With Metal Working Patents (Class 164/476)
  • Patent number: 11702713
    Abstract: A process and a plant for preheating a metal charge fed in continuous to an electric melting furnace through a preheating tunnel provided with a horizontal conveyor, wherein the metal charge is hit, in countercurrent, by the exhaust fumes or gas leaving the electric melting furnace and by jets of gas ejected through a plurality of nozzles positioned on the hood of the tunnel. The nozzles are arranged in groups interspaced from each other in a longitudinal direction with respect to the tunnel, and generate a small-scale turbulence or inject small fast gas jets that can penetrate the main gas stream passing through the preheating tunnel, and simultaneously generate a “horseshoe vortex” structure composed of a descending central gas flow (“downwash”), and ascending flows (“upwash”) close to the side walls of the preheating tunnel, which enable a desired circulation of the gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Inventors: Silvio Maria Reali, Cesare Giavani
  • Patent number: 11590565
    Abstract: A continuous casting and rolling line for casting, rolling, and otherwise preparing metal strip can produce distributable metal strip without requiring cold rolling or the use of a solution heat treatment line. A metal strip can be continuously cast from a continuous casting device and coiled into a metal coil, optionally after being subjected to post-casting quenching. This intermediate coil can be stored until ready for hot rolling. The as-cast metal strip can undergo reheating prior to hot rolling, either during coil storage or immediately prior to hot rolling. The heated metal strip can be cooled to a rolling temperature and hot rolled through one or more roll stands. The rolled metal strip can optionally be reheated and quenched prior to coiling for delivery. This final coiled metal strip can be of the desired gauge and have the desired physical characteristics for distribution to a manufacturing facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Novelis Inc.
    Inventors: Milan Felberbaum, Sazol Kumar Das, Aurele Mariaux, Duane E. Bendzinski, Cyrille Bezencon, Simon William Barker, Corrado Bassi, Rajeev G. Kamat, Tudor Piroteala, Rajasekhar Talla, Robert Bruce Wagstaff
  • Patent number: 11534821
    Abstract: A continuous casting method for steel in which a slab at a position where the center solid phase rate of the slab is 0.8 or more and including after complete solidification is reduced by a reduction roll. The roll outer peripheral shape in a cross-section including a roll rotation axis convex shape overhanging outward in a region including a width-direction center position of the slab. The convex shape is a shape that does not have corner portions in a convex shape defining range with a total length of 0.80×W on both sides in the roll width direction from the width-direction center position. A reduction roll radius at the width-direction center position is greater by 0.005×t or more than a reduction roll radius at both ends of the convex shape defining range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichiro Izawa, Kenji Taguchi, Ryo Nishioka
  • Patent number: 11471936
    Abstract: A continuous casting method of steel includes the step of bulging wide side surfaces of a slab having there inside an unsolidified layer with a total intentional bulging amount of 3 to 10 mm by increasing stepwise toward a downstream side in a casting direction a roller gap of a plurality of pairs of slab support rollers disposed in a continuous casting machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Norichika Aramaki, Keigo Toishi, Tomoya Odagaki, Keisuke Sano, Shizuhiko Ikeno
  • Patent number: 11400513
    Abstract: A continuous casting facility used for thin slab casting has a mold for casting molten steel, an immersion nozzle that supplies the molten steel into the mold, and an electromagnetic stirring device capable of providing a swirl flow at a molten steel surface in the mold, and a thickness DCu (mm) of a copper plate of a long side wall, a thickness T (mm) of a steel piece, a frequency f (Hz) of the electromagnetic stirring device, electric conductivity ? (S/m) of the molten steel, and electric conductivity ?Cu (S/m) of the copper plate of the long side wall are adjusted to satisfy the following formulae (1)-a and (1)-b: DCu<?(2/?Cu??)??(1)-a ?(1/2???)<T??(1)-b, where ?=2?f: angular velocity (rad/sec), and ?=4?×10?7: magnetic permeability in vacuum (N/A2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Harada, Kanoko Yamamoto, Takuya Takayama, Keita Ikeda, Yui Ito
  • Patent number: 11400500
    Abstract: A method for converting wire rod of nonferrous metals and alloys thereof to wire with high elongation and in the annealed state, wherein the reduction in diameter in order to pass from wire rod to wire is carried out by way of a plastic deformation process. The temperature of the metal subjected to plastic deformation is controlled in order to have, at the end of the plastic deformation process, the wire at a temperature higher than or equal to the recrystallization temperature. This avoids the thermal treatment of annealing, necessary in conventional production techniques, achieving a considerable saving in production costs and a wire with characteristics similar to those of a wire subjected to annealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Inventor: Giulio Properzi
