Twin Roll Casting Machine Rotary Joints Counterweight Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing twin roll casting machines face issues with excessive thrust forces due to unbalanced 'rogue' forces and ferrostatic pressure, leading to irregularities in strip thickness and misalignment, which affect process control and product quality.
Innovation Solution
A twin roll casting machine design with rotary joints and biasing units that direct cooling water flow along the rotational axis of the rolls, reducing unbalanced forces and using counterweights to balance rotary joints, and applying upward forces to spindles and bearings to minimize load on casting rolls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If thrust forces are increased to counter ferrostatic pressure and rogue forces, then the casting rolls can maintain proper spacing, but unbalanced rogue forces cause misalignment and irregularities in strip thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies counterweights at the ends of the casting rolls to counterbalance the unbalanced rogue forces caused by non-uniform mass distribution. This counterweight mechanism reduces the net unbalanced force that would otherwise cause misalignment and thickness irregularities, allowing thrust forces to be optimized for maintaining proper roll spacing without compromising strip quality.
2Temperature
If cooling water flow is increased to enhance rolling cooling, then heat extraction from rolls is improved, but unbalanced forces from cooling water flow cause rogue force variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetric counterweights at the ends of the casting rolls to compensate for the asymmetric forces generated by non-uniform cooling water flow distribution. This asymmetric counterbalancing approach neutralizes the rogue forces caused by uneven cooling, allowing effective cooling while maintaining force balance and preventing misalignment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If mass distribution of casting rolls is made non-uniform to accommodate auxiliary parts, then rotary joints and cooling systems can be integrated, but unbalanced rogue forces increase and affect process control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses counterweights positioned at the ends of the casting rolls to counterbalance the unbalanced forces generated by non-uniform mass distribution from integrated auxiliary parts like rotary joints and cooling systems. This counterweight mechanism maintains process control stability by ensuring force balance, allowing versatile integration of auxiliary components without compromising reliability.
4Manufacturing precision
If thrust forces are optimized to reduce rogue force effects, then strip quality improves, but the ability to counter ferrostatic pressure may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The counterweights at the ends of the casting rolls compensate for unbalanced rogue forces, allowing the thrust force system to be optimized for maintaining proper roll spacing and counteracting ferrostatic pressure. By neutralizing the unbalanced forces through counterweights, the system can apply sufficient thrust forces to counter pressure without compromising strip thickness consistency.
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 design reduces unbalanced rogue forces, lowers required thrust forces, and improves alignment and quality of the cast strip by balancing the mass distribution and reducing sliding resistance, resulting in a more consistent and controlled casting process.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of water-cooled casting rolls 1 positioned laterally to form a roll nip G between them
Implementation Method 2
molten metal 5 solidifies at the outer circumferential surfaces of the casting rolls 1 and forms solidified shells
Implementation Method 3
the flow of cooling water into the rotary joints and the flow of cooling water out of the rotary joints exert forces on the casting rolls generally in the direction along the rotational axis of the casting rolls
Implementation Method 4
biasing units capable of supporting the hoses such that the mass of the hoses is not carried by the casting rolls
Implementation Method 5
the ferrostatic pressure that acts on the casting rolls 1 through the molten metal 5 in the casting pool 8
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A twin roll casting machine and method of continuously casting thin strip that enables the manufacture of thin strip by applying a thrust force through casting roll support structures on each casting roll to bias the casting rolls together, such that a majority portion of the thrust force counterbalance ferrostatic pressure. Cooling water is caused to flow through rotary joints (10) that are attached to one or both of the ends of casting rolls (1). The rotary joints 10 at each casting cause cooling water to flow into and from the passages in the casting rolls and exert forces on the casting rolls generally in the direction along the rotational axis of the casting rolls (1).