42

6-strand bloom caster,

Pangang Group Steel Vanadium
& Titanium Co., Ltd., China

FEATURING 16
CONTINUOUS
CASTING
papers from Primetals
­Technologies at the ECCC
Conference 2017 in Vienna
covering the topics of slab
casting, billet casting, bloom
casting, strip casting, and
the related mechatronic,
­automation and process-­
optimization systems.

Metals Magazine 2/2017 | Technology | Continuous Casting

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Metals Magazine 2/2017 | Technology | Continuous Casting

44

HKM OPERATION RESULTS: ­EFFECTIVE USE OF PRIMETALS T

­ ECHNOLOGIES
PROCESS MODELS

Paper number: 22; Principal author: Martin Hadler

In May 2015, the modernized Slab Caster No. 3 at had been renewed, a new surface-temperature
the Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann GmbH (HKM) ­control system was applied to ensure the continuous
­Duisburg-Huckingen plant in Germany went into production of high-quality slabs. Thanks to the new
­oper­ation. The revamp was carried out by Primetals process models and technological packages, it was
Technologies with the following main targets: possible to achieve the desired level of slab quality
improve­ment of the quality and product tolerances starting with the very first heat.
of the cast slabs; extension of the product portfolio;
and increased ­process stability, availability and This paper describes the project and how it progressed,
workplace safety. how the plant equipment was modified, the installation
of back-up systems, and how the functionality of the
To achieve these goals, the latest technological pack- slab caster could be extended. The revamp led to in-
ages from Primetals Technologies were installed. Basic creased plant availability, casting of a broader product
and process automation as well as safety equipment range and an optimized yield of the cast slabs. In addi-
were completely overhauled. Sophisticated caster tion to enhanced process stability and product quality,
solutions and process models such as DynaPhase, occupational health and safety at Slab Caster No. 3
DynaGap Soft Reduction, Dynacs 3D, LevCon, ­DynaWidth were also improved. A selection of long-term quality-­
and DynaFlex were implemented. In combination with improvement and optimization measures are addi-
the air-mist secondary-­cooling system, which also tionally outlined in this paper.

Modernization of Slab Caster

No. 3 at Hüttenwerke Krupp
Mannesmann, Duisburg-­
Huckingen, Germany

Metals Magazine 2/2017 | Technology | Continuous Casting

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STUDY ON SPRAY COOLING FOR THE

VOESTALPINE CC4 SLAB CASTER

Paper number: 24
Principal author: Dr. Josef Watzinger

The dual-strand casting machine CC No. 4 at the

Linz steelworks in Austria is the company’s oldest
machine still in operation. It casts 225-mm-thick
slabs comprising ultra-low carbon, low-carbon
and HSLA (high-strength, low alloy) steel grades.
Recently, edge defects began to appear on the
hot strip that was produced from slabs cast on
Ladle turret of the Arvedi ESP slab caster at Rizhao Steel, China
this caster, appearing along a strip-width range of
around 1,000 mm to 1,200 mm when casting
­micro-alloyed construction steel. Such defects
ARVEDI ESP’S CASTER SKILLS TO had not been seen on hot strip when rolling slabs
ENTER A NEW WORLD OF ENDLESS from the other casting machines at the plant.
PRODUCTION
Primetals Technologies, in cooperation with
Paper number: 8 voestalpine experts, carried out a comprehensive
Principal author: Irene Watzinger study of the entire air-mist spray-cooling process.
The cooling setup and various operational adjust-
Thin-slab casting and rolling processes are well ments were investigated. The spray performance
known and have been in continuous development of each nozzle was checked in a test facility of
since their introduction at the end of the last cen- ­Primetals Technologies. During these tests, the
tury. In an attempt to find the optimum configura- water distribution across the slab width was sim-
tion to be able to economically operate and fully ulated using the appropriate simulation tools. A
load the rolling mill, several different concepts have ­realistic spray pattern for each cooling loop as well
emerged that include up to three casting strands fed accumulated patterns at certain specific positions
into a single rolling-mill line. These different concepts were established and subsequently reviewed.
are based on complex furnace constructions, which ­Exceptional situations arising from the collision of
have numerous drawbacks. The key is to simplify all sprays with installed equipment were also taken
of these c­ oncepts to a single-strand concept. The into account in the nozzle tests and simulations.
main target is to ensure a stable and high mass flow.
Critical situations and issues that led to local over-
Arvedi ESP technology represents the benchmark cooling could be subsequently identified, which
technology in this field. A steel mass flow of up to were directly related to the above-mentioned qual-
an annual throughput of 3 million t/a is possible ity issues. A stepwise improvement plan was then
thanks to fully endless operation and several o­ ther developed. Most of the major product quality
technological highlights implemented at Arvedi ­issues were resolved with the implementation
ESP casting machines. This paper focuses on the of the first short-term modifications.
advanced mold system, including mold monitoring
and mold-level stabilizing systems.

