Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing slabs having a thickness D>100 mm, and at casting speeds v<3 m/min, in a continuous casting installation in which melt is supplied to a permanent mold from a storage reservoir via an immersion nozzle and from which, on the aperture side, a strand shell enclosing a liquid crater is withdrawn into a strand guidance frame, in particular a bow-type continuous casting installation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing slabs from steel, in which the strand leaves a permanent mold with liquid melt enclosed by the strand shell and, in a downstream strand guiding assembly, the gap between guide rollers mounted in stands is set infinitely variably by adjusting elements connecting lower and upper frames, characterized by the following steps:

Abstract: A casting mold for continuously casting metal has a pouring area having cooled wide sidewalls and cooled narrow sidewalls. The pouring area tapers in a funnel shape in horizons arranged underneath each other in a casting direction to a format of a strand to be cast, wherein the wide sidewalls are sidewall plates having curved contour areas. At least within one height portion of the casting mold the curved contour areas are asymmetrical relative to a line intercepting center points of the narrow sidewalls.

Abstract: A continuous casting mold for continuous casting of a steel billet. Opposite spaced apart wide side walls and opposite spaced apart narrow side walls between the wide side walls and clampable at the wide side walls and also displacable along the wide side walls transversely to the casting direction, the narrow side walls being narrow wedged-shaped in the casting direction. A funnel-shaped pouring-in region defined in the wide side walls. The wide side walls converge in the casting direction. The distance between the wide side walls at the mold end is constant over the entire width of the side walls allowing at least one of the wide side walls is supported to be displaceable and tiltable with respect to the other wide side wall by an adjusting device.

Abstract: A method for blasting calibrating a chill mold (1) is provided. A calibrating mandrel is inserted into chill mold (1), thereafter an explosive material is placed on the outer surface (4) of chill mold (1) and is ignited. The inner side (3) of chill mold (1) is pressed against the calibrating mandrel by the explosive force, and brought to the setpoint measure. In the mold wall (2), chill mold (1) has bores (5) for cooling means and for measuring elements, which extend in the longitudinal direction (LR) of chill mold (1) and exit at the end faces (6, 7) of mold wall (2). Before the blasting calibration, the bores (5) are filled up with a free-flowing material and tightly closed. The free-flowing material is preferably an incompressible fluid and/or a bulk material.

Abstract: A process for producing a tube target for cathode sputtering plants, in which the tube target is formed from a metallic inner tube (target holder) made of a first material with a first melting point of Ts1≧900 K and a metallic outer tube (target) that concentrically surrounds the inner tube and that is made of a second material with a second melting point of Ts2≦800 K. The inside diameter of the outer tube and the outside diameter of the inner tube are proportioned in such a way that the two tubes fit together tightly and are mechanically firmly joined. The outer tube is formed by casting the second material in a molten state in a heated, vertical, A cylindrical permanent mold, which has a heated mandrel that constitutes the inner tube.

Abstract: A method for welding an article includes producing welding filler metal by the steps of furnishing a powder of a welding-filler-metal composition, preferably a titanium aluminide or a nickel-base superalloy, providing a continuous casting mold having a welding-filler-metal diameter, and melting the powder into a top of the continuous casting mold, while withdrawing a continuous length of the welding filler metal from a bottom of the continuous casting mold. The melting is preferably accomplished using a laser to achieve a concentrated heating zone. The welding filler metal is used to weld an article, by applying an overlay layer or by joining articles together.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a submerged entry nozzle (6) having outlets in the main casting plane (P) which differ in their direction of output and fall within two categories (7, 8), said nozzle being associated with two inductors (14, 15) opposite each other on each broad face (22) of the casting mold forming a gap which surrounds the nozzle and producing a traversing magnetic field covering the outlets of at least one category (7), means being provided for adjusting the intensity of the field or for moving it so as to be able to change the distribution between the outlets of the total flow of molten metal.

Abstract: A sacrificial plastic mold having an electroplatable backing is provided as are methods of making such a mold via the infusion of a castable liquid formulation through a porous metal substrate (sheet, screen, mesh or foam) and into the features of a micro-scale master mold. Upon casting and demolding, the porous metal substrate is embedded within the cast formulation and projects a plastic structure with features determined by the mold tool. The plastic structure provides a sacrificial plastic mold mechanically bonded to the porous metal substrate, which provides a conducting support suitable for electroplating either contiguous or non-contiguous metal replicates. After electroplating and lapping, the sacrificial plastic can be dissolved, leaving the desired metal structure bonded to the porous metal substrate. Optionally, the electroplated structures may be debonded from the porous substrate by selective dissolution of the porous substrate or a coating thereon.

