Abstract: Apparatus for continuously conveying and pre-heating a metal charge inside a container of a melting plant, includes at least a channel for conveying the metal charge, at least a hood disposed above the conveyor channel defining a tunnel and/or an expansion chamber, inside which at least part of the fumes exiting from the container advance, and apertures made in cooperation with lateral walls of the conveyor channel to discharge the fumes. The conveyor channel includes an activator that divert the fumes and/or delimit the zone occupied by the metal charge of the conveyor channel, and that cooperate longitudinally with at least part of the conveyor channel.

Abstract: Device for the removal of scale from the surface of a metal product (11) by delivering water under pressure, said device comprising a box-like structure (20) defining an internal space (22) for the passage of the water under pressure, connected to an exit fissure having a gap (23) with a gap value of less than a millimeter, the gap extending continuously for at least the entire width of the metal product (11).

Abstract: An apparatus to feed and pre-heat a metal charge to a melting furnace of a steelworks comprises a feeding and pre-heating tower separate from the melting furnace provided with at least one compartment to temporarily contain said metal charge, transfer means to transfer said metal charge to said melting furnace and conveying means to convey the fumes exiting from the melting furnace to said compartment. The apparatus also comprises a post-combustion chamber, disposed adjacent to and below said compartment, and connected on one side to said compartment and on another side to said conveying means, the post-combustion chamber being configured to determine the expansion of the fumes introduced by the conveying means and to direct said expanded fumes toward said compartment along a path such as to determine a desired residence time of said fumes suitable to obtain at least the substantial complete combustion of the unburned gases present in said fumes.

Abstract: Crystallizer for the continuous casting of long metal products such as blooms or billets, of the type cooled by an external cooling jacket, in which, at least in the zone of maximum thermal peak, positioned around the zone of the meniscus or immediately below it, there are means present, made on the walls of the crystallizer, to condition the heat exchange between the walls of the crystallizer and the cast steel. The means to condition the heat exchange comprise concavities or depressions made on the internal wall of the crystallizer, made around the zone of maximum thermal peak, and having a distribution that, in terms of the overall area occupied by them per surface unit, is reduced until it is canceled toward the bottom at a certain distance from said zone of maximum thermal peak.

Abstract: Rolling method for the production of flat products with low productivity, comprising a continuous casting step at a speed comprised between 3.5 m/min and 6 m/min of a thin slab with a thickness comprised between 25 mm and 50 mm, a roughing step to reduce the thickness in at least one forming stand or roughing stand, to a value comprised between 10 mm and 40 mm, preferably between 10 mm and 30 mm, even more preferably between 10 mm and 20 mm and suitable for winding, a rapid heating step using induction in order to at least restore the temperature lost in the segment downstream of casting and in the roughing step, a winding/unwinding step in a winding/unwinding device with two mandrels, a rolling step in a Steckel type rolling unit with two reversing type stands of the product unwound by the winding/unwinding device comprising not more than three double rolling passes, or two inversions, in order to obtain a final product comprised between 1-1.

Abstract: Apparatus for pre-heating and conveying a metal charge to a container of a melting plant, comprising at least a conveyor channel along which said metal charge is able to advance so as to be delivered to the container, and in which above said conveyor channel at least a hood is disposed which defines a tunnel inside which at least part of the fumes exiting from said container are able to advance. At least a zone of the hood comprises an expansion chamber located above at least a portion of said metal charge, and able to expand and keep said fumes inside it for a minimum desired time of at least 1.5 seconds before they go into contact with the metal charge.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and an apparatus for producing DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) utilizing a high-oxidation reducing gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, derived directly or indirectly from the gasification of hydrocarbons or coal, with a high content of oxidants (H2O and CO2). The invention provides a more efficient method and plant comprising a reactor in which particulate material of iron ore comes into contact with a high temperature reducing gas to produce DRI, with lower investment and operating costs, avoiding the need for a fired heater for the reducing gas fed into the reduction reactor. The reducing gas is heated to a temperature above 700° C. in two steps, a first step at a temperature below about 400° C.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuously conveying and pre-heating a metal charge inside a container of a melting plant, comprising at least a conveyor channel, having walls to convey the metal charge, and at least a hood defining a conveyor tunnel and/or an expansion chamber. The hood is disposed above the conveyor channel for the transit of at least part of the fumes exiting from the container, and the conveyor channel cooperates with apertures to discharge the fumes. The apertures cooperate with at least a fume diverting channel defining at least a first expansion compartment, located substantially vertical or sub-vertical, connected both to the apertures and also to at least a channel to take in the fumes.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuous casting comprising a support structure provided with a containing casing configured to support inside it a mold equipped with a plurality of longitudinal passage channels for the passage of a cooling liquid. The containing casing and the mold together define an introduction chamber and a discharge chamber for the cooling liquid, and the introduction chamber and the discharge chamber are fluidically connected by the passage channels. The mold comprises a first tubular element and a second tubular element disposed inside the first tubular element. The second tubular element comprises a plurality of plates each provided with passage channels and connected to each other to define a through casting cavity. The first tubular element is provided with connection members to connect the passage channels of the plates respectively with the introduction chamber and with the discharge chamber.

Abstract: Method for melting metal material in a melting plant comprising at least an electric furnace having at least a shell into which said metal material is introduced, and feed means to load said metal material into said shell, said method comprising at least a step of loading said metal material into said shell by means of said feed means, a melting step in which said metal material is melted, and a subsequent tapping step in which the molten metal material is tapped.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuous casting comprising a support frame and a plurality of plates coupled to each other to define a tubular element provided with a casting cavity. Positioning members are provided to connect the plates to the support frame. The positioning members comprise attachment devices suitable to connect at least a first plate to a wall of the support frame, and thrust devices configured to compress the other plates with respect to each other, in correspondence with respective connection edges and against the at least one first plate.

