Method and device for producing metal strips and / or metal fibres

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibres, comprising at least one production chamber (2), at least one storage container (3) for the metal to be processed, at least one nozzle (4), at least one movable, preferably rotatable face (5), and at least one collecting device (6). It is essential that means are provided for filling the storage container (3) for the metal to be processed during operation, and that means are provided for removing the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibres from the collecting device (6) during operation. The invention further relates to a corresponding method for producing metal strips and / or metal fibres and to an alternative method comprising monitoring the fill level of the molten metal and / or monitoring the temperature of the molten metal and / or monitoring the temperature distribution of the molten metal in the storage container (3) and / or measuring the distance between the nozzle opening (4) and the surface of the movable face (5a).

Description

[0001] title

[0002] Method and device for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers

[0003] Description

[0004] The invention relates to a device for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a method for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to the preamble of claim 13.

[0005] A well-known process for producing metal ribbons and / or metal fibers is melt spinning. Melt spinning is a metalworking technique in which molten metal impacts a moving surface, causing the metal to expand and solidify.

[0006] Typically, the molten metal is deposited onto a rotating roller or plate, which is then cooled. The process is usually carried out in a vacuum or under process gas.

[0007] Various melt-spinning processes are known from the prior art. For example, one such process is described in WO 2020 / 229400 A1.

[0008] Typically, in melt spinning, the metal is first melted in a reservoir (also called a crucible). The molten metal is typically directed from a nozzle at the bottom of the reservoir as a jet of molten metal onto a rotating surface, such as a rotating cylinder or rotating plate. Once the molten metal touches the rotating surface, it is entrained by the rotation and simultaneously cooled by contact with the surface.

[0009] This causes metal bands or metal fibers to form and the molten metal to solidify.

[0010] Common melt-spinning systems are room-sized plants that require considerable effort to create and maintain a vacuum in the production chamber. To fill the crucible with the metal to be melted and to remove the finished metal ribbons or fibers, the entire system is typically shut down, and the process conditions must be recreated accordingly for continued operation.

[0011] The invention is therefore based on the object of optimising the system with regard to its operating possibilities.

[0012] This object is achieved by a device for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the device according to the invention can be found in claims 2 to 5, 7, 8 and 10 to 12. Alternative embodiments of the device according to the invention can be found in claims 6 and 9 as well as advantageous embodiments in the dependent claims. The object of the invention is further achieved by a method for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to claim 13 or 15. Advantageous embodiments of the methods according to the invention can be found in claims 14 and 16 to 19. The wording of all claims is hereby explicitly incorporated into the description by reference.

[0013] The device according to the invention for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers comprises, as known per se, at least one production chamber, preferably a vacuum chamber, at least one storage container for the metal to be processed, at least one nozzle, at least one movable, preferably rotatable surface, and at least one collecting device. At least the nozzle and the movable surface are arranged in the production chamber. The nozzle is designed such that the molten metal is ejected from the storage container by means of the nozzle and deposited onto a surface of the movable surface. The movable surface is designed to entrain and cool the molten metal in a plane of the surface, so that solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers form from the molten metal.

[0014] The movable surface is designed to detach the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers from the surface by moving the movable surface. The at least one collecting device is designed to collect the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers. It is essential that means are provided for filling the storage container for the metal to be processed during ongoing operation, and that means are provided for removing the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers from the collecting device during ongoing operation. The means for filling the storage container for the metal to be processed during ongoing operation and the means for removing the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers from the collecting device during ongoing operation are designed such that the vacuum and / or the process conditions in the production chamber are maintained.

[0015] The object of the invention is further achieved by a method according to claim 13.

[0016] The method according to the invention for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers is carried out, as is known per se, by means of a device with at least one storage container for the metal to be processed, at least one nozzle, at least one movable surface and at least one collecting device, the method comprising the following method steps:

[0017] A depositing molten metal from the reservoir onto a surface of the movable surface by means of the nozzle;

[0018] B Carrying the molten metal along a surface of the movable surface so that metal ribbons and / or metal fibres are formed from the molten metal;

[0019] C Cooling of the metal strips and / or metal fibers;

[0020] D Collecting the metal strips and / or metal fibers using the collecting device.

