Adaptive segment of a strand guide, in particular for a continuous casting installation

Abstract

The invention relates to an adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1), in particular for a continuous casting plant, comprising: several support elements (7) for supporting the adaptive segment (2) on a support structure (9), several opposing drive and support rollers (8) for supporting a strand (3) on two opposite sides during transport through the strand guide (1), wherein the direction of rotation of the opposing drive and support rollers (8) corresponds to the transport direction of the strand guide (1), characterized in that the several support elements (7) are designed to be variable in length in order to adapt the orientation of the drive and support rollers (8) of adjacent adaptive segments (2) of a strand guide (1) to each other. The invention further relates to a strand guide (1) comprising a support structure (9) and at least two adjacent adaptive segments (2) according to the invention.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an adaptive segment of a strand guide, in particular for a continuous casting plant. The invention further relates to a strand guide with at least two adjacent adaptive segments according to the invention.

[0002] A strand guide in a continuous casting plant serves to support and transport the strand shell initially formed in the mold until the strand has completely solidified. The strand guide is usually divided into several segments, which are arranged adjacent to one another. The several segments of the strand guide are mounted on a support structure, whereby the support structure runs essentially parallel to the transport direction of the strand guide. The transport direction of the strand guide can be vertical, horizontal and / or curved. For example, the transport direction of the strand guide is vertical after connecting to the mold and then transitions into a horizontal transport direction via a curved section. The support structure runs essentially parallel to the course of the transport direction so that the segments of the strand guide mounted on the support structure can define the transport direction.

[0003] The segments of the strand guide each have several drive and support rollers for the strand to be transported. The several drive and support rollers are arranged opposite each other to support the strand or strand shell on two opposite sides during transport through the strand guide. The several drive and support rollers form two essentially parallel planes, which are arranged on opposite sides of the strand to be transported. The strand is therefore supported on both sides by the several drive and support rollers and moved simultaneously by the drive rollers. The direction of rotation of the opposing drive and support rollers thus corresponds to the transport direction of the strand guide.

[0004] The aforementioned strand guides are known, for example, from WO 2002 / 036291 A1 or WO 2009 / 144001 A1.

[0005] Irregularities can occur in the transition area between two adjacent segments of the strand guide, particularly over the course of its service life. Such irregularities in the transition area between two adjacent segments can cause damage to the transported strand, particularly surface defects and (internal) cracks in the strand shell. When installing segments in a strand guide, the segment transitions can be aligned to prevent such damage to the transported strand. However, during ongoing operation of the strand guide, irregularities can occur in the area of ​​the transitions between two adjacent segments that cannot be compensated for.

[0006] The invention is therefore based on the object of optimising the transitions between adjacent segments of a strand guide over the entire service life of the strand guide.

[0007] The object is achieved according to the invention by an adaptive segment of a strand guide according to claim 1. The object is further achieved by a strand guide with at least two adjacent adaptive segments according to the invention. Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

[0008] The adaptive segment of a strand guide according to the invention, in particular for a continuous casting plant, comprises a plurality of support elements for supporting the adaptive segment on a support structure and a plurality of opposing drive and support rollers for supporting a strand on two opposite sides during transport through the strand guide. The direction of rotation of the opposing drive and support rollers corresponds to the transport direction of the strand guide.

[0009] The multiple drive and support rollers are arranged opposite each other to support the strand on two opposite sides during transport through the strand guide. To this end, the multiple drive and support rollers form two essentially parallel planes arranged on opposite sides of the strand to be transported. The strand is thus supported from both sides by the multiple drive and support rollers and moved by the drive rollers.

[0010] According to the present invention, the plurality of support elements are designed to be variable in length in order to adapt the alignment of the drive and support rollers of adjacent adaptive segments of a strand guide to one another. The adaptive segments are mounted to the support structure of the strand guide by means of the plurality of support elements. The support structure is, for example, a foundation, a support frame or the like, wherein the support structure runs essentially parallel to the transport direction of the strand guide. Since the plurality of support elements are designed to be variable in length according to the invention, the alignment of the adaptive segment can also be adapted during ongoing operation. By adapting the length of individual support elements, the alignment of adjacent adaptive segments in the region of the segment transition can be optimized in order to minimize irregularities.Since the multiple support elements can be adjusted independently in length, the alignment of the adaptive segment and consequently the associated drive and support rollers can be adjusted in several planes.

