IMPROVED PRODUCTION AND AUTOMATION - CONTINUOUS CASTING AND PERIPHERY.

Today's continuous casting has to meet the demands of high quality steel production and the need for a reliable tool capable of shaping practically any steel grade and section. With the ingot route no longer available for emergencies or alternative use, the caster also has to cope with all imaginable irregularities originating in the meltshop. So secondary steelmaking is becoming increasingly important and has to be scheduled to match the necessary casting parameters. The use of computers and programmed controllers increases production and enhances steel quality at the same time. Of utmost importance, however, is caster reliability. Because Concast Standard AG is primarily a supplier of continuous casting machines for billets and small blooms, this review of caster elements and their automation is restricted to that class of machine. It refers mainly to smaller steelworks running one furnace and one caster. 7 refs.