Copper clad steel continuous casting production line and method and device for steel wire transport therefor

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a copper clad steel continuous casting production line and a steel wire conveying method and device used therefor, the method comprising the following steps executed continuously during the continuous casting production: controlling a front end pushing mechanism to pull the processed steel wire to move in the continuous casting advancing direction in a manner of applying a first radial force to the processed steel wire; controlling a rear end pulling-out mechanism to pull the processed steel wire to move in the continuous casting advancing direction in a manner of applying a second radial force to the processed steel wire clad with a copper layer; wherein the front end pushing mechanism and the rear end pulling-out mechanism are configured to pull the processed steel wire therebetween in a fully synchronized step-by-step manner. The solution provided by the present disclosure helps to alleviate or even eliminate the risk that the steel wire is easily pulled and cracked, and improves the production yield and efficiency of the copper clad steel continuous casting.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of metal continuous casting composite, in particular to a copper clad steel continuous casting production line and a steel wire conveying method and device for the copper clad steel continuous casting production line, which are specifically used for driving the steel wire to run to convey the steel wire and pull out the copper clad steel billet from the continuous casting furnace. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the process of producing various steel products, there are two methods of using liquid metal to solidify and form, namely traditional mold casting method and continuous casting method. Among them, the principle of continuous casting is to continuously pour molten metal into the crystallizer and continuously pull it out from the other end of the crystallizer, which can obtain materials of any length or specific length.

[0003] Taking copper clad steel material (also known as copper clad steel) as an example, it is also called copper clad steel bimetallic composite material, which is a composite conductor processed by special process of copper and steel two metals. The conductor has high strength, excellent elasticity, large thermal resistance and high permeability characteristics of steel, and good electrical conductivity and excellent corrosion resistance of copper, and is widely used in electrical and electronic fields.

[0004] In the production process of copper clad steel material, a driving device or traction device is arranged at the outlet end of the continuous casting furnace, and the copper clad steel is pulled out from the continuous casting furnace through the driving device. The driving power required by the driving device is large, and there is a risk that the steel wire will be easily pulled apart, which may cause the problem of low yield rate, thereby dragging the production efficiency. In addition, during the process of pulling out the steel wire from the continuous casting furnace, there may also be a situation that the pulling out is not successful, which will also affect the production efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, it is urgent to provide a new steel wire conveying method and device for a copper clad steel continuous casting production line to at least partially alleviate or solve the above-mentioned problems and defects existing in the prior art. SUMMARY

[0006] One purpose of the present disclosure is to alleviate or eliminate the above-mentioned defects existing in the prior art copper clad steel continuous casting production technology and production line, and to provide a copper clad steel continuous casting production line and a steel wire conveying method and device for the copper clad steel continuous casting production line.

[0007] The present disclosure provides a steel wire conveying method for a copper clad steel continuous casting production line, the copper clad steel continuous casting production line comprising a continuous casting furnace with a crystallizer assembly, characterized in that a front end pushing mechanism is arranged in front of the inlet end of the continuous casting furnace, a rear end pulling out mechanism is arranged behind the outlet end of the continuous casting furnace, and the following steps are continuously performed during the continuous casting production:

[0008] controlling the front end pushing mechanism to pull the processed steel wire in the continuous casting advancing direction in a manner that a first radial force is applied to the processed steel wire;

[0009] controlling the back end pulling out mechanism to pull the processed steel wire in the continuous casting advancing direction in a manner that a second radial force is applied to the processed steel wire coated with the copper layer;

[0010] wherein the front end pushing mechanism is configured to pull the processed steel wire in the continuous casting advancing direction in a step-by-step manner;

[0011] and wherein the back end pulling out mechanism is configured to pull the processed steel wire in a step-by-step manner totally synchronized with the step-by-step manner of the front end pushing mechanism, and the first radial force and the second radial force are respectively set to enable the front end pushing mechanism and the back end pulling out mechanism to firmly clamp the processed steel wire, or the back end pulling out mechanism is configured to pull the processed steel wire in a continuous manner generally synchronized with the step-by-step manner of the front end pushing mechanism, and the first radial force is set to enable the front end pushing mechanism to firmly clamp the processed steel wire, and the second radial force is 10%-40% smaller than the first radial force, or the back end pulling out mechanism is configured to substantially not apply force to the processed steel wire in the continuous casting advancing direction for only maintaining the position of the processed steel wire in a vertical direction perpendicular to the continuous casting advancing direction.

[0012] Herein, "continuous pulling" refers to that the driving force of the front end pushing mechanism is continuously output to be transmitted to the longitudinal (length direction) pulling force of the processed steel wire via the first radial force; and "step-by-step pulling" refers to that the driving force of the front end pushing mechanism is output in a step-by-step manner or periodically intermittently provided to be transmitted to the longitudinal pulling force (longitudinal direction, i.e. length direction of the steel wire) of the processed steel wire via the second radial force. In addition, herein, the expression "front end pushing mechanism" is intended to facilitate understanding that it is located in front of the continuous casting furnace and used to push / drive the steel wire into the continuous casting furnace, and the expression "back end pulling out mechanism" is intended to facilitate understanding that it is located behind the continuous casting furnace and used to pull the steel wire out of the furnace, and the two expressions are not used to mean that only pushing force or only pulling force is applied. The "front end pushing mechanism" and the "back end pulling out mechanism" should be understood as driving mechanisms or components for guiding the movement of the steel wire in the continuous casting advancing direction as such.