  • Patent number: 11007556
    Abstract: A production equipment line for a hot-rolled steel strip comprises a rough rolling mill group comprised of plural rough rolling mills for hot rolling a material which is heated up to a predetermined temperature to a finish rolling start sheet thickness and a finish rolling mill group comprised of plural finish rolling mills for controlled-rolling the material to a final sheet thickness, wherein at least one of the plural rough rolling mills is a reversible rolling mill. The production equipment line for a hot-rolled steel strip is provided with a slow cooling apparatus for slowly cooling the material at a water volume density of less than 1000 L/min·m2 and a rapid cooling apparatus which is arranged next to the slow cooling apparatus and rapidly cools the material after the slow-cooling at a water volume density of not less than 1000 L/min·m2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Ueoka, Sonomi Shirasaki, Yukako Katayama, Takashi Matsumoto, Yuta Tamura
  • Patent number: 10875067
    Abstract: Systems and methods for using full-width hot sprays to pre-heat rolling mills prior to processing of metal sheet or plate are described herein. The hot sprays may be individually controlled. Using hot sprays can allow the rolling mill to reach operating temperature and achieve a desired thermal crown so that metal sheet or plate may be processed immediately within tolerances for flatness and gauge accuracy. Pre-heating of rolling mills can eliminate the need of the rolling mill to operate in a transitional period of work roll heating and can increase efficiency by eliminating or reducing scrap material and mill downtime. Hot sprays may also be incorporated with existing coolant systems to provide thermal control systems for rolling mills with bi-directional temperature controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: NOVELIS INC.
    Inventors: David Anthony Gaensbauer, Francisco Carvalho, Eduardo Minniti, Tiago Moraes, Carlos Eboli
  • Patent number: 10532386
    Abstract: A continuous-cast slab is provided where central porosity is reduced by surly crushing the slab. A method and apparatus of manufacturing the slab is also provided. The continuous-cast slab having horizontally symmetrical granular equiaxed crystals at least in the center in the thickness direction includes a first reduction dent and a second reduction dent that further dents from the bottom surface of the first reduction dent and is narrower than the first reduction dent at least on one long side surface. Such a configuration can makes it possible to achieve the continuous-cast slab of no more than 2.5×10?4 cm3/g in a maximum porosity volume while segregation is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Mizoguchi, Hiroaki Uchiyama, Hideaki Sakurai, Ryousuke Takata, Shinji Nagai, Shuntaro Imai, Daisuke Sakai
  • Patent number: 10471502
    Abstract: A continuous casting and rolling apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention provides: a continuous caster for generating a steel sheet; a first rolling unit associated with the continuous caster; and a second rolling unit which is spaced apart in the outlet of the first rolling unit and comprises: a rolling mill for pressing down the steel sheet; and a cutter for cutting a portion of the steel sheet, wherein the cutter is spaced from the second rolling unit by a length corresponding to the length of the steel sheet discharged in an at least discontinuous rolling mode, and may comprise a cut withdrawal unit provided between the first rolling unit and the second rolling unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: POSCO
    Inventors: Seong-Yeon Kim, Young-Ju Ko, Il-Sin Bae, Choong-Yun Lee, In-Jae Lee, Jea-Sook Chung, Sang-Hyeon Lee
  • Patent number: 10125404
    Abstract: [Problem] To provide a raw material steel sheet for providing a high strength nonmagnetic austenitic stainless steel material that has a high elastic limit stress and excellent toughness. [Solution to Problem] An austenitic stainless steel sheet containing 0.12% or less of C, from 0.30 to 3.00% of Si, from 2.0 to 9.0% of Mn, from 7.0 to 15.0% of Ni, from 11.0 to 20.0% of Cr, and 0.30% or less of N, and further containing at least one kind of 3.0% or less of Mo, 1.0% or less of V, 1.0% or less of Nb, 1.0% or less of Ti, and 0.010% or less of B, all in terms of percentage by mass, with the balance of Fe and unavoidable impurities, having a component composition having a Ni equivalent of 19.0 or more, having a value of d?1/2 of 0.40 or more, wherein d (?m) represents an average austenitic crystal grain diameter, and having a property that provides a magnetic permeability ? of 1.0100 or less after subjected to cold rolling with an equivalent strain of 0.50 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: NISSHIN STEEL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Matsubayashi, Sadayuki Nakamura, Ryoji Hirota
  • Patent number: 10071416
