Abstract: A stainless steel load cell having a shear web design suitable for use in a continuous casting environment is disclosed. Strain gauges are disposed on both sides of each of the four webs to detect deformation, while a wheatstone bridge is provided, having thermally-compensated potentiometers, to balance the strain gauge output to provide a signal indicative of an applied load. The interior of the load cell is sealed on both sides with disc shaped stainless steel seal members. The interior of the load cell is coated with a very low durometer polymer to provide the bridge and strain gauges with a barrier to moisture and other corrosive vapors. The load cell is enclosed by an air-tight canister that is supplied with pressurized nitrogen gas for drying purposes.

Abstract: The width of a mold is controlled effectively to produce a slab having a desired and constant width associated therewith. More particularly, the speed of the output slab and the temperature of the molten metal contained within tundish are measured and the pressure exerted by the received molten metal within mold is determined. These measured and determined values are used to appropriately modify the width of the mold so as to produce a slab of constant width.