[0013] It is generally believed that the copper clad steel continuous casting process (such as horizontal continuous casting method) is developed from the single metal continuous casting process (such as copper material) and applied to the copper clad steel continuous casting production. In the single metal continuous casting process, the metal billet is pulled out from the continuous casting furnace by a step motor drive device, which does not need to consider the feeding process and its power supply (which can be roughly understood as not needing to drive the steel wire to be processed into the continuous casting furnace in front of the furnace), and the step motor drive device for pulling out the billet can even be equipped with the functions of pulling, stopping and retreating the billet. The copper clad steel continuous casting process is developed from the single metal continuous casting process, and the important difference between the two is that the feeding action of guiding / driving the steel wire to be processed into the continuous casting furnace and the billet pulling action after the furnace need to be considered. The copper clad steel continuous casting process still generally uses the step system for pulling out the billet after the furnace, which provides the time required for the copper clad layer to solidify in the continuous casting furnace and performs the pull / stop cycle of the metal billet. Therefore, the step motor drive device, such as a step motor, is very suitable for taking the initiative to drive the power source and pulling out the copper clad steel billet in a step-by-step manner after the furnace. At the same time, since the continuous casting furnace front and / or the continuous casting furnace rear in the copper clad steel continuous casting production line may need to drive the steel material to continuously advance (for example, the uncoiling and straightening in the front process may need continuous power output to ensure the processing effect of its own link), there must be a certain degree of inconsistency between the upstream and downstream power systems in the production line.

[0014] However, in the practice of copper clad steel continuous casting production, it is often found that although the aforementioned step power system provides the time required for the copper clad layer to solidify and obtains a copper clad steel product with better performance, a certain probability or proportion of the copper clad steel wire processed and manufactured through a series of processes and obtained downstream of the continuous casting furnace will have defects such as the copper clad steel wire being pulled apart, cracked or slightly or even significantly penetrated by copper (i.e., copper material penetrating into the core of the steel wire formed). Since the entire processing process involves many factors, and the characteristics of the continuous casting production line also do not allow for immediate inspection when some problems are found, and the crystallization link in the continuous casting is basically not real-time monitored from the outside due to its ultra-high temperature environment in the furnace, it is difficult to determine the causes and factors of the above defects and their influence.

[0015] The steel wire conveying method and device of each embodiment of the present disclosure are based on the following deep insights obtained from the experience and practice of the metal continuous casting process technology, its implementation and the production line and production process.

[0016] Although the characteristics and quality of the initial raw material of the steel wire, the process and parameters of each process of the metal continuous casting process, and the process parameters of the continuous casting furnace such as temperature control, etc. can cause the aforementioned copper-coated steel wire to be broken or cracked or copper penetration defects, the performance of the steel wire under high temperature conditions is weakened and cannot well withstand the net tension (i.e. the tension applied by the stepper motor plus the undesirable resistance applied to the steel wire by the pre-furnace motor) applied to the steel wire during the execution of the pull / stop cycle by the stepper motor, the inconsistency of the pre-furnace and post-furnace driving forces, and the characteristics of the stepper tension output by the post-furnace driving device or post-furnace pulling mechanism, which can cause the tension (or tensile stress) on the steel wire to be relatively large at the time of pulling, which is one of the key factors leading to the breaking or cracking of the steel wire and the copper penetration (a large amount of copper penetrating into the steel material) phenomenon. Therefore, in the copper-coated steel continuous casting process, by appropriately matching the driving mode of the pre-furnace driving force and the post-furnace tension applied by the driving device, the tension or stress on the steel wire in the furnace can be relieved.

[0017] To this end, by appropriately improving or configuring the process of applying force and power transmission to the processed steel wire by the driving device (such as a motor) located before and after (i.e. upstream and downstream) the continuous casting furnace (crystallization furnace), it will help to reduce the maximum tensile stress on the steel wire under high temperature conditions in the furnace, thereby relieving or even eliminating the above defects. Specifically, both embodiments proposed in the present disclosure appropriately set the active traction mechanism before (upstream) the continuous casting furnace, and set the post-furnace traction mechanism as a driven continuous traction mechanism or another stepper traction mechanism that synchronously drives the steel wire to advance, so that the driving force of the post-furnace driven traction is less than or equal to the driving force of the pre-furnace stepper driving mechanism applied to the steel wire, thereby to some extent eliminating or relieving the stress or tension on the steel wire in the furnace, thereby relieving or avoiding the risk of breaking or cracking of the steel wire.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the front-end pushing mechanism includes a first stepper driver and a first transmission assembly, the first transmission assembly includes a first rotating wheel and a second rotating wheel, a first passage segment for the processed steel wire to pass through is arranged between the first rotating wheel and the second rotating wheel, and the first driver is used to drive at least one of the first rotating wheel and the second rotating wheel to rotate;

[0019] The rear-end pulling-out mechanism includes a second stepper driver and a second transmission assembly, the second transmission assembly includes a third rotating wheel and a fourth rotating wheel, a second passage segment for the processed steel wire to pass through is arranged between the third rotating wheel and the fourth rotating wheel, and the second driver is used to drive at least one of the third rotating wheel and the fourth rotating wheel to rotate;

[0020] The first runner and the second runner are configured to apply a first radial force to the processed steel wire to generate a first friction force acting on the processed steel wire, and the third runner and the fourth runner are configured to apply a second radial force to the processed steel wire to generate a second friction force acting on the processed steel wire, and the first friction force and the second friction force match each other.

[0021] The first runner and the second runner are configured to apply a first radial force to the processed steel wire to generate a first friction force acting on the processed steel wire, and the third runner and the fourth runner are configured to apply a second radial force to the processed steel wire to generate a second friction force acting on the processed steel wire, and the first friction force and the second friction force match each other.

[0022] Thus, the traction force applied to the steel wire at both ends can be kept consistent, thereby ensuring that the tension or stress of the steel wire at the link with weaker performance against tensile stress is greatly reduced or even eliminated, and since this link is also a key process link in copper-coated steel production, this implementation can significantly minimize the risk of the steel wire being broken, cracked, and copper penetration caused by cracking.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first transmission assembly includes a first rigid force applying component connected to at least one of the first runner and the second runner, and the second transmission assembly includes a second rigid force applying component connected to at least one of the third runner and the fourth runner, and the first rigid force applying component and the second rigid force applying component are configured to apply a constant radial force to the connected runner, thereby keeping the first friction force and the second friction force substantially equal.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first runner and the second runner and the third runner and the fourth runner are arranged such that the central axis of the first passage segment defined between the former two and the central axis of the second passage segment defined between the latter two are aligned with each other. Herein, the alignment as referred to herein can be understood as an alignment within the range of several millimeters, i.e., only a deviation of up to millimeter order between the central axes is allowed.

