Conduit section and mold device with the conduit section

Abstract

The invention relates to a pipe section 100 for conveying a fluid, in particular cooling water, a mold casting device for casting liquid metal, and a method for converting the mold casting device to a different casting width. The pipe section 100 comprises a pipe element 110 with an inlet-side end 112 and a consumer-side end 114. Furthermore, the pipe section 100 includes an inlet device 130, for example, in the form of a pipe section or a bend. A ball joint 120 with a through-channel is arranged at the inlet-side end 112 of the pipe element 110 for articulated and fluid-conducting connection of the inlet-side end of the pipe element 110 to the inlet device 130 for the fluid.In order to compensate for a lateral offset between the inlet device 130 and a consumer 200 without having to disconnect the line element from the inlet device or from the consumer, the invention provides that a consumer-side ball joint 140 with a through-channel is also arranged at the consumer-side end of the line element for articulated and fluid-conducting connection of the consumer-side end of the line element 110 with the consumer 200.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a mold casting device with a conduit section for conveying a fluid, in particular water. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for converting a mold casting device from one casting thickness to another.

[0002] Pipe sections for conveying a fluid, even with multiple degrees of freedom, are generally known in the prior art, e.g., from DE 10 2006 057 242 B4 and US 6164570. These patents disclose, in particular, a ball joint for a sanitary outlet fitting. EP2321075 A1 describes a continuous casting mold for the continuous casting of a metal strand, in particular a steel strand, with opposing broad sidewalls and narrow sidewalls, wherein at least the broad sidewalls are equipped with cooling channels.

[0003] The invention relates, as a specific application, to the field of continuous casting technology and in particular to a continuous casting mold for casting liquid metal into a casting strand, as is used, for example, in Figure 3 is shown. Specifically, it shows Figure 3 A mold assembly 400, known from the prior art, with two opposing mold side plates 410 and two opposing side water boxes 420, each for supporting the mold side plates 410. At least one of the side water boxes is connected to a water supply system via a pipe section 100 (not shown). The other side water box is either also connected to the water supply system via an analogous pipe section or is fluid-conductingly connected to the first side water box.

[0004] The in Figure 3The mold assembly shown can be adjusted to different casting formats, i.e., to different cross-sections of the casting cavity 440 formed by the mold wide side plates 410 and the mold narrow side plates. To change the casting thickness d1, the wide side water boxes are traditionally first moved apart in the casting thickness direction D. Then, the narrow side support assemblies 432, preferably with the mold narrow side plates 410 mounted on them, are exchanged for other narrow side support assemblies with mold narrow side plates defining a different casting thickness d2. Subsequently, the wide side water boxes 420 are moved towards the narrow side support assemblies 432 with the now changed casting thickness d2; in this way, a new casting cavity 440 with a changed casting thickness is created.

[0005] The aforementioned opening and closing procedure of the broad-sided water boxes in the casting thickness direction D when converting the mold device 400 to a different casting thickness is accompanied by a lateral offset (sideways offset) of the inlet-side and consumer-side ends of the pipe section for supplying the broad-sided water boxes with water from the water supply system.

[0006] Traditional pipe sections, and especially traditional connections between the pipe section and the wide-sided water tanks, could not compensate for these lateral offsets, or at least not sufficiently. Traditionally, these pipe sections consisted of rigid pipe connections with O-rings, which could accommodate minor angular deflections and compensate for small axial displacements when lateral offset occurred. However, the traditionally used pipe connections and compensators are unsuitable or insufficient for compensating for the larger lateral offsets that actually occur in practice. Therefore, adapter pieces or several format-dependent components must traditionally be installed.The entire process of changing the casting thickness traditionally costs a lot of money and time (setup time) for the operator, because he has to provide a correspondingly large amount of workshop personnel and appropriate equipment.

[0007] Based on this prior art, the invention aims to further develop a known mold casting device with a conduit section and a known method for converting the mold casting device from a previous to a different casting thickness in such a way that the conduit section of the mold casting device is designed to compensate for even larger lateral offsets and thereby significantly simplify and reduce the cost of converting the mold casting device to a different casting thickness.

