Separable Roll Line Assembly for Continuous Casting

Solution Overview

Problem

Continuous casting machines face challenges in maintaining roll line assemblies due to high temperatures and corrosive environments, leading to frequent replacements and high remanufacturing costs, as existing solutions fail to effectively manage wear and damage without requiring complete assembly unit replacement.

Innovation Solution

A roll line assembly design featuring separable shafts and mantles with releasable connections, allowing for individual component replacement and reuse, reducing remanufacturing costs by enabling the replacement of only damaged parts rather than entire assembly units.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the complete block of roll line assemblies is replaced during maintenance, then the damaged roll line assemblies are restored, but the continuous casting process experiences lengthy interruption and high remanufacturing costs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice life of roll line assembliesVSAvoiddowntime during maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The roll line assembly is divided into separable components: shafts, mantles, and bearings. This segmentation allows individual components to be replaced independently rather than replacing the entire assembly, thereby reducing maintenance downtime and costs while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Damaged components such as mantles or shafts are discarded and replaced with new or remanufactured parts, while functional components are recovered and reused. This approach reduces remanufacturing costs and maintenance time compared to replacing complete assemblies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Reliability

If the complete block of roll line assemblies is replaced during maintenance, then the damaged roll line assemblies are restored, but remanufacturing costs increase due to replacement of entire blocks including undamaged components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice life of roll line assembliesVSAvoidmaterial costs for remanufacturing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The roll line assembly is divided into separable components: shafts, mantles, and bearings. This segmentation allows individual components to be replaced independently rather than replacing the entire assembly, thereby reducing remanufacturing costs while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Damaged components such as mantles or shafts are discarded and replaced with new or remanufactured parts, while functional components are recovered and reused. This approach reduces remanufacturing costs and maintenance time compared to replacing complete assemblies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Duration of action of stationary object

If internal components like shaft and bearings are protected from hot temperature, then their service life is extended, but the design complexity increases due to sealing arrangements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice life of internal componentsVSAvoidsealing arrangement complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The roll line assembly is divided into separable components: shafts, mantles, and bearings. This segmentation allows individual components to be replaced independently rather than replacing the entire assembly, thereby reducing maintenance downtime and costs while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Damaged components such as mantles or shafts are discarded and replaced with new or remanufactured parts, while functional components are recovered and reused. This approach reduces remanufacturing costs and maintenance time compared to replacing complete assemblies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentEP3041620B1Roll line assembly for continuous casting

Publication Date: 2019.11.06 AB SKF SKF PATENT DEPARTMENT

Figure 1
Figure 2

AI summary

The present invention relates to a roll line assembly (1) for supporting and transporting hot material in a continuous caster, comprising a first assembly unit (10) and a second assembly unit (10'); the first assembly unit (10) comprising: a rotatable first shaft (20) having a first end region (21) and a second end region (22) along the first longitudinal axis (A), a first roll mantle (30) enclosing the rotatable first shaft (20) around a circumferential direction, a first bearing (40) and a second bearing (41) for allowing rotation of the first roll mantel (30) and the rotatable first shaft (20) about the first lonitudinal axis (A), wherein the first bearing (40) is arranged on the first end region (21) and the second bearing (41) is arranged on the second end region (22). The second assembly unit (10') is constructed in a analogous way, wherein the rotatable first shaft (20) is configured to be releasably connected to the rotatable second shaft (20') such that the rotatable first shaft (20) and the rotatable second shaft (20') can be maintained in longitudinal axial alignment during rotation of the roll line assembly (1), whereby the first assembly unit (10) is operatively engaged with the second assembly unit (10').