Abstract: A method for producing an improved charging stock for use in further metallurgical processes including the steps of providing a source of molten metal of known composition, providing a source of solid particulate material of a known composition which is compatible with the molten metal, combining the molten metal source with the solid particulate material source to produce a combined stream and forming the combined stream into a plurality of uniformly sized metal billets for use in further metallurgical processes.

Abstract: In twin roll casting of steel strip, molten steel is introduced into the nip 16B between parallel casting rolls to create casting pool supported on casting surfaces of the rolls and the rolls are rotated to deliver solidified strip downwardly from the nip. Casting surfaces are textured by a random pattern of discrete projections, which may have an average surface distribution of between 5 and 200 peaks per mm2 and an average height of at least 10 microns. In order to suppress chatter defects, the molten steel also has manganese content of at least 0.55% by weight and a silicon content in the range of 0.1 to 0.35% by weight. The strip is thus capable of moving away from the casting pool at a speed of more than 60 meters per minute without substantial high speed chattering defects.

Abstract: An outer peripheral groove is provided at a distance from the top front end of the tube wall of a tubular mold. Into this peripheral groove grip, from opposing sides, U-shaped flanges having inner latching segments are inserted. The radial extension of the latching segments is smaller than the depth of the peripheral groove. Provided adjacently to the top front end is a circumferential recess, on which a reinforcement frame, which is able to be screw-coupled to the flanges and which braces against the flange of the water tank, and which can be located in position with an exact fit, while being sealed off. When the tubular mold is recalibrated, in particular using the explosive reforming method, the wall thickness is reduced, so that it is then necessary to rework the recess. One merely needs to put a new reinforcement frame in place and screw it tightly in place via the flanges.

Abstract: A gradient material molded body, obtained in continuous casting from at least one metal alloy solidified in an outer shell of the molded body, outside the thermodynamic equilibrium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a molten metal casting annulus that includes an insert support and cooling frame configured and constructed to define a plane and an annular face generally perpendicular to the plane. The plane and annular face define an enclosed planar annular space. The frame further defines an annular groove adjacent the annular face and a multiplicity of insert components supported on the insert support and cooling frame. The insert components are fitted edge to edge around the casting annulus to define the annulus. The insert components further include a lip snugly fitted in the annular groove. The method includes chilling the graphite casting annulus insert components before inserting the lip of the respective insert components into the annular groove in the frame and allowing the insert components to warm and thermally expand to lock the lip in position in the groove.

Abstract: The present invention provides a stainless steel being excellent in workability, corrosion resistance and antibacterial property. To be more specific, a stainless steel containing 10 wt % or more of Cr is rendered to contain 0.0001-1 wt % of Ag, or further one or more members selected from Sn: 0.0002-0.02 wt %, Zn: 0.0002-0.02 wt %, Pt: 0.0002-0.01 wt %, and, in addition, is rendered to dispersedly contain a total of 0.001 % or more in an area percentage of one or more members of a silver particle, a silver oxide and a silver sulphide each having a mean grain diameter of 500 &mgr;m or less. To disperse the silver particle, silver oxide and silver sulphide uniformly, the casting rate of continuous casting is preferably controlled to range from 0.8 to 1.6 m/min.

Abstract: An improved mould for the continuous casting of steel slabs having thickness in the range from 50-120 mm, particularly suitable to be rolled to thin strips, presents two large faces (F), each one having in horizontal cross section a concave or rectilinear central zone symmetrical with respect to each other, connected at both sides to the narrow faces (f) through concave-convex wide bends with respect to the internal part of the mould, without other lengths being parallel to opposite portions of the other face (F), besides to a possible central rectilinear length. the radiuses of the concave portion (r1) and of the convex portion (r2) are in a mutual ratio of a range from 0.6 to 1.

Abstract: A funnel geometry of a mold for the continuous casting of metal, wherein the mold has a pouring portion with cooled long side walls and short side walls, wherein the pouring portion becomes narrower in the shape of a funnel in the casting direction until it reaches the size of the cast strand. In the funnel portion the inner contour of the long side walls is constructed convexly along a straight line connecting the upper edge of the mold and the outlet of the pouring portion.

