Abstract: A mold for use in a continuous caster is provided that includes a tubular structure having a plurality of wall structures. Each of the outer faces of the wall structures is configured to have reduced thicknesses centrally located between corners of the wall structures so as to provide rigidity to the tubular structure for handling thermal loads during a continuous casting process.

Abstract: Process for the in-line thermal treatment of rolled rails which ensures to obtain a fine pearlitic structure which is uniform through a whole predetermined superficial thickness of the rail head. There is also disclosed a new device for the thermal treatment of rails in-line with a rolling system which, as compared to the known devices, is structurally much simpler, has a high sturdiness and requires less maintenance.

Abstract: A discharge device discharges liquid steel into a roller crystallizer for the continuous casting of thin strip. The discharge device reduces turbulence at the meniscus to a minimum so as to eliminate the relative defects on the cast strip by passing the steel between two crystallizer rollers. A relative casting process provides expedients for improving the steel feeding from a tundish to the crystallizer. Advantageously, the feeding of guided steel jet streams inside the nozzle, or delivery nozzle, eliminates the disturbance at the meniscus caused by the air bubbles which can form when free-falling jet streams come into contact with the air.

Abstract: Plant for the continuous casting of thick slabs, blooms or other similar steel products comprising an ingot mold and a series of containment and guiding rollers placed in the area below the ingot mold on both sides of the cast product, i.e. on the intrados and extrados, respectively. The rollers are arranged on at least three longitudinal rows and all have an axial length shorter that the width of the cast product. The rollers of a central longitudinal row are advantageously staggered with respect to the lateral longitudinal row rollers in such a way as to reduce the surface of the bulges created due to the ferrostatic pressure existing in the liquid core of the product at ingot mold outlet. Furthermore, the pitch between the adjacent rollers is advantageously always of different values so as to not cause the buckling of the bulges with a single frequency.

Abstract: A process and an ultracompact plant for the endless production of hot rolled steel strip comprising an ingot mold (15) that produces a very thin slab, having narrow sides with thickness in the range between 40 and 55 mm and a central swelling, at a speed in the range between 4 and 16 m/min. Such a slab, which displays a core in which the steel is still liquid, is passed through a vertical pre-rolling device (16) that reduces the thickness of the slab and flattens it. The solidified slab may thus be subjected to a first mild rolling by a conveyor (17) and, by forming a free curve, takes a horizontal position where it is subjected to a first surface descaling, a first rolling, a heating in an inductor (23), a second surface descaling and a series of reductions in a rolling mill (30) formed by at least two stands, by maintaining its temperature along the mill above the recrystallization point Ar3.

Abstract: Process and ultracompact plant for continuous production of hot rolled steel strip comprising an ingot mould (15) which produces a very thin slab at a speed between 4 and 16 m/min, wherein the thickness of the narrow sides is between 15 and 50 mm with a central swelling. Such slab has a core in which the steel is still liquid; it is run through a vertical pre-rolling device (16) which reduces the thickness of the slab, flattening it. The solidified slab can thus undergo a first light rolling process using a pinch roll (17) and, by forming a free curve, it moves to a horizontal position where it can undergo a second light rolling process by another pinch roll (22?). A heating process (if required) includes an inductor (50). A superficial descaling process and a series of reductions in a rolling mill made up of at least three stands (20?, 20?, 20??) are provided maintaining a slab temperature along the train above the Ar3 recrystallization point.

Abstract: Ingot mold for casting ultra thin slabs to be used, for instance, in a manufacturing plant for the manufacture of metal strips, having two wide concave walls (11) in the center and two flat portions (12) parallel to the plane of symmetry X in the end zones connected by two convex connecting zones (13) wherein the ratio between the lengths d/l is between 10 and 60% and the ratio h/f is between 10% and 60%.

Abstract: Process for the in-line thermal treatment of rolled rails which ensures to obtain a fine pearlitic structure which is uniform through a whole predetermined superficial thickness of the rail head. There is also disclosed a new device for the thermal treatment of rails in-line with a rolling system which, as compared to the known devices, is structurally much simpler, has a high sturdiness and requires less maintenance.

Abstract: A process and an ultracompact plant for the endless production of hot rolled steel strip comprising an ingot mould (15) that produces a very thin slab, having narrow sides with thickness in the range between 40 and 55 mm and a central swelling, at a speed in the range between 4 and 16 m/min. Such a slab, which displays a core in which the steel is still liquid, is passed through a vertical pre-rolling device (16) that reduces the thickness of the slab and flattens it. The solidified slab may thus be subjected to a first mild rolling by a conveyor (17) and, by forming a free curve, takes a horizontal position where it is subjected to a first surface descaling, a first rolling, a heating in an inductor (23), a second surface descaling and a series of reductions in a rolling mill (30) formed by at least two stands, by maintaining its temperature along the mill above the recrystallisation point Ar3.

Abstract: Plant for the continuous casting of thick slabs, blooms or other similar steel products comprising an ingot mould and a series of containment and guiding rollers placed in the area below the ingot mould on both sides of the cast product, i.e. on the intrados and extrados, respectively. The rollers are arranged on at least three longitudinal rows and all have an axial length shorter that the width of the cast product. The rollers of a central longitudinal row are advantageously staggered with respect to the lateral longitudinal row rollers in such a way as to reduce the surface of the bulges created due to the ferrostatic pressure existing in the liquid core of the product at ingot mould outlet. Furthermore, the pitch between the adjacent rollers is advantageously always of different values so as to not cause the buckling of the bulges with a single frequency.