[0011] According to a practical variant, the multiple support elements are designed to be adjustable in length in the area of ​​the contact points on the support structure. This has the advantage that the means for adjusting the length are positioned as far away as possible from the strand being transported in the strand guide. The transported strand is often at a very high temperature, particularly in the strand guide area immediately downstream of a continuous casting machine. The greatest possible distance from the transported strand minimizes damage caused by elevated temperatures.

[0012] In a variant according to the invention, the plurality of support elements have hydraulic, pneumatic and / or electrical means for changing the length.

[0013] According to an advantageous variant of the invention, the opposing drive and support rollers of the adaptive segment are divided into a fixed side and a loose side, wherein the loose side is adjustable relative to the fixed side so that the distance to the fixed side is adjustable. This allows the strand guide to be adapted to different strands to be transported, in particular with regard to the thickness of the strands to be transported. In this variant, the distance between the loose side and the fixed side can be adjusted such that the strand to be transported is supported and moved from two opposite sides by the corresponding drive and support rollers of the loose side and fixed side. Advantageously, the loose sides of adjacent adaptive segments and the fixed sides of adjacent adaptive segments are arranged on the same side of the strand to be transported.

[0014] According to a preferred variant, the fixed side is arranged on the same side of the strand to be transported as the support structure and the loose side is on the other side of the strand. In the case of horizontal strand guidance, the support structure is arranged on a foundation, for example, so that the fixed side is arranged below the strand to be transported, while the loose side is arranged above the strand to be transported. In this example, the length-adjustable support elements allow the fixed sides of two adjacent adaptive segments to be aligned with one another during operation in order to minimize irregularities in the area of ​​the segment transition. The loose sides of the adjacent adaptive segments, which in this example are arranged above the strand to be transported, can be adjusted relative to the corresponding fixed side so that the strand to be transported can be guided from both opposite sides by the fixed side orThe loose side is supported. In a curved strand guide, for example, in a transition from a vertical strand guide to a horizontal strand guide, the fixed sides of the adaptive segments are preferably arranged such that the fixed side is located in the horizontal area below the strand to be transported. The fixed sides of the adaptive segments of the strand guide are thus loaded with the weight of the strand to be transported, while the loose side is designed to be movable to adapt to the thickness of the strand.

[0015] In an advantageous variant of the invention, the adaptive segment comprises sensors for determining the alignment of adjacent adaptive segments of the strand guide to one another, in particular for determining the alignment of the drive and support rollers of adjacent adaptive segments to one another. The sensors are designed, for example, as optical sensors, LIDAR (Light / Laser Detection and Ranging) sensors, inductive or capacitive sensors, or the like. The sensor can also be based on image analysis of a camera image. Intercommunicating sensors on adjacent adaptive segments can also be used to determine the alignment of the adaptive segments to one another. When determining the alignment of the adaptive segments to one another, the alignment of the drive and support rollers in the region of the segment transition must be monitored in particular in order to detect and compensate for any irregularities.

[0016] According to a preferred variant of the invention, the adaptive segment further comprises an interface to a separate measuring device, in particular a roll gap checker, for receiving information regarding the alignment of adjacent adaptive segments of the strand guide relative to one another, in particular regarding the alignment of the drive and support rollers of adjacent adaptive segments relative to one another. It is known to check the condition of a strand guide at regular intervals, for example, using a so-called roll gap checker. Using the interface of the adaptive segment according to the invention, the data can be transferred directly to the adaptive segment, and any detected irregularities can be automatically compensated by the adaptive segment.

[0017] According to an advantageous variant of the invention, the alignment of the drive and support rollers of adjacent adaptive segments of a strand guide is adjusted to each other during operation.