[0021] It is essential that the metal to be processed is filled into the storage container during ongoing operation and that the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers are removed from the collecting device during ongoing operation. The method according to the invention is preferably carried out using the device according to the invention described above or preferably a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention. This results in the advantage that interruptions to the melt spinning process are eliminated due to the material addition during ongoing operation. The vacuum and / or the process conditions in the production chamber remain constant. The device does not cool down due to an interruption in the process and therefore does not need to be reheated for continued operation.This saves time and energy and increases the efficiency of the device, as there is no time required for cooling and heating the storage container and for creating and adjusting the process conditions in the production chamber.

[0022] Furthermore, the continuous addition of metal allows the dimensions of the storage container to be significantly reduced. This reduction in size not only reduces the material required to manufacture the storage container, but also significantly reduces energy loss, primarily due to heat radiation during operation of the device. In particular, the reduction in heat radiation has further positive effects. Namely, the heating system for heating the metal in the storage container needs to be significantly less powerful. The cooling system for cooling the movable surface also needs to be significantly smaller, since the temperature in the production chamber is lower due to the reduction in heat radiation. Furthermore, the production chamber can be significantly reduced in size, as the aforementioned components arranged in the production chamber are smaller.Accordingly, smaller pumps and components can be used to generate the atmosphere inside the production chamber. This significantly reduces the space required and both production and operating costs of the device.

[0023] By providing means for removing the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers from the collecting device during ongoing operation, interruptions to operation for removing the metal strips and / or metal fibers are eliminated. As described above, this saves time and energy and increases the efficiency of the device, as the times for cooling and heating the device and for creating and adjusting the process conditions in the production chamber are eliminated. The collecting container can also be made smaller, which leads to material savings and further miniaturization of the connected components such as pumps and other parts. The invention is based on the applicant's finding that by providing means for filling and emptying both the storage container for the metal to be processed and the collecting device for the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers during ongoing operation,The appropriate filling and removal during ongoing operation not only avoids interruptions in operation, but these measures also enable the overall device to be optimized with regard to size, component performance requirements, energy loss and heat radiation.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device is designed with a pressure gradient between the interior of the storage container and the interior of the production chamber, in particular at an opening of the nozzle. Alternatively or additionally, the production chamber can be filled with an inert gas. A pressure lock is provided for filling the storage container, which keeps the pressure gradient between the storage container and the production chamber essentially constant during the filling process. This ensures that the filling process of the storage container can take place during ongoing operation, since the pressure gradient necessary for ongoing operation is maintained.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the storage container is designed in such a way, preferably with a seal, that the filling of the storage container with the metal to be processed takes place in such a way that metal with a known geometry, preferably in the form of a rod or a wire, is pushed through the seal into the storage container, wherein the seal seals off any irregularities in the geometry of the metal in a gas-tight manner against the external environment. The seal is preferably designed as a rubber seal or as a bore made of an at least partially elastic material. This results in the advantage that the storage container can be filled in a simple manner while the pressure in the storage container is maintained. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the storage container is designed as a two-chamber device, preferably as a multi-chamber device.Preferably, a first melting chamber is provided, particularly preferably with a heating device for melting the newly filled material, and a second nozzle chamber is operatively connected to the nozzle. The two-chamber device is preferably designed as a vacuum lock.