    Abstract: A steel product or thin steel cast strip including, by weight, less than 0.25% carbon, between 0.20 and 2.0% manganese, between 0.05 and 0.50% silicon, less than 0.01% aluminum, and at least one of niobium between 0.01% and 0.20% and vanadium between 0.01% and 0.20%, and a microstructure of a majority bainite and acicular ferrite, and more than 70% niobium and/or vanadium in solid solution. The steel product may have an increase in elongation and an increase in yield strength after age hardening. The age hardened steel product may have niobium carbonitride particles with an average particle size of 10 nanometers and less, and may have substantially no niobium carbonitride particles greater than 50 nanometers. The steel product may have a yield strength of at least 380 MPa, a tensile strength of at least 410 MPa, or both. The product may have a total elongation of at least 6% or 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: James Geoffrey Williams, Harold Roland Kaul, Daniel Geoffrey Edelman, Christopher Ronald Killmore
  • Patent number: 10026534
    Abstract: By using a hot-rolled steel sheet of a predetermined chemical composition, and annealing the hot-rolled steel sheet in nitrogen atmosphere at 1000° C. for 30 seconds, and then immersing in a solution of 7% HCl at 80° C. for 60 seconds to obtain a hot-rolled steel sheet having a pickling weight loss of 10 g/m2 or more and 35 g/m2 or less, it is possible to obtain a hot-rolled steel sheet for producing a non-oriented electrical steel sheet that not only has excellent magnetic properties such as iron loss properties and magnetic flux density, but also has reduced steel sheet surface defects and an excellent manufacturing yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Toda, Yoshiaki Zaizen, Tadashi Nakanishi, Yoshihiko Oda
  • Patent number: 9796006
    Abstract: A method and device for producing hot-rolled products in a combined continuous casting and rolling system includes a device for separating and removing. In order to overcome a disruption in production in a part of the system located downstream of the device for separating and removing, the method includes: (a) separating the endlessly produced precursor material into a strand portion with shears; (b) clamping the strand portion; (c) raising the trailing part of the strand portion from the roller table by a raising device, so that the strand portion is drawn away from the shears in the direction of transport; (d) cutting the precursor material into a precursor material portion with the shears; (e) removing the precursor material portion from the roller table, and removing the strand portion until the combined continuous casting and rolling system is ready to operate again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Lengauer, Wolfgang Peitl, Roman Winkler
  • Patent number: 9643242
    Abstract: A back-up roll device and method for conducting corner deformation on a chamfered continuous casting slab. The back-up roll device includes back-up rolls with ?-angle bevels, movable bearing seats, bearing seat moving rails, bearing seat motion holding mechanisms and inner arc or outer arc frames of a casting machine. The back-up rolls are arranged on the inner and/or outer arc frames of the horizontal segment of the casting machine. Support surfaces of the back-up rolls make contact with and squeeze smaller obtuse angles adjacent to the wide face of the inner or outer arc on the chamfered continuous casting slab, and therefore each smaller obtuse angle is squeezed into two larger obtuse angles. The back-up roll device and method for conducting corner deformation on the chamfered casting slab can achieve the purposes of eliminating edge slivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Central Iron and Steel Research Institute
    Inventors: Hui Zhang, Minglin Wang, Xiuqin Ji, Mei Wang, Hongbiao Tao, Yicheng Wang, Yong Gan
  • Patent number: 9409229
    Abstract: A main purpose of the present invention is to provide a continuous casting method for a slab satisfying reductions of center segregation and center porosity, and inhibitions of surface cracks and internal cracks of a slab. The method includes a step of carrying out reduction on a slab having an unsolidified part by horizontal rolls and a step of alternatively carrying out reduction on the slab completely solidified by horizontal rolls and vertical rolls, wherein in the former step, reduction ratio of the slab is more than 0.5% and no more than 3% and a ratio of a width of the unsolidified part at the cross section of the slab to a width of a contact part of the slab and the rolls is 0 to 7.15, and in the latter step, each reduction ratio of the slab by the rolls is 5.4% to 6.8%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinsuke Watanabe, Toshihiko Murakami
  • Patent number: 9399252
    Abstract: A method for determining if a stretch of casting line includes the closing position of the liquid cone of a continuously cast metal product, where there is provided a casting line including an ingot mold containing the liquid metal and in which a meniscus is defined, one or more soft reduction roll devices, cylinders for actuating the one or more soft reduction devices, at least two oscillation application areas, the oscillation application areas being arranged in the one or more soft reduction roll devices. The oscillation being achieved by the rolls of the one or more soft reduction devices through the actuating cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.P.A.
