Method and apparatus for manufacturing rough-drawn wire, and casting apparatus

Abstract

To manufacture a high-quality rough drawing wire.SOLUTION: A manufacturing apparatus 1 comprises a casting device 3 and a rolling device 4. The casting device 3 is provided with: a mold wheel 20 having a groove on the outer circumference; a belt 30 that rotates around in contact with a part of an outer peripheral surface 22 of the mold wheel 20; a feed unit 10 that feeds a molten metal into a casting space formed by the belt 30 and the groove covered with the belt 30; a coating unit 62 that coats the surface of the belt 30 with a mold release agent; and a polishing unit 70 that includes a polishing member 72 pressed to the mold release agent deposited on the surface of the rotating belt 30. The polishing member 72 included in the polishing unit 70 has a width equal to or more than the width of the groove and less than the width of the belt 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing rough drawn wire.

Background Art

[0002] As one of the methods for manufacturing rough drawn wire, the continuous casting and rolling method is known. This method includes a casting process and a rolling process that are performed simultaneously and in parallel. The casting process is a process of solidifying (freezing) a molten metal material (molten metal) to produce a square bar-shaped casting. The casting produced in the casting process is sometimes called a "casting bar". The rolling process is a process of extending the casting while crushing it to produce a round bar-shaped rolled material.

[0003] A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing rough drawn wire by the continuous casting and rolling method as described above includes at least a casting apparatus for performing the casting process and a rolling apparatus for performing the rolling process. The casting apparatus has, for example, a wheel provided with grooves on its outer periphery and a belt that circulates while contacting a part of the outer peripheral surface of the wheel. The belt temporarily blocks a part of the groove provided in the wheel and forms a casting space (mold / casting mold) around the wheel. The molten metal supplied to the casting space is cooled and solidified (frozen) in the casting space to become a square bar-shaped casting (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the casting apparatus as described above, the mold release agent applied to the belt sometimes adheres to the surface of the belt. Therefore, conventionally, workers manually polished the surface of the belt to remove the adhered mold release agent.

[0006] However, it is difficult to polish the surface of the belt uniformly by hand, and it was impossible to completely avoid uneven polishing or scratches on the belt surface. If there are uneven polishing or scratches on the belt surface, the structure of the casting material may change, and defects may appear on the surface of the rolled material or rough-drawn wire. In other words, the quality of the rough-drawn wire produced may decrease.

[0007] The objective of this invention is to enable the manufacture of high-quality rough-drawn wire. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A method for manufacturing a rough-drawn wire according to one embodiment includes a casting step of solidifying molten metal to continuously produce rod-shaped cast materials, and a rolling step of continuously rolling the cast materials. The casting step includes a supply step of supplying the molten metal to a casting space formed by a mold wheel having grooves on its outer circumference and a belt that rotates while in contact with a part of the outer surface of the mold wheel, a coating step of applying a release agent to the surface of the belt, and a polishing step of polishing the release agent deposited on the surface of the belt. In the polishing step, a polishing member having a width greater than or equal to the width of the grooves and less than the width of the belt is pressed against the release agent deposited on the surface of the rotating belt while rotating.

[0009] A rough-drawn wire manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment includes a casting apparatus for continuously producing rod-shaped casting materials by solidifying molten metal, and a rolling apparatus for continuously rolling the casting materials fed out from the casting apparatus. The casting apparatus includes a die wheel with grooves on its outer circumference, a belt that rotates while in contact with a part of the outer surface of the die wheel, a supply unit that supplies the molten metal to a casting space formed by the belt and the grooves blocked by the belt, an application unit that applies a release agent to the surface of the belt, and a polishing unit that polishes the release agent deposited on the surface of the rotating belt. The polishing unit includes a polishing member and a pressing mechanism that presses the polishing member against the release agent deposited on the surface of the belt. The polishing member has a width greater than or equal to the width of the grooves and less than the width of the belt.