[0008] This problem is solved with respect to the mold assembly according to the invention with a conduit section by the subject matter of claim 1. This subject matter is characterized in that the conduit section for conveying a fluid comprises a conduit element with an inlet-side end and a consumer-side end, and an inlet device for the fluid. The conduit section has an inlet-side ball joint arranged at the inlet-side end of the conduit element, with a through-channel for articulated and fluid-conducting connection of the inlet-side end of the conduit element to the inlet device for the fluid, wherein a consumer-side ball joint arranged at the consumer-side end of the conduit element has a through-channel for articulated and fluid-conducting connection of the consumer-side end of the conduit element to a consumer.The inlet device corresponds to a pipe section that leads to the water supply device, and the consumer corresponds to at least one of the wide-sided water boxes.

[0009] According to claim 1, corresponding ball joints, each with a through-channel, are arranged at both ends of the conduit element of the mold assembly. These two ball joints essentially allow the fluid to be deflected within the conduit section in virtually any direction, even if the consumer is laterally offset relative to a feed device. This applies at least when the distance between the feed device and the consumer is variable in the event of a lateral offset.

[0010] According to the invention, the pipe section of the molding device is characterized by an inlet-side sliding tube that fluidly connects the inlet-side end of the pipe element to the inlet device, in which the inlet-side ball joint is axially displaceable. Additionally or alternatively, a consumer-side sliding tube can also be provided, which fluidly connects the consumer-side end of the pipe element to the consumer and in which the consumer-side ball joint is axially displaceable. Providing such a sliding tube at the inlet-side or consumer-side end of the pipe section advantageously enables sufficient compensation capability of the pipe section even if the direct distance between the inlet device and the consumer changes as a result of a lateral offset between the inlet device and the consumer.

[0011] To explain: During a simple pivoting movement of the pipe element relative to the inlet device, aided by the ball joint located between them, the opposite end of the pipe element, on the consumer side, moves along a circular path with its attached ball joint. This consumer-side end continuously moves further away from the consumer. The resulting change in distance to the consumer is compensated for by the additional stress on the sliding pipe.

[0012] For the aforementioned compensation, it is typically sufficient if such a displacement pipe is provided at either the inlet-side or the consumer-side end of the pipe element. Only in special individual cases, for example, when particularly large distances need to be bridged, might it be useful to provide such a displacement pipe at both ends of the pipe element.

[0013] It is advantageous to provide ring-shaped sealing elements to seal the ball joints against the sliding tubes.

[0014] A protective device, for example in the form of a cuff or a rubber bellows, can be placed over the ball joints to protect them from external influences, especially dust or dirt, in order to maintain their functionality.

[0015] The aforementioned problem is further solved by the method according to claim 11. This method is characterized in that the mold assembly is configured with a conduit section according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and that the conduit section, which connects at least one of the side water boxes to the water supply unit, remains fluidly connected to the at least one side water box and preferably also to the water supply unit during all process steps according to claim 11. The claimed configuration of the mold assembly with the conduit section according to the invention advantageously allows for a significant reduction in assembly and setup times when converting the mold assembly to a different casting format.In particular, this eliminates the need to modify pipe connections or relocate them using compensators; the associated assembly work can be saved. Furthermore, undesirable restoring forces or elastic deformations, such as those occurring with stainless steel lateral compensators, can be advantageously avoided. With the inventive design of the mold assembly, it can be continuously adjusted to new casting thicknesses without having to open the fluid connection between the water tank and the pipe section or the pipe section and the consumer, and without having to loosen any screw connections. With the inventive pipe section and its installation between a water supply system and a mold assembly, lateral offsets of, for example, up to 450 mm can be bridged in a short time.

[0016] Further advantageous embodiments of the mold assembly according to the invention with a conduit section, in particular the ball joints, as well as of the claimed method according to the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0017] The description includes a total of 3 figures, whereby Figure 1a of the inventive conduit section in a side view; Figure 1b of the inventive conduit section in a top view; Figure 2a of the inventive mold device in a perspective view with a narrow side for a small casting thickness; Figure 2b of the mold device with a wider side for a larger casting thickness; and Figure 3 of the mold device according to the prior art in a perspective view. shows.

[0018] The invention is described below with reference to the aforementioned. Figure 1 and 2The details are described in the form of exemplary embodiments. In all figures, identical technical elements are designated with the same reference numerals.