Arvedi ESP technology

represents the benchmark
technology in this field.

Investigation of the spray performance of different nozzle designs

Metals Magazine 2/2017 | Technology | Continuous Casting

46

UNSTEADY BULGING COMPENSATION HIGH-SPEED CASTING AND THE

AT OUTOKUMPU TORNIO’S CASTERS 1 ­INNOVATIVE WINLINK MINI MILL AT
AND 2 – STABLE MENISCUS GPH BANGLADESH
DURING CASTING OF FERRITIC
­STAINLESS STEEL Paper number: 21
Principal author: Gerold Schoeftner-Gruebl
Paper number: 10
Principal author: Paul Felix Dollhaeubl WinLink is a pioneering technology from Primetals
Technologies that allows both endless and semi-­
Process stability during continuous casting is endless production of long products from liquid
essential for the production of high-quality stain- steel without interruption. The solution directly
less steels. In particular, the meniscus, which is links a high-speed billet caster to a high-availability
the most sensitive zone of the entire strand, has rolling mill by using an advanced induction-heating
to maintain a constant shape and steady posi- unit instead of a conventional billet-reheating furnace.
tion. The liquid core of the strand acts like a hy-
draulic hose, so each radial movement of the GPH Ispat Ltd. in Chittagong, Bangladesh, is the
strand shell has an impact on the level of steel in first customer where Primetals Technologies will
the mold. Hence, strand-shell bulging between implement the WinLink solution. The plant configu-
the containment rollers leads to a coupled effect ration allows full flexibility to run the mill in various
of the transient strand volume and the position production modes. One strand of the three-strand
of the steel meniscus. The crucial factor is that WinLink billet caster is linked directly to the rolling
mold-level fluctuations have an impact on the mill in the endless mode, which allows up to 70 t/h
generated strand shell in terms of thickness varia- of rolled products to be produced at casting
tions. Ferritic stainless steel grades, which typi- speeds of about 6 m/min without cutting and heat
cally have a soft and creeping material behavior losses. The two additional billet strands are used
during casting, are known for their affinity for for the production of about 50 t/h saleable billets,
high and unsteady bulging. which are cooled on the cooling bed and rolled at
GPH’s existing rolling mill. This multi-strand config-
The roller geometry of a casting machine also uration significantly improves the productivity of
has an influence on bulging behavior. For in- the plant by ensuring greater flexibility in the face
stance, many consecutive identical roller pitches of unpredictable market changes.
will lead to a superposition of the pumping effect
of the roller pairs and an increased bulging ten- This paper provides an overview of different
dency. Therefore, state-of-the-art slab casting WinLink variants that are offered for production
machines have defined variations of the consec- capacities of up to 640,000 t/a of rolled products.
utive roller pitches within the caster segments. The technologies that will enable high-speed billet
Slab casters with a single-unit casting bow are casting are also discussed.
equipped with staggered rollers between the
inner and outer bow due to the difference in the
number of installed rollers. The offset between
inner- and outer-bow rollers reduces the bulging
tendency with this machine type.

At Outokumpu Tornio, both machine types, i.e.,

segmented casting bow (Caster 2) and single-­ The multi-strand
unit casting bow (Caster 1), are in operation. ­configuration
­M eniscus stability has been significantly im- ­significantly improves
proved with the installation of an unsteady-­ the productivity of
bulging compensation controller in both ma- the plant by ensuring
chines, which suppresses periodical mold-level greater flexibility in the
fluctuations generated by unsteady bulging. face of unpredictable
This model-based controller is implemented market changes.
as an add-on software package in the mold-­
level-control PLC as part of the LevCon techno-
logical package.

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 47

TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE REVAMP OF LONG-PRODUCT CASTERS

Paper number: 23; Principal author: Andreas Eichinger

Primetals Technologies provides technological

solutions for the revamp of long-product casters.
This ­paper presents recent examples of successful
project implementations at ESF Elbe-Stahlwerke
Feralpi GmbH and OOO Abinsk Electric Steel
Works Ltd (AEMZ), which underline the qualita-
tive results that can be achieved within short
project execution times.