[0010] A casting apparatus according to one embodiment includes a polishing section for polishing a release agent deposited on the surface of a belt that forms a casting space by blocking grooves provided on the outer circumference of a mold wheel. The polishing section includes a polishing member and a pressing mechanism for pressing the polishing member against the release agent. The polishing member has a width greater than or equal to the width of the groove and less than the width of the belt. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, high-quality rough-drawn wire can be manufactured. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing equipment for rough-drawn wire. [Figure 2A] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the mold wheel and belt. [Figure 2B] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the mold wheel and belt. [Figure 3] This is a side view of the polishing section when the polishing member is in the standby position. [Figure 4] This is a front view of the polishing section when the polishing member is in the standby position. [Figure 5]It is a side view of the polishing part when the polishing member is in the operating position. [Figure 6] It is a process diagram of a method for manufacturing a rough drawing wire.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings referred to for explaining the embodiments, the same or substantially the same components and elements are denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, components and elements once described will not be repeatedly described in principle.

[0014] (Manufacturing apparatus for rough drawing wire) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a manufacturing apparatus 1 for rough drawing wire according to the present embodiment. The manufacturing apparatus 1 for rough drawing wire includes a melting furnace 2, a casting apparatus 3, a rolling apparatus 4, and a winding apparatus 5. In the following description, the "manufacturing apparatus 1 for rough drawing wire" may be abbreviated as "manufacturing apparatus 1".

[0015] The melting furnace 2 heats a metal material such as copper to produce a molten metal. The melting furnace 2 includes a furnace body and a gas burner disposed below or around the furnace body. The metal material charged into the furnace body is heated to a temperature above the melting point by the heat of the gas burner and melted.

[0016] The molten metal produced in the melting furnace 2 is supplied to the casting apparatus 3. The casting apparatus 3 is a belt wheel type continuous casting apparatus. The casting apparatus 3 cools and solidifies (solidifies) the molten metal supplied from the melting furnace 2 to continuously produce a rod-shaped (square rod-shaped) casting material 7.

[0017] The casting material 7 produced by the casting apparatus 3 is supplied (fed) to the rolling apparatus 4. The rolling apparatus 4 is a roller type continuous rolling apparatus. The rolling apparatus 4 hot-rolls the fed casting material 7 to continuously produce a rod-shaped (round rod-shaped) rolled material 8. For example, the rolling apparatus 4 continuously produces a round rod-shaped rolled material 8 having an outer diameter of 8.0 mm to 23.0 mm.

[0018] The rolled material 8 sent out from the rolling device 4 is subjected to predetermined treatments and processes. For example, surface purification treatments such as pickling and reduction washing are performed on the rolled material 8. The rolled material 8 subjected to the predetermined treatments and processes is taken up by the coiling device 5 as the rough drawing wire 9. The coiling device 5 winds the taken-up rough drawing wire 9 in a spiral shape. The coiling device 5 may also be called a "coiler".

[0019] In addition, a preheating furnace may be arranged upstream of the melting furnace 2. Also, a holding furnace may be arranged between the melting furnace 2 and the casting device 3.

[0020] (Casting device) The casting device 3 includes a tundish 11, a pouring nozzle 12, a mold wheel 20, a belt 30, guide rollers 40, a tension wheel 50, a coating section 60, and a polishing section 70.

[0021] (Tundish and pouring nozzle) The tundish 11 stores the molten metal supplied from the melting furnace 2. The pouring nozzle 12 is connected to the tundish 11 and discharges the molten metal stored in the tundish 11 around the mold wheel 20.

[0022] The pouring nozzle 12 is formed of a refractory material. The pouring nozzle 12 is formed of, for example, silicon oxide, silicon carbide, or silicon nitride. A flow control pin for adjusting the supply amount (discharge amount) of the molten metal is provided at the tip (discharge port) of the pouring nozzle 12.