    Inventor: Marcellino Fornasier
  • Patent number: 9243334
    Abstract: This invention provides methods and apparatuses which can manufacture Si-containing cold rolled steel sheets exhibiting excellent chemical conversion properties even if a chemical conversion treatment solution is used at a lower temperature while minimally suppressing the generation of sludge as well as reducing running costs. The method includes steps of cold rolling a steel containing 0.5 to 3.0 mass % Si, continuously annealing the cold rolled steel sheet, pickling the surface of the continuously annealed cold rolled steel sheet, and repickling the surface of the pickled steel sheet with a non-oxidative acid. The repickling is performed such that a repickling solution is sampled continuously or periodically, an acid concentration in the sampled solution is measured, and the acid concentration in the repickling solution is regularly controlled within a prescribed concentration range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiro Matsushima, Masao Inose, Masayasu Nagoshi, Hiroyuki Masuoka, Shigeyuki Aizawa, Hisato Noro
  • Patent number: 9156083
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a energy-saving steel production apparatus, including an hot-rolling production line and a continuous casting equipment (5) for producing semi-manufactured products or billets (10), said production line and said equipment facing one each other and being connected through fast transport means (7) moving said billets (10). The invention also relates to a method for processing energy-saving steel, comprising the following steps: a. taking the steel to a casting temperature; b. casting said steel in suitable moulds for obtaining a semi-manufactured product (10); c. transferring directly said casted semi-manufactured product (10) towards a rolling mill through fast transport means; d. taking said semi-manufactured product (10) to a value of temperature corresponding to a maximum value of plasticity; e. subjecting said semi-manufactured product (10) to a rolling process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: SMS MEER S.P.A.
    Inventor: Federico Castellani
  • Patent number: 9120147
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for continuously casting thin steel strip include a pair of counter-rotatable casting rolls in a roll cassette laterally positioned to form a nip there between through which thin cast strip can be cast, adapted to support a casting pool of molten metal on the casting surfaces, an enclosure to support a protective atmosphere immediately beneath the casting rolls in the casting position, and an upper cover positioned below the casting rolls to move between a closed position covering the upper portion of the enclosure maintaining the protective atmosphere in the enclosure in the closed position and a retracted position enabling cast strip to be cast into the enclosure. A scrap receptacle positioned beneath the casting position movable in either direction to a discharge stations. Further, a movable tundish adapted to be transferred from a heating station to the casting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Jay Jon Ondrovic, Eric Fulbright, Katsumi Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20150144290
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a round billet of Ni-containing high alloy including steps of continuously casting a molten steel by using a casting mold, thereby obtaining a rectangular billet, and shaping the rectangular billet into round billet by forging/rolling, wherein the casting mold has a shape such that a w/h ratio between long side length (w) and short side length (h) of a cross section of the rectangular billet perpendicular to the casting direction of rectangular billet is 1.0 to 2.0, the chemical composition of molten steel is, by mass %: C: 0.005 to 0.250%, Si: 0.05 to 2.00%, Mn: 0.05 to 3.00%, P: 0.04% or less, S: 0.004% or less, Cu: 0.01 to 3.00%, Cr: 10 to 35%, Ni: 10 to 80%, Mo: 1.5 to 10.0%, Al: 0.001 to 0.300%, N: 0.001 to 0.300%, W: 0.00 to 6.00%, Ti: 0.00 to 2.00%, and the balance: Fe and impurities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Seiji Miyamoto, Takayoshi Kagari
  • Publication number: 20150129157
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a martensitic stainless steel sheet by allowing ingot steel to pass through two casting rolls rotating in opposing directions through a twin roll strip caster is provided. The method includes rolling a steel sheet cast between the casting rolls at a temperature of 1000 to 1200° C. and a draft percentage of 25 to 50% with a first roller, and rolling the steel sheet at a temperature of 800 to 1000° C. and a draft percentage of 5 to 15% with a second roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Man-Jin Ha, Sung-Jin Park, Byoung-Jun Song
  • Publication number: 20150114587
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed at metal alloys and methods of processing with application to slab casting methods and post-processing steps towards sheet production. The metals provide unique structure and exhibit advanced property combinations of high strength and/or high ductility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Daniel James BRANAGAN, Grant G. JUSTICE, Andrew T. BALL, Jason K. WALLESER, Brian E. MEACHAM, Kurtis CLARK, Longzhou MA, Igor YAKUBTSOV, Scott Larish, Sheng CHENG, Taylor L. GIDDENS, Andrew E. FRERICHS, Alla V. SERGUEEVA
  • Publication number: 20150114522