[0025] According to some preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, the first transmission assembly and the second transmission assembly are further respectively provided with a fine adjustment mechanism for manually fine-adjusting the horizontal position and / or the vertical position of the central axis of the first channel segment and the second channel segment, so as to avoid the moment generated by the first friction force and the second friction force acting on the processed steel wire to make the processed steel wire suffer shear stress.

[0026] With this more preferred embodiment, the stress on the steel wire in the furnace can be well resolved, the quality risks such as the steel wire being broken or cracked or copper penetration can be avoided to the greatest extent, and the overall travel speed of the processed steel wire can be improved to improve the production efficiency, or at least the possibility of improving the overall travel speed of the processed steel wire is provided. Moreover, this way can also resolve the adverse effects of the steel wire vibration on the concentricity control caused by the asynchronization of the non-driving mechanisms at the front and rear ends of the continuous casting furnace.

[0027] According to some alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, the second driver is a continuous driver rather than a step-by-step driver and the second transmission assembly, wherein the first transmission assembly comprises a first rigid force applying component connected to at least one of the first rotary wheel and the second rotary wheel, the second transmission assembly comprises a second flexible force applying component connected to at least one of the third rotary wheel and the fourth rotary wheel, the flexible force applying component is configured to apply a variable force tending to make one of the third rotary wheel and the fourth rotary wheel close to the other, and the variable force decreases with the close of the first rotary wheel and the second rotary wheel, so that the second friction force is 10%-40% smaller than the first friction force.

[0028] According to some preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, the output frequency of the step-by-step second driver is in the range of 60-130 cycles / minute, each cycle is an output cycle including an output time and a pause time, and the pitch of the driven steel wire travel corresponding to each cycle output time is in the range of 0.3-2.5 cm.

[0029] The present disclosure also provides a steel wire conveying device for a copper-coated steel continuous casting production line, the copper-coated steel continuous casting production line comprising a continuous casting furnace with a crystallizer assembly, characterized in that the steel wire conveying device comprises:

[0030] a front end pushing mechanism arranged in front of the inlet end of the continuous casting furnace and configured to pull the processed steel wire to move in the continuous casting travel direction by applying a first radial force to the processed steel wire;

[0031] a rear end pulling-out mechanism arranged behind the outlet end of the continuous casting furnace and configured to pull the processed steel wire to move in the continuous casting travel direction by applying a second radial force to the processed steel wire coated with a copper layer;

[0032] wherein the front end pushing mechanism is configured to pull the processed steel wire in the continuous casting advancing direction in a step-by-step manner;

[0033] and wherein the back end pulling-out mechanism is configured to pull the processed steel wire in a step-by-step manner totally synchronized with the step-by-step manner of the front end pushing mechanism, and the first radial force and the second radial force are respectively set to enable the front end pushing mechanism and the back end pulling-out mechanism to firmly clamp the processed steel wire, or the back end pulling-out mechanism is configured to pull the processed steel wire in a continuous manner generally synchronized with the step-by-step manner of the front end pushing mechanism, and the first radial force is set to enable the front end pushing mechanism to firmly clamp the processed steel wire, and the second radial force is 10%-40% smaller than the first radial force, or the back end pulling-out mechanism is configured to substantially not apply force to the processed steel wire in the continuous casting advancing direction for only maintaining the position of the processed steel wire in a vertical direction perpendicular to the continuous casting advancing direction.

[0034] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the front end pushing mechanism comprises a first driver in step-by-step manner and a first transmission assembly, the first transmission assembly comprises a first rotary wheel and a second rotary wheel, a first channel section for the processed steel wire to pass through is arranged between the first rotary wheel and the second rotary wheel, and the first driver is used to drive at least one of the first rotary wheel and the second rotary wheel to rotate;

[0035] the back end pulling-out mechanism comprises a second driver in step-by-step manner and a second transmission assembly, the second transmission assembly comprises a third rotary wheel and a fourth rotary wheel, a second channel section for the processed steel wire to pass through is arranged between the third rotary wheel and the fourth rotary wheel, and the second driver is used to drive at least one of the third rotary wheel and the fourth rotary wheel to rotate;

[0036] wherein the first rotary wheel and the second rotary wheel are configured to apply the first radial force to the processed steel wire relative to each other to generate the first friction force acting on the processed steel wire, the third rotary wheel and the fourth rotary wheel are configured to apply the second radial force to the processed steel wire relative to each other to generate the second friction force acting on the processed steel wire, and the first friction force and the second friction force are substantially matched with each other.

[0037] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first transmission assembly comprises a first rigid force applying component connected with at least one of the first rotary wheel and the second rotary wheel, the second transmission assembly comprises a second rigid force applying component connected with at least one of the third rotary wheel and the fourth rotary wheel, and the first rigid force applying component and the second rigid force applying component are configured to be able to apply adjustable constant radial force to the connected rotary wheel, so as to keep the first friction force and the second friction force substantially equal.

[0038] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first and second rotors and the third and fourth rotors are arranged such that the central axis of the first channel segment defined between the former two and the central axis of the second channel segment defined between the latter two are aligned with each other.

[0039] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first and second transmission assemblies are further respectively provided with a fine adjustment mechanism for manually fine-adjusting the horizontal and / or vertical positions of the central axes of the first and second channel segments to avoid the moment generated by the first and second frictional forces acting on the processed steel wire from causing the processed steel wire to be subjected to shearing stress.

[0040] According to some alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, the front-end pushing mechanism comprises a step-by-step first driver and a first transmission assembly, the first transmission assembly comprising a first rotor and a second rotor, a first channel segment being arranged between the first rotor and the second rotor for the processed steel wire to pass through, the first driver being configured to drive at least one of the first rotor and the second rotor to rotate.

[0041] The rear-end pulling-out mechanism comprises a continuous second driver and a second transmission assembly, the second transmission assembly comprising a third rotor and a fourth rotor, a second channel segment being arranged between the third rotor and the fourth rotor for the processed steel wire to pass through, the second driver being configured to drive at least one of the third rotor and the fourth rotor to rotate.