[0023] (Mold wheel and belt) Figures 2A and 2B are partial enlarged cross-sectional views of the mold wheel 20 and the belt 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the mold wheel 20 has a cylindrical shape or a disk shape. Also, as shown in FIG. 2A, a groove 21 is provided on the outer circumference of the mold wheel 20 over the entire circumference.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the belt 30 is an endless belt. The belt 30 is made of stainless steel (SUS / Steel Special Use Stainless) and rotates around the rotating mold wheel 20 while contacting a portion of the outer circumferential surface 22. As shown in Figure 2A, when the belt 30 contacts the outer circumferential surface 22 of the mold wheel 20, a casting space 23 is formed around the mold wheel 20. More specifically, the belt 30 rotates around the mold wheel 20 while contacting a portion of the outer circumferential surface 22 of the mold wheel 20 and blocking a portion of the groove 21 in the circumferential direction. As a result, the belt 30 and the portion of the groove 21 blocked by the belt 30 form a casting space 23 around the mold wheel 20. Alternatively, a mold is formed between the mold wheel 20 and the belt 30.

[0025] As described above, the belt 30 serves as a cover that closes the groove 21 of the mold wheel 20. Therefore, the belt 30 has a width greater than or equal to the width of the groove 21. More specifically, the width W1 of the groove 21 shown in Figure 2A is 90 mm, and the width W2 of the belt 30 is 152 mm. The width W2 of the belt 30 is the same as or approximately the same as the thickness of the mold wheel 20.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the belt 30 is wrapped around a plurality of guide rollers 40 and tension wheels 50. The belt 30 is tensioned mainly by the tension wheels 50 and rotates while being pressed against a portion of the outer surface 22 of the mold wheel 20.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2B, the molten metal 6 discharged from the pouring nozzle 12 (Figure 1) is supplied to the casting space 23 formed as described above. In other words, the tundish 11 and pouring nozzle 12 shown in Figure 1 constitute a supply unit 10 that supplies the molten metal 6 to the casting space 23 shown in Figure 2A.

[0028] The mold wheel 20 and belt 30 are cooled by cooling water or the like. Therefore, the molten metal 6 supplied to the casting space 23 formed by them is cooled and solidifies. As a result, casting materials 7 having substantially the same cross-sectional shape as the casting space 23 are continuously produced. In this embodiment, casting materials 7 with a rectangular or substantially rectangular cross-section are continuously produced.

[0029] (Coated area) As previously described, the casting apparatus 3 includes an application unit 60. More specifically, the casting apparatus 3 includes two application units 61 and 62 shown in Figure 1. The application unit 61 is located around the mold wheel 20 in an area where the belt 30 does not come into contact with the mold wheel 20. The application unit 61 applies the release agent A shown in Figure 2B to the surface 21a of the groove 21 of the mold wheel 20 shown in Figure 2A.

[0030] Refer to Figure 1 again. The coating unit 62 is located in the region between two adjacent guide rollers 40 in the direction of travel of the belt 30. The coating unit 62 applies the release agent A shown in Figure 2B to the surface 30a of the belt 30 shown in Figure 2A.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2A, the surface 30a of the belt 30 to which the release agent A is applied is one surface of the belt 30 that contacts the outer circumferential surface 22 of the mold wheel 20. Alternatively, the surface 30a of the belt 30 faces the groove 21 of the mold wheel 20 and is one surface of the belt 30 that covers the groove 21.

[0032] In other words, the coating units 61 and 62 apply the release agent A to the inner surface of the mold (casting mold) that comes into contact with the molten metal 6. More specifically, the coating unit 61 applies the release agent A to the surface 21a of the groove 21, which is part of the inner surface of the mold (casting mold), and the coating unit 62 applies the release agent A to the surface 30a of the belt 30, which is another part of the inner surface of the mold (casting mold). The release agent A applied by the coating units 61 and 62 is, for example, soot-like graphite generated by the incomplete combustion of acetylene gas.

[0033] (polishing section) Most of the release agent A applied to the inner surface of the mold is consumed by reacting with the oxygen contained in the molten metal 6. However, some of the release agent A remains on the surface 21a of the groove 21 and the surface 30a of the belt 30. In particular, the amount of residual release agent A increases when the oxygen concentration in the molten metal 6 is low.