Abstract: A method of continuous casting of a steel employs a mold power having a viscosity of 0.5-1.5 poise at 1,300° C. and a solidification temperature of 1,190-1,270° C., in which the mass ratio of CaO to SiO2 is 1.2-1.9, and casting is carried out under the following conditions: casting speed is 2.5-10 m/minute; mold oscillation stroke is 4-15 mm; and specific cooling intensity in secondary cooling of a slab is 1.0-5.0 liter/kg-steel.

Abstract: The target material for a sputtering target for depositing silicon layers in their nitride or oxide form by means of reactive cathode atomization, such as e.g. Si3N4 or SiO2 in the form of optical functional layers or in the form of thermal protective layers on glass substrates, is a cast silicon element, that has been solidified from the melt condition and which forms a parallelepiped, with a dopant, that has been mixed in with the melt, whereby the dopant is 1 wt % to 15 wt % aluminum, and whereby the casting mold preferably has a cavity which forms a parallelepiped.

Abstract: A device for continuous or semi-continuous casting of metal comprising a cooled mold (22) and an induction coil (10) arranged at the top end of the mold. The mold comprises in its top end a plurality of hollow, old segments (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, 22e, 22f, 22′b, 22′c, 22′d) separated from each other by partitions (26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, 26e), which all comprise an electrically insulating barrier. Both the mold segments and the partitions are oriented essentially in the casting direction. Each hollow top end mold segment comprises a core of a mechanically supporting bar or beam (25a, 25b, 25c, 25d, 25e, 25f, 25′a, 25′b, 25′c, 25′d, 25′e, 25′f) arranged within the hollow mold segment such that it is surrounded by the hollow mold segment. The core exhibits superior mechanical properties in relation to the mold.

Abstract: A mold suitable for continuous metal casting comprising a cavity opened at both ends, in which a vertical cross sectional shape at the inner wall surface of the cavity from a meniscus position to a required region is formed as a restriction portion corresponding to the amount of shrinkage of a charged material from a liquid phase to a solid phase. This can prevent internal cracks at the corners of a cast product formed in the chilled layer. Then, a mold for use in continuous metal casting capable of coping with increasing casting rate is provided.

Abstract: A funnel geometry of a mold for the continuous casting of metal, wherein the mold has a pouring portion with cooled long side walls and short side walls, wherein the pouring portion becomes narrower in the shape of a funnel in the casting direction until it reaches the size of the cast strand. In the funnel portion the inner contour of the long side walls is constructed convexly along a straight line connecting the upper edge of the mold and the outlet of the pouring portion.

Abstract: A substantially rectangular-section casting conduit of an ingot mold, for continuous casting of molten metal, is divided into two portions; a first portion has a variable inner section, by having rounded inner edges with a radius of curvature decreasing gradually in the flow direction of the molten metal along the conduit; the second portion is consecutive with the first portion, and has a constant inner section with rounded inner edges of a predetermined optimum radius of curvature for subsequent rolling operations. The design of the first portion of the casting conduit prevents the metal, as it cools and contracts through the conduit, from detaching from the walls, and in particular from the edges, of the mold, thus enabling an increase in casting speed with no fall in product quality.

Abstract: High speed continuous casting device and method, comprising an ingot mold provided with a crystalliser having side-walls between which the product as it cools is suitable to take shape, the product then being sent to a guide, containing and possibly pre-rolling assembly located downstream of said ingot mold and cooperating with secondary cooling means, and a system of primary cooling associated with said side-walls, the crystalliser having a longitudinal development with a radius of curvature (“R”) having a value at least five times more than the first radius of curvature of the product in the secondary cooling zone located at the outlet of said crystalliser, wherein the length (L) of the walls is more than 1050 mm, so that a progressive and gradual deformation of the product being formed is obtained which prevents tensions, inner cracks and surface lesions from forming thereon.

Abstract: A method of solid free form fabrication of an object includes the steps of providing a substrate, forming a plurality of molten droplets, and spraying the molten droplets upward against the substrate to form a net shape object.

Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous casting device comprising a support structure (16, 116), a swing lever (24, 124) which is pivotally mounted in the support structure (16, 166) around a first pivotal axis a drive mechanism (34, 134) which is connected to said swing lever (24, 124) and a continuous casting shell (14, 114) which can be impinged upon a cooling medium. A bearing (38, 138) to support the continuous cast shell (14, 114) is pivotally mounted on the swing lever (24, 124) around a second pivotal axis, whereby at least one connection for the cooling medium is integrated into the pivoting bearing (38, 138).

