Continuous Rolling Slab Edge Cooling and Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing metallic strips by endless rolling face challenges in maintaining consistent temperature across the slab, particularly at the edges, leading to quality issues and increased energy consumption due to complex and expensive inductive heating solutions.
Innovation Solution
The method involves selectively applying a cooling medium through spray nozzles in the central area of the slab while insulating the edge area, with a compensating section to equalize temperature between the central and edge regions, and using thermal insulation to maintain the edge area at a higher temperature than the central area, thereby reducing temperature losses and improving slab quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If cooling medium is sprayed uniformly across the entire slab surface, then cooling efficiency is improved, but temperature loss at the edge area increases leading to quality deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling medium application is differentiated by location: the central area receives full cooling while the edge area receives reduced or no cooling. This local differentiation prevents excessive temperature loss at the edges while maintaining efficient cooling in the central region, thereby preserving slab quality without sacrificing overall cooling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The slab width is divided into distinct zones (central area and edge area) with different cooling requirements. Spray nozzles are selectively positioned and operated to apply cooling medium only to the central area, creating segmented cooling zones that address the different thermal needs of different slab regions.
2Manufacturing precision
If inductive heating is used to maintain edge temperature, then slab quality is improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying heating to maintain edge temperature as in conventional approaches, the invention inverts the approach by selectively reducing or eliminating cooling at the edge area. This prevents temperature loss at the edges without requiring additional heating equipment, thereby maintaining slab quality while avoiding the complexity and high energy consumption of inductive heating systems.
3Manufacturing precision
If casting speed is reduced for high-strength materials, then material quality is improved, but production productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling strategy is locally optimized for high-strength materials by reducing cooling at the edge area where temperature loss is most critical. This local modification allows the casting process to maintain higher speeds while still achieving the required material quality, as the edge area temperature is preserved without reducing overall casting productivity.
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 approach enhances the quality of the metallic strip by preventing edge cracking and improving the overall quality of high-strength and soft steel materials, while reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
the material of the slab being cooled in the area of the strand guide by spraying a cooling medium by means of a number of cooling devices
Implementation Method 2
spraying a cooling medium by means of a number of cooling devices, each cooling device having a number of spray nozzles
Implementation Method 3
only the edge area of the slab being protected against cooling by means of thermal insulation
Implementation Method 4
the slab between the casting machine and the rolling train to equalize the temperature between the central area of the slab and the edge area of the slab along an equalizing section
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
Figure 5
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a metal strip by continuous rolling, in which first a slab (1) is cast in a casting machine (2) and this cast is then rolled continuously in a rolling train (3) comprising at least one rolling stand, wherein the material of the slab (1) is cooled in the region of a strand guide (4) by spraying on a cooling medium (5) by means of a number of cooling devices (6), wherein each cooling device (6) has a number of spraying nozzles (7), which are arranged next to one another in a direction transverse (Q) to the conveying direction (F) and by means of which the cooling medium (5) is discharged onto the slab (1). To achieve a higher quality of the slab, and consequently of the strip, the invention provides that at least one of the cooling devices (6) is operated in such a way that cooling medium (5) is only discharged onto the slab (1) by means of a number of spraying nozzles (7) arranged in the middle region (M) of the slab (1), while the spraying nozzles (7) located in the edge region (K) of the slab (1) discharge no cooling medium (5) or only a reduced amount of cooling medium (5) onto the slab (1), wherein, in the region of the strand guide (4) and/or in the region between the strand guide (4) and the rolling train (3), preferably the edge region (K) of the slab (1) is protected from cooling by means of a thermal insulation (8) and/or the slab (1) is heated in its edge region (K) along an equalizing zone between the casting machine (2) and the rolling train (3). The invention also relates to a device for producing the strip.