[0042] The first rotor and the second rotor are configured to apply a first radial force to the processed steel wire relative to each other to generate the first frictional force acting on the processed steel wire, and the third rotor and the fourth rotor are configured to apply a second radial force to the processed steel wire relative to each other to generate the second frictional force acting on the processed steel wire.

[0043] The first transmission assembly comprises a first rigid force-applying component connected to at least one of the first rotor and the second rotor, and the second transmission assembly comprises a second flexible force-applying component connected to at least one of the third rotor and the fourth rotor, the flexible force-applying component being configured to apply a variable force tending to cause one of the third rotor and the fourth rotor to approach the other, the variable force decreasing as the first rotor and the second rotor approach each other, so that the second frictional force is 10%-40% smaller than the first frictional force.

[0044] According to some preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, the steel wire conveying device further comprises a controller configured to be capable of simultaneously sending the same step-by-step driving control signal to the first driver and the second driver.

[0045] The first transmission assembly comprises a first rigid force applying component connected with at least one of the first rotating wheel and the second rotating wheel, and the second transmission assembly comprises a second rigid force applying component connected with at least one of the third rotating wheel and the fourth rotating wheel, and the first rigid force applying component and the second rigid force applying component are configured to apply adjustable constant radial force to the connected rotating wheel, so as to keep the first friction force and the second friction force substantially equal.

[0046] According to some preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, the output frequency of the step-by-step second driver is in the range of 60-130 cycles / minute, each cycle being an output cycle including an output time and a pause time, and the pitch of the steel wire driven to travel corresponding to each cycle output time is in the range of 0.3-2.5 cm.

[0047] The present disclosure also provides a copper clad steel continuous casting production line, comprising:

[0048] A continuous casting furnace with a crystallizer assembly;

[0049] The steel wire conveying device for the copper clad steel continuous casting production line as described in any of the preceding embodiments;

[0050] A cutting mechanism, a straightening mechanism and a polishing mechanism arranged sequentially upstream of the continuous casting furnace;

[0051] A cooling device located downstream of the continuous casting furnace and between the rear end pulling-out mechanism.

[0052] On the basis of common sense in the art, the above-mentioned preferred conditions can be combined arbitrarily, i.e. to obtain each preferred example of the present disclosure.

[0053] The positive progress effect of the present disclosure is that:

[0054] The copper clad steel continuous casting production line, the steel wire conveying method and the steel wire conveying device for the copper clad steel continuous casting production line according to the present disclosure at least to some extent help to alleviate or even eliminate the risk of the steel wire being easily broken and cracked, and improve the production yield and production efficiency of the copper clad steel continuous casting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0055] Figure 1 The overall schematic diagram of the copper clad steel production line is schematically shown, which comprises the steel wire conveying device according to the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0056] REFERENCE SIGNS:

[0057] 1, front end pushing mechanism; 11, first rotating wheel; 12, second rotating wheel;

[0058] 2, rear end pulling-out mechanism; 21, third rotating wheel; 22, fourth rotating wheel;

[0059] 3. continuous casting furnace; 4. cutting mechanism; 5. straightening mechanism; 6. polishing mechanism; 7. cooling device; 8. steel wire being processed;

[0060] 1', uncoiling driving mechanism; 1", straightening driving mechanism DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] The preferred embodiments of the present application will be further described in details with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description is exemplary and not limiting of the present application, and any other similar cases also fall within the scope of the present application.

[0062] In the following detailed description, directional terms such as "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "front", "back", etc. are used with reference to the orientation of the figures described. The components of the embodiments of the present application can be placed in various different orientations, and the directional terms are used for the purpose of example and not limitation.

[0063] First embodiment

[0064] Reference Figure 1 As shown, the steel wire conveying device of a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is used in a copper-coated steel continuous casting production line, wherein the copper-coated steel continuous casting production line comprises a continuous casting furnace 3 with a crystallizer assembly.

[0065] Specifically, the steel wire conveying device comprises:

[0066] The steel wire conveying device comprises:

[0067] a front-end pushing mechanism 1 arranged in front of the inlet end of the continuous casting furnace and configured to pull the steel wire being processed to move in the continuous casting direction in a manner of applying a first radial force to the steel wire being processed;

[0068] a rear-end pulling-out mechanism 2 arranged behind the outlet end of the continuous casting furnace and configured to pull the steel wire being processed to move in the continuous casting direction in a manner of applying a second radial force to the steel wire being processed;

[0069] wherein the front-end pushing mechanism 1 is configured to pull the steel wire being processed to move in the continuous casting direction in a step-by-step manner;

[0070] and wherein the rear-end pulling-out mechanism 2 is configured to pull the steel wire being processed to move in a continuous manner generally synchronized with the step-by-step manner of the front-end pushing mechanism 1, and the first radial force is set such that the front-end pushing mechanism 1 can firmly clamp the steel wire being processed, and the second radial force is 10%-40% smaller than the first radial force.

[0071] wherein the front end pushing mechanism 1 comprises a step-by-step first driver and a first transmission assembly, the first transmission assembly comprising a first rotary wheel 11 and a second rotary wheel, a first channel segment for the processed steel wire to pass through being provided between the first rotary wheel 11 and the second rotary wheel, the first driver being configured to drive at least one of the first rotary wheel 11 and the second rotary wheel to rotate;

[0072] the rear end pulling-out mechanism 2 comprising a continuous second driver and a second transmission assembly, the second transmission assembly comprising a third rotary wheel 21 and a fourth rotary wheel 22, a second channel segment for the processed steel wire to pass through being provided between the third rotary wheel 21 and the fourth rotary wheel 22, the second driver being configured to drive at least one of the third rotary wheel 21 and the fourth rotary wheel 22 to rotate;

[0073] wherein the first rotary wheel 11 and the second rotary wheel are configured to apply a first radial force to the processed steel wire to generate a first friction force acting on the processed steel wire, and the third rotary wheel 21 and the fourth rotary wheel 22 are configured to apply a second radial force to the processed steel wire to generate a second friction force acting on the processed steel wire;

[0074] and wherein the first transmission assembly comprises a first rigid force applying component connected to at least one of the first rotary wheel 11 and the second rotary wheel, and the second transmission assembly comprises a second flexible force applying component connected to at least one of the third rotary wheel 21 and the fourth rotary wheel 22, the flexible force applying component being configured to apply a variable force tending to cause one of the third rotary wheel 21 and the fourth rotary wheel 22 to approach the other, the variable force decreasing as the first rotary wheel 11 and the second rotary wheel both approach, so that the second friction force is 10%-40% smaller than the first friction force.