[0034] As a result, as the operating time of the casting apparatus 3 increases, the release agent A bakes onto and accumulates on the surface 30a of the belt 30. The release agent A baked onto and accumulated on the surface 30a of the belt 30 becomes a thermal resistance that hinders the cooling of the molten metal 6. Furthermore, when the release agent A bakes onto and accumulates on the surface 30a of the belt 30, the solidification rate of the molten metal 6 becomes uneven. This unevenness in solidification rate is one of the causes of a decrease in the quality of the rough-drawn wire 9.

[0035] Therefore, the polishing unit 70 shown in Figure 1 polishes and removes the release agent A that is baked onto and deposited on the surface 30a of the belt 30. Figure 3 is a side view of the polishing unit 70 when the polishing member 72 is in the standby position, and Figure 4 is a front view of the polishing unit 70 when the polishing member 72 is in the standby position. Figure 5 is a side view of the polishing unit 70 when the polishing member 72 is in the operating position.

[0036] (base) The polishing section 70 comprises a base 71, a polishing member 72, and a pressing mechanism 73. The base 71 is slidably supported by a frame 74. More specifically, the base 71 is mounted on the frame 74. Furthermore, the mounting surface of the frame 74 is provided with a guide groove 74a extending in the direction of the rotation axis of the tension wheel 50. The base 71 slides along the guide groove 74a on the frame 74.

[0037] In other words, the base 71 is slidable in the direction of the rotation axis of the tension wheel 50. When the base 71 slides to one side in the rotation axis direction of the tension wheel 50, the polishing member 72 moves closer to the tension wheel 50. More specifically, the polishing member 72 slides from a standby position to an operating position (a position above the tension wheel 50 that operates to polish the surface 30a of the belt 30). When the base 71 slides to the other side in the rotation axis direction of the tension wheel 50, the polishing member 72 moves away from the tension wheel 50. More specifically, the polishing member 72 slides from an operating position to a standby position (a position retracted to the side of the tension wheel 50).

[0038] The abrasive member 72 is configured to be movable between an operating position and a standby position, making maintenance work such as replacing the belt 30 easier. For example, when attaching or detaching the belt 30 to the tension wheel 50, contact between the belt 30 and the abrasive member 72 can be prevented, making the belt attachment and detachment work easier. Furthermore, safety can be enhanced when performing maintenance work on the abrasive section 70 and the belt 30.

[0039] In the following description, the direction in which the base 71 shown in Figure 4 approaches the tension wheel 50 and belt 30 will be referred to as "right," and the direction in which the base 71 moves away from the tension wheel 50 and belt 30 will be referred to as "left." In other words, the base 71 slides left and right on the frame 74.

[0040] In this embodiment, the base 71 is slid left and right by a pneumatic actuator (not shown), but there is also an embodiment in which the base 71 is manually slid left and right.

[0041] (Abrasive material) The polishing member 72 is rotatably suspended from the tip of the base 71, which protrudes from the frame 74. More specifically, a retaining member 75 is rotatably mounted on the underside of the tip of the base 71 with respect to an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the tension wheel 50. The retaining member 75 comprises a connecting portion 76 and a retaining portion 77 extending in directions perpendicular to each other. More specifically, the retaining member 75 comprises a connecting portion 76 extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the base 71 slides, and a retaining portion 77 extending in a direction parallel to the direction in which the base 71 slides.

[0042] One longitudinal end (base end) of the connecting portion 76 is rotatably connected to the tip of the base 71 via a connecting rod 78. The holding portion 77 is provided at the other longitudinal end (tip) of the connecting portion 76 and extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the connecting portion 76. Alternatively, the holding portion 77 extends to the left and right from the tip of the connecting portion 76.

[0043] Because the holding member 75 is rotatable, the polishing member 72 can be brought into contact with the surface 30a of the belt 30 when polishing the surface 30a of the belt 30 in the operating position, and when polishing the surface 30a of the belt 30 is completed, the polishing member 72 can be moved away from the surface 30a of the belt 30. The distance from the surface 30a of the belt 30 should be set so that the surface of the polishing member 72 (the surface that contacts the surface 30a) is higher than the flange portion 51 of the tension wheel 50, which will be described later, as shown in Figure 3. This allows the polishing member 72 to be slid into the operating position, and also allows visual confirmation of whether polishing is being performed on the surface 30a of the belt 30.