Abstract: A continuous casting installation comprises an ingot mould and an oscillating holding device used for causing the ingot mould to swing when in a casting position. The installation consists, in a separable manner, of an interchangeable part and a stationary part. To replace the intechangeable part, it is separated from the stationary one and moved using a conveying means, at least along a partial path, from its position of operation into an area beneath the casting position. This enables, especially in the multiline casting installations, the interchangeable part to be transported during the casting process and, for example, along paths comprising straight or arciform segments, to any purposefully selected position and to be replaced by a new interchangeable part to be replaced in multiline installations with no interference with the casting process in any adjacent ingot arrangement.

Abstract: In a method for changing a billet section of a continuous billet casting device from an initial section to a final section, the opposed billet sides interact with oppositely positioned roll supports of a billet guide arranged below a continuous casting die. The roll supports have segments with rolls, and each segment is individually adjustable with respect to its angular position relative to the billet. In an initial position of the roll supports, the segments are adjusted to a uniform production format of the billet. A controlled sequence of adjusting steps of the segments successively arranged in a direction of continuous casting is carried out, wherein, for reducing the section of the billet, the segments are advanced successively toward the billet in the continuous casting direction and, and for increasing the section of the billet, the segments are moved successively away from the billet in the continuous casting direction.

Abstract: In a continuous-casting plant which uses a tank made of refractory material set on top of the crystallizer for removing the meniscus and the supernatant layer of covering powders from the solidification area, around the said tank there are electromagnetic means designed to generate variable magnetic fields for slowing down and making uniform the disordered flow of liquid metal inside the said tank, whilst at the joint between the tank and the crystallizer, other electromagnetic means are set which are designed to generate a direct magnetic field so as to remove locally the liquid metal from the walls of the tank and of the crystallizer.

Abstract: A continuous casting mold for casting strands, preferably of steel, includes mold plates and water boxes, and a connecting plate for connecting each mold plate to one of the water boxes. A water cooling system is formed by water conduits between the mold plates and the water boxes, wherein the water conduits are arranged in a side of the water box facing the mold plate and not in the mold plate. The water box and the connecting plate of the water box are joined together by connecting screws and nuts, wherein the connecting screws are arranged in the mold plate and the nuts are arranged on the water box. The connecting screws have internal cooling ducts and the internal cooling ducts are connected to the water conduits.

Abstract: An arc furnace which includes a shell with a hearth, a roof for the shell, the roof including a plurality of segments which are substantially electrically isolated from each other and from the shell, an electrode and a refractory section on the roof, and wherein the refractory section is at least partly electrically conductive.

Abstract: Improved targets for use in DC_magnetron sputtering of aluminum or like metals are disclosed for forming metallization films having low defect densities. Methods for manufacturing and using such targets are also disclosed. Conductivity anomalies such as those composed of metal oxide inclusions can induce arcing between the target surface and the plasma. The arcing can lead to production of excessive deposition material in the form of splats or blobs. Reducing the content of conductivity anomalies and strengthening the to-be-deposited material is seen to reduce production of such splats or blobs. Other splat limiting steps include smooth finishing of the target surface and low-stress ramp up of the plasma.

Abstract: A partition member having partition walls arranged in a lattice is disposed in the vicinity of an upper surface of a molten metal mass. The upper surface is divided by the partition walls into a multiplicity of segmental surfaces. A forming starter member is brought into contact with the partition member so that the molten material adheres to a starter surface of the forming starter member, and is then separated from the partition member. The molten metal is drawn from each of the segmental surfaces, and the drawn metal is solidified to form a piece which has a cross sectional shape corresponding to the shape of the starter surface. With the use of forming starter members having respective starter surfaces which are different in shape from each other, it is possible to form pieces having various cross sectional shapes which correspond to the shapes of the starter surfaces.

Abstract: A mold for the continuous casting of metal includes a pouring portion with cooled long side walls and short side walls, wherein the pouring portion becomes narrower in the shape of a funnel in the casting direction until it reaches the size of the cast strand. In the funnel portion, the inner contours of the long side walls have in the casting direction from the top toward the bottom at least two points which have the property that they determine a straight line along which the inner contours of the long side walls are formed with at least one concave section and with at least one convex section in any selected sequence.

