Casting and Rolling System with Free-Driven Strand Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Casting-rolling systems for small annual productions face challenges in producing high-quality metal strips with low investment and operating costs, as existing systems are designed for larger production volumes and are inefficient in terms of energy usage and equipment size.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a strand guide with free-driven rollers, a compact connection system that preheats the strand to a high temperature, and a short furnace, along with a cold strand discharge unit and inductive heating, to minimize energy requirements and reduce heating needs during normal operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional CSP plant is used for small annual production, then production volume is insufficient, but investment costs and operating costs increase due to oversized equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The plant is divided into modular components: a compact casting machine with mold, a minimized strand guide with roller segments, a shortened furnace, and a rolling mill. Each module is sized appropriately for small production volumes (less than 800,000 tons per year), allowing the system to avoid the oversized equipment inherent in conventional CSP plants designed for million-ton capacities.
2Manufacturing precision
If the furnace is used for heating the strand during normal casting operations, then metal strip quality is maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The strand guide with its roller segments and the connection system between the casting machine and rolling mill are designed to maintain strand temperature during normal casting operations. The strand arrives at the furnace inlet with sufficiently high average temperature, so the furnace no longer needs to heat the strand during routine operations, eliminating unnecessary energy consumption while preserving metal strip quality.
3Temperature
If the furnace length is increased to ensure adequate heating, then strand temperature is sufficient, but investment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system and strand guide are designed to minimize heat loss and maintain strand temperature as it travels from the casting machine to the furnace. This preliminary temperature maintenance allows the furnace to be significantly shortened (less than 100 m) while still achieving sufficient strand temperature for rolling, thereby reducing investment costs without compromising thermal requirements.
4Reliability
If driven rollers are used in the strand guide, then strand transport is more reliable, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The strand guide incorporates one or two roller segments that are free of drive mechanisms. These rollers rely on the momentum and temperature of the strand itself, along with gravitational and thermal forces, to transport the cast strand through the guide. This self-service approach eliminates the need for additional driven rollers, reducing energy consumption while maintaining adequate transport reliability for small production volumes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for the production of high-quality metal strips with reduced investment and operating costs by optimizing energy usage and equipment design, specifically by maintaining a high strand temperature for efficient rolling and minimizing heating needs.
Implementation Method 1
The furnace is preferably shorter than 100 m. According to one embodiment, the furnace has at least one inductive heating element.
Implementation Method 2
a strand guide downstream of the mold in the conveying direction for redirecting the cast strand from the vertical to the horizontal
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a casting and rolling system (1) for producing metal strips (2), wherein the metal strip (2) passes through the casting and rolling system (1) in a conveying direction (F), comprising: a casting machine (3) comprising a permanent mold having vertical output for generating a cast strand, and a strand guide (4) connected downstream of the permanent mold in the conveying direction (F) for redirecting the cast strand from the vertical to the horizontal, a connection system (5) located downstream of the strand guide (4) in the conveying direction (F), which comprises at least one straightening driver unit (6) for pulling the cast strand from the strand guide (4), and a furnace (7) for heating the cast strand, and a rolling mill (8) that is located downstream of the connection system (5) in the conveying direction (F) for rolling the cast strand into a metal strip (2). In order to be able to produce high-quality metal strips at low investment and operating costs, the strand guide (4) according to the invention has a single or two roller segments, wherein the rollers thereof provided for strand guidance are free of a drive. The invention further relates to a method for operating such a casting and rolling system.