[0018] In a preferred variant of the invention, the adaptive segment further comprises sensors for monitoring roller wear of the drive and support rollers, in particular the drive and support rollers on the fixed side, in order to correct any resulting misalignment of the drive and support rollers of adjacent adaptive segments. Roller wear can be detected, for example, via sensors integrated into the drive and / or support rollers or by means of external sensors such as rangefinders or a camera in conjunction with image analysis.

[0019] According to a further variant of the invention, when adjusting the alignment of the drive and support rollers of adjacent adaptive segments of a strand guide, areas of the drive and support rollers of the respective adjacent adaptive segments are taken into account. This prevents a single drive or support roller from failing to adjust the alignment even though other drive and support rollers in the immediate vicinity are aligned. By taking areas into account, individual faulty rollers are neglected to avoid misalignments caused by them.

[0020] According to a practical variant of the invention, after adjusting the alignment of the drive and support rollers of adjacent adaptive segments of a strand guide, the alignment of the drive and support rollers of the adjacent adaptive segments is checked. For this purpose, for example, a second measuring head is used at the end of a roll gap checker, so that the first measuring head of the roll gap checker can detect irregularities in the area of ​​segment transitions, which are subsequently transmitted to the adaptive segments according to the invention in order to correct the segment transitions during operation. The second measuring head at the end of the roll gap checker can then be used to check whether the irregularities have been corrected. Of course, the alignment can be checked using other sensors.

[0021] In a further variant, the adaptive segment according to the invention comprises means for adjusting the orientation of the adaptive segment parallel to the plane of the transport direction, in particular in two directions parallel to the plane of the transport direction. In a horizontal transport direction, the two planes parallel to the transport direction are forward / backward or left / right. The plane perpendicular to the transport direction, i.e., up / down in the case of a horizontal transport direction, is adjusted by the length-adjustable support elements.

[0022] According to an expedient variant, the means for adjusting the orientation of the adaptive segment parallel to the plane of the transport direction are hydraulic, pneumatic and / or electrical.

[0023] The invention further relates to a strand guide, in particular for a continuous casting plant, comprising a support structure and at least two adaptive segments according to the invention, wherein the at least two adaptive segments are mounted adjacent to one another on the support structure.

[0024] According to a variant of the invention, the supporting structure is designed as a foundation and / or supporting frame.

[0025] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures. They show: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a strand guide with adaptive segments according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a detailed view of an adaptive segment according to the invention; and Fig. 3 shows schematic views of adjacent adaptive segments according to the invention.

[0026] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a strand guide 1 with several adjacent adaptive segments 2 according to the invention. The several adaptive segments are mounted adjacent to one another on a support structure 9, for example, a foundation and / or support frame. The support structure 9 runs essentially parallel to the transport direction of the strand guide 1. The adaptive segments 2 are supported or mounted on the support structure 9 by means of several support elements 7. Each adaptive segment 2 is expediently connected to the support structure 9 by means of four support elements 7.

[0027] According to the embodiment Fig. 1 The strand guide 1 is arranged downstream of a continuous casting plant, wherein the continuous casting plant comprises several pouring ladles 4, an intermediate container 5 and a mold 6. The liquid metal is fed from the pouring ladle 4 via the intermediate container 5 to the mold 6. In the mold 6, an initial solidification of the strand 3 takes place, whereby complete solidification must be ensured within the strand guide 1. In the area of ​​the mold 6, the strand guide 1 is aligned vertically and then transitions into a horizontal strand guide 1 via a curved area.

[0028] The individual adaptive segments 2 of the strand guide are arranged directly adjacent to one another in order to continuously support and transport the strand 3. For this purpose, each individual adaptive segment 2 has a plurality of opposing drive and support rollers 8 for supporting the strand 3 on two opposite sides during transport through the strand guide 1. The direction of rotation of the opposing drive and support rollers 8 corresponds to the transport direction of the strand guide 1. The opposing drive and support rollers 8 of each adaptive segment 2 are divided into a fixed side 10 and a loose side 11. The loose side 11 is adjustable relative to the fixed side 10, so that the distance to the fixed side 10 is adjustable.As a result, the plurality of opposing drive and support rollers 8 can be adapted to the thickness of the strand 3 to be transported, so that the strand 3 is guided from both opposite sides by the drive and support rollers 8. The fixed side 10 is usually arranged between the support structure 3 and the strand 3 to be transported, while the loose side 11 is arranged on the side of the strand 3 facing away from the support structure 9.