Abstract: The present invention provides a high purity cobalt sputter target having a single phase h.c.p. structure and a magnetic permeability less than the intrinsic magnetic permeability of the material. Substantially pure cobalt is cast and slowly cooled, such as at a rate of 15° C./min. Or less, to form a cast target of single phase h.c.p. crystallographic structure. This cast target is hot worked at a temperature of at least about 1000° C. to impart a strain of about 65% or greater into the cobalt material, followed by a slow, controlled cooling to room temperature, such as at a rate of 15° C./min. or less, to maintain the single phase h.c.p. crystallographic structure. The cooled target is then cold worked at substantially room temperature to impart a strain of about 5-20%. The sputter target of the present invention processed by this method has a magnetic permeability of less than about 9, grain sizes in the size range of about 70-160 &mgr;m, and average grain size of about 130 &mgr;m.

Abstract: In a process for continuously casting a metal strand by casting metal into a straight, vertically oriented mold and subsequently drawing off the strand formed in the mold, the straight strand at first is bent into a circular arc shape in a bending zone along a transition curve, is guided along a circular arc guide and finally is straightened in a final straightening zone along a transition curve and, after this, is extracted via an approximately horizontal straight guide.

Abstract: A liquid-cooled chill mold for continuous casting of thin steel slabs is disclosed whose cross-sectional length is a multiple of the cross-sectional width, having two opposing wide side walls, each with a copper liner and a backing plate, and narrow side walls delimiting the width of the slab, with the copper liners that delimit the mold cavity being detachably attached to the backing plates by metal studs made of a CuNiFe alloy and the metal studs being welded to the copper liners.

Abstract: The mold includes a cooled copper body 4 on top of which sits a refractory feed head 9 which itself consists of two separate components--a thermally insulating upper bush 16 and a bottom annulus 17 made of a stronger and more compact refractory which is surrounded by a crimping ring 18 narrower than the annulus, so that an edge of the annulus extends beyond each side of the ring. As the lower inner edge of the bottom annulus becomes worn due to an erosive flow of molten metal, the working life of the annulus may be extended in two ways. First, the annulus may be removed between casting operations and its bottom surface may be faced. Second, after the facing operations have rendered the bottom surface flush with the crimping ring 18, the annulus may then be inverted so that the lower inner edge is replaced with the upper inner edge.

Abstract: Continuous casting of steel strip in twin-roll caster comprises casting rolls (16). Molten steel is delivered by a delivery system and comprising delivery nozzle (19b) to casting pool (30) supported above nip (10) between the casting rolls (16) which are rotated to deliver a solidified strip (20) downwardly from the nip. To avoid dissolution of carbon from refractories of the metal delivery system including the nozzle (19b), the molten steel is a silicon/manganese killed carbon steel having a manganese content of not less than 0.02% by weight, a silicon content of not less than 0.10% by weight, an aluminium content of less than 0.01% by weight and a sulphur content of at least 0.02% by weight. The required sulphur content of the steel may be achieved by addition of iron sulphide to a batch of steel in a tundish (18) of the delivery system.

Abstract: To provide a continuous casting method for a billet capable of stable casting without causing rhomboidity or side periphery deformation in the billet produced by continuous casting, in a casting mold used for this method, recess portions each comprising one or a plurality of transverse grooves or a large number of dimples are disposed below the lowermost position of a meniscus under a steady operation state within a distance of 200 mm on the inner peripheral surface of the casting mold so that a solidified shell is gradually cooled and the cooling capacity of each inner surface of the casting mold is substantially uniform.

Abstract: A continuously cast strand is cut into elongated billets having ends and the billets are run through a rolling stand. after cutting the strand into billets and before rolling the billets one of the billets is engaged in the rolling stand and a trailing end of the one billet and a leading end of another billet are enclosed in a mold with the ends longitudinally spaced. This space between the ends is filled with molten metal in contact with the ends of the billets and the molten metal is hardened to interconnect the billet ends. Then the mold is removed from around the billet ends. The molten metal is of substantially the same composition as the billets. Furthermore the one billet is advanced in a travel direction by means of the stand and the mold and the other billet are advanced synchronously with the one billet after enclosing the billet ends in the mold. The mold is removed from the billet ends before the hardened metal between the billet ends enters the rolling stand.

