Abstract: Processes for continuous production of a thin metal strip, in particular a steel hot strip, directly from a metal melt and with a strip cast thickness of <10 mm by the roll-casting process. The cast metal strip is fed for in-line thickness reduction, and then to a storage device. To achieve a high-quality, hot-rolled metal strip with flatness tolerances comparable to those which can currently be achieved in the production of hot-rolled metal strip from continuous-cast thin slabs or slabs, at cast thicknesses of between 40 and 300 mm, in a continuous production process starting directly from metal melt. With the low strip cast thickness, a flatness measurement is performed on the moving metal strip, and the measurement results of this flatness measurement are used to influence the flatness of the metal strip in a targeted way.

Abstract: Processes for continuous production of a thin metal strip, in particular a steel hot strip, directly from a metal melt and with a strip cast thickness of <10 mm by the roll-casting process. The cast metal strip is fed for in-line thickness reduction, and then to a storage device. To achieve a high-quality, hot-rolled metal strip with flatness tolerances comparable to those which can currently be achieved in the production of hot-rolled metal strip from continuous-cast thin slabs or slabs, at cast thicknesses of between 40 and 300 mm, in a continuous production process starting directly from metal melt. With the low strip cast thickness, a flatness measurement is performed on the moving metal strip, and the measurement results of this flatness measurement are used to influence the flatness of the metal strip in a targeted way.

Abstract: An open-ended mold for casting metal strands with a thin slab cross section, the mold having broad-side walls which form a central widening region which extends from the mold inlet edge to the mold outlet edge and at the outlet edge opens out in a rectangular outlet cross section. To prevent to a great extent the strand from coming away from the broad-side walls, the contour of the mold cavity in the widening region is formed, as seen in sectional planes taken at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the mold, by curves which at least in partial regions form clothoids or clothoidal curves, within which sudden changes in curvature (&Dgr;k) are minimized or reduced to zero. The curvature reduces to flat at the mold outlet edge. Other cavity surface features are disclosed.

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: The invention relates to an instrument panel for motor vehicles, made of a thermoplastic material and providing an invisible cover for an airbag system which, as seen from the inside of the motor vehicle, is positioned behind the instrument panel (rear side). The instrument panel is characterized in that it has a weakened section on the rear side which defines an opening area in the instrument panel for the airbag and fully surrounds said opening area, and in that it has an ejection channel for the airbag fixed to it. The opening area in the instrument panel designed for the airbag is connected with the ejection channel by means ofa polymer hinge. Both the ejection channel and the polymer hinge are fixed at least to the opening area of the instrument panel designed for the air bag by means of a welded material. The instrument panel, ejection channel and polymer hinge are made ofa thermoplastic material having the same polymer basis but flexibilized in different ways.

Abstract: There is disclosed an arrangement and for alternatively producing a hot-rolled strip, a hot-formed pre-strip or an unformed slab, of steel by the continuous casting method. In order to obtain a high product quality for strips as thin as possible and to ensure a high operational flexibility, the following characteristic features are realized individually or in combination:casting of a strand at slab thickness in an open-ended mold having a continuously constant cross section,a first forming step including forming of the strand having a liquid core to reduce its thickness,a second forming step including forming of the already completely solidified strand to further reduce its thickness to pre-strip format, anda third forming step including forming of strand pieces separated from the strand by hot-rolling the strand pieces.

Abstract: A continuous-casting mold has walls resting on an oscillating lifting platform and is provided with a stirrer which incorporates a magnetic circuit. The stirrer has a yoke which at least partially surrounds the walls of the mold and which has at least two cores facing opposite sides of the mold. In order to prevent the magnetic force of the stirrer from deforming the walls of the mold, the lifting platform, which sets the walls of the mold into oscillation, is designed as the yoke and each core is located on a bracket projecting out of the lifting platform.

Abstract: There is disclosed an arrangement and a process for alternatively producing a hot-rolled strip, a hot-formed pre-strip or an unformed slab, of steel by the continuous casting method. In order to obtain a high product quality for strips as thin as possible and to ensure a high operational flexibility, the following characteristic features are realized individually or in combination:casting of a strand at slab thickness in an open-ended mold having a continuously constant cross section,a first forming step including forming of the strand having a liquid core to reduce its thickness,a second forming step including forming of the already completely solidified strand to further reduce its thickness to pre-strip format, anda third forming step including forming of strand pieces separated from the strand by hot-rolling the strand pieces.