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a grain-refined aluminum-zinc-magnesium-copper alloy sheet, including manufacturing an aluminum alloy sheet from an aluminum-zinc-magnesium-copper alloy melt by twin-roll strip casting, primarily rolling the aluminum alloy sheet manufactured in step 1, cold rolling the aluminum alloy sheet manufactured in step 2, and performing a heat treatment on the aluminum alloy sheet manufactured in step 3, thereby reducing processing time and cost by using twin-roll casting. Since grain refinement and homogenization of the sheet manufactured by the twin-roll casting are maximized by sequentially performing warm rolling, cold rolling, and a heat treatment on the sheet, elongation may be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Hyoung-Wook Kim, Yun-Soo Lee, Cha Yong Lim, Jae Hyung Cho
  • Patent number: 9003641
    Abstract: A nickel strip is made from a starting material of solid cathode sheets having a minimum nickel content of 99.94% by weight and a maximum trace element content, in ppm by weight, of <35 carbon, <5 sulphur, <14 manganese, <11 magnesium, <11 aluminum, <25 titanium, and <15 silicon. The sheets are hot-rolled individually in a single layer/ply. The sheets are then joined to form the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Inventor: Theodor Stuth
  • Publication number: 20150075677
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy sheet which has high strength enabling application to automobile body sheet and which is excellent in press-formability and shape fixability and a method of production of the same are provided. Aluminum alloy sheet having a composition of ingredients which contains Mg, Fe, and Ti, restricts the impurity Si to less than 0.20 mass %, and has a balance of Al and unavoidable impurities and a metal structure with an average grain size of less than 15 ?m and having second phase particles with a circle equivalent diameter of 3 ?m or more in a number of less than 300/mm2 and having a tensile strength of 240 MPa or more, a yield strength of less than 130 MPa, an elongation of 30% or more, and a plane strain fracture limit at a strain rate of 20/sec of 0.20 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Hirayama, Takeshi Handa, Toshiya Anami
  • Patent number: 8955577
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing elongated rolled products contains a steelmaking station for producing liquid metal having at a first production rate, a rolling mill having a second production rate, and a continuous casting station located between the steelmaking station and the rolling mill. The continuous casting station contains at least two casting lines, each line being operable to produce elongated intermediate products. A first casting line is directly aligned with the rolling mill to feed the rolling mill with casted products, and at least one second casting line not aligned with the rolling mill and not feeding the rolling mill. The apparatus further contains a varying device for varying simultaneously the production rate of the first casting line and the production rate of the at least one second casting line depending on a difference between the steelmaking station production rate and the rolling mill production rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens S.p.A.
    Inventors: Ezio Colombo, Ugo Zanelli
  • Patent number: 8950466
    Abstract: A method for producing elongated rolled products uses a steelmaking station for producing liquid metal at a first production rate, a rolling mill having a second production rate, and a continuous casting station located between the steelmaking station and the rolling mill. The continuous casting station contains at least two casting lines, each line being operable to produce elongated intermediate products. A first casting line is directly aligned with the rolling mill to feed the rolling mill with casted products, and at least one second casting line not aligned with the rolling mill and not feeding the rolling mill. The method further uses a varying device for varying simultaneously the production rate of the first casting line and the production rate of the at least one second casting line depending on a difference between the steelmaking station production rate and the rolling mill production rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens S.p.A.
    Inventors: Ezio Colombo, Ugo Zanelli
  • Patent number: 8939194
    Abstract: A continuous cast slab includes the following component: by mass %, C: 0.01˜0.3%, Si: 0.05˜0.5%, Mn: 0.4˜2%, P: 0.03% or less, S: 0.03 or less, Al: 0.005˜0.03%, Ni: 0.2˜2%, O: 0.006% or less, and N: 0.006% or less; wherein the balance is composed of Fe and inevitable impurities; wherein a structure in steel in a region within at least 2 mm from a broad surface is composed of ferrite and pearlite and a equivalent circular diameter of ferrite grains in the region is equal to or shorter than 30 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Akihito Kiyose, Toshiyuki Kajitani, Mineo Niizuma, Yasuhiko Otani
  • Patent number: 8863819
    Abstract: A continuous casting device including at least a crystallizer suitable for casting a metal product, and a plurality of guide and containing segments with rolls, the function of which is to accompany the cast product exiting from the crystallizer. The device includes, an extension of or in an intermediate position to one or more of the guide and containing segments with rolls, one or more guide and containing segments of the mixed type with panels and rolls, each including one or more guide rolls disposed on at least one side of the product and insulated and/or reflecting and/or heated panels disposed on the opposite side of the product, so as to reduce the loss of temperature of the cast product in transit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Gianpietro Benedetti, Andrea Carboni, Paolo Bobig
  • Publication number: 20140205900