[0044] The abrasive member 72 is a fibrous member containing an abrasive. More specifically, the abrasive member 72 is a nonwoven fabric roller containing ceramic particles. However, the abrasive contained in the abrasive member 72 is not limited to ceramic particles. For example, the abrasive may be alumina particles.

[0045] The polishing member 72 is positioned at the right end of the holding portion 77 and is rotatably held therein. Therefore, the polishing member 72 slides left and right integrally with the holding portion 75 between the operating position and the standby position. The polishing member 72 is also rotationally driven by an air motor (not shown).

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, the tension wheel 50 is equipped with a pair of flange portions 51. The distance between the opposing flange portions 51 is slightly wider than the width W2 of the belt 30, and the belt 30 passes between the opposing flange portions 51. In other words, the belt 30 passes through the tension wheel 50 with its movement in the width direction restricted by the pair of flange portions 51.

[0047] (Pushing mechanism) The pressing mechanism 73 includes a pneumatic actuator 80 that can move the polishing member 72. The pneumatic actuator 80 consists of an air cylinder 81 and a cylinder rod 82. The upper part of the air cylinder 81 is rotatably mounted to a mounting portion 83 that protrudes upward from the tip of the base 71. The cylinder rod 82 extends and retracts relative to the air cylinder 81 due to the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 81. More specifically, the cylinder rod 82 is pushed out of or retracted into the air cylinder 81 due to the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 81.

[0048] The tip of the cylinder rod 82 is connected to the retaining member 75. More specifically, the tip of the cylinder rod 82 is connected to the upper surface of the connecting portion 76 of the retaining member 75 via a connector 84.

[0049] As a result, the holding member 75 is rotationally driven by the pneumatic actuator 80. More specifically, the holding member 75 is rotationally driven around the connecting rod 78 as the axis of rotation. Alternatively, the holding member 75 is raised and lowered by the pneumatic actuator 80. When the holding member 75 moves up and down, the polishing member 72 held by the holding member 75 also moves up and down.

[0050] For example, when the cylinder rod 82 extends, the retaining member 75 and the polishing member 72 descend and move closer to the tension wheel 50. On the other hand, when the cylinder rod 82 retracts, the retaining member 75 and the polishing member 72 rise and move away from the tension wheel 50.

[0051] (Operation of the polishing section) As previously described, the base 71 to which the pneumatic actuator 80 and the retaining member 75 are attached slides from side to side. The polishing member 72 also slides from side to side integrally with the retaining member 75. Furthermore, the polishing member 72 moves up and down integrally with the retaining member 75.

[0052] From another perspective, the holding member 75 and the polishing member 72 are linearly movable in a direction approaching the tension wheel 50 around which the belt 30 is wrapped, and in a direction away from the tension wheel 50. In addition, the holding member 75 and the polishing member 72 are rotatable in a direction approaching the tension wheel 50 around which the belt 30 is wrapped, and in a direction away from the tension wheel 50.

[0053] For example, when the base 71 shown in Figures 3 and 4 is slid to the right, the polishing member 72 moves above the tension wheel 50. Next, when the cylinder rod 82 of the pneumatic actuator 80 is extended, the polishing member 72 approaches the tension wheel 50, as shown in Figure 5. Then, when the cylinder rod 82 is extended further, the polishing member 72 is pressed against the release agent A (Figure 4) that is baked and deposited on the surface 30a of the belt 30 wrapped around the tension wheel 50, and the release agent A is polished.

[0054] In this case, increasing the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 81 of the pneumatic actuator 80 increases the force pressing the abrasive member 72 against the release agent A. Conversely, decreasing the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 81 of the pneumatic actuator 80 decreases the force pressing the abrasive member 72 against the release agent A. In other words, the force pressing the abrasive member 72 against the release agent A can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 81. Alternatively, the amount of abrasive material removed from the release agent A can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 81.