[0026] To fill the storage container, the melting chamber is sealed gas-tight from the nozzle chamber and opened to the outside environment. In this state, the material to be melted, for example in the form of granules in this case, can be added. After the filling process, the melting chamber is pre-closed and the same atmosphere and pressure are created in the melting chamber as in the nozzle chamber. Preferably, the material to be melted is pre-melted in the melting chamber and heated to the same temperature as the metal in the nozzle chamber. This has the advantage that the feeding of granular material is also possible. Furthermore, it is advantageous to first heat the newly fed metal as described. This has the advantage that the temperature of the molten material in the nozzle chamber remains stable.Another advantage is that any slag or contaminants can be separated during melting in the melting chamber, preventing them from entering the nozzle chamber. Therefore, these contaminants cannot clog the nozzle or reduce the quality of the metal strips and / or metal fibers.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the collecting device is designed as a two-chamber device, preferably as a multi-chamber device. This results in the advantage that the process pressure in the production chamber is easily maintained while the produced metal strips and / or metal fibers are removed. The collecting device is preferably designed as a two-chamber device with a collecting chamber and a removal chamber. The collecting chamber is open to the production chamber and thus has the same process conditions. The removal chamber is designed as a pressure lock. To remove the metal strips and / or metal fibers, the removal chamber is closed off from the environment and brought to the same process conditions as the collecting chamber. The connection between the collecting chamber and the removal chamber is then opened so that the metal strips and / or metal fibers fall into the removal chamber.After the connection between the collection chamber and the removal chamber has been closed gas-tight again, the metal strips and / or metal fibers can be removed from the removal chamber.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in particular according to the preamble of claim 1, the device comprises a camera. The camera preferably comprises a measuring unit and / or is designed to cooperate with a measuring unit. The measuring unit is configured to monitor the fill level of the storage container and / or to create a temperature profile of the storage container, in particular of the molten metal in the storage container, and / or to determine the distance between the nozzle opening and the surface of the movable surface. Storage containers or crucibles of melt-spinning devices are usually designed as sintered ceramics. Such sintered ceramics, if they have small wall thicknesses, are diffusely transparent. This creates a shadow image in transmitted light, from which the fill level of the crucible and / or the distance between the nozzle opening and the surface of the movable surface is determined with the aid of image processing algorithms.It is therefore possible to monitor the fill level inside the storage container with the camera by means of transmitted light illumination of the crucible. This offers the advantage of simple, non-invasive fill level monitoring without the need for additional sensors.

[0029] For continuous operation of the device, it is advantageous to record the temperature of the crucible, the temperature of the molten metal, and / or the temperature distribution within the crucible. The camera is therefore preferably designed to measure the crucible's intrinsic luminosity and use this to determine the temperature of the crucible and / or the molten metal in the crucible. The radiation spectrum of the crucible is preferably calculated based on the material parameters and offset against the spectrally dependent sensitivity of the camera. This results in the absolute temperature of the crucible as a function of the recorded intensity of the camera.

[0030] This is preferably done in multiple color channels using a color camera or monochromatically. In an alternative embodiment, the camera's intensity is calibrated using a separate temperature measurement. Preferably, each gray value is assigned a temperature.

[0031] Temperature monitoring is preferably carried out zone by zone. This offers the advantage that the temperature profile allows for optimal control of the heating output. This is particularly advantageous when multiple heating zones are provided on the storage tank.

[0032] The advantage of level monitoring is that neither too much metal accumulates in the crucible nor there is too little molten metal in the crucible, which results in the process having to be interrupted or slag being extruded.

[0033] The use of the camera essentially offers the advantage of enabling automated monitoring, which can be carried out independently of a human operator on site, for example even remotely.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in particular according to the preamble of claim 1, alternatively or additionally means are provided for monitoring the fill level of the storage container, in particular of the nozzle chamber in the form of means for measuring the electrical resistance of the molten metal in the storage container and / or means for measuring the capacitance.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in particular according to the preamble of claim 1, the device additionally or alternatively comprises a temperature control device for the storage container, which is designed as a heating resistor. The temperature control device is preferably designed with a control between the heating resistor and a temperature measuring unit. The control is achieved by modulating the current (and the voltage) in combination with a heating resistor and a controller. Inductive heating of crucibles for melt-spinning devices is known in the art. Since heating of the heating device itself is minimized with inductive heating, this has the advantage that the time required to heat the entire device to a process temperature is shortened. However, this advantage is not crucial in the continuous process according to the invention.However, with an inductive heating device, geometric limitations and restrictions in the material selection for the device due to stray fields must be accepted. Furthermore, the temperature distribution within the crucible is highly inhomogeneous due to the highly fluctuating coupling efficiency of the metal to be melted to the inductive alternating field of an inductive heater. With such highly fluctuating temperature distribution within the crucible, it is usually impossible to achieve satisfactory quality of the metal ribbons and / or metal fibers in a crucible with multiple nozzle openings. These disadvantages are overcome by using a heating resistor as a direct heater. The heating resistor can be precisely controlled by simply regulating the voltage in direct current, or via the effective voltage, a wave packet, or phase control.In contrast to inductive heating, no significant stray fields are generated, so conductive materials can also be used in the immediate vicinity.

