegments 3 along theportion 4, so as to affect their lower side and their side walls with the cooling liquid. - The cooling means also comprise a plurality of
nozzles 21 for dispensing a cooling fluid, which face in an upper region the portion of thebelt element 15 that in each instance engages thesegments 3 along theportion 4 so as to strike, with the cooling fluid, the upper face of thebelt element 15 that engages thesegments 3. - The portion of the casting shell formed in each one of the
segments 3 preferably has, in a transverse cross-section with respect to the direction of the advancement of thesegments 3 along the path set by thechain 9, the shape of an isosceles trapezoid that is open at its longer parallel side. - Conveniently, the apparatus according to the invention comprises, downstream of the casting
machine 2 along the advancement direction of the bar that exits from the castingmachine 2, afirst cooling station 31, preferably of the tunnel type. - Downstream of the
first cooling station 31 there is a croppingunit 32, preferably of the rotary type, for cutting into ingots of preset length the produced metal bar, and downstream of the croppingunit 32 there is conveniently asecond cooling station 33 of the tunnel or tank type. - In output from the
second cooling station 33 there is astation 34 for the automatic stacking, weighing and binding with straps of the ingots. - The apparatus can be completed by a system for the continuous marking of the ingots in order to mark thereon all the intended identification data.
- The operation of the apparatus according to the invention is as follows.
- The molten metal is fed continuously into the
crucible 25, wherein the level of said metal is controlled and kept constant with means of a known type, for example of the type currently used in continuous casting machines of the wheel and belt type. - From the cauldron, the metal is poured and fed into the moving shell, which is formed by the
segments 3 along theportion 4, by way of the castingchannel 26 in a manner similar to what occurs currently in continuous casting machines of the wheel and belt type. - In the moving shell, the metal is cooled gradually by way of the jets of cooling fluid emitted by the
nozzles bar 7, which leaves the shell in the region of thesprocket 10 b. - It should be noted that the bar that exits from the shell is straight and that in order to make it leave the shell no expulsion elements that would cause plastic deformation of the bar are required, as instead occurs in continuous casting machines of the wheel and belt type.
- By virtue of this fact, it is possible to limit the length of the
portion 4 and therefore obtain a casting machine that has reduced dimensions, since the presence of a central part that has not yet solidified inside thebar 7 is acceptable. - Passage through the
first cooling station 31 completes the solidification of thebar 7 and its temperature is brought to the level most suitable for the subsequent cropping operation, i.e., to the optimum temperature for reducing to a minimum the shearing stress to the extent compatible with the solidification and uniformity of thebar 7. - In the
station 31, the cooling of thebar 7 can be of the spray type, which by having a direct action has a high efficiency and therefore requires shorter times. - After cropping, the
bar segments 7 or ingots are cooled further in thesecond cooling station 33 at a temperature that is close to the ambient temperature and are then stacked, weighed and bound with straps in thestation 34. The straps would in fact loosen owing to the thermal contraction of the ingots if they were bound at a high temperature. - The ingots obtained with the apparatus according to the invention have a rectilinear structure that is not subjected to plastic deformation after solidification, which occurs in a continuous shell formed by a sequence of concatenated segments and closed by a continuous belt element. Metallographic discontinuities are detectable in said ingots in the sections that correspond to the contact surfaces of the various segments that compose the shell.
- In practice it has been found that the apparatus according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects, since its performance is similar to that of apparatuses with a continuous casting machine of the wheel and belt type but with significantly smaller dimensions and lower costs.
- In particular, the foundations of the casting machine of the apparatus according to the invention are considerably shallower and therefore far cheaper than the foundations required by continuous casting machines of the wheel and belt type.
- The apparatus according to the invention, moreover, allows to produce a straight continuous bar that does not require the use of complicated ingot straightening machine with a pinch roll and motorized straightening rollers synchronized with the speed of the line.
- Another advantage of the apparatus according to the invention is that it is possible to vary the cross-section of the produced ingots and the required level of hourly production simply by replacing the segments that form the casting shell and optionally by extending the chain of segments.
- The apparatus thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept; all the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
- In practice, the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.
