Abstract: A coiler drum of a reversing rolling mill includes a work portion that engages a strip of metal being processed in the reversing rolling mill. The work portion includes an inner base surface and engaging strips that extend radially outward from the base surface. When the metal strip is engaged by the work portion, the metal strip does not contact the inner base surface, which has a surface area greater than 35 percent of the work surface. The engaging strips can be formed on the coiler drum by using weld overlays, inserts into slots, or by casting the engaging strips onto the coiler drum at the time the coiler drum is cast. The engaging strips may be laterally offset from one another and have a length less than 50 percent of the axial length of the work portion. The engaging strips may also be formed from a different material than the material of the work surface of the coiler drum.

Abstract: An in-line method of producing steel using a continuous caster includes forming a continuous strand of steel from the continuous caster and severing a slab from the continuous strand. An angle between a front face or a rear face of the slab and a line perpendicular to a top surface or a bottom surface of the slab is between about 10° and about 45°. Alternatively, the angle between the front face or the rear face and the line perpendicular to the top surface or the bottom surface is between about 15° and about 35° or between about 20° and about 25°. Primary scale is then removed from the slab with a descaler prior to rolling the slab to a desired thickness. A first waterjet descaler descales only one of the front and the rear faces and only one of the top and bottom surfaces, and a second waterjet descaler descales only the other of the front and the rear faces and only the other of the top and bottom surfaces.