[0036] Another advantage is that the heating resistor can be installed within the storage tank's insulation. The storage tank is preferably provided with insulation, e.g., in the form of well-known multi-layer insulation (MLI) or in the form of rock wool such as Rockwool™, calcium silicate, or porous Al2O3 ceramic. Multi-layer insulation cannot be used with inductive heating. The choice of insulation material for induction heating is limited to non-coupling materials.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device comprises at least two nozzles, preferably a plurality of nozzles. This embodiment of the invention is particularly advantageous in combination with the heating resistor described above. By using the heating resistor, a homogeneous temperature distribution of the molten metal in the crucible can be achieved, so that the use of multiple nozzles is advantageous and can also ensure that a consistent quality of the metal strips and / or metal fibers is achieved with all nozzles. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in particular according to the preamble of claim 1, the device is designed with a closed cooling circuit, preferably with water-air cooling.Due to the disadvantages mentioned above, known melt-spinning devices require an external cooling water unit. This is because large amounts of heat are generated that cannot be dissipated directly at the device by water-air cooling. This results in significant disadvantages, such as the corresponding building equipment and dimensioning when installing a large number of melt-spinning devices in a production hall. Air bubbles in the system of such external cooling water units are also problematic. Typically, these external cooling water units are designed as a shared cooling water circuit for several melt-spinning devices. In the event of contamination, this represents a major risk because, for example, impurities due to machine faults and operating errors are shared among all connected melt-spinning devices.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in particular according to the preamble of claim 1, the production chamber and / or the storage container are designed to match the process speed. Preferably, the production chamber and / or the storage container are designed without dead space. Known melt-spinning devices are large, heavy, and costly both to manufacture and to operate. Evacuating the production chamber takes a very long time, and heating the crucible takes a long time. With prior art melt-spinning devices, this is necessary every time the process is interrupted, particularly for filling it with metal to be melted. The previous strategy for increasing the production of prior art melt-spinning devices was to continually expand their size.The present invention has shown that this strategy is not effective, since the bottleneck in production, the nozzle, cannot grow with the previously known design to increase production. This results, at best, in a reduction in downtime. The process itself is still exactly the same speed, regardless of the size of the system. Therefore, it is actually advantageous to miniaturize the components of the device as much as possible. Above all, a reduction in the size of the production chamber and the crucible is advantageous, especially by generally avoiding dead space. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least the following components are arranged in the production chamber:

[0039] Crucible, plate, collecting device

[0040] The production chamber preferably has the following dimensions:

[0041] The volume of the production chamber is preferably less than 100 l, particularly preferably less than 40 l.

[0042] Example dimensions for the production chamber are preferably: width less than 30 cm, height less than 30 cm, and depth less than 50 cm. In the case of a toroidal chamber, the diameter is preferably less than 500 mm and the height is preferably less than 400 mm.

[0043] An alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention, in particular according to the preamble of claim 13, for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers comprises the following method steps:

[0044] A depositing molten metal from the reservoir onto a surface of the movable surface by means of the nozzle;

[0045] B Carrying the molten metal along a surface of the movable surface so that metal ribbons and / or metal fibres are formed from the molten metal;

[0046] C Cooling of the metal strips and / or metal fibers;

[0047] D Collecting the metal strips and / or metal fibers using the collecting device.

[0048] It is essential that a camera is used to monitor the fill level of the molten metal and / or the temperature of the molten metal and the temperature distribution of the molten metal in the storage container and / or to monitor, in particular to measure the distance, the distance between the nozzle opening and the surface of the movable surface. Preferably, distance adjustment means are provided to correct the distance between the nozzle opening and the surface of the movable surface, preferably by moving the nozzle and / or the movable surface, particularly preferably in the form of actuators.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in particular according to the preamble of claim 13, a distance measurement of the distance between the at least one nozzle opening and the surface of the movable surface is carried out by means of a camera. The optical monitoring of the crucible and / or the nozzle by means of a camera enables a simple measurement of the distance between the nozzle opening and the surface of the movable surface, since the backlit illumination creates a good contrast between the crucible and / or nozzle and the moving surface. The gap between the nozzle opening and the surface of the movable surface appears bright compared to the surface and the nozzle opening, which each absorb and scatter light accordingly. This gap is preferably measured by image processing. Any deviation from the target value is passed on to an actuator for the distance adjustment by outputting a correction value.

