Abstract: Oxygen-free copper, particularly wire, is manufactured in a casting and rolling plant composed of melting plant, continuous casting mold and a subsequently arranged continuous rolling mill. The method includes bending a billet leaving the casting plant along a straight line into the horizontal, after the billet has been reduced in at least one shaping pass. The arrangement for carrying out the method includes at least one shaping stand arranged following the continuous casting mold, wherein the rolling axis of the shaping stand coincides with the longitudinal center axis of the continuous casting mold. The region between melting furnace and continuous casting mold and the region between continuous casting mold and the shaping stand are arranged under gas shrouding.

Abstract: A roll block for rolling wire to final gauge in a high speed wire mill with a plurality of roll units alternatingly positioned at right angles to each other and behind each other, which are driven by two roll drive shafts running on both sides of the line of rolls parallel to it, includes a dividing gear unit for driving both drive shafts by a common drive motor. The individual roll units are connected to the roll drive shafts by miter wheel, bevel and/or other gear units. The gear ratios in the dividing gear unit on setting predetermined rotational speed ratios of the roll drive shafts lead to a predetermined series of caliber reductions for which the respective roll block is designed. Other materials and/or roll products require, if the gear ratios and rotational speeds are to be maintained constant, correspondingly changed dividing gear units. Such changes are no longer required when the dividing gear unit is a mechanical or hydraulic gearshift which produces different rotational speeds.