With Metal Working Patents (Class 164/476)
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Patent number: 7575041Abstract: Horizontally continuously cast aluminum alloy rods excellent in quality are efficiently manufactured using a melting/holding furnace (101) to produce molten aluminum alloy, a molten-metal treatment apparatus (201) to remove aluminum oxide and hydrogen gas from the molten aluminum alloy, a horizontally continuously casting apparatus (301) to cast the treated molten aluminum alloy into horizontally continuously cast aluminum alloy rods, a cutting machine (408A, 408B) to cut to a standard length the cast rods, a first straightening apparatus (1001) to straighten bend of the cut rods, a peeling apparatus (1101) to peel skin portions of the straightened rods, a nondestructive inspection apparatus (1401) to inspect surface and internal portions of the peeled rods, a sorting apparatus (1501) to sort the inspected rods judged non-defective based on results of the nondestructive inspection step and a packing apparatus to pack the sorted rods, and continuously using at least the first straightening apparatus (1001) etType: GrantFiled: March 26, 2004Date of Patent: August 18, 2009Assignee: Showda Denko K.K.Inventors: Yasuhide Odashima, Satoshi Fujii, Shigeru Yanagimoto
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Publication number: 20090165897Abstract: Substantially austenitic steel having high strength and good formability for cold rolling including (in weight percent): 0.05 to 1.0% C; 11.0 to 14.9% Mn; 1.0 to 5.0% Al; O to 2.5% Ni the remainder being iron and unavoidable impurities, wherein the microstructure includes at least 75% in volume of austenite, and wherein (Ni+Mn) is from 11.0 to 15.9%.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 1, 2006Publication date: July 2, 2009Applicant: Corus Staal BVInventor: Calum McEwan
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Publication number: 20090061354Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2008Publication date: March 5, 2009Applicant: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Hirokazu SAWADA, Akio Uesugi
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Publication number: 20080311423Abstract: The invention is to provide a magnesium alloy material such as a magnesium alloy cast material or a magnesium alloy rolled material, excellent in mechanical characteristics and surface precision, a producing method capable of stably producing such material, a magnesium alloy formed article utilizing the rolled material, and a producing method therefor. The invention provides a producing method for a magnesium alloy material, including a melting step of melting a magnesium alloy in a melting furnace to obtain a molten metal, a transfer step of transferring the molten metal from the melting furnace to a molten metal reservoir, and a casting step of supplying a movable mold with the molten metal from the molten metal reservoir, through a pouring gate, and solidifying the molten metal to continuously produce a cast material. In a process from the melting step to the casting step, parts contacted by the molten metal are formed by a low-oxygen material having an oxygen content of 20 mass % or less.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2005Publication date: December 18, 2008Inventors: Masatada Numano, Yoshihiro Nakai, Toshiya Ikeda, Taichiro Nishikawa
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Publication number: 20080251232Abstract: Process and ultracompact plant for continuous production of hot rolled steel strip comprising an ingot mould (15) which produces a very thin slab at a speed between 4 and 16 m/min, wherein the thickness of the oairrow sides is between 15 and 50 mm with a central swelling. Such slab has a core in which the steel is still liquid; it is run through a vertical pre-rolling device (16) which reduces the thickness of the slab, hence flattening it. The solidified slab can thus undergo a first light rolling process by means of a pinch roll (17) and, by forming a free curve, it moves to a horizontal position where it can undergo a second light rolling process by means of another pinch roll (22?), a heating process (if required) in an inductor (50), a superficial descaling process and a series of reductions in a rolling mill made up of at least three stands (20?, 20?, 20??), thereby maintaining its temperature along the train above the Ar3 recrystallization point.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2006Publication date: October 16, 2008Inventors: Gianpietro Benedetti, Alfredo Poloni, Nuredin Kapaj