[0029] Particularly during operation, irregularities can occur at the segment transitions between two adjacent adaptive segments 2 as the operating time increases. Such irregularities have a negative impact on the quality of the transported strand 3, as they can, for example, cause damage to the transported strand 3. To prevent this, the support elements 7 for supporting the adaptive segments 2 on the support structure 9 are designed to be variable in length. The variable-length support elements 7 allow the alignment of the drive and support rollers 8 of adjacent adaptive segments 2 of the strand guide 1 to be adjusted to one another. In particular, the alignment of the drive and support rollers 8 of adjacent adaptive segments 2 of the strand guide 1 to one another can thereby be adjusted during operation.For this purpose, the plurality of support elements 7 comprise, for example, hydraulic, pneumatic, and / or electrical means for length adjustment 12. The means for length adjustment 12 of the plurality of support elements 7 are expediently designed to be variable in length in the region of the support or mounting points with the support structure 9.

[0030] Fig. 2 shows a detailed view of an adaptive segment 2 according to the invention. Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the side of the adaptive segment 2 facing the support structure 9, on which the length-adjustable support elements 7 are arranged. The means for length adjustment 12 are, for example, hydraulic, pneumatic, and / or electric and are arranged in the region of the support or mounting points with the support structure 9. According to the invention, the support elements 7 of an adaptive segment 2 can be separately adjusted in length in order to adjust the alignment of the adaptive segment 2, in particular of the drive and support rollers 8.

[0031] The fixed side 10 of the drive and support rollers 8 faces the support structure 9, so that, in particular, the transition between the fixed sides 10 of adjacent adaptive segments 2 can be optimized. The distance between the loose side 11 and the fixed side 10 can be adjusted separately for each adaptive segment 2, and thus the transition between the loose sides 11 of adjacent adaptive segments 2 can be individually optimized.

[0032] Fig. 3 shows schematic views of adjacent adaptive segments 2 according to the invention. In Fig. 3a ) shows, as an example, three adjacent adaptive segments 2 (only the fixed side rollers are shown here), with the segment transitions exhibiting irregularities. These irregularities occurred, for example, during operation, after the segment transitions were still regular immediately after the installation of the adaptive segments 2. Due to the irregularities at the segment transitions, damage to the transported strand 3 can occur, e.g., to the strand surface.

[0033] Fig. 3b ) shows the three adaptive segments 2 from Fig. 3a ) after alignment has been completed. For the alignment of the adjacent adaptive segments 2 to one another, in particular the segment transitions, the adaptive segments 2 preferably have sensors 13 for determining the alignment of adjacent adaptive segments 2 of the strand guide 1 to one another. The sensors 13 determine, in particular, the alignment of the drive and support rollers 8 of adjacent adaptive segments 2 to one another. The sensors 13 are designed, for example, as an optical sensor, LIDAR (Light / Laser Detection and Ranging) sensor, inductive or capacitive sensor, or the like. The sensor 13 can also be based on an image analysis of a camera image. Furthermore, communicating sensors 13 can be used on adjacent adaptive segments 2 (as in Fig. 3b ) to determine the alignment of the adaptive segments 2 to each other. After alignment of the adjacent adaptive segments 2, the irregularities in the area of ​​the segment transitions are eliminated.

[0034] According to the Fig. 3c ) illustrated embodiment, the adaptive segments 2 or the strand guide 1 comprise additional sensors 14 for monitoring roller wear of the drive and support rollers 8, in particular the drive and support rollers 8 on the fixed side 10, in order to correct any resulting misalignment of the drive and support rollers 8 of adjacent adaptive segments 2 to each other. As in Fig. 3c ), the drive and support rollers 8 of the middle adaptive segment 2 have different diameters due to roller wear. The resulting irregularities in the area of ​​the segment transitions can be compensated for according to the invention by means of the variable-length support elements 7.