[0055] As described above, the polishing member 72 comes into contact with the release agent A that is baked onto and deposited on the surface 30a of the belt 30 on the tension wheel 50. Alternatively, the polishing member 72 comes into contact with the release agent A that is baked onto and deposited on the surface 30a of the belt 30 as the belt 30 passes over the tension wheel 50, and polishes the release agent A. Therefore, the width W3 of the polishing member 72 shown in Figure 4 is required to be a width that allows it to enter between a pair of opposing flange portions 51.

[0056] Furthermore, in order to uniformly polish the release agent A, it is necessary to bring the polishing member 72 into contact with the entire surface of the release agent A. Therefore, the width W3 of the polishing member 72 must be the same as, or wider than, the width W4 of the release agent A that is baked onto and deposited on the surface 30a of the belt 30.

[0057] Here, the release agent A shown in Figure 4 is baked onto the surface 30a of the belt 30 by the heat of the molten metal 6 supplied to the casting space 23 shown in Figure 2B. Therefore, the width W4 of the release agent A shown in Figure 4 is equal to the width W1 of the groove 21 of the mold wheel 20 shown in Figure 2A (W4=W1). At a minimum, the width W4 of the release agent A is narrower than the width W1 of the groove 21.

[0058] Based on the above requirements and situations, the width W3 of the polishing member 72 shown in FIG. 4 is not less than the width W1 of the groove 21 of the mold wheel 20 and less than the width W2 of the belt 30 (W1 ≤ W3 < W2). Viewed from another perspective, the width W3 of the polishing member 72 is not less than the width W4 of the release agent A and less than the width W2 of the belt 30 (W4 ≤ W3 < W2).

[0059] More specifically, the width W3 of the polishing member 72 shown in FIG. 4 is 90 mm to 140 mm. As described above, the width W1 of the groove 21 of the mold wheel 20 is 90 mm, and the width W2 of the belt 30 is 152 mm. The width W1 of the groove 21 of the mold wheel 20 and the width W2 of the belt 30 can be changed within the range satisfying W1 ≤ W3 < W2.

[0060] By pressing the polishing member 72 having the width W3 satisfying the above conditions against the release agent A deposited on the surface 30a of the belt 30 with appropriate force, the release agent A can be polished uniformly without damaging the surface 30a of the belt 30.

[0061] (Method for manufacturing rough drawing wire) Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the rough drawing wire 9 using the manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the method for manufacturing the rough drawing wire according to the present embodiment includes at least a casting process, a rolling process, and a winding process. In the following description, the "method for manufacturing the rough drawing wire" may be abbreviated as the "manufacturing method".

[0062] The casting process shown in FIG. 6 is mainly performed by the casting apparatus 3 shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, the rolling process is mainly performed by the rolling apparatus 4, and the winding process is mainly performed by the winding apparatus 5.

[0063] However, the contents of the rolling process and the winding process are the same as or substantially the same as known processes of the same type. Also, the operations of the rolling apparatus 4 performing the rolling process and the winding apparatus 5 performing the winding process are as described above.

[0064] Therefore, the explanation of the rolling and winding processes will be omitted, and only the casting process will be explained. As shown in Figure 6, the casting process includes at least a coating process, a supply process, and a polishing process.

[0065] (Coating process) In the coating process, the mold release agent A is applied to the surface 21a of the groove 21 of the mold wheel 20 and the surface 30a of the belt 30. More specifically, the mold release agent A is applied to the surface 21a of the groove 21 by the coating unit 61, and the mold release agent A is applied to the surface 30a of the belt 30 by the coating unit 62. For example, soot graphite is used as the mold release agent A.

[0066] (Supply process) In the supply process, molten metal 6 produced in the melting furnace 2 is supplied to the casting space 23 via the supply unit 10. For example, molten copper is supplied to the casting space 23 via the supply unit 10. As previously described, the supply unit 10 consists of a tundish 11 and a pouring nozzle 12. Also, as previously described, the casting space 23 is formed by a mold wheel 20 and a belt 30 that circulates while in contact with the mold wheel 20.