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Publication number: 20080216985Abstract: A method for producing high-quality grain oriented magnetic steel sheet utilizes a steel alloy with (in wt %) Si: 2.5-4.0%, C: 0.02-0.10%, Al: 0.01-0.065%, N: 0.003-0.015%. The method utilizes an operational sequence whose individual steps (secondary metallurgical treatment of the molten metal, continuous casting of the molten metal into a strand, dividing of the strand into thin slabs, heating of the thin slabs, continuous hot rolling of the thin slabs into hot strip, cooling of the hot strip, coiling of the hot strip, cold rolling of the hot strip into cold strip, recrystallization and decarburization annealing of the cold strip, application of an annealing separator, final annealing of the recrystallization and decarburization annealed cold strip to form a Goss texture) are harmonized with one another, so that a magnetic steel sheet with optimized electromagnetic properties is obtained using conventional apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2006Publication date: September 11, 2008Inventors: Klaus Gunther, Ludger Lahn, Andreas Ploch, Eberhard Sowka
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Publication number: 20080138640Abstract: A method of producing a long magnesium material excellent in the plastic workability and a long magnesium material obtained according to the producing method are provided. Pure magnesium or a magnesium alloy is cast to prepare a cast material and, to the cast material, the plastic working is applied to prepare a long processed material. The plastic working includes a hot process that accompanies a cross sectional area reduction and is applied at a temperature of 250° C. or more. When the hot process is applied, during the process, in the vicinity of a surface of a workpiece, an oxide is generated and present there. The oxide, when the plastic working (secondary working) such as drawing and forging is applied to the formed material, may be a starting point of the crack or disconnection.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2006Publication date: June 12, 2008Inventors: Taichiro Nishikawa, Yoshihiro Nakai
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Publication number: 20080110592Abstract: Taught is a method for producing 700 MPa high strength weathering steel, comprising employing a thin slab casting and rolling technology, comprising (a) smelting at a charging temperature to produce molten steel, (b) refining said molten steel at a tapping temperature, (c) thin slab continuous casting of a casting billet, (d) soaking of said casting billet, (e) hot continuous rolling of said casting billet at a finishing temperature, (f) laminar cooling of said casting billet, and (g) coiling of said casting billet at a coiling temperature, wherein C is present in the molten steel in the range of from 0.03 to 0.07 percent by weight; Si is present in the molten steel in the range of from 0.3 to 0.5 percent by weight; Mn is present in the molten steel in the range of from 0.6 to 1.6 percent by weight; P is present in the molten steel in the range of less or equal to 0.04 percent by weight; S is present in the molten steel in the range of less or equal to 0.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2007Publication date: May 15, 2008Applicant: GUANGZHOU ZHUJIANG STEEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Xinping MAO, Zhenyuan LIN, Kexin LI, Jixiang GAO, Yijun LIU, Qilin CHEN, Jinsong XIE
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Publication number: 20080105399Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a cast steel strip of preferably hot crack-sensitive or hot-brittle steel quality by means of a strip casting plant and to a strip casting plant for carrying out this method. In this case, steel melt is conducted into a melt space formed by two casting rolls and two sideplates, slab shells are formed in the melt space on cooled surface areas of the casting rolls and are brought together in the strip forming cross section between the casting rolls to form an at least partly solidified steel strip, the cast steel strip is then guided along the surface area of one of the two casting rolls from a vertical casting direction into an essentially horizontal transport direction, and the cast steel strip is supplied essentially horizontally on a transport device to a strip winding device and is wound there into a coil.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2005Publication date: May 8, 2008Inventors: Gerald Hohenbichler, Gerald Eckerstorfer, Michael Zahedi
