Continuous Casting of Ingots
Continuous casting of ingots is the process of casting a continuous strip of steel, called a strand, while it is still in a liquid state. The strand is made to travel slowly through a pair of heavily-sealed rolls, known as a mold, while being constantly cooled. This cooling process allows the strand to solidify, making it suitable for further processes such as rolling or drawing ingots.
Continuous casting has replaced traditional ingot casting, as it requires fewer steps and offers superior control over the final product. The process is also faster than traditional ingot casting, allowing for faster production.
The first step of the continuous casting process is to melt the desired material, usually steel. At this point, any small impurities in the steel are either left in the melt or can be filtered out through a process called deslagging. The melted steel is then poured into a mold, which consists of upper and lower rolls made of graphite. These rolls are responsible for extracting the heat from the liquid steel and allowing it to solidify.
To ensure that the liquid steel is cooled properly, it is sprayed with water as it passes through the rollers. This helps keep the desired dimensions of the strand consistent as it passes through. In addition, the rollers are friction driven, which helps allow the liquid steel to travel through the rollers at a consistent speed.
After exiting the rollers, the cooled strand is cut into pieces by a machine called a flying shear. These pieces, known as billets, are then sent on for further processing. This can include rolling, drawing, or forging. Continuous casting of ingots has virtually replaced the traditional method of ingot casting, as the process is faster and the results are much more consistent than with the old methods.
The benefits of continuous casting of ingots include faster production times, higher quality, less wasteful production, and better control over the final product shape. This makes continuous casting a much more efficient and cost-effective way of producing steel products.