EFS, located in Riesa, Germany, awarded

­Primetals Technologies a contract for the mod-
ernization of a 5-strand billet caster, which was
restarted in 2015. The aim of the project was to
increase productivity and to further improve the
internal as well as the surface quality of the
billets. The caster was equipped with a new
machine head that included DiaMold mold
tubes and retractable DynaFlex hydraulic oscil-
lators, and the secondary cooling system
was also upgraded. In order to optimize the
shutdown period and keep installation time
to a minimum, the new equipment was pre-­
assembled and tested.

OOO Abinsk Electrometallurgical Plant (AEMZ) is

one of Russia’s leading producers of reinforcing
bars and other long products. The company oper-
ates an electrical steel plant and two rolling mills in
Abinsk, which is located in the Krasnodar region
of southern Russia. In March 2016, Primetals
Technologies was awarded a contract to revamp
the electric arc furnace, ladle furnace and the
6-strand billet caster.

The main project targets were to increase pro-

ductivity, lower production costs, improve billet
quality, and broaden the product scope with
The modernized 5-strand billet caster in operation at ESF the casting of quality steel grades such as cord,
­Elbe-­Stahlwerke Feralpi, Riesa, Germany spring, cold-heading and welding steel grades.
Casting speeds will be increased to 5 m/min for
130-mm-square billet sections to enable AEMZ to
expand the plant’s annual production output to
1.5 million tons of billets. The casting of quality
steel grades will be possible with the installation
of stopper equipment, electromagnetic stirring
systems, tundish shroud ­m anipulators and auto-
matic mold-powder feeders. The new machine
head, which features a ­DiaMold high-speed cast-
ing mold, DynaFlex hydraulic oscillation units and
electromagnetic stirring in the mold, will ensure a
high quality of the cast billets. ­Furthermore, the
new Level 2 automation system will ­safeguard
consistency in the production of high-quality billets
cast at high casting speeds.
6-strand billet caster in operation at the Abinsk
­Electrometallurgical Plant

Metals Magazine 2/2017 | Technology | Continuous Casting

48

4-strand bloom caster in

­operation at the Dangjin works
of Hyundai Steel, Korea

LATEST INNOVATIONS IN BLOOM CASTING AT HYUNDAI STEEL D

­ ANGJIN

Paper number: 15; Principal author: Dr. Denijel Burzic

This paper provides an overview of the latest solutions by the combination of the following: air-mist spray cool-
implemented by Primetals Technologies for continuous ing and interior-cooled rollers in the strand-guidance
bloom casters. The heavy-section bow-type bloom system; DynaGap Soft Reduction; and electromagnetic
­caster at the Dangjin works of Hyundai Steel Co., Ltd. in mold stirring and final strand stirring. Blooms are directly
­Korea serves as an example for the range of solutions fed into the bar line while they are still hot. This not
and technological packages that are offered for quality only saves energy costs during reheating, but also im-
steel producers. Bars and wires, which are rolled from proves operating safety because there is no need
the blooms, are used as the primary material for engine for the use of cranes to handle the blooms. An inline
and gearbox parts by the Hyundai Motors Group. bloom-quenching facility is foreseen for the production
of special steel grades. An overview of the bloom-­
The caster is equipped with mold-level control and an quality results achieved during the start-up of the
instrumented mold that features breakout prevention. ­Hyundai Steel bloom-casting machine is also presented
Consistently high bloom quality is additionally supported in the paper.

Metals Magazine 2/2017 | Technology | Continuous Casting

 49

This is the
first plant
of its type
worldwide.

OPERATION RESULTS OF VERTICAL CASTING OF HEAVY ROUND BLOOMS AT

ZHONG YUAN SPECIAL STEEL
Paper number: 27; Principal author: Franz Wimmer

A new vertical caster for the casting of special steel

grades went into operation at Zhongyuan Special
Steel Co., Ltd., in Jiyuan, China, in June 2015. The
2-strand vertical round-bloom machine has a casting
capacity of up to 370,000 tons per year, which en-
ables Zhongyuan to produce additional high-quality
steel grades. The company previously only had an
ingot-casting plant for the production of mainly steel
forgings. A newly designed multi-roller driver unit
provides for optimum support of the 120-ton strand
during casting.