[0050] This offers the advantage that the operation of the device can be automated, as the distance between the nozzle opening and the surface of the movable surface is monitored by sensors and can be adjusted automatically. This reduces the risk of collision between the nozzle opening and the surface of the movable surface. Furthermore, the homogeneity and thus the quality of the metal strips and / or metal fibers is improved.

[0051] In an alternative or preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, in particular according to the preamble of claim 13, the deposition of the molten metal from the storage container onto the surface of the movable surface in method step A is alternatively or additionally monitored by means of a camera. Preferably, a pressure inside the storage container is regulated based on the information from the monitoring of the deposition of the molten metal from the storage container onto the surface of the movable surface. This makes it possible to monitor whether sufficient molten metal is being deposited onto the surface of the movable surface and / or whether the molten metal has the appropriate consistency and / or whether the movable surface is moving at the appropriate speed and orientation.

[0052] Depending on the desired result, these parameters can be adjusted and, particularly preferably, based on the information from monitoring the deposition of the molten metal, the pressure inside the storage container, the speed of movement of the movable surface, the temperature of the molten metal, the point of impact of the molten metal on the movable surface, impurities of the movable surface, controlled deposition of the molten metal and / or the inclination of the movable surface can be controlled.

[0053] Further preferred features and embodiments of the device according to the invention and the method according to the invention are explained below with reference to embodiments and the figures.

[0054] It shows:

[0055] Figure 1 A first embodiment of a device according to the invention;

[0056] Figure 2 shows a section of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention with means for filling the storage container;

[0057] Figure 3 A third embodiment of a device according to the invention with a two-chamber device as a storage container;

[0058] Figure 4 A fourth embodiment of a device according to the invention with a camera;

[0059] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the device 1 according to the invention. The device 1 comprises a production chamber 2, a storage container 3 for the metal to be processed, with at least one nozzle 4, a movable, present rotatable surface 5 and a collecting device 6. The storage container 3, in this case designed as a crucible, the nozzle 4, the rotatable surface 5 and the collecting device 6 are at least partially arranged in the production chamber 2. The production chamber 2 is evacuated. The rotatable surface 5 is in this case designed as a rotatable plate and has a surface 5a. The diameter of the plate is 8 cm in this case. For example, the surface of the plate is made of copper when aluminum is being processed or of molybdenum when copper is being processed.

[0060] To melt the metal, in this case copper, a heating wire 9 is provided, which is located at the bottom of the crucible. The temperature of the molten metal is 1150 °C for copper.

[0061] The nozzle 4 is arranged and designed to deposit molten metal from the storage container 3 onto the surface 5a of the plate 5. In this case, the width of an opening in the nozzle from which the molten material emerges is 100 pm. The plate rotates and is designed to entrain and cool the molten metal in a plane of the surface 5a. The rotational speed in this case is 150 Hz. The surface speed of the rotatable surface 5 at the outer edge is in the range between 10 and 100 m / s, in this case 30 m / s. Solidified metal bands and / or metal fibers form from the molten metal. The actual geometric design of the metal bands and / or metal fibers depends on the metal, the temperature and thus the viscosity of the melt, the speed of the surface 5a, and the temperature of the surface 5a.In the present case, the movable surface 5 and in particular the surface 5a is cooled by means of a liquid cooling system.

[0062] The at least one collecting device 6 is designed to collect the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers. Due to the speed of over 100 km / h, the metal fibers automatically fly toward a baffle plate 6d of the collecting device 6. An angle can be adjusted via the movable storage container.