[0075] wherein in some specific examples, the rotary wheels are configured with grooves, and correspondingly, the channel segments for the processed steel wire 8 to pass through are defined by the spaces between the grooves of the corresponding rotary wheels to press out the steel wire.

[0076] The first embodiment of the present disclosure provides an active traction mechanism in front (upstream) of the continuous casting furnace, and a traction mechanism behind the furnace is provided as a driven continuous traction mechanism, so that the driving force of the driven traction mechanism behind the furnace is kept smaller than or equal to the driving force exerted on the steel wire by the step-by-step driving mechanism pushing in front of the furnace, so that the stress or tension of the steel wire in the furnace can be partially resolved or alleviated, so as to alleviate or avoid the risk of the steel wire being pulled apart or cracked.

[0077] More specifically, for example, the flexible force applying component can be an elastic member, and more preferably a compression spring arranged along the connecting line direction of the third rotating wheel 21 and the fourth rotating wheel 22, one end of the compression spring being connected to the third rotating wheel 21 or the fourth rotating wheel 22, and the other end being detachably attached to the optional spring mounting position of the first transmission assembly according to the desired compression amount of the compression spring.

[0078] Preferably, the output frequency of the step-by-step second driver is in the range of 60-130 cycles / minute, each cycle being an output period including an output time and a pause time, and the pitch of the steel wire driven to travel corresponding to each cycle output time being in the range of 0.3-2.5 cm.

[0079] Thus, it is ensured that the second radial force and the first friction force generated thereby are not too small to lose the traction effect of the furnace rear pulling, while it is also ensured that the force is not too large to always provide the necessary slip ability to buffer the incomplete synchronization of the furnace front and rear driving in the steel wire conveying process, and the steel wire vibration caused by the different steps of the furnace front and rear traction is also alleviated to a certain extent, for example, the maximum amplitude of the vibration is limited to a certain extent.

[0080] In the present disclosure, for example, the first rotating wheel 11 and the second rotating wheel 12 can be arranged side by side in an up-down manner, or arranged in pairs without being aligned along the vertical axis, and of course the number of the first rotating wheel 11 and the second rotating wheel 12 can be the same or different, as long as they can provide the appropriate effect of guiding, traction and limiting the processed steel wire 8 and exert appropriate force on the steel wire. The possible arrangement of the third rotating wheel 21 and the fourth rotating wheel 22 is similar to that of the first rotating wheel 11 and the second rotating wheel 12, and therefore will not be described here.

[0081] For example, typical examples of the driver are relatively low-cost continuous motors and step-by-step motors, and the second driver can also be a motor. Possible ways to control the step-by-step driver can be, for example, to control the rotating driving force to maintain a preset time length in each output cycle, or to control the rotating driving force to drive the processed steel wire 8 to travel a preset length. More specifically, the step-by-step driving of the steel wire can be achieved, for example, by means of timing control, detection of the length of the processed steel wire 8 traveling or the angle of the output shaft of the driver rotating.

[0082] Second embodiment

[0083] Still referring to Figure 1 The steel wire conveying device of a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is used in a copper-coated steel continuous casting production line, wherein the copper-coated steel continuous casting production line includes a continuous casting furnace 3 with a crystallizer assembly.

[0084] Specifically, the steel wire conveying device includes:

[0085] a front end pushing mechanism 1 arranged in front of the inlet end of the continuous casting furnace and configured to pull the processed steel wire in the continuous casting advancing direction in a manner of applying a first radial force to the processed steel wire;

[0086] a rear end pulling-out mechanism 2 arranged behind the outlet end of the continuous casting furnace and configured to pull the processed steel wire in the continuous casting advancing direction in a manner of applying a second radial force to the processed steel wire coated with the copper layer;

[0087] wherein the front end pushing mechanism 1 is configured to pull the processed steel wire in the continuous casting advancing direction in a step-by-step manner, the rear end pulling-out mechanism 2 is configured to pull the processed steel wire therebetween in a step-by-step manner completely synchronized with the front end pushing mechanism 1, and the first radial force and the second radial force are respectively set to enable the front end pushing mechanism 1 and the rear end pulling-out mechanism 2 to firmly clamp the processed steel wire.

[0088] wherein, optionally, the front end pushing mechanism 1 comprises a first driver in a step-by-step manner and a first transmission assembly, the first transmission assembly comprising a first rotating wheel 11 and a second rotating wheel, a first channel segment for the processed steel wire to pass through being arranged between the first rotating wheel 11 and the second rotating wheel, the first driver being used to drive at least one of the first rotating wheel 11 and the second rotating wheel to rotate;

[0089] the rear end pulling-out mechanism 2 comprises a second driver in a step-by-step manner and a second transmission assembly, the second transmission assembly comprising a third rotating wheel 21 and a fourth rotating wheel 22, a second channel segment for the processed steel wire to pass through being arranged between the third rotating wheel 21 and the fourth rotating wheel 22, the second driver being used to drive at least one of the third rotating wheel 21 and the fourth rotating wheel 22 to rotate;

[0090] wherein the first rotating wheel 11 and the second rotating wheel are configured to apply the first radial force to the processed steel wire relative to each other to generate a first friction force acting on the processed steel wire, the third rotating wheel 21 and the fourth rotating wheel 22 are configured to apply the second radial force to the processed steel wire relative to each other to generate a second friction force acting on the processed steel wire, and the first friction force and the second friction force substantially match each other.

[0091] Specifically, the second embodiment in the present disclosure is provided with a step-by-step pulling mechanism capable of synchronously driving the steel wire to advance in front of (upstream) / behind (downstream) the continuous casting furnace, which has a technical effect superior to the first embodiment and significantly superior to the solutions provided by the prior art in terms of eliminating or alleviating the stress or tension suffered by the steel wire in the furnace, thereby alleviating or avoiding the risk of the steel wire being pulled apart or cracked.