Abstract: An oscillating mold for continuously casting slabs, preferably of steel, has long side walls and short side walls freely movable relative to the long side walls, and an immersion outlet. The long side walls define a center-symmetrical casting funnel having a funnel shape which is configured such that the distance between the long side walls in the casting funnel is reduced toward the outlet end of the mold and that in the meniscus area and at least along the length of the immersion outlet the funnel shape corresponds to or follows the outer cross-sectional size of the immersion outlet. The long side walls have adjacent the casting funnel a shape which is linear and planar over the mold length and center-symmetrical and concave transversely of the mold length.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a soft magnetic steel sheet is disclosed. The silicon steel sheet is made to undergo a finish treatment so that it can be put to the practical use. The finish treatment method for an Fe-Si silicon steel sheet manufactured by a direct casting method by directly contacting a molten pool to a cooling roll according to the present invention includes the step of pickling the manufactured Fe-Si silicon steel sheet, and carrying out a cold rolling. Then the silicon steel sheet thus cold-rolled is heat-treated at a temperature above 0.5 Tm (Tm: melting temperature of the steel sheet).

Abstract: A continuous casting having a mold for producing strands in the form of slabs, thin slabs, blooms, and billets which results in a central running of the strand in the entire strand guide and in highly reliable casting at casting speeds of up to 6m/min. As a result of the cambered, concave shape of the mold and entire strand guide, the strand is guided coaxially to the entire strand guide from the cast surface until the strand exits at the delivery end of the continuous casting machine so that sideways movement of the entire strand in the direction of one of the narrow sides (snaking) is suppressed.

Abstract: A hot saw cutting type continuous rolling method comprises casting two strand billets continuously; cutting the billets to predetermined length by hot saws; directly feeding billet portions obtained by cutting onto a rolling line via a line connecting device; continuously welding and joining the billets portions by a flash butt welder to form a continuous billet; grinding and removing burrs at the welded portion of the continuous billet by a grinding machine; and continuously rolling the billet by a rolling mill group, after heating the continuous billet to a higher temperature by an induction heater. A hot saw cutting type continuous rolling apparatus is provided for performing the above-described method.

Abstract: A continuous casting mold for casting a billet with a polygonal cross section has side walls delimiting a mold space with a polygonal cross section and the side walls have a center region extending from an open top end to an open bottom or exit end of the mold with a first degree of taper and, at the sides of the center regions, abutting side regions with a lesser degree of taper than the first degree. In order to obtain even growth of the casting shell with low frictional forces, the center region has a degree of taper which is greater than the amount from the billet contraction and the width of the side regions increases as the distance from the exit end of the continuous casting mold decreases.

Abstract: An ingot mold for the continuous casting of metals. The mold has a mold cavity that is open at opposing ends. The cross-sectional area at the casting pour-in-side is larger than the cross-sectional area of the end from which the billet emerges. To achieve higher casting performance and attain better billet quality via more uniform temperature distribution over the casting cross-section, the mold cavity has multiple conical depressions on an outer cooling surface. These depressions, which are arrayed over at least one area, constitute a region defining elevated heat transfer coefficients. The cooling-side surface in the bath level area of the ingot mold has a roughened structure over part of its surface, the roughened structure tapering in the casting direction.

Abstract: A continuous casting mold for producing strands in the form of slabs, thin slabs, blooms, and billets resulting in highly reliable casting at casting speeds of up to 6 m/min. The cambered shape of the mold causes the strand to be centered during casting by the mold so that sideways movement of the strand shell toward one of the narrow sides (snaking) is suppressed or moderated. This symmetrical running of the strand shell box during casting in the mold results in a uniform symmetrical formation of the strand shell and its temperature field (isotherms), the withdrawal forces, and the loading of the strand shell in relation to the strand axis in the casting direction, even despite weaving of the strand in the region of the strand guide.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the accurate formation of a three-dimensional article comprises providing a first quantity and a second quantity of substantially uniform size droplets of a desired material wherein each droplet has a positive or negative charge. Each quantity of droplets is focused or aligned into a narrow stream by passing the droplets through or adjacent an alignment means which repels each droplet toward an axis extending through the alignment means. The droplets are deposited in a predetermined pattern at a predetermined rate onto a target to form the three-dimensional article without a mold of the shape of the three-dimensional article. The droplets of the first quantity and the second quantity are supplied at different distances, whereby the droplets of the first quantity bond to each other and the droplets of the second quantity do not bond to each other or to the first quantity of droplets.

Abstract: In vertical-type continuous casting in which a plurality of ingots are cast by pouring molten metal into a plurality of molds each composed of upper and lower dies and by lowering the lower dies in a predetermined path at a casting speed, the upper dies having different casting diameters are arranged on a common table for casting the ingots of different diameters simultaneously on the table 8.