- The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI2001A002556 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Claims (19)
1. An apparatus for producing, by continuous casting, ingots of nonferrous metals, comprising a continuous casting machine provided with a moving casting shell, wherein said shell is composed of a plurality of segments arranged in succession, each segment having a portion, with bottom and side walls, of said casting shell formed therein and being open on sides directed toward contiguous segments; said segments being movable along a closed path that has at least one substantially straight portion at the casting region; said segments, along said at least one portion of path, being substantially aligned and forming a casting shell, with a bottom and side walls, that is continuous, substantially straight and closed, along at least one portion of path downstream of the casting region, by closure means at its side that is arranged opposite with respect to the bottom; downstream of said substantially straight portion said segment path having a change in direction is for a gradual exit from said casting shell of a metal bar produced by solidification of the metal in the casting shell.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein along said substantially straight portion the side of said casting shell that lies opposite the bottom is directed upward.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said substantially straight portion of the path of the segments, proximate to said casting region, is inclined downward in a direction in which the segments advance along said path.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said segments are connected to links of a chain that is closed in a loop and winds around at least two sprockets, which have mutually parallel horizontal axes; said substantially straight portion of the path of the segments being formed by the upper portion of said chain; at least one of said sprockets being actuatable with a rotary motion about its own axis in order to produce advancement of said segments along said path.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said closure means comprise a belt element that can move along a path that faces, with one of portions thereof, said substantially straight portion of the path of said segments; engagement means being provided which are suitable to press said belt element against said segments at said substantially straight portion of the path of the segments.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said belt element is closed in a loop and winds around at least two pulleys with horizontal axes that are parallel to the axes of said sprockets.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of said two pulleys can be actuated with a rotary motion about its own axis in order to produce advancement of said belt so as to match advancement of said segments along the common portion of the path.
8. The apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising means for cooling the metal poured into said segments along said substantially straight portion of the path of the segments.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said cooling means comprise a plurality of nozzles for dispensing a cooling fluid, which are suitable to strike said segments with said fluid.
10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said cooling means comprise a plurality of nozzles for dispensing a cooling fluid which are suitable to strike, with said fluid, a portion of said belt element that is pressed against said segments.
11. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein means for resting and guiding the chain that supports said segments are provided at said substantially straight portion of the path of the segments.
12. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the links of said chain are mutually articulated by way of pivots whose axes are parallel to the axes of said sprockets; two wheels being mounted on each one of said pivots, proximate to their axial ends, and being suitable to rest, along said substantially straight portion of the path of the segments, on resting and guiding profiles.
13. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said pulleys that support said belt element are mounted on a structure that can move toward and away from said substantially straight portion of the path of the segments.
14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the portion of said casting shell formed in each one of said segments has, in a transverse cross-section with respect to the direction of the advancement of said segments along the corresponding path, a trapezoidal shape that is open at the longer parallel side.
15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising, downstream of said continuous casting machine along the direction of the advancement of said segments along said substantially straight portion of their path, a first station for cooling the metal bar that exits from said continuous casting machine.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising, downstream of said first cooling station along the direction of advancement of the metal bar, a station for cropping said bar into segments.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising, downstream of said cropping station along the advancement direction of the metal bar, a second station for cooling the metal bar.
18. A nonferrous metal ingot obtained by cropping a continuous bar, having a rectilinear structure free of plastic deformation after solidification, which occurs in a continuous shell formed by a sequence of concatenated segments of ingot mold and closed by a continuous belt element, metallographic discontinuities being detectable in said ingot in the sections that correspond to the contact surfaces of the various segments that compose said shell.
19. A method for producing, by continuous casting, ingots of nonferrous metals, comprising the steps of:
continuously casting the molten metal within a continuous and substantially rectilinear moving casting shell that is composed of a sequence of concatenated segments of an ingot mold;
