Abstract: The invention relates to a method and the apparatus required for carrying out the method for the continuous production of billets or ingots of metals, in particular steels and Ni- and Co-base alloys using the method of electroslag remelting and electroslag continuous casting in downwardly open water-cooled ingot molds, in which the billet issuing downwardly from the ingot mold is pressed against at least one guide element arranged rigidly in respect of its position with respect to the ingot mold axis, by at least one clamping element arranged opposite the guide element, in such a way that the regions of the billet surface which are in contact with the guide or clamping elements change within short intervals of time, wherein at least one of the elements is driven to withdraw the billet while the others move with the billet and a contact with a current source can be made by way of at least one of the elements.

Abstract: For the continuous remelting of metals--in particular steels and Ni-- Co-base alloys--in a short, downwardly open water-cooled chill mold (20) for producing an elongate casting portion (26) the latter is produced either by continuous or stepwise withdrawal from the chill mold (20) or when the elongate casting portion (26) is stationary by corresponding lifting movement of the chill mold (20). In order to ensure on the one hand a sufficiently high and thus economical smelting rate and on the other hand a high level of quality in respect of the remelted elongate casting portions (26), the cross-sectional area of the smelting-off electrode (16) should be at least 0.5 times the cross-sectional area of the remelted elongate casting portion (26) and the smelting-off rate should be so adjusted that it corresponds to between 1.5 and 30 times the equivalent elongate casting portion diameter (D.sub.eq) calculated from the circumference (U) of the casting cross-section, in accordance with the relationship:D.sub.eq =U/.