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Patent number: 7367104Abstract: The invention relates to a method for production of a metal strip from a strip (6), cast directly from molten metal (4), whereby a trimming of the strip edges (9, 9?) of the strip (6) is carried out, characterised in that the strip edges (9, 9?) are cooled before the trimming in such way as to render said edges more brittle than the rest of the strip (6). The invention further relates to a unit for processing a thin metal strip (6), arising from the casting of thin strips directly from molten metal, characterised in comprising a unit for the controlled, exclusive or preferential cooling of the strip edges (9, 9?) of the strip (6).Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2002Date of Patent: May 6, 2008Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH & Co.Inventors: Gerald Hohenbichler, Jean-Michel Damasse
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Patent number: 7341096Abstract: The invention relates to a method for processing a continuously cast metal slab or strip, in which the slab or strip is passed between a set of rotating rolls of a rolling mill stand in order to roll the slab or strip. According to the invention, the rolls of the rolling mill stand have different peripheral velocities, and the difference in peripheral velocity is at least 5% and at most 100%, and the thickness of the slab or strip is reduced by at most 15% for each pass. The invention also relates to metal plate or strip produced using this method.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2002Date of Patent: March 11, 2008Assignee: Corus Technology BVInventor: Menno Rutger Van Der Winden
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Patent number: 7318267Abstract: Arranged are a twin- or single-roll continuous casting machine supplied with molten metal from a tundish arranged above so as to continuously cast a strip with a predetermined width, a trimmer arranged downstream of the continuous casting machine to trim widthwise edges of the strip and a rolling mill arranged downstream of the trimmer.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2003Date of Patent: January 15, 2008Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.Inventor: Hisashi Honjou
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Patent number: 7181822Abstract: A hot rolling mill and method for operating the hot rolling mill where the shape of the strip is controlled by localized cooling devices positioned at intervals along work rolls in at least three lateral zones, a central and two edge zones, and capable of separately cooling each zone to control the shape of the work rolls in that zone and inhibit the formation of shape defects occurring in the strip being rolled. Five zones may be provided across the work surface of the work rolls so that two intermediate zones can control for quarter buckles. The hot rolling mill has particular application in continuously casting thin strip. The method can be made automatic by sensing downstream of the hot mill the shape of the strip in each zone.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2005Date of Patent: February 27, 2007Assignee: Nucor CorporationInventors: Jay Jon Ondrovic, Richard Britanik, Tino Domanti, Glen Wallace
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Patent number: 7140417Abstract: Non-oriented electrical steels are widely used as the magnetic core material in a variety of electrical machinery and devices, particularly in motors where low core loss and high magnetic permeability in all directions of the strip are desired. A method for producing a non-oriented electrical steel with low core loss and high magnetic permeability provides a steel that is produced from a steel melt which is cast as a thin strip or sheet, cooled, hot rolled and/or cold rolled into a finished strip. The finished strip is further subjected to at least one annealing treatment wherein the magnetic properties are developed, making the steel strip suitable for use in electrical machinery such as motors or transformers.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2005Date of Patent: November 28, 2006Assignee: AK Steel Properties, Inc.Inventors: Jerry W. Schoen, Robert J. Comstock, Jr.