[0067] (polishing process) In the polishing process, the release agent A that has baked onto and accumulated on the surface 30a of the belt 30 is polished off. More specifically, when the release agent A bakes onto the surface 30a of the belt 30, the polishing member 72 is moved from the standby position to the operating position, and the polishing member 72 is pressed against the release agent A that has baked onto and accumulated on the surface 30a of the belt 30. As previously described, the polishing process is performed on the tension wheel 50.

[0068] After the polishing process, the surface 30a of the belt 30 from which the release agent A has been removed is cleaned with high-pressure cleaning water.

[0069] In the polishing process, the belt 30 is rotated once. That is, the polishing member 72 is brought into contact with the entire circumference of the belt 30. From another perspective, in the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the release agent A can be polished sufficiently without rotating the belt 30 more than twice. However, this does not mean that rotating the belt 30 more than twice in the polishing process is excluded.

[0070] (Adjusting the pressing force) In the polishing process, the force (pressing force) that presses the polishing member 72 against the release agent A is adjusted as needed. The pressing force is adjusted by increasing or decreasing the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the pneumatic actuator 80. More specifically, the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 81 is adjusted by operating a valve located in the flow path connecting the compressed air supply source (e.g., an air compressor) and the air cylinder 81. For example, the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 81 is adjusted so that the maximum pressing force is obtained within the range in which the rotation of the polishing member 72 does not stop.

[0071] In some cases, adjusting the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 81 to obtain the required pressing force may cause the rotation of the polishing member 72 to stop. In this case, the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the air motor, which is the rotational drive source for the polishing member 72, is increased. In other words, the rotational torque of the polishing member 72 is increased.

[0072] The supply process and the coating process are performed simultaneously and continuously. On the other hand, the polishing process is performed periodically or as needed. The polishing process is performed, for example, depending on the amount of release agent A deposited on the surface 30a of the belt 30. The polishing process is also performed, for example, depending on the presence and degree of scratches on the surface of the rough-drawn wire 9. The amount of release agent A deposited is confirmed, for example, by visual inspection or by a film thickness gauge. The presence and degree of scratches on the surface of the rough-drawn wire 9 are confirmed, for example, by a flaw detector.

[0073] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from its essence. For example, there is an embodiment in which a plurality of polishing members 72 are provided on the polishing section 70. More specifically, there is an embodiment in which a plurality of polishing members 72 arranged along the width direction of the belt 30 are provided on the polishing section 70. In this case, the positions of each polishing member 72 may differ from each other in the direction in which the belt 30 travels. Furthermore, the force (pressing force) that presses each polishing member 72 against the release agent A may be individually adjustable. In the embodiment in which a plurality of polishing members 72 are provided on the polishing section 70, the sum of the widths of each polishing member 72 corresponds to the width W3 shown in Figure 4.

[0074] The width W1 of the groove 21, the width W2 of the belt 30, and the width W3 of the polishing member 72 can be changed as appropriate. In addition, the width W4 of the release agent A changes in accordance with the change in the width W1 of the groove 21.

[0075] Belt 30 can be replaced with a steel belt. For example, belt 30 can be replaced with another belt made of cold-rolled steel sheet (SPCC / Steel Plate Cold Commercial).