Abstract: Ingot mold for casting ultra thin slabs to be used, for instance, in a manufacturing plant for the manufacture of metal strips, having two wide concave walls (11) in the center and two flat portions (12) parallel to the plane of symmetry X in the end zones connected by two convex connecting zones (13) wherein the ratio between the lengths d/l is between 10 and 60% and the ratio h/f is between 10% and 60%.

Abstract: Discharge device for discharging liquid steel into a roller crystallizer for the continuous casting of thin strip capable of reducing turbulence at the meniscus to a minimum so as to eliminate the relative defects on the cast strip by passing the steel between two crystallizer rollers. A relative casting process is also described, said process providing for particular expedients for improving the steel feeding from the tundish to the crystallizer. Advantageously, the feeding of guided steel jet streams inside the nozzle, or delivery nozzle, eliminates the disturbance at the meniscus caused by the air bubbles which form when free-falling jet streams come into contact with the air, as occurs in the known devices and plants.

Abstract: Process and ultracompact plant for continuous production of hot rolled steel strip comprising an ingot mould (15) which produces a very thin slab at a speed between 4 and 16 m/min, wherein the thickness of the oairrow sides is between 15 and 50 mm with a central swelling. Such slab has a core in which the steel is still liquid; it is run through a vertical pre-rolling device (16) which reduces the thickness of the slab, hence flattening it. The solidified slab can thus undergo a first light rolling process by means of a pinch roll (17) and, by forming a free curve, it moves to a horizontal position where it can undergo a second light rolling process by means of another pinch roll (22?), a heating process (if required) in an inductor (50), a superficial descaling process and a series of reductions in a rolling mill made up of at least three stands (20?, 20?, 20??), thereby maintaining its temperature along the train above the Ar3 recrystallization point.

Abstract: A drop feeder (1) for feeding molten metal into an ingot mould (15) comprises a distributor (3) having a substantially prismatic shape, with one of the faces open, in which the inside of the distributor comprises three tanks (4, 5, 6), separated by walls (7, 8) functioning as weir for the molten melt poured into the intermediate tank (5). There are provided slots (10) arranged on the faces of the distributor (3) for emptying of the molten metal from the distributor into the ingot mould or into a second distributor.

Abstract: A molten metal containment device between the crystallizing rollers (38, 39) of a continuous casting machine comprises a lateral containment plate (47) able to press against the shoulder surfaces (40, 41) of the crystallizing rollers (38, 39); means of providing pressure (37) able to move said lateral containment plate (47) so as to move it close to and press it against said shoulder surfaces (40, 41). The lateral containment plate (47) is fixed to the means of providing pressure (37) through an articulated joint which comprises a flexible tubular sleeve (1), corrugated like bellows and able to support said lateral containment plate (47) allowing the horizontal pivoting at least around one axis of pivoting (X) horizontal and not parallel to the axes of rotation (A1, A2) of the rollers (38, 39). In a second aspect of the invention the containment plate (47) is fixed to the means of providing pressure (37) through more supports (20).

Abstract: A temperature regulation device for the strip (3) produced in a continuous casting plant with ingot mold (16) comprising a pair of cooled, parallel, counter-rotating rolls (2, 2?), closed by two plates at the axial ends of the rolls, includes a pair of substantially rectangular panels (5) placed symmetrically under the plane of the rolls axis, with its longest dimension substantially parallel to the axis of the rolls. Ducts (6, 8, 8?) are provided which feed a series of jets (7) to spray cooling gas onto the strip surface (3).

Abstract: A continuous metal strip casting plant on which is mounted, at the casting location, a mobile ingot mould comprising two cylindrical metallic casting rolls in addition to other components, amongst which there are a tundish and/or under tundish and/or an unloader and/or lateral plates, respective preheating stations located in positions separated from the position of casting, and rotating arms located on a turret itself also placed on the casting plane to transfer the components from the casting line to their preheating stations.

Abstract: A continuous metallic strip casting plant comprising an ingot mould, a device for the evacuation of casting wastes formed by a trolley which can host two chests. The trolley is located below the ingot mould and on the trolley is deposited the full chest in the free space next to the spare empty chest. The trolley is then moved and the spare empty chest is fixed under the ingot mould. A metal waste evacuation method is also described.

Abstract: An arrangement and conformation of the discharge openings and channels of a continuous-casting nozzle, together with a specific external profile of the body of the nozzle itself, enable slabs of any thickness, in particular from medium to thin ones, to be cast, which have excellent surface quality and are practically free from inclusions and blowholes.

Abstract: Support device for an assembly (14) of the casting rolls (11, 11?) of a continuous metallic strip casting line comprising a movable support at each axial end. Such supports (17, 17?, 19, 19?) are provided with a hydraulic bearing (13) to reduce friction during motion with respect to the assembly. Between the movable supports of one of the rolls (11) and the assembly is located a hydraulic actuator (18), which thrusts the first roll (11?) towards the second roll (11?) against a stop (16). Between the second roll (11?) and the assembly there are located magnetostrictive actuators which thrust the second roll (11?) against the first roll (11). The device has a joint provided with a housing (22) inside which a telescopic tube (21) for the supply of the cooling water to conduits present in the rolls may slide. The housing (22) is connected to the assembly (14) by means of a bellows (27) allowing for oscillation.