[0063] The collecting device is designed as a two-chamber device with a collecting chamber 6a and a removal chamber 6b. The metal strips and / or metal fibers fall into a first collecting chamber 6a of the collecting device 6. This first collecting chamber 6a is open to the production chamber 2 and thus has the same process conditions. To remove the metal strips and / or metal fibers, the removal chamber 6b is closed off from the environment and brought to the same process conditions as the collecting chamber 6a. In this case, this concerns the gas composition inside the chamber and the prevailing pressure. In this case, the pressure in the production chamber is < 1 mbar, preferably < 0.1 mbar. The production chamber is filled with argon.

[0064] Then, a lock 6c between the collection chamber 6a and the removal chamber 6b is opened, and the metal strips and / or metal fibers fall into the removal chamber 6b. The lock 6c is closed, maintaining the conditions in the production chamber 2 and the collection chamber 6a. The removal chamber 6b can then be opened, and the metal strips and / or metal fibers can be removed.

[0065] Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the invention during the filling of the storage container 3 with the metal to be processed. The following will only discuss the differences between the figures. The same reference numerals denote the same or equivalent elements.

[0066] The storage container 3 is filled by pushing the metal with a known geometry, in this case in the form of a metal rod 7, through a pressure lock, in this case a cylindrical bore in an elastic material, namely polytetrafluoroethylene, into the crucible 3. The metal rod is melted in the crucible 3.

[0067] Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention with a two-chamber device as storage container 3. The storage container 3 consists in the present case of the nozzle chamber (crucible) 3a and melting chamber 3b.

[0068] To fill the storage container during operation, the melting chamber 3b is closed off from the crucible 3a so that the pressure in the crucible 3a remains unchanged. The melting chamber 3b can now be opened to the atmosphere and filled with the metal to be melted. The melting chamber 3b is then closed off, and the same conditions are created in the melting chamber 3b as in the crucible 3a, particularly with regard to pressure and gas composition. The metal to be melted is then heated in the melting chamber 3b until it has the same temperature as the molten metal in the crucible 3a. This step is optional. Finally, the lock between the melting chamber 3b and the crucible 3a is opened so that the metal can flow from the melting chamber 3b into the crucible 3a. The advantage of the system described in Figure 3 over the system described in Figure 2 is that the material geometry of the metal to be melted is not relevant.

[0069] Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention with a camera. In this case, the camera is designed to interact with a measuring unit and a light source. The camera 10 and the light source 11 are arranged on opposite sides of the crucible 3a. The camera 10 and the light source 11 are arranged on opposite sides of the crucible 3a in such a way that both a fill level monitor of the molten metal in the crucible 3a and a distance monitor between the nozzle 4 and the movable surface 5a are located in the field of view of the camera. This creates a shadow image in transmitted light, from which both the fill level of the crucible 3a and the distance between the nozzle 4 and the movable surface 5a are determined.

[0070] List of reference symbols

[0071] device

[0072] Production chamber

[0073] Storage container / crucible a Nozzle chamber / crucible b Melting chamber

[0074] nozzle

[0075] Movable surface a surface

[0076] Collection device a Collection chamber b Removal chamber c Lock

[0077] Meta II Bar

[0078] Heating wire 0 Camera 1 Light source

Claims

Claims 1. Device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers, comprising at least one production chamber (2), at least one storage container (3) for the metal to be processed, at least one nozzle (4), at least one movable, preferably rotatable, surface (5), and at least one collecting device (6), wherein at least the nozzle (4) and the movable surface (5) are arranged in the production chamber (2), and the nozzle (4) is designed to deposit molten metal from the storage container (3) onto a surface (5a) of the movable surface (5), and the movable surface (5) is designed to entrain and cool the molten metal in a plane of the surface, so that solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers are formed from the molten metal, and the movable surface (5) is designed,to detach the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers from the surface by moving the movable surface (5) and the at least one collecting device (6) is designed to collect the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers, characterized in that means are provided to fill the storage container (3) for the metal to be processed during operation and that means are provided to remove the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers from the collecting device (6) during operation.

2. Device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to claim 1, characterized in that a pressure gradient prevails between the interior of the storage container (3) and the interior of the production chamber (2) at an opening of the nozzle (4), and that a pressure lock (6c) is provided for filling the storage container (3), which keeps the pressure gradient substantially constant during the filling process.