[0019] Figure 1a Figure 1 shows the pipe section 100 according to the invention for conveying a fluid, in particular water, and more specifically cooling water, in a side view. It comprises a pipe element 110 with an inlet-side end 112 and a consumer-side end 114. At the inlet-side end 112 of the pipe element 110, an inlet-side ball joint 120 is arranged with a through-channel for articulated and fluid-conducting connection of the inlet-side end of the pipe element to an inlet device 130. Figure 1afor example, configured as an α = 90° bend. According to the invention, a ball joint 140, also referred to as a consumer-side ball joint, is also arranged at the consumer-side end 114 of the line element 110. It is also equipped with a through-channel for articulated and fluid-conducting connection of the consumer-side end of the fluid line element 110 to a consumer 200 (in Figure 1 (not shown).

[0020] According to Figure 1b Both the inlet-side and the outlet-side ball joints 120, 140 each have an annular spherical cap 122 with a spherical outer contour. The spherical cap is rotatably embedded in a spherical cavity, which is spanned by two annular bearing half-shells 126, 126' that can be clamped against each other. The outer surface of the spherical cap 122 is sealed against each of the two bearing half-shells 126, 126' by means of (further) sealing elements 128.

[0021] In Figure 1b The caps 122 are, for example, slid onto the inlet-side end 112 and the consumer-side end 114 of the pipe element 110 and are preferably fixedly connected to the pipe element. The caps therefore carry a rotational or pivoting movement of the pipe element relative to the cavities in which they are mounted. In contrast, the bearing half-shells 126, 126' spanning the cavities are rotationally fixed—but not necessarily translationally fixed—to the bend or to the consumer, or to a pipe, or to a sliding element which is slidably mounted in a sliding tube. The bearing half-shells can also themselves be designed as the sliding element. Alternatively, the caps 122 could also be arranged on the bend or on the sliding element within the sliding tube; however, the corresponding bearing half-shells would then have to be connected to the pipe element.

[0022] At the in Figure 1In the illustrated embodiment, in which the spherical caps 122 are mounted on the ends of the pipe element, the inlet-side bearing shell 126 is screwed to the inlet device 130 (here only exemplarily designed with the 90° bend) in a rotationally fixed manner. Specifically, a first half of the bearing half-shell 126 of the entire bearing shell is screwed to the bend, while the corresponding second bearing half-shell 126' is shifted outwards from the pipe element 110 towards the first bearing half-shell 126 and clamped or screwed to it. Similarly, a first bearing half-shell 126 for the spherical cap 122 is designed and arranged on the consumer side of the pipe element 110 as a sliding element for movement within the sliding tube. A second bearing half-shell 126' of the entire bearing shell is pushed towards the first bearing half-shell 126 from the side of the pipe element and clamped or screwed to it.screwed together to create a cavity for the rotatable, articulated mounting of the consumer-side spherical cap 122.

[0023] The inner or conduit-element-side bearing half-shells 126' each have a ring diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of the spherical caps 122. Therefore, after the spherical caps are installed, these second bearing half-shells cannot be pushed into the area of ​​the conduit element between the two spherical caps. These two second or inner bearing half-shells 126' would therefore have to be pushed onto the conduit element 110 before the last of the two spherical caps 122 is installed, or they would each have to be multi-part, e.g., two-part. In the latter case, the second bearing half-shells would then each consist of two ring segments. The aforementioned ball joints are preferably each protected against contamination by a protective device 170. The protective device 170 can, for example, be a sleeve or a rubber bellows, which...which is slipped over the ball joints and is attached on both sides of these joints, for example with clamps.

[0024] The conduit element 110 is typically a pipe section. The conduit section 100 according to the invention serves in particular to transfer a fluid, for example water, from a water supply system (not shown) to a consumer 200.

[0025] The Figures 2a and 2bFigure 1 shows a particular application in which the pipe section 100 according to the invention is used to supply water to a mold casting unit 400 in a continuous casting plant for casting liquid metal into a casting strand. One inlet device 130, which is arranged on the inlet side of the pipe section 100, can be designed in the form of a pipe section, which leads, for example, to a water supply unit. The consumer 200 connected to the consumer-side end 114 of the pipe section 100 is then at least one wide-sided water tank 420 for cooling the mold.

[0026] The inventive design of the pipe section 100 advantageously allows a lateral offset between the inlet device 130 and a consumer 200 in the form of at least one wide-sided water tank. This is particularly advantageous when converting the mold to a different casting thickness according to the method described below: Accordingly, converting the mold device from a previous d1 to a different casting thickness d2 requires the following steps: a) Moving the broad side water boxes 420 in the casting thickness direction D; b) removing the existing narrow side support device 432 with the existing mold narrow side plates 430 defining the previous casting thickness d1; c) installing narrow side support devices 432 with a mold narrow side plate 430 defining the other casting thickness d2; and d) moving the broad side water boxes 420 in the opposite casting thickness direction D to the other casting thickness d2.