[0092] According to a second embodiment, the traction force applied to the steel wire at its two ends in the continuous casting step or in the continuous casting furnace under high temperature conditions will be able to remain constant at all times, thus ensuring at least a significant reduction or even elimination of the tension or stress to which the steel wire is subjected in the step that is the weakest in terms of resistance to tensile stress, while this step is also the critical process step in copper-clad steel production, so that this embodiment will significantly minimize the risk of breakage, cracking and copper penetration (large amounts of copper penetrating the steel material) of the steel wire. It can be said that, under the appropriate implementation of the solution, the phenomenon or defect of breakage, cracking and copper penetration of the steel wire in this critical process step in copper-clad steel production (also the most fragile step of the steel wire) will be eliminated or completely avoided.

[0093] According to a more advantageous configuration, the first transmission assembly comprises a first rigid force application member associated with at least one of the first and second pulleys 11, 12, and the second transmission assembly comprises a second rigid force application member associated with at least one of the third and fourth pulleys 21, 22, the first and second rigid force application members being configured to be able to apply to the associated pulleys an adjustable constant radial force, so as to keep the first and second friction forces substantially equal.

[0094] According to a more advantageous configuration, the first and second pulleys 11, 12 and the third and fourth pulleys 21, 22 are arranged so that the central axis of the first passage segment defined between the first and second pulleys 11, 12 and the central axis of the second passage segment defined between the third and fourth pulleys 21, 22 are aligned with each other.

[0095] According to a more advantageous configuration, the first and second transmission assemblies are also provided with a fine adjustment mechanism for manually fine-tuning the horizontal and / or vertical position of the central axes of the first and second passage segments, in order to avoid the torque resulting from the first and second friction forces acting on the steel wire being processed from causing the steel wire to be subjected to shear stress.

[0096] According to a more advantageous configuration, the steel wire conveying device also comprises a controller configured to be able to simultaneously send the same step-by-step drive control signal to the first and second drives;

[0097] The first transmission assembly comprises a first rigid force application member associated with at least one of the first and second pulleys 11, 12, and the second transmission assembly comprises a second rigid force application member associated with at least one of the third and fourth pulleys 21, 22, the first and second rigid force application members being configured to be able to apply to the associated pulleys an adjustable constant radial force, so as to keep the first and second friction forces substantially equal.

[0098] With the above-mentioned more optimal configurations, the force applied to the steel wire in the furnace can be well eliminated or even highly reliably eliminated, the quality risks such as the steel wire breaking, cracking or copper penetration can be maximally avoided, and the overall advancing speed of the steel wire being processed can be potentially or at least possibly improved to improve the production efficiency. This is because in the solution of the different synchronization of the forces applied to the steel wire by the traction driving mechanisms at the front and rear ends of the continuous casting furnace, improving the overall advancing speed of the steel wire being processed will directly cause the force or stress borne by the steel wire to become greater due to the mismatch of the driving forces between the stepping motor performing the pull-stop cycle and the continuous motor cooperating therewith, and the steel wire temperature will also be increased due to the need to increase the copper liquid temperature in the continuous casting furnace for processing the copper cladding process, which will significantly increase the product quality risks, i.e. the quality risks such as the steel wire breaking, cracking or copper penetration, while improving the production efficiency. In contrast, the second embodiment of the present disclosure does not increase the product quality risks such as the steel wire breaking, cracking or copper penetration due to the improvement of the production efficiency, and thus provides the potential or potential possibility of improving the overall advancing speed of the steel wire being processed to improve the production efficiency, which further embodies the technical advantages that can be achieved by the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0099] Moreover, this way can also eliminate the adverse effects of the steel wire vibration caused by the unsynchronized driving mechanisms at the front and rear ends of the continuous casting furnace on the control of the concentricity.

[0100] According to a further more optimal configuration of the second embodiment, the output frequency of the stepping second driver is in the range of 60-130 cycles / minute, each cycle being an output period including an output time and a pause time, and the pitch of the steel wire driven to advance corresponding to each cycle output time is in the range of 0.3-2.5 cm.

[0101] Although as described above, the second embodiment of the present disclosure can almost completely eliminate the quality risks such as the steel wire breaking, cracking or copper penetration caused by the force applied to the steel wire in the furnace through the above-mentioned preferred configuration, the continuous casting furnace front and / or the continuous casting furnace rear in the copper-clad steel continuous casting production line can still need to drive the steel wire to continuously advance (for example, the traction assembly used in the straightening process of the front process usually needs to continuously drive the steel wire to advance), and thus there will still be a certain degree of inconsistency between the upstream and downstream power systems from the perspective of the entire production line. Another insight on which the second embodiment of the present disclosure is based is that compared with the steel wire being processed in the continuous casting furnace, the steel wire at other links of the production line has a significantly stronger tensile strength and is less prone to breaking and cracking, and even if breaking and cracking occurs, it is significantly easier to be discovered / observed in time and disposed of in time, and thus compared with other existing solutions and the first embodiment, the second embodiment of the present disclosure has a significant technical advantage from the perspective of the entire production line.

[0102] For example, the traction assembly used by the straightening process (straightening mechanism 5) of the preceding path needs to apply a relatively large radial force to firmly clamp the steel wire and continuously drive the steel wire to advance. Since there is usually a distance of at least one meter or about this order of magnitude between the straightening motor and the step-type front-end pushing mechanism 1 in front of the continuous casting furnace in the production line, as long as the pitch of the step motor driving the steel wire to advance is not too large (within the range of the pitch described above), the excess distance of the steel wire advancing caused by the straightening motor continuously driving the steel wire to advance, which is approximately the pause time of the step cycle of the front-end pushing mechanism 1 in front of the continuous casting furnace, is completely accommodated in the production line distance between the straightening mechanism 5 and the front-end pushing mechanism 1 in front of the furnace. Since the proportion of this excess distance or excess length of the steel wire to the total length of the steel wire between the straightening mechanism 5 and the front-end pushing mechanism 1 in front of the furnace is very low, the different steps of the upstream and downstream driving mechanisms will at most only cause very insignificant or small steel wire vibration or steel wire swing, and the impact on the steel wire portion in the continuous casting furnace will be smaller and negligible, while eliminating the adverse effects of steel wire swing on the service life of the crystallizer and the instability of the steel wire entering the furnace, which will adversely affect the concentricity of the billet.