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an aluminum alloy foil for an electrode current collector, the foil having a high strength and high strength after a drying process. The aluminum alloy foil can be manufactured at low cost. Disclosed is an aluminum alloy foil for electrode current collector, including 0.03 to 1.0% of Fe, 0.01 to 0.2% of Si, 0.0001 to 0.2% of Cu, 0.005 to 0.03% of Ti, with the rest being Al and unavoidable impurities. The aluminum alloy foil has Fe solid solution content of 200 ppm or higher, and an intermetallic compound having a maximum diameter length of 0.1 to 1.0 ?m in an number density of 2.0×104 particles/mm2 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicants: UACJ FOIL CORPORATION, UACJ CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masakazu Seki, Satoshi Suzuki, Kenji Yamamoto, Tomohiko Furutani
  • Publication number: 20140166231
    Abstract: An apparatus for continuous casting has a withdrawal/straightening unit with pairs of rolls. The spacing distance between two rolls of each pair decrease to create a deformation of a long metal product poured from a mold. A particular deformation is a reduction of the section in one direction, preferably a vertical direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Franco Milani
  • Patent number: 8720067
    Abstract: A contoured roller set and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. A male roller having a convex surface and a pair of female rollers each having a concave surface can receive a generally thin sheet of material and impart a doubly-curved shape to the sheet. The convex and concave surfaces of the male and female rollers can have a radius of curvature chosen to match a radius of curvature of the sheet of material. The rollers are positioned and shaped to urge the sheet between the female rollers to cause the sheet to curve toward the male roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Blue Origin, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher M. Gil
  • Publication number: 20140110079
    Abstract: A method for producing elongated rolled products uses a steelmaking station for producing liquid metal at a first production rate, a rolling mill having a second production rate, and a continuous casting station located between the steelmaking station and the rolling mill. The continuous casting station contains at least two casting lines, each line being operable to produce elongated intermediate products. A first casting line is directly aligned with the rolling mill to feed the rolling mill with casted products, and at least one second casting line not aligned with the rolling mill and not feeding the rolling mill. The method further uses a varying device for varying simultaneously the production rate of the first casting line and the production rate of the at least one second casting line depending on a difference between the steelmaking station production rate and the rolling mill production rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: SIEMENS VAI METALS TECHNOLOGIES S.R.L.
    Inventors: EZIO COLOMBO, UGO ZANELLI
  • Publication number: 20140034264
    Abstract: Rolling method for the production of flat products with low productivity, which comprises 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 and 50 mm. It also comprises a roughing step to reduce the thickness in at least one roughing stand to a value comprised between 6 mm and 40 mm, and suitable for winding, a rapid heating step by means of 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. The method also comprises a rolling step in a rolling unit that consists of a single reversing stand of the Steckel type to roll the product unwound by the winding/unwinding device, which comprises at most five rolling passes, or four inversions, in order to obtain a final product with a thickness comprised between about 1.4 mm and 10 mm, preferably between about 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: DANIELI & C. OFFICINE MECCANICHE SPA
    Inventors: Gianpietro Benedetti, Paolo Bobig
  • Publication number: 20130337282
    Abstract: There are provided a magnesium alloy material and a method for producing the magnesium alloy material. In a magnesium (Mg) alloy material having a sheet-shaped portion with a thickness of 1.5 mm or more, when a region having ¼ the thickness of the sheet-shaped portion in a thickness direction from a surface of the sheet-shaped portion is defined as a surface region and a remaining region is defined as an internal region, the ratio OF/OC of the basal plane peak ratio OF in the surface region to the basal plane peak ratio OC (degree of orientation of (002) planes) in the internal region satisfies 0.95?OF/OC?1.05. A sheet-shaped Mg alloy material is obtained by performing at least one pass of the rolling at a reduction ratio of 25% or more and the remaining passes of the rolling at a reduction ratio of 10% or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yukihiro Oishi, Nobuyuki Mori, Ryuichi Inoue, Nozomu Kawabe
  • Publication number: 20130333809
    Abstract: There are provided a magnesium alloy material and a method for producing the magnesium alloy material. In a magnesium (Mg) alloy material (e.g., Mg alloy sheet) having a sheet-shaped portion with a thickness of 1.5 mm or more, when a region having ¼ the thickness of the sheet-shaped portion in a thickness direction from a surface of the sheet-shaped portion is defined as a surface region and a remaining region is defined as an internal region, the ratio OF/OC of the basal plane peak ratio OF in the surface region to the basal plane peak ratio OC (degree of orientation of (002) planes) in the internal region satisfies 1.05<OF/OC. A sheet-shaped Mg alloy material is obtained by performing rolling on a twin-roll continuous cast material with multiple passes at a reduction ratio of each pass of 25% or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yukihiro Oishi, Nobuyuki Mori, Ryuichi Inoue, Nozomu Kawabe