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Patent number: 7137437Abstract: Continuously cast products (12) are often provided with surface defects such as oscillation marks (17) and other non-homogeneous structures in the cast state thereof during production in a casting die (11) of a continuous casting plant (10). Defects which render a strip useless for superior applications also frequently occur on the strip surface during subsequent milling of the slab (12?) into a strip. The aim of the invention is to minimize said defects and provide the rolling mill with a slab (12?) having a desired preliminary profile and an improved near-surface structure. Said aim is achieved by arranging a reducing roll stand (30) in the area of the bending rolls or straightening driver rolls (24) within the continuous casting plant (10).Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2004Date of Patent: November 21, 2006Assignee: SMS Demag AGInventors: Adolf Gustav Zajber, Dirk Letzel
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Patent number: 7121323Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a continuous casting device for the direct shaping of a metal strand, in particular a steel cast strand (1) of any format (1d). According to said method, the cast strand (1) is only cooled by a liquid coolant (4) in longitudinal sections (6), where the interior of the cast strand (1) remains liquefied and the temperature of the cast strand (1) in a transition zone (7) upstream of, in and/or downstream of a bending and straightening unit (8) is evened out by an insulation of the exterior surface (1b), essentially without the use of a liquid coolant (4), and by progressive thermal radiation. The cast strand (1) is shaped in a dynamically variable reduction section (9) as a result of the compressive strength that is measured on individual shaping rolls (10) or roll segments (11), depending on the compressive force that can be locally applied.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2003Date of Patent: October 17, 2006Assignee: SMS Demag AGInventors: Axel Weyer, Dirk Letzel, Horst Gärtner, Wilfried Milewski, Adolf Gustav Zajber
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Patent number: 7117925Abstract: A cast carbon steel strip is prepared by continuously casting in a twin roll caster and cooling to transform the strip from austenite to ferrite at a temperature range between 400° C. and 850° C. at cooling the strip to transform the austenite to ferrite within a temperature range between 400° C. and 850° C. at a cooling rate of greater than 100° C./sec without inhibiting the cooling rate to form cast strip that is less than about 1% austenite and has a packet size of at least 10% greater than 300 ?m, is either (i) a mixture of polygonal ferrite and low temperature transformation products or (ii) predominantly low temperature transformation products, and has a yield strength of at least 450 MPa. The cast strip before cooling is passed through a hot rolling mill to reduce the thickness of strip by at least 15% and up to 50%.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2005Date of Patent: October 10, 2006Assignee: Nucor CorporationInventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannappar Mukunthan, Walter Blejde, Rama Mahaptra
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Patent number: 7100670Abstract: A method of producing thin foils of uranium or an alloy. The uranium or alloy is cast as a plate or sheet having a thickness less than about 5 mm and thereafter cold rolled in one or more passes at substantially ambient temperatures until the uranium or alloy thereof is in the shape of a foil having a thickness less than about 1.0 mm. The uranium alloy includes one or more of Zr, Nb, Mo, Cr, Fe, Si, Ni, Cu or Al.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2003Date of Patent: September 5, 2006Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of EnergyInventors: Gerard L. Hofman, Mitchell K. Meyer, Gaven C. Knighton, Curtis R. Clark
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Patent number: 7086450Abstract: A continuous casting method is demonstrated, in which a slab including a liquid core 11 is bulged and then reduced in its thickness with a reduction roll pair 7, in which case, the uppermost surface of the lower roll 7b in the reduction roll pair 7 is located at a higher level than the lower pass line 9 of the slab. With this method, the slab can be efficiently reduced in its thickness without any loss of reduction force and the generation of segregation can be suppressed at the center area of the slab in the thickness direction. A continuous casting apparatus according to the invention is suitable for carrying out the continuous casting method according to the invention. A slab produced by the method according to the invention has good quality, since the segregation at the center area can be improved over the entire width in which the liquid core 11 is included.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2003Date of Patent: August 8, 2006Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Sei Hiraki, Akihiro Yamanaka, Toshihiko Murakami, Seiji Kumakura
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Patent number: 7011139Abstract: Non-oriented electrical steels are widely used as the magnetic core material in a variety of electrical machinery and devices, particularly in motors where low core loss and high magnetic permeability in all directions of the strip are desired. A method for producing a non-oriented electrical steel with low core loss and high magnetic permeability provides a steel that is produced from a steel melt which is cast as a thin strip or sheet, cooled, hot rolled and/or cold rolled into a finished strip. The finished strip is further subjected to at least one annealing treatment wherein the magnetic properties are developed, making the steel strip suitable for use in electrical machinery such as motors or transformers.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2003Date of Patent: March 14, 2006Inventors: Jerry W. Schoen, Robert J. Comstock, Jr.