3. Device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the storage container (3) is designed as a two-chamber device, preferably as a multi-chamber device, particularly preferably that a first melting chamber (3b) with a tempering device for melting the newly filled material and a second nozzle chamber (3a) in operative connection with the nozzle is provided.

4. Device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the collecting device (6) is designed as a two-chamber device, preferably as a multi-chamber device.

5. Device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) comprises a camera (10), preferably that the camera (10) comprises a measuring unit which is designed to monitor the fill level of the storage container (3), in particular of the nozzle chamber (3a) and / or to determine the distance between the nozzle opening and the surface of the movable surface (5a).

6. Device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized in that the device comprises a camera (10), preferably that the camera (10) comprises a measuring unit which is designed to monitor the fill level of the storage container (3), in particular of the nozzle chamber (3a) and / or to determine the distance between the nozzle opening (4) and the surface of the movable surface (5a).

7. Device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a means for monitoring the fill level of the storage container (3), in particular of the nozzle chamber (3a), is provided, preferably means for measuring the electrical resistance of the molten metal in the storage container (3) and / or means for measuring the capacitance of the molten metal in the storage container (3).

8. Device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device comprises a tempering device which is designed as a heating resistor, preferably with a control between the heating resistor and a temperature measuring unit.

9. Device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized in that the device comprises a temperature regulating device which is designed as a heating resistor.

10. Device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) has at least two nozzles (4), preferably a plurality of nozzles (4).

11. Device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device has a closed cooling circuit, preferably a water-air cooling system.

12. Device (1) for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the production chamber (2) and / or the storage container (3) is designed to be adapted to the process speed, preferably without dead space.

13. A method for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers by means of a device (1) with at least one storage container (3) for the metal to be processed, at least one nozzle (4), at least one movable surface (5) and at least one collecting device (6), the method comprising the following method steps: A depositing molten metal from the storage container (3) onto a surface (5a) of the movable surface (5) by means of the nozzle (4); B entraining the molten metal through a surface (5a) of the movable surface (5) so that metal bands and / or metal fibers are formed from the molten metal; C Cooling of the metal strips and / or metal fibers; D Collecting the metal strips and / or metal fibers by means of the collecting device (6), characterized in that the metal to be processed is filled into the storage container (3) during operation and that the solidified metal strips and / or metal fibers are removed from the collecting device (6) during operation.

14. A method for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to claim 13, characterized in that the fill level of the molten metal and / or the temperature of the molten metal and / or the temperature distribution of the molten metal in the storage container (3) is monitored by means of a camera (10).

15. Process for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to the Preamble of claim 13, characterized in that a camera (10) is used to monitor the fill level of the molten metal and / or to monitor the temperature of the molten metal and / or to monitor the temperature distribution of the molten metal in the storage container.

16. A method for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a distance measurement of the distance between the nozzle opening (4) and the surface of the movable surface (5a) is carried out by means of a camera (10), preferably that a control of the distance between the nozzle opening (4) and the surface of the movable surface (5a) is carried out.

17. A method for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to the preamble of claim 13, characterized in that a distance measurement of the distance between the nozzle opening (4) and the surface of the movable surface (5a) is carried out by means of a camera (10), preferably that a control of the distance between the nozzle opening (4) and the surface of the movable surface (5a) is carried out.

18. A method for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a camera (10) is used to monitor the deposition of the molten metal from the storage container (3) onto the surface of the movable surface (5a) in method step A, preferably that a control of a pressure inside the storage container (3) is carried out on the basis of the information from the monitoring of the Deposition of the molten metal from the storage container (3) onto the surface of the movable surface (5a) in process step A.

19. A method for producing metal strips and / or metal fibers according to the preamble of claim 13, characterized in that the deposition of the molten metal from the storage container (3) onto the surface of the movable surface (5a) is monitored by means of a camera (10) in method step A, preferably that a pressure in the interior of the storage container (3) is regulated on the basis of the information from the monitoring of the deposition of the molten metal from the storage container (3) onto the surface of the movable surface (5a) in method step A.

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