  • Patent number: 8596333
    Abstract: A method of making a copper wire rod with low semi-softening temperature includes melting a raw material copper to have a copper melt, adjusting concentrations of oxygen and sulfur included in the copper melt to be not more than 20 ppm and not more than 6 ppm, respectively, continuously casting the adjusted copper melt at temperature not higher than 1120° C. to have a cast bar, and hot-rolling the cast bar in a temperature range of 850° C. to 550° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seigi Aoyama, Toru Sumi
  • Patent number: 8580191
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a brass alloy having superior stress corrosion comprising: 59.0-64.0 wt % Cu, 0.6-1.2 wt % Fe, 0.6-1.0 wt % Mn, 0.4-1.0 wt % Bi, 0.6-1.4 wt % Sn, at least one element selected from Al, Cr and B, the balance being Zn and unavoidable impurities, wherein the content of Al is 0.1-0.8 wt %, the content of Cr is 0.01-0.1 wt %, the content of B is 0.001-0.02 wt %. The alloy according to the present invention does not contain toxic elements such as lead and antimony, has superior corrosion resistance and good cuttingability and is suitable for the accessories in the potable water supply systems produced by casting, forging and extruding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Xiamen Lota International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chuankai Xu, Zhenqing Hu, Siqi Zhang
  • Publication number: 20130294963
    Abstract: A steel sheet is provided containing C: 0.070% or more and less than 0.080%, Si: 0.003% or more and 0.10% or less, Mn: 0.51% or more and 0.60% or less, wherein the average grain size is 5 ?m or more, the grain elongation rate is 2.0 or less, the difference in hardness is 10 points or more and/or 20 points or more depending on how it is determined, the tensile strength is 500 MPa or more, and the elongation after fracture is 10% or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Tada, Takumi Tanaka, Katsumi Kojima, Hiroki Iwasa, Yoichi Tobiyama
  • Patent number: 8568656
    Abstract: The present invention provides an environment-friendly manganese brass alloy, which comprises 55˜65 wt % of Cu, 1.0˜6.5 wt % of Mn, 0.2˜3.0 wt % of Al, 0˜3.0 wt % of Fe, 0.3˜2.0 wt % of Sn, 0.01˜0.3 wt % of Mg, 0˜0.3 wt % of Bi and/or 0˜0.2 wt % of Pb, the balance being Zn and unavoidable impurities. The alloys not only have superior mechanical properties, castability, cutability and corrosion resistance, especially stress corrosion resistance properties, but also have the advantages of low manufacturing costs and simple manufacturing process etc, which is suitable for making components through forging, casting, cutting and other manufacturing methods, especially suitable for making water tap bodies and valves through forging, casting and cutting processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Xiamen Lota International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhenqing Hu, Chuankai Xu, Qing Lv, Nianrun Zhou, Jia Long, Siqi Zhang
  • Patent number: 8562766
    Abstract: A thin cast strip is formed having at least one microstructure selected from the group consisting of polygonal ferrite, acicular ferrite, Widmanstatten, bainite and martinsite, a surface roughness of less than 1.5 microns Ra and a scale thickness of less than about 10 microns by applying a mixture of water and oil on the work rolls of the hot rolling mill, passing the thin cast strip at a temperature of less than 1100° C. through the hot rolling mill while the mixture of oil and water is applied to the work rolls, and shrouding the thin cast strip from the casting rolls through the hot rolling mill in an atmosphere of less than 5% oxygen to form the thin cast strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Walter N. Blejde, Jay Jon Ondrovic
  • Publication number: 20130224064
    Abstract: A non-oriented electrical steel sheet without corrugated defect and a manufacturing method thereof is provided, the weight percentage of the chemical composition of the non-oriented electrical steel sheet is that C is no more than 0.005%, Si is 1.2-2.2%, Mn is 0.2-0.4%, P is no more than 0.2%, S is no more than 0.005%, Al is 0.2-0.6%, N is no more than 0.005%, O is no more than 0.005%, and a balance substantially being Fe, a slab can be obtained by hot metal preprocessing, smelting with converter, RH refining, and continuous casting and pouring, wherein a secondary cooling water amount is controlled, the water flowrate of cooling water is controlled to 100-190 l/min, the average superheat of liquid steel in the continuous casting process is controlled to 10-45° C., the slab is heated and hot rolled; wherein the furnace tap temperature of the slab is 1050-1150 ° C., the temperature difference between random two points in the length direction when the slab is heated, is lower than 25° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Inventors: Feng Zhang, Xiao Chen, Wei Cao, Yezhong Sun, Changsong Ma, Jianru Zhu, Zhuolei Chen, Xiandong Liu
  • Publication number: 20130156634
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an aluminum alloy product for use as a finstock material within brazed heat exchangers and, more particularly, to a finstock material having high strength and conductivity after brazing. The invention is an aluminum alloy finstock comprising the following composition in weight %: Fe ?0.8-1.25; Si ?0.8-1.25; Mn 0.70-1.50; Cu 0.05-0.50; Zn up to 2.5; other elements less than or equal to 0.05 each and less than or equal to 0.15 in total; and balance aluminum. The invention also relates to a method of making the finstock material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Inventors: Andrew D. HOWELLS, Kevin Michael Gatenby, Pierre Henri Marois, Thomas L. Davisson, Fred Perdriset