[0076] However, while SUS belts have the advantage of being less prone to expansion due to thermal shock compared to steel belts, they also have the disadvantage of being easily scratched during polishing. Therefore, the present invention, which allows for uniform polishing of the release agent without damaging the belt, is particularly useful when applied to casting equipment equipped with SUS belts, or to equipment or methods for manufacturing rough-drawn wire using such equipment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 1...Manufacturing equipment, 2...Melting furnace, 3...Casting equipment, 4...Rolling mill, 5...Winding equipment, 6...Molten metal, 7...Casting material, 8...Rolled material, 9...Roughly drawn wire, 10...Feeding unit, 11...Tundish, 12...Pouring nozzle, 20...Mold wheel, 21...Groove, 21a...Surface, 22...Outer surface, 23...Casting space, 30...Belt, 30a...Surface, 40...Guide roller, 50...Tension wheel, 51...F Lunge section, 60, 61, 62... Coating section, 70... Polishing section, 71... Base, 72... Polishing member, 73... Pressing mechanism, 74... Frame, 74a... Guide groove, 75... Holding member, 76... Connecting section, 77... Holding section, 78... Connecting rod, 80... Pneumatic actuator, 81... Air cylinder, 82... Cylinder rod, 83... Mounting section, 84... Connector, A... Release agent, W1, W2, W3, W4... Width

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a rough-drawn wire, comprising a casting step of solidifying molten metal to continuously produce rod-shaped cast materials, and a rolling step of continuously rolling the cast materials, The casting process includes a supply process of supplying the molten metal to a casting space formed by a mold wheel having grooves on its outer circumference and a belt that rotates while in contact with a part of the outer surface of the mold wheel. A coating step of applying a release agent to the surface of the belt, The process includes a polishing step of polishing off the mold release agent deposited on the surface of the belt, In the polishing step, a polishing member made of a fibrous material containing an abrasive, having a width greater than or equal to the width of the groove and less than the width of the belt, is pressed against the release agent deposited on the surface of the circulating belt while rotating. A method for manufacturing rough-drawn wire.

2. In the polishing step, the polishing member is pressed against the release agent with the maximum pressing force within the range in which the rotation of the polishing member does not stop. A method for manufacturing a rough-drawn wire according to claim 1.

3. A rough wire manufacturing apparatus comprising a casting apparatus for solidifying molten metal to continuously produce rod-shaped casting material, and a rolling apparatus for continuously rolling the casting material fed out from the casting apparatus, The casting apparatus described above is A mold wheel with grooves on its outer circumference, A belt that rotates while contacting a part of the outer surface of the mold wheel, A supply unit that supplies the molten metal to the casting space formed by the belt and the groove blocked by the belt, The surface of the belt includes an application section for applying a release agent, The device comprises a polishing section for polishing the release agent deposited on the surface of the circulating belt, The polishing section includes a polishing member and a pressing mechanism that presses the polishing member against the release agent deposited on the surface of the belt, The abrasive member is made of a fibrous material that has a width greater than or equal to the width of the groove and less than the width of the belt, and contains an abrasive. A machine for manufacturing rough-drawn wire.

4. A mold wheel having grooves on its outer circumference, A belt that rotates while contacting a part of the outer surface of the mold wheel, A supply unit that supplies molten metal to the casting space formed by the belt and the groove blocked by the belt, The surface of the belt includes an application section for applying a release agent, The device comprises a polishing section for polishing the release agent deposited on the surface of the circulating belt, The polishing section includes a polishing member and a pressing mechanism that presses the polishing member against the release agent deposited on the surface of the belt, The abrasive member is made of a fibrous material that has a width greater than or equal to the width of the groove and less than the width of the belt, and contains an abrasive. Casting apparatus.

5. A mold wheel having grooves on its outer circumference, A belt that rotates while contacting a part of the outer surface of the mold wheel, A supply unit that supplies molten metal to the casting space formed by the belt and the groove blocked by the belt, The surface of the belt includes an application section for applying a release agent, The system comprises a polishing unit for polishing the release agent deposited on the surface of the circulating belt, and a tension wheel for applying tension to the belt, The polishing section includes a polishing member and a pressing mechanism that presses the polishing member against the release agent deposited on the surface of the belt as the belt passes through the tension wheel. The abrasive member has a width greater than or equal to the width of the groove and less than the width of the belt. Casting apparatus.

6. The pressing mechanism comprises a pneumatic actuator capable of moving the abrasive member in a direction approaching the surface of the belt and in a direction away from the surface of the belt, By increasing or decreasing the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the pneumatic actuator, the force pressing the abrasive member against the release agent can be adjusted. The casting apparatus according to claim 4.

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