[0103] For example, referring to FIG. 1, the upstream of the continuous casting furnace 3 is sequentially provided with a cutting mechanism 4 (uncoiling mechanism), a straightening mechanism 5, and a polishing mechanism 6. The processed steel wire 8 is subjected to cutting, straightening, and polishing before entering the continuous casting furnace 3 to ensure that the processed steel wire 8 meets the casting requirements of copper-clad steel and maximizes the uniformity of the copper layer on the outside of the steel wire. Figure 1

[0104] The cutting mechanism 4, the straightening mechanism 5, and the polishing mechanism 6 can be optionally provided with a front-end driving mechanism. The position and number of the front-end driving mechanism can be flexibly set, and the structure thereof can be similar to the front-end pushing mechanism arranged in front of the furnace as described above, but it does not provide the slip and buffer area as described above, which means that in the case of using a continuous output type of front-end driving mechanism, the corresponding mechanism such as the cutting mechanism 4 and the straightening mechanism 5 will work or process continuously, and the steel wire is also continuously driven to advance.

[0105] The front-end driving mechanism can be provided between two adjacent components, such as between the cutting mechanism 4 and the straightening mechanism 5, and between the straightening mechanism 5 and the polishing mechanism 6. The front-end driving mechanism can be provided at one or more positions as described above, and the position of the front-end driving mechanism has certain flexibility, and the selection of the position of the front-end driving mechanism can be for the purpose of ensuring that the processed steel wire 8 stably advances between two adjacent components.

[0106] ​When the front-end driving mechanism is arranged between the cutting mechanism 4 and the straightening mechanism 5 and between the straightening mechanism 5 and the polishing mechanism 6, three driving mechanisms including the front-end pushing mechanism 1 and the front-end driving mechanism are arranged in total upstream of the continuous casting furnace in the continuous casting production line, and the rear-end pulling-out mechanism 2 is arranged one, the three driving mechanisms can pull the steel wire to be processed along the continuous casting direction 8, one rear-end pulling-out mechanism 2 pulls the steel wire to be processed 8 from the continuous casting furnace 3, drives the steel wire to be processed 8 to move in the way of three pushing and one pulling, and can also drive the steel wire to be processed 8 to stably move between the adjacent two processes / components in front of the furnace, maintain the stability of movement, and ensure the processing precision of the cutting (uncoiling), straightening, polishing and other processes.

[0107] The front-end driving mechanism can include a first transmission assembly, which can play a role in guiding and limiting the steel wire to be processed 8. In the cutting, straightening, polishing and other processes, the steel wire to be processed 8 can be accurately positioned, which helps to improve the processing precision.

[0108] In some embodiments, the cooling device 7 and the rear-end pulling-out mechanism 2 are arranged downstream of the continuous casting furnace 3 in sequence. The rear-end pulling-out mechanism 2 is arranged downstream of the cooling device 7. After the steel wire to be processed 8 is coated with a copper layer, it is first cooled by the cooling device 7, and the preset pulling force of the rear-end pulling-out mechanism 2 is applied to the cooled steel wire to be processed 8. The structural stability of the cooled steel wire to be processed 8 is better, and the structural influence of the rear-end pulling-out mechanism 2 on the steel wire to be processed 8 is reduced. The rear-end pulling-out mechanism 2 is next to the cooling device 7, which shortens the distance between the rear-end pulling-out mechanism 2 and the continuous casting furnace 3, ensures that the preset pulling force can stably pull out the steel wire to be processed 8 in the continuous casting furnace 3, and the position of the rear-end pulling-out mechanism 2 is reasonable, and the stress of the steel wire to be processed 8 is reasonable.

[0109] The structures of the cutting mechanism 4, the straightening mechanism 5, the polishing mechanism 6, the continuous casting furnace 3 and the cooling device 7 are not limited and can meet the requirements of the copper-coated steel horizontal continuous casting. It should be noted that the cutting mechanism 4, the straightening mechanism 5 and the polishing mechanism 6 need to be used in cooperation with the front-end driving mechanism.

[0110] According to a further preferred embodiment, the uncoiling driving mechanism 1' arranged at the cutting mechanism 4, the straightening driving mechanism 1'' arranged at the straightening mechanism 5 and the front-end pushing mechanism 1 upstream of the continuous casting furnace 3 can be different in specific configuration. The straightening driving mechanism 1'' at the straightening mechanism 5 clamps the steel wire with a greater radial force, which can be significantly greater than the force exerted by the uncoiling driving mechanism 1' at the cutting mechanism. In other words, as Figure 1Among the radial forces applied at various positions of the production line as shown in the schematic diagram, the radial force F3 can be designed according to the steel wire raw material being unwound, and F1, F2 and F4 can all be set to be relatively large so that the traction assembly can completely transmit the output torque to the steel wire to push it to move forward.

[0111] The copper clad steel continuous casting production line and the steel wire conveying device for the copper clad steel continuous casting production line according to the present disclosure help to alleviate or even eliminate the quality risk caused by the steel wire being easily broken and cracked, and help to improve the production yield and production efficiency of the copper clad steel continuous casting.

[0112] Some method embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a steel wire conveying method for a copper clad steel continuous casting production line, which has substantially the same or similar features as the steel wire conveying device of some preferred embodiments described above, and thus will not be described here again.