  • Patent number: 8459333
    Abstract: A rolling mill for producing rolled rolling stock is operated in a continuous manner by integrally forming the rolling stock during scheduled operation from a supply device which supplies the stock to the rolling mill to one finishing rolling train arranged downstream of the rolling stock supply device by guiding the stock into the finishing rolling train continuously and rolling it to form a first outflow product. The operation is monitored for a deviation from the scheduled operation that influences the rolling process, wherein in case of a deviation measures are taken to examine whether a second outflow product, which is different from the first outflow product, can still be produced. If the second outflow product cannot be produced, the operation of the rolling mill is altered from a continuous operation to a discontinuous operation, whereby production failures caused by undesired process deviations in a rolling mill can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Matthias Kurz, Hans-Ulrich Löffler
  • Publication number: 20130139992
    Abstract: A combined continuous casting and rolling system, a control device for such system, and a method for producing rolling stock, e.g., metal strip, using such system are disclosed. The combined continuous casting and rolling system may include a casting device for casting metal and a roll train having at least one roll stand for hot forming the rolling stock, wherein the system is operated such that the rolling stock extends continuously between the casting device and the roll train, wherein rolling stock is continually supplied to the roll train, and wherein a predetermined target thickness progression for the rolling stock is predetermined. Because the thickness progression has at least two different target thicknesses for different sections in the longitudinal direction of the rolling stock and the thickness progression is designed such that particular target thicknesses are set at least twice, longitudinally profiled rolling stock may be produced relatively inexpensively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventor: Günther Winter
  • Publication number: 20130112365
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing elongated rolled products contains a steelmaking station for producing liquid metal having at a first production rate, a rolling mill having a second production rate, and a continuous casting station located between the steelmaking station and the rolling mill. The continuous casting station contains at least two casting lines, each line being operable to produce elongated intermediate products. A first casting line is directly aligned with the rolling mill to feed the rolling mill with casted products, and at least one second casting line not aligned with the rolling mill and not feeding the rolling mill. The apparatus further contains a varying device for varying simultaneously the production rate of the first casting line and the production rate of the at least one second casting line depending on a difference between the steelmaking station production rate and the rolling mill production rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: SIEMENS VAI METALS TECHNOLOGIES S.R.L.
    Inventors: Ezio Colombo, Ugo Zanelli
  • Patent number: 8381797
    Abstract: Skin material of a clad material is composed of one or more layers, each layer of the skin materials is made of a metal different from the core material in their component compositions, and at least one layer of the skin material has a cast microstructure, when the skin material is superposed on either of one or both faces of the core material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Takada, Yasuhiro Nishioka, Tomohiro Nishimura, Kenji Tokuda, Toshiki Ueda, Makoto Morishita, Takashi Inaba, Akihiro Tsuruno, Yoshinori Kato, Fumihiro Koshigoe, Masaki Tanigawa, Naoki Sakashita, Kenji Harada, Jitsuto Shikata, Masanori Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8365806
    Abstract: A method and a device for producing a metal strip by continuous casting and rolling, in which a thin slab is initially cast into a casting machine, and is subsequently rolled in at least one rolling train using primary heat from the casting cycle. The cast thin slab is passed between the casting machine and the at least one rolling train and at least one holding oven as well as at least one induction oven. The holding oven and the induction oven are activated or deactivated according to a selected mode of operation, that is, a first mode of operation for the continuous production of the metal strip and a second mode of operation for the discontinuous production of the metal strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: SMS Siemag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Dieter Rosenthal, Stephan Krämer, Jürgen Seidel, Frank Benfer
  • Patent number: 8338073
    Abstract: A lithographic printing plate support in which surface unevenness due to surface treatment has been suppressed and a presensitized plate of excellent sensitivity are produced from an aluminum alloy plate containing iron, silicon, titanium and boron by specifying the state in which TiB2 particles are present in the surface layer and the width of the crystal grains, and by having specific indicators relating to the respective concentrations of iron and silicon in the surface layer following graining treatment fall within specific ranges. In a method of manufacturing the lithographic printing plate support, an aluminum alloy melt having specified alloying ingredients is subjected to a specified casting process to have the amount of the alloying ingredients in solid solution following cold rolling fall within specified ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Sawada, Akio Uesugi