[0027] If the broad-sided water boxes 420 of the molding unit 400 are connected to the water supply unit (not shown) via the pipe section 100 according to the invention, then the design of the pipe section according to the invention allows the water boxes 420 to remain advantageously connected to the water supply unit in a fluid-conducting manner during the execution of the aforementioned steps a) to d) for converting the molding unit to a different casting thickness. This saves the operator of the molding unit a great deal of time and money compared to a traditional conversion of the molding unit, because the design of the pipe section according to the invention eliminates many otherwise necessary work steps and pipe components.

[0028] During process step a) for converting the mold, the wide-sided water boxes 420 shift laterally relative to the supply device 130 while maintaining their vertical distance from one another. The pipe section designed according to the invention compensates for this lateral shift, thus eliminating the need to disassemble the pipe section 100 from the wide-sided water boxes 420 and / or the supply device 130. This is made possible, on the one hand, by the fact that the ball joints 120, 140 provided according to the invention allow the pipe element 110 to pivot by an angle β relative to an initial direction R.Furthermore, the sliding tube 150 enables compensation for the increasing direct distance between the at least one broad-sided water box 420 and the supply device 130 caused by the lateral displacement, by allowing an axial displacement of the consumer-side end of the pipe element by a distance x in the sliding tube 150; see . Figure 1b .

[0029] In process step d), the wide-sided water boxes 420, which were initially extended according to process step a), are moved or pushed together again in the opposite direction of the casting thickness D to the now changed casting thickness. Because the casting thickness d2 is now different, i.e., it can be greater or lesser than the previous casting thickness d1, the wide-sided water boxes 420 are no longer moved together to the original casting thickness d1 in step d). Rather, during process step d), the pipe element 110 is now pivoted back towards the initial direction by an angle different from angle β using the ball joints 120, 140, and pushed back in the displacement tube by a distance different from path x.If the previous casting thickness d1 was smaller than the new, modified casting thickness d2, the deviation angle is smaller than angle β and the deviation path is smaller than path x according to process step a). If the new casting thickness d2 is larger than the previous thickness d1, the deviation angle is larger than angle β and the deviation path x in the displacement tube 150 is larger than path x. Reference symbol list

[0030] 100 Pipe section 110 Pipe element 112 Inlet-side end of pipe element 114 Consumer-side end of pipe element 120 Inlet-side ball joint 122 Annular cap 125 Annular sealing element 126, 126' Annular bearing half-shells 128 Further sealing element 130 Inlet device 140 Consumer-side ball joint 160 Consumer-side sliding pipe 170 Protective device 200 Consumer 400 Mold device 410 Mold wide-side plates 420 Wide-side water boxes 430 Mold narrow-side plates 432 Narrow-side support device 440 Casting cavity D Casting thickness direction R Outlet direction β Angle x Displacement distance

Claims

1. Mould device (400) in a continuous casting plant for the casting of liquid metal to form a cast strip, comprising: - two opposite mould wide-side plates (410); - two opposite wide-side water tanks (420) each for supporting one of the mould wide-side plates (410), wherein at least one of the wide-side water tanks is connected with a water supply device by way of a conduit section (100); - two mould narrow-side plates (430), which are arranged between the mould wide sides (410) and opposite one another; and two narrow-side support devices (432) for supporting the mould narrow-side plates (430), wherein - the conduit section (100) comprises, for conducting through a liquid: a conduit element (110) with an inflow-side end (112) and a consumer-side end (114); an inflow device (130) for the fluid; an inflow-side ball joint (120), which is arranged at the inflow-side end (112) of the conduit element (110), with a passage channel for articulated and fluid-conducting connection of the inflow-side end of the conduit element with the inflow device (130) for the fluid, wherein a consumer-side ball joint (140) arranged at the consumer-side end (114) of the conduit element (110) is formed with a passage channel for articulated and fluid-conducting connection of the consumer-side end of the conduit element with a consumer (200), wherein the inflow device (130) corresponds with a pipe length, which leads to the water supply device and the consumer (200) corresponds with at least one of the wide-side water tanks (420); characterised by - an inflow-side displacement pipe, which fluid-conductively connects the inflow-side end (112) of the conduit element (110) with the inflow device (130) and in which the inflow-side ball joint (120) is mounted to be axially displaceable; and / or - a consumer-side displacement pipe (160), in which the consumer-side ball joint (140) is mounted to be axially displaceable; and characterised in that - the inflow-side and / or the consumer-side ball joint (120, 140) each comprise: i an annular dome (122) with a spherical outer contour; and ii two annular bearing half shells (126, 126'), which are tightenable relative to one another and which together span a cavity for pivot reception of the dome (122).