[0113] Although the specific embodiments of the present application are described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are only illustrative, and the protection scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present application, and such changes and modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for conveying steel wire in a copper-clad steel continuous casting production line, the copper-clad steel continuous casting production line comprising a continuous casting furnace with a crystallizer assembly, characterized in that, A front-end pushing mechanism is provided before the inlet end of the continuous casting furnace, and a rear-end pulling mechanism is provided after the outlet end of the continuous casting furnace, and the following steps are continuously performed during continuous casting production: The front-end pushing mechanism is controlled to pull the steel wire being processed along the continuous casting travel direction by applying a first radial force to the steel wire being processed. The rear pull-out mechanism is controlled to pull the steel wire being processed along the continuous casting travel direction by applying a second radial force to the copper-coated steel wire being processed. The front-end pushing mechanism is configured to pull the steel wire being processed in a stepping manner along the continuous casting travel direction in the stepping manner; Furthermore, the rear pull-out mechanism is configured to continuously pull the steel wire being processed in a manner that is generally synchronized with the stepping mode of the front push mechanism, and the first radial force is set to enable the front push mechanism to firmly clamp the steel wire being processed, and the second radial force is 10%-40% smaller than the first radial force; The front-end pushing mechanism includes a stepping first driver and a first transmission assembly. The first transmission assembly includes a first rotating wheel and a second rotating wheel. A first channel section is provided between the first rotating wheel and the second rotating wheel for the steel wire to be processed to pass through. The first driver is used to drive the rotation of at least one of the first rotating wheel and the second rotating wheel. The rear pull-out mechanism includes a continuous second driver and a second transmission assembly. The second transmission assembly includes a third wheel and a fourth wheel. A second channel section is provided between the third wheel and the fourth wheel for the steel wire to be processed to pass through. The second driver is used to drive the rotation of at least one of the third wheel and the fourth wheel. The first and second rollers are configured to apply a first radial force to the steel wire being processed relative to each other to generate a first frictional force acting on the steel wire being processed, and the third and fourth rollers are configured to apply a second radial force to the steel wire being processed relative to each other to generate a second frictional force acting on the steel wire being processed. Furthermore, the first transmission assembly includes a first rigid force-applying component connected to at least one of the first and second rotating wheels, and the second transmission assembly includes a second flexible force-applying component connected to at least one of the third and fourth rotating wheels. The second flexible force-applying component is configured to apply a variable force that tends to cause one of the third and fourth rotating wheels to move closer to the other. The variable force decreases as the third and fourth rotating wheels move closer together, thereby making the second frictional force 10%-40% smaller than the first frictional force.

2. The steel wire conveying method for a copper-clad steel continuous casting production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first and second wheels, as well as the third and fourth wheels, are configured such that the central axis of the first channel segment defined between the former two and the central axis of the second channel segment defined between the latter two are aligned with each other.

3. The steel wire conveying method for a copper-clad steel continuous casting production line according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first transmission assembly and the second transmission assembly are also provided with fine-tuning mechanisms. The fine-tuning mechanisms are used to manually fine-tune the horizontal and / or vertical positions of the central axes of the first channel segment and the second channel segment, so as to avoid the torque generated by the first frictional force and the second frictional force acting on the processed steel wire causing the processed steel wire to be subjected to shear stress.

4. A wire conveying device for a copper-clad steel continuous casting production line, the copper-clad steel continuous casting production line comprising a continuous casting furnace with a crystallizer assembly, characterized in that, The steel wire conveying device includes: A front-end pushing mechanism is disposed in front of the inlet end of the continuous casting furnace and is configured to pull the steel wire being processed along the continuous casting travel direction by applying a first radial force to the steel wire being processed. A rear pull-out mechanism is disposed after the outlet end of the continuous casting furnace and is configured to pull the workpiece steel wire along the continuous casting travel direction by applying a second radial force to the workpiece steel wire coated with copper. The front-end pushing mechanism is configured to pull the steel wire being processed in a stepping manner along the continuous casting travel direction in the stepping manner; Furthermore, the rear pull-out mechanism is configured to continuously pull the steel wire being processed in a manner that is generally synchronized with the stepping mode of the front push mechanism, and the first radial force is set to enable the front push mechanism to firmly clamp the steel wire being processed, and the second radial force is 10%-40% smaller than the first radial force; The front-end pushing mechanism includes a stepping first driver and a first transmission assembly. The first transmission assembly includes a first rotating wheel and a second rotating wheel. A first channel section is provided between the first rotating wheel and the second rotating wheel for the steel wire to be processed to pass through. The first driver is used to drive the rotation of at least one of the first rotating wheel and the second rotating wheel. The rear pull-out mechanism includes a continuous second driver and a second transmission assembly. The second transmission assembly includes a third wheel and a fourth wheel. A second channel section is provided between the third wheel and the fourth wheel for the steel wire to be processed to pass through. The second driver is used to drive the rotation of at least one of the third wheel and the fourth wheel. The first and second rollers are configured to apply a first radial force to the steel wire being processed relative to each other to generate a first frictional force acting on the steel wire being processed, and the third and fourth rollers are configured to apply a second radial force to the steel wire being processed relative to each other to generate a second frictional force acting on the steel wire being processed. Furthermore, the first transmission assembly includes a first rigid force-applying component connected to at least one of the first and second rotating wheels, and the second transmission assembly includes a second flexible force-applying component connected to at least one of the third and fourth rotating wheels. The flexible force-applying component is configured to apply a variable force that tends to cause one of the third and fourth rotating wheels to move closer to the other. The variable force decreases as the third and fourth rotating wheels move closer together, thereby making the second friction force 10%-40% smaller than the first friction force.

5. The wire conveying device for a copper-clad steel continuous casting production line according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first and second wheels, as well as the third and fourth wheels, are configured such that the central axis of the first channel segment defined between the former two and the central axis of the second channel segment defined between the latter two are aligned with each other.

6. The wire conveying device for a copper-clad steel continuous casting production line according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first transmission assembly and the second transmission assembly are also provided with fine-tuning mechanisms. The fine-tuning mechanisms are used to manually fine-tune the horizontal and / or vertical positions of the central axes of the first channel segment and the second channel segment, so as to avoid the torque generated by the first frictional force and the second frictional force acting on the processed steel wire causing the processed steel wire to be subjected to shear stress.

7. A copper-clad steel continuous casting production line, the copper-clad steel continuous casting production line comprising: A continuous casting furnace with a crystallizer assembly; A wire conveying device for a copper-clad steel continuous casting production line according to any one of claims 4-6; The cutting mechanism, straightening mechanism, and polishing mechanism are sequentially arranged upstream of the continuous casting furnace; A cooling device located downstream of the continuous casting furnace and between the rear pull-out mechanism.

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