cooling said casting shell for the at least partial solidification of the cast metal;
extracting continuously the bar produced by the solidification of the metal from said casting shell without producing plastic deformations of said bar;
cropping said bar into segments.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/923,686 US20050022960A1 (en) | 2001-12-04 | 2004-08-24 | Method for producing ingots of nonferrous metals by continuous casting |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
ITMI2001A002556 | 2001-12-04 | ||
IT2001MI002556A ITMI20012556A1 (en) | 2001-12-04 | 2001-12-04 | PLANT FOR THE PRODUCTION, BY CONTINUOUS CASTING, OF NON-FERROUS METAL INGOTS |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/923,686 Division US20050022960A1 (en) | 2001-12-04 | 2004-08-24 | Method for producing ingots of nonferrous metals by continuous casting |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20030102105A1 true US20030102105A1 (en) | 2003-06-05 |
Family
ID=11448658
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/298,089 Abandoned US20030102105A1 (en) | 2001-12-04 | 2002-11-18 | Apparatus for producing ingots of nonferrous metals by continuous casting |
US10/923,686 Abandoned US20050022960A1 (en) | 2001-12-04 | 2004-08-24 | Method for producing ingots of nonferrous metals by continuous casting |
Family Applications After (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/923,686 Abandoned US20050022960A1 (en) | 2001-12-04 | 2004-08-24 | Method for producing ingots of nonferrous metals by continuous casting |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US20030102105A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1317980B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE380614T1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE60223996T2 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2298322T3 (en) |
IT (1) | ITMI20012556A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10350675B2 (en) * | 2016-02-08 | 2019-07-16 | Giulio Properzi | Machine for manufacturing continuous bars of nonferrous metal by continuous casting |
CN113118403A (en) * | 2021-04-19 | 2021-07-16 | 燕山大学 | Amorphous alloy continuous casting machine and continuous casting method thereof |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
IT201800006009A1 (en) * | 2018-06-04 | 2019-12-04 | CONTINUOUS CASTING SYSTEM OF PRODUCTS | |
CN110076308A (en) * | 2019-05-30 | 2019-08-02 | 燕山大学 | A kind of amorphous alloy conticaster and its continuous casing |
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US1841297A (en) * | 1928-04-26 | 1932-01-12 | John E Perry | Apparatus and method of continuous casting of steel |
US3529658A (en) * | 1967-10-21 | 1970-09-22 | Ilario Properzi | Continuous casting wheel with improved cooling arrangement |
US4194553A (en) * | 1978-06-05 | 1980-03-25 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Cooling and guide method and apparatus in a continuous casting machine |
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US3279000A (en) * | 1963-12-30 | 1966-10-18 | Southwire Co | Apparatus for continuous casting of metal |
US3645321A (en) * | 1970-03-02 | 1972-02-29 | Northwestern Steel & Wire Co | Apparatus for the continuous production of steel |
US4057096A (en) * | 1976-04-09 | 1977-11-08 | Southwire Company | Starting dummy bar positioner for continuous casting of metals |
LU83485A1 (en) * | 1981-07-09 | 1983-02-04 | Metallurgie Hoboken | METHOD AND INSTALLATION FOR CASTING A SIDE PROJECTED EARBAND |
JPS5820356A (en) * | 1981-07-29 | 1983-02-05 | Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd | Horizontal type continuous casting device |
CA1299836C (en) * | 1986-09-29 | 1992-05-05 | William Lyon Sherwood | Continuous lead-float casting of steel |
DE69124681T2 (en) * | 1990-11-29 | 1997-05-28 | Nippon Steel Corp | Horizontal continuous casting device with adjustable mold |
US5645159A (en) * | 1994-03-30 | 1997-07-08 | Lauener Engineering, Ltd. | Method and apparatus for continuously casting metal |
-
2001
- 2001-12-04 IT IT2001MI002556A patent/ITMI20012556A1/en unknown
-
2002
- 2002-11-18 AT AT02025598T patent/ATE380614T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2002-11-18 EP EP02025598A patent/EP1317980B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-11-18 US US10/298,089 patent/US20030102105A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2002-11-18 ES ES02025598T patent/ES2298322T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-11-18 DE DE60223996T patent/DE60223996T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
2004
- 2004-08-24 US US10/923,686 patent/US20050022960A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US1841297A (en) * | 1928-04-26 | 1932-01-12 | John E Perry | Apparatus and method of continuous casting of steel |
US3529658A (en) * | 1967-10-21 | 1970-09-22 | Ilario Properzi | Continuous casting wheel with improved cooling arrangement |
US4194553A (en) * | 1978-06-05 | 1980-03-25 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Cooling and guide method and apparatus in a continuous casting machine |
US4331195A (en) * | 1978-08-08 | 1982-05-25 | Webber C Eugene | Continuous casting machine |
US5377744A (en) * | 1990-06-28 | 1995-01-03 | Holton Machinery Limited | Method and device for continuous casting and extrusion |
US5756131A (en) * | 1992-12-07 | 1998-05-26 | Suh; Kun Hee | Continuous building materials moulding device |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US10350675B2 (en) * | 2016-02-08 | 2019-07-16 | Giulio Properzi | Machine for manufacturing continuous bars of nonferrous metal by continuous casting |
CN113118403A (en) * | 2021-04-19 | 2021-07-16 | 燕山大学 | Amorphous alloy continuous casting machine and continuous casting method thereof |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
ES2298322T3 (en) | 2008-05-16 |
ITMI20012556A1 (en) | 2003-06-04 |
EP1317980B1 (en) | 2007-12-12 |
EP1317980A1 (en) | 2003-06-11 |
DE60223996T2 (en) | 2008-05-29 |
US20050022960A1 (en) | 2005-02-03 |
ATE380614T1 (en) | 2007-12-15 |
DE60223996D1 (en) | 2008-01-24 |
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