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Patent number: 6978531Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing hot rolled steel sheets. The method includes the steps of passing molten steel through a continuous caster (11) having a mold after having been passed through a ladle (91) and a tundish (92) to manufacture a slab; cutting the slab to predetermined lengths using a cutter (14a) to form a plurality of cut slabs; heating the cut slabs to a predetermined temperature in a first heating furnace (15a) descaling the cut slabs heated in the first heating furnace; rolling the slabs in a reduction unit (13) to a predetermined thickness to form a plurality of flat bars; heating the flat bars to a predetermined temperature in a second heating furnace (15b); coiling the flat bars by a coiling station (16a) while the flat bars are maintained in a heated state; uncoiling the flat bars by an uncoiler (16b); and rolling the flat bars to a predetermined thickness in a finishing mill.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 1999Date of Patent: December 27, 2005Assignee: Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd.Inventors: Deung-Mo Che, Sang-Il Lee, Yeoung-Rin Min
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Patent number: 6973956Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for producing a rolled metal strip from a molten metal by producing a cast metal strip in a strip casting device and then rolling the undivided metal strip in a roll stand to the final thickness of the strip. For controlling the course of the strip, strip guiding devices are provided upstream of the roll stand. In order to provide a stable insertion of the metal strip into the roll stand at the input side of the roll stand or at the site of rolling in accordance with the strip dimensions, the strip guidance interferes or is carried out at a distance of 1.0 to 10.0 times the strip width, preferably at a distance of 1.5 to 5.0 times the strip width, upstream of the roll stand.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2002Date of Patent: December 13, 2005Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH & Co.Inventors: Gerald Hohenbichler, Gerald Eckerstorfer
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Patent number: 6945311Abstract: In a method for vertical continuous casting of a steel band, a strand (11) of a parallelogram-like cross section is cast at first in a revolving chill-mold (2) and is thereafter transferred from said initial cross section with completely solidified longitudinal edges (10) and liquid core into a band (1) with plane-parallel cross section, this occurring in such a way that an already solidified shell (9) of the strand (11) which becomes increasingly thicker by cooling is increasingly compressed in the casting direction in a forming device (4) without upsetting deformation of the completely solidified longitudinal edges (10). In order to provide advantageous conditions it is proposed that after the compression into a band (1) the strand (11) with a still liquid core (16) is guided during the complete solidification of the core merely in a forming gap with a constant width corresponding to the thickness of the completely solidified longitudinal edges (10) and is calibrated in this process.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2002Date of Patent: September 20, 2005Inventor: Anton Hulek
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Patent number: 6907915Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an installation for producing a metal strip. The aim of the invention is to make sure that the metal strip formed in the casting installation passes through the first cooling and grain texturing phase substantially without being subjected to stress and without effects on the subsequent installations. To this end, the molten bath is fed to a two-roll casting device and a cast metal strip is formed in the casting gap between two casting rolls whose rotational axes lie in a horizontal plane (two-roll casting method), the thickness of the cast strip ranging between 1.0 to 20 mm, preferably between 1.5 to 12 mm. The cast metal strip that freely emerges downwards from the two-roll casting installation is directly deflected from the vertical casting direction to a substantially horizontal transport direction. The metal strip is taken up and conveyed in a controlled manner by means of a first drive roll stand that operates at a first transport speed.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2001Date of Patent: June 21, 2005Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH & Co.Inventors: Gerald Hohenbichler, Heinrich Pühringer, Gerhard Finstermann, Ernest Fuhrmann
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Patent number: 6896034Abstract: A method of controlling a continuous steel strip casting process based on customer-specified requirements includes a general purpose computer in which product specifications of steel product ordered by a customer is entered. The computer is configured to automatically map the product specifications to process parameters/set points for controlling the continuous steel strip casting process in a manner to produce the customer ordered product, and in one embodiment produces a process change report detailing such process parameters/set points for operator use in physically implementing such process parameters/set points in the strip casting process. Alternatively, the computer may provide the process parameters/set points directly to the strip casting process for automatic control thereof in producing the customer ordered steel product.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2003Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: Nucor CorporationInventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannapar Mukunthan, Walter Bleide, Rama Mahapatra