[0035] When adjusting the alignment of the drive and support rollers 8 of adjacent adaptive segments 2 of a strand guide 1 to one another, areas of drive and support rollers 8 of the respective adjacent adaptive segments 2 are preferably taken into account. This prevents, for example, a situation where a single drive or support roller 8 with a different diameter causes an adjustment of the segment transition, even though this would result in new irregularities caused by the other adjacent drive and support rollers 8. Thus, an optimum is sought taking into account a drive and support roller area.

[0036] After the alignment of the drive and support rollers 8 of adjacent adaptive segments 2 of a strand guide 1 has been adjusted to each other, the alignment of the drive and support rollers 8 of the adjacent adaptive segments 2 can be checked. This check determines whether the irregularities have been corrected and / or whether new irregularities have arisen as a result of the adjustment. List of reference symbols

[0037] 1Strand guide 2Adaptive segment 3Strand 4Ladle 5Intermediate vessel 6Mould 7Adjustable support element 8Drive and support roller 9Support structure 10Fixed side 11Loose side 12Means for length adjustment 13Sensor (alignment) 14Sensor (roller wear)

Claims

1. Adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1), in particular for a continuous casting plant, comprising: a plurality of support elements (7) for supporting the adaptive segment (2) on a support structure (9), a plurality of opposing drive and support rollers (8) for supporting a strand (3) on two opposite sides during transport through the strand guide (1), wherein the direction of rotation of the opposing drive and support rollers (8) corresponds to the transport direction of the strand guide (1), characterized in that the plurality of support elements (7) are designed to be variable in length in order to adapt the alignment of the drive and support rollers (8) of adjacent adaptive segments (2) of a strand guide (1) to one another.

2. Adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of support elements (7) are designed to be variable in length in the region of the support points on the support structure (9).

3. Adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the plurality of support elements (7) have hydraulic, pneumatic and / or electrical means for changing the length (12).

4. Adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opposite drive and support rollers (8) of the adaptive segment (2) are divided into a fixed side (10) and a loose side (11), wherein the loose side (11) is adjustable relative to the fixed side (10) so that the distance to the fixed side (10) is adjustable.

5. Adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising sensors (13) for determining the alignment of adjacent adaptive segments (2) of the strand guide (1) to one another, in particular for determining the alignment of the drive and support rollers (8) of adjacent adaptive segments (2) to one another.

6. Adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an interface to a separate measuring device, in particular a roll gap checker, for receiving information regarding the alignment of adjacent adaptive segments (2) of the strand guide (1) to one another, in particular regarding the alignment of the drive and support rollers (8) of adjacent adaptive segments (2) to one another.

7. Adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the alignment of the drive and support rollers (8) of adjacent adaptive segments (2) of a strand guide (1) is adapted to one another during operation.

8. Adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising sensors (14) for monitoring roller wear of the drive and support rollers (8), in particular the drive and support rollers (8) on the fixed side (10), in order to correct a resulting misalignment of the drive and support rollers (8) of adjacent adaptive segments (2) to one another.

9. Adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein when adjusting the alignment of the drive and support rollers (8) of adjacent adaptive segments (2) of a strand guide (1) to one another, areas of drive and support rollers (8) of the respective adjacent adaptive segments (2) are taken into account.

10. Adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein after an adjustment of the alignment of the drive and support rollers (8) of adjacent adaptive segments (2) of a strand guide (1) to one another, the alignment of the drive and support rollers (8) of the adjacent adaptive segments (2) to one another is checked.

11. Adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising means for adjusting the orientation of the adaptive segment (2) parallel to the plane of the transport direction, in particular in two directions parallel to the plane of the transport direction.

12. Adaptive segment (2) of a strand guide (1) according to claim 11, wherein the means for adjusting the orientation of the adaptive segment (2) parallel to the plane of the transport direction are hydraulic, pneumatic and / or electrical.

13. Strand guide (1), in particular for a continuous casting plant, comprising a support structure (9) and at least two adaptive segments (2) according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the at least two adaptive segments (2) are mounted adjacent to one another on the support structure (9).

14. Strand guide (1) according to claim 13, wherein the support structure (9) is designed as a foundation and / or support frame.

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