2. Mould device (400 with a conduit section (100) according to claim 1, characterised by - at least one annular sealing element (125) for sealing the inflow-side ball joint (120) relative to the inflow-side displacement pipe (150); and / or - at least one annular sealing element for sealing the consumer-side ball joint relative to the consumer-side displacement pipe.

3. Mould device (400) with a conduit section (100) according to claim 1, characterised in that - at least one further sealing element (128) is provided for sealing the dome (122) relative to, for preference, each of the two bearing half shells (126, 126').

4. Mould device (400) with a conduit section (100) according to claim 1 or 3, characterised in that - the annular dome (122) of the inflow-side ball joint (120) is mounted at the inflow-side end (112) of the conduit element (110) or at the inflow device (130); and - one of the bearing half shells (126) of the inflow-side ball joint (120) is connected, preferably detachably, to the inflow-side end (112) of the conduit element (110) or to the inflow device (130); and - the other one of the two bearing half shells (126') of the inflow-side ball joint (120) is tightened against the connected bearing half shell (126) with inclusion of the dome (122) in the cavity.

5. Mould device (400) with a conduit section (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that - the annular dome (122) of the consumer-side ball joint (140) is mounted on the consumer-side end (114) of the conduit element (110) or on the consumer (200); and - one of the two bearing half shells of the consumer-side ball joint (140) is connected, preferably detachably, with the consumer-side end (114) of the conduit element (110) or with the consumer (200); and - the other one of the two bearing half shells of the consumer-side ball joint (140) is tightened against the connected bearing half shell with inclusion of the dome (122) in the cavity.

6. Mould device (400) with a conduit section (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that - at least one of the bearing half shells (126, 126') is constructed in the form of at least two ring segments.

7. Mould device (400) with a conduit section (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that - a protective device (170), for example in the form of a collar or a rubber seal, is provided for pulling over at least one of the ball joints (120, 140).

8. Mould device (400) with a conduit section (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that - the fluid is water; and - the inflow device (130) is a pipe length, for example the inflow-side displacement pipe, which is connected at its end remote from the conduit section (110) directly or indirectly with a water supply device; and - the consumer (200) is a water tank of a mould device (400) of a continuous casting plant.

9. Mould device (400) with a conduit section (100) according to claim 8, characterised in that - the pipe length is constructed in the form of an elbow for diverting the water from the water supply device through an angle α, for example α = 90°, into the conduit element (110).

10. Mould device (400) with a conduit section (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that - the conduit element (110) is constructed as a pipe length.

11. Method for converting a mould device (400) from a previous to a different casting width, comprising the following steps: a) opening the wide-side water tanks (420) in casting thickness direction (D); b) demounting the previous narrow-side support devices (432) together with the previous mould narrow-side plates (430) defining the previous casting thickness (d1); c) installing narrow-side support devices (432) together with mould narrow-side plates (410) defining the different casting thickness (d2); and d) closing the wide-side water tanks (420) in opposite casting thickness direction (D) to the different casting width (d2); characterised in that - the mould device (400) is constructed according to any one of claims 1 to 10; and - the conduit section (100), which connects at least one of the wide-side water tanks (420) with the water supply device, remains fluid-conductively connected with the at least one wide-side water tank (420) and preferably also with the water supply device during all steps a) to d) and - the conduit element (110) during the method step a) is pivoted with the help of the ball joints (120, 140) through an angle β relative to an outlet direction (R) and is displaced into the displacement pipe (150) through a travel x.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterised in that - the conduit element (110) during the method step d) is pivoted with the help of the ball joints (120, 140) through an angle, which differs from the angle β, back again in direction of the outlet direction (R) and is pushed back again by a travel, which differs from the travel x, into the displacement pipe (150).

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