This is the first plant of its type worldwide. The new

continuous caster is designed as a vertical plant with
a height of 40 meters and a metallurgical length of
23 meters. It produces heavy blooms with diameters
of 400 mm, 600 mm and 800 mm, and bloom
lengths of between 2.5 m and 6 m. The maximum
casting speed is 0.55 m/min. The caster is equipped
with a straight DiaMold tubular mold that is 700 mm
long. The DynaFlex tubular mold oscillator allows for
flexible adjustment of oscillation parameters. Tech-
nology packages such as the LevCon mold-level con-
trol system and the Mold Expert breakout-detection
system ensure trouble-free casting. An advanced
air-mist secondary-cooling system, which includes
the Dynacs 3D metallurgical cooling model and
DynaJet cooling nozzles, is the basis for achieving
optimum product quality.

The latest solution for heavy-bloom round casting

and the corresponding operational results are pre-
sented in the paper to illustrate the special features The 2-strand vertical round-bloom caster at Zhongyuan
of vertical bloom casting. Special Steel Co., Jiyuan, China

Metals Magazine 2/2017 | Technology | Continuous Casting

50

MAINTENANCE OF CONTINUOUS
CASTERS FOR HIGH-PRODUCT
­QUALITY: SIMPLE MEASURES AND
ADVANCED TOOLS
Paper number: 11
Principal author: Dr. Martin Hirschmanner

The modern continuous casting machine is a highly

complex mechatronic system where absolute preci-
sion is critical to ensure high-product quality and
where equipment has to be designed to withstand Good maintenance
harsh ambient conditions. These two requirements ­procedures is a
alone would be challenging, but in addition to that,
operational costs have to be kept to a minimum to ­prerequisite for
remain competitive under current market conditions. ­achieving high product
quality at low cost
Good maintenance procedures is a prerequisite for
achieving high product quality at low cost during during the operation
the operation of a continuous casting plant. The of a continuous
design of each component needs to be optimized casting plant.
for maintenance reasons. An example of such a
component is the newly developed Single-Roll
­Dynagap (SRD) segment. Designed from scratch,
the segment is a sophisticated system where the
emphasis was placed on assuring a high degree
of maintenance-friendliness. The single roller unit
exchange contributes to improved plant availability.

Modern technologies subsumed under the buzz-

word “Industry 4.0” are applied to improve caster
maintenance procedures. Examples include an intel-
ligent equipment-tracking system, an automatic test
procedure and a data-saving system to “smarten up”
equipment. The combination of maintenance-friendly
procedures, an efficient maintenance workshop ROLLING TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE
concept, automated test procedures with built-in DIRECT STRIP-CASTING PROCESS
quality checks as well as efficient equipment rein-
stallation will ultimately improve product quality and Paper number: 17
reduce operational costs. Principal author: Kenji Horii

This paper includes several examples of how com- The direct strip-casting process has attracted at-
ponents of continuous casters can be exchanged tention as a near-net-shape technology. Baosteel
quickly, checked for problems, repaired, tested and Group Corporation and Primetals Technologies
reinstalled. Examples of how the performance of a have jointly developed technologies for a direct
plant can be improved through technology consult- strip-casting process for carbon steel. A demon-
ing are also discussed. stration plant equipped with 800-mm-diameter
and 1,340-mm-long casting rolls was installed in
China and was put into operation in 2014. The sta-
ble casting and rolling of 1,340-mm-wide strips and
long-term sequence casting of more than 350 tons
3-D repre- have already been achieved.
sentation of
a Single-Roll
Dynagap (SRD) This paper outlines the specific downstream equip-
segment ment technologies for a direct strip-casting process
such as an in-line reduction mill, a strip-cooling
system and the carrousel-reel-type coiler. The
­paper also focuses on measures to achieve stable
rolling conditions, such as with the use of the
­Dynamic Pair Cross Mill and strip-temperature control.

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 51

LIQUIROB – NEXT-LEVEL SHROUD MANIPULATION – FROM AN IDEA TO AN

­I­NDUSTRIAL SOLUTION IN THREE MAJOR STEPS

Paper number: 28; Principal author: Juergen Meisel

This paper explains how a robotic solution can be suc- This paper reviews the development steps from the
cessfully implemented – from the initial idea to a work- first simulations and prototype testing in the laboratory,
ing industrial solution. Primetals Technologies can refer the intensive system testing carried out under work-
to ten years of experience in the installation of the shop conditions, and also the successful integration
­so-called LiquiRob robotic solution in the harsh environ- of LiquiRob at a slab caster. Furthermore, operational
ment of steelmaking plants. Driven by the desire to ­experience and the advantages of the LiquiRob solution
­enhance an existing shroud-manipulation system, are compared to other shroud-manipulation systems.
and based on the requirements of a well-known steel
producer, the idea to connect the shroud to the ladle
nozzle by means of a bayonet mechanism was born.