Abstract: A laying head for the production of coils in hot rolling mills comprises a central body provided with a central cylinder and at least a shaped feed pipe, attached to the central body by means of clamping elements and bolts, and at least a circumferential guide disposed on the periphery of the cylindrical element. The circumferential guide consists of a plurality of elementary segments.

Abstract: Support bearing which comprises a first ring and a second ring disposed inside the first ring and substantially coaxial thereto. The first ring and the second ring define between them an annular hollow space in which a cage structure is disposed comprising two circular crowns disposed distanced from each other and between which a plurality of rolling elements are disposed, provided to allow the reciprocal rotation of the first ring and the second ring. The bearing is suitable to support a roll which is used particularly, but not exclusively, in coating processes of a metal product, such as for example strip, wire, bars, by means of metal coating methods such as those known such as galvanization, aluminizing or other similar coating processes.

Abstract: A rolling line for the production of flat product includes a casting machine to continuously case a thin slab, a temperature maintenance and homogenization unit, a rolling unit a forming stand or roughing stand connected to the exit of the casting machine to reduce the thickness of the slab. The forming stand or roughing stand is configured to perform an adaptive reduction of the thickness of the cast slab smaller than or equal to about 65% at least as a function of the thickness, width and type of material of the finished flat product. The rolling unit is configured to perform a reduction of the reduction of the thin slab coming from the temperature maintenance and homogenization unit to a thickness comprised between about 1.2 mm and about 20 mm by three or fewer double rolling passes through the double rolling stand.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuously conveying and pre-heating a metal charge inside a container of a melting plant, comprising at least a conveyor channel, having walls to convey the metal charge, and at least a hood defining a conveyor tunnel and/or an expansion chamber. The hood is disposed above the conveyor channel for the transit of at least part of the fumes exiting from the container, and the conveyor channel cooperates with apertures to discharge the fumes. The apertures cooperate with at least a fume diverting channel defining at least a first expansion compartment, located substantially vertical or sub-vertical, connected both to the apertures and also to at least a channel to take in the fumes.

Abstract: An apparatus for the extraction of heat energy from hot off-gases (2) from productive or service processes and for the transfer of the energy to an external user device (3) is positioned in contact with the off-gases (2), at least partly inside a containing chamber (22) or one or more pipes of a plant performing the productive or service processes. The apparatus comprises at least two sections (4), each of which is defined by at least a heat exchange module (5) having a container/exchanger (6), located at least partly in contact with the off-gases (2), in order to exchange heat energy with them. A first phase change material (7) having high heat diffusivity is located inside the container/exchanger (6). An extraction exchanger (8), disposed in contact with the first phase change material (7), has delivery and return pipes (9) in which a heat-carrying fluid (10) circulates, to extract and transfer the heat energy accumulated by the first phase change material (7).

Abstract: An adjustment device and method to guide a metal product along a determinate nominal rolling axis. The device comprises a central body disposed astride the rolling axis, two guide units mounted movable on the central body, opposite each other with respect to the rolling axis and each provided with at least a guide roller for the metal product, and an adjustment mechanism mounted on the central body and operatively connected to both the guide units, in order to actuate the selective movement thereof with respect to the central body at least in an approach toward the rolling axis. The adjustment mechanism comprises a system of pantograph levers having two levers pivoted to each other and to the central body in correspondence to the rolling axis by means of a pin, and first constraint means disposed on each lever on opposite sides to the pin, so as to connect each lever to both the guide units.

Abstract: Rolling method for the production of flat products, such as metal strip, which provides a production step of a thin slab with a thickness comprised between 30 and 90 mm, preferably between 35 and 70 mm, a temperature maintenance and/or possible heating step of the slab to be sent for rolling, and a rolling step with multiple passes performed in a reversing rolling mill (14) comprising at least a reversing rolling stand (15), in which at least a winding reel furnace (16a) is also present upstream of the stand (15) and a winding reel furnace (16b) downstream of the stand (15), a winding step also being provided downstream of the rolling in at least a coiler (19a, 19b) to form a relative coil of strip of a defined weight, comprised between 20 and 30 tons, and a cooling step of the strip being provided between the reversing rolling mill (14) and said at least one coiler (19a, 19b).

Abstract: Vibration device for a conveying apparatus (21) to convey a metal charge in a longitudinal direction (X) comprising at least two vibration mechanisms (25, 26) each disposed on opposite sides of the conveying apparatus (21) so as to feed the metal charge. The vibration mechanisms (25, 26) comprise at least a first plurality of eccentric masses (31, 32, 33) having their mass barycenters (B) oriented in parallel directions to each other, and a second plurality of eccentric masses (34, 35) having their mass barycenters (B) disposed angularly offset with respect to the disposition of the barycenters of the first plurality of eccentric masses (31, 32, 33).

Abstract: Device for feeding metal into melting plant, in particular into melting furnace including hearth and lateral aperture. Device includes means to feed metal terminally associated with a connection conveyor including a loading plane and cooperating with translation and positioning means. Connection conveyor able to assume first position during continuous loading step, wherein its front terminal end is located substantially flush with the furnace internal wall through the aperture, to introduce metal inside the furnace; a second position distanced from the furnace wall during the step of tapping liquid metal from the furnace; and a third position while first loading the furnace, with the furnace switched off, wherein its loading plane front end is inside the furnace volume to be disposed in proximity to the distal internal wall opposite the furnace proximal internal wall, to unload and distribute a charge to cover at least part of the furnace bottom surface.