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Patent number: 6883584Abstract: A method for producing a steel beam blank includes continuously casting a steel beam blank strand and cooling the steel beam blank strand in a secondary cooling zone. The steel beam blank strand is guided in a vertical casting plane along a curved path having its web perpendicular to the vertical casting plane, so that each of the lateral flanges has an intrados flange tip and an extrados flange tip. The method further includes straightening the steel beam blank strand behind the secondary cooling zone. When being straightened, the intrados flange tips are selectively reheated between the secondary cooling and the straightening of the steel beam blank strand via an external energy supply focused on the intrados flange tips. In this manner, transverse cracks in the intrados flange tips may be reliably avoided.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2002Date of Patent: April 26, 2005Assignee: ProfilARBED S.A.Inventors: Henri Grober, Boris Donnay, René Creutz, Pierre Michels, Marc Mertens, Charles Prum, Marc Klees, Nicolas Bonifas
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Patent number: 6871693Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for the continuous casting of slabs or ingots, in particular of thin slabs in a continuous casting installation. Said installation comprises a soft reduction section in a continuous casting guide under the mould. The soft reduction section contains pressure rollers and support roller (3, 4), which are continuously restrained in relation to one another, either individually or as a segment (1), by means of hydraulic cylinders (7, 7?) and are restrained in a limiting manner by stops (30). The installation uses a hard-pressure restraining force in an area of the soft reduction section that has not yet completely solidified and a soft-pressure restraining force in an area of the soft reduction section that has completely solidified.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2001Date of Patent: March 29, 2005Assignee: SMS Demag AGInventors: Werner Rahmfeld, Jacob Wetter
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Patent number: 6832432Abstract: A hot-rolling mill for flat products with at least two continuous casting units, wherein the continuous casting units are followed by a shear each and a tunnel furnace with transfer car each, a common breaking-down train, a finishing train, a cooling stretch and at least one reeling device. A connecting device is arranged between the tunnel furnaces and the breaking-down train for connecting the continuously cast slabs which have been cut into the desired coil weights.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2002Date of Patent: December 21, 2004Assignee: SMS Schloemann-Siemag AktiengesellschaftInventors: Wilfried Bald, Dieter Rosenthal
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Patent number: 6818073Abstract: Steel strips and methods for producing steel strips are provided. In an illustrated embodiment, a method includes continuously casting molten low carbon steel into a strip of no more than 5 mm thickness having austenite grains that are coarse grains of 100-300 micron width; and providing desired yield strength in the cast strip by cooling the strip to transform the austenite grains to ferrite in a temperature range between 850° C. and 400° C. at a selected cooling rate of at least 0.01° C./sec to produce a microstructure that provides a strip having a yield strength of at least 200 MPa. The low carbon steel produced desired microstructure.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2003Date of Patent: November 16, 2004Assignee: Nucor CorporationInventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannappar Mukunthan, Walter Blejde, Rama Mahapatra
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Publication number: 20040194907Abstract: A method for producing a steel beam blank includes continuously casting a steel beam blank strand and cooling the steel beam blank strand in a secondary cooling zone. The steel beam blank strand is guided in a vertical casting plane along a curved path having its web perpendicular to the vertical casting plane, so that each of the lateral flanges has an intrados flange tip and an extrados flange tip. The method further includes straightening the steel beam blank strand behind the secondary cooling zone. When being straightened, the intrados flange tips are selectively reheated between the secondary cooling and the straightening of the steel beam blank strand via an external energy supply focused on the intrados flange tips. In this manner, transverse cracks in the intrados flange tips may be reliably avoided.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2004Publication date: October 7, 2004Inventors: Henri Grober, Boris Donnay, Rene Creutz, Pierre Michels, Marc Mertens, Charles Prum, Marc Klees, Nicolas Bonifas
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Publication number: 20040188