Operation of the LiquiRob robotic

solution in the casting platform area

Metals Magazine 2/2017 | Technology | Continuous Casting

52

2-strand slab caster at

­Companhia Siderúrgica do
Atlântico (CSA), Santa Cruz,
Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil.
Primetals Technologies is
­responsible for a wide range of
caster services at this plant.

ADVANCED MOLD COPPER PLATING – VARIABLE HIPER COATING

Paper number: 18; Principal author: Franz Kolmbauer

At the workshop of Primetals Technologies Brazil in production. A comprehensive understanding of the

Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, mold coppers are electro- operational influences on the plates and performance
plated for continuous casting by means of tank plat- factors is the first step toward selecting the best copper-­
ing, i.e., submerging the copper in the bath of the plating method. Variable Hiper Coat allows copper
­plating solution. This is the most common method of plates to remain in operation 50% to 100% longer than
plating and it is applicable for both broad-face and with conventional plating solutions, because the re-
narrow-face copper plates. quired hardness can be imparted to the copper plate
where it is needed. Primetals Technologies offers a
Mold copper plates have a decisive impact on product solution that meets and even exceeds the demands of
quality as well as on the costs of maintenance and today and tomorrow.

Metals Magazine 2/2017 | Technology | Continuous Casting

 53

DynaJet Flex NEW GENERATION OF CONTINUOUS

water-spray
nozzle CASTING PLANTS WITH AN
­INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING
STRATEGY
Paper number: 196
Principal author: Johann Penn

Changing market conditions demand the sustain-

DYNAJET FLEX – ULTIMATE able use of newly available technologies to support
­FLEXIBILITY IN SECONDARY COOLING steel producers with highly flexible plant configura-
tions and process tools. Investments are therefore
Paper number: 6 targeted toward optimizing production costs and
Principal author: Thomas Fuernhammer product quality while achieving a short-term return.
The modular design of upgrading solutions allows
Cooling zones in casting machines are typically the optimization of metallurgical processes to be
equipped with air-mist nozzles to enable a wide individually configured, and takes into account a
turn-down ratio (typically 1:9) from the highest to holistic overview of the steelmaking and continuous
the lowest water-flow rates with a constant spray casting routes.
pattern. To prevent strand corner cracks, the zones
are additionally split into center and margin cool- One of the most important developments in recent
ing strips across the casting width. years is the integration of process parameters
across the entire production route – from ironmak-
DynaJet Flex from Primetals Technologies is a new ing up to strip finishing. This was also considered
cooling system that takes the discretization of for continuous casting plants by using the steel
cooling zones in casting machines to the next level. chemical analysis data from secondary metallurgy
By using water-only nozzles, which can be driven as input parameters for the caster process model
with a pulse-width modulated signal, it is possible DynaPhase for modeling phase transformations.
to extend the turn-down ratio from 1:9 to 1:15 – and Consequently, the casting process can be con-
higher. Simultaneously, operational costs can be trolled more predictably and with a high degree
cut by more than 70% owing to less air consump- of accuracy. This also allows an exact determina-
tion compared to conventional air-mist nozzles. tion of the final point of solidification for state-
of-the-art soft reduction.
The system can be installed and tested on a seg-
ment during a planned maintenance cycle. After Recent developments have also focused on reduc-
reinserting the segment into the machine, the air ing energy costs on the one hand, while improving
for controlling the nozzles is activated. From this product quality on the other. This has led, for ex-
point, the segment is ready to operate in accor- ample, to the development of the completely new
dance with the casting width to ensure the optimal DynaJet Flex secondary-cooling system. This
temperature of the slab in and across the casting ­system no longer requires operation air and thus
direction. The DynaJet Flex nozzle is equipped ­allows the cooling turn-down rate to be doubled.
with a robust standard flange so that the nozzle This contributes toward meeting the growing de-
can be securely fixed to the segment. Different mands of special steel casting.
nozzle tips can be mounted onto the nozzle head
to generate the required spray pattern. This paper features an overview of the above new
developments in continuous casting during the
This paper shows how a caster can be modern- last two years and the corresponding operational
ized with DynaJet Flex nozzles, how caster pro- results. Highlights of the Industry 4.0 setup of
ductivity is increased, and how operational costs caster process modeling and various plant config-
can be reduced. urations are also presented.

One of the most important developments in recent years

is the integration of process parameters across the entire
production route – from ironmaking up to strip finishing.

Metals Magazine 2/2017 | Technology | Continuous Casting

54

5-strand billet caster at

voestalpine Stahl Donawitz,
Austria

CCM 4.0 – DIGITALIZATION FOR INTELLIGENT PRODUCTION IN CONTINUOUS CASTING

Paper number: 16; Principal author: Kurt Herzog

Digital transformation brings about a structural change The next stage of model-based process-automation con-
in automation – a transformation of process automation trol is to link the real-world plant with the virtual plant in
into a new and more efficient structure. Today's hierarchi- a cyber-physical system. This is done by modeling and
cal automation pyramid is replaced by a flat structure of simulation of the casting process, for example by the
intelligent, flexible and autonomous units. It is important integration of material properties according to their actu-
that the metals industry makes an active contribution to al composition, strand-surface temperature profiles and
implementing digitalization in production plants through- dynamic soft reduction before the final point of strand
out the entire value chain. solidification. The aim of digital transformation and the
crosslinking of production is to ensure maximum flexibili-
Digitalization for intelligent production synchronizes ty and efficiency in production, high plant availability and
process, machine and product data for integration with superior product quality.
business data in a “smart factory.” “Smart services”
enable data-based services such as predictive or data Primetals Technologies is committed to digitalization and
analytics. “Smart work” helps to improve maintenance to implementing the connected plant by continuously
and operation. This paper provides examples for the pushing latest innovations forward in close cooperation
caster area. with its customers.

Metals Magazine 2/2017 | Technology | Continuous Casting

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SEMI-CONTINUOUS CASTING TECHNOLOGY COMBINING TECHNOLOGICAL

­ADVANTAGES OF TWO DIFFERENT CASTING PRACTICES

Paper number: 9; Principal author: Andreas Eichinger

Bow-type continuous casters as well as vertical casting structure, the prevention of center cracks and cavi-
machines achieve high productivity and yield at high ties, and highest internal cleanness together with an
casting speeds. Nevertheless, for continuous production, optimized yield.
the speed is limited by the metallurgical length of the
machine and the required high cooling rates, which cause This paper outlines different aspects of semi-continuous
pronounced radial orientation of the crystallization front casting machines for small and large strand sections. The
within the strand. Particularly for the casting of special resulting quality, yield, operation, investment and running
high-alloyed steel grades, the strand center becomes costs compared to conventional continuous casting and
prone to higher porosity and the formation of cavities. ingot casting are also described.

Contrary to this, conventional ingot casting is character-

ized by low productivity and yield, and cooling takes
place at low cooling rates. This low cooling rate results in
an axial orientation of the crystallization front within the
strand, and consequently to the best inner strand quality
– especially for special high-alloyed steel grades.

The objective of semi-continuous casting technology The objective of

from Primetals Technologies is to combine the benefits semi-continuous
of ingot casting and continuous casting for the produc- casting technology is to
tion of most special steel grades such as tool-, die- and combine the benefits of
stainless steels. Special attention is therefore placed on ingot casting and
optimizing key equipment and component areas of the continuous casting for
the production of most
caster, such as the mold and oscillator, to achieve an op-
special steel grades.
timum strand-surface quality and low operating expendi-
tures (opex). Additionally, other proven continuous cast-
ing solutions and technologies are applied for special
steel casting. This includes electromagnetic mold and
strand stirring and the use of advanced process models
such as DynaPhase and Dynacs 3D to dynamically con-
trol segmented heat zones for achieving the lowest pos-
sible cooling rates – the major benefit of ingot casting.
This combination of these solutions leads to improved
steel quality with respect to a symmetric crystal

CONTINUOUS CASTING HIGHLIGHTS OF PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES

• More than five decades of experience in the supply of continuous casting machines
• More than 1,700 continuous casting machine references worldwide
• More than 470 slab casters supplied worldwide since 1968
• 2,156 non-stop casting sequences with a 2-strand slab caster
• Up to 400 mm thick slabs cast in ultra-thick slab casters
• World’s widest slab (3,250 mm) cast in a slab caster
• More than 2,500 installed square and round billet strands
• World’s largest beam blank (1,024 mm x 390 mm x 90 mm) cast in a beam-blank caster
• 160 casters equipped with the Mold Expert systems for minimized strand breakouts
• World’s leading supplier of secondary cooling systems and strand soft-reduction technology

Metals Magazine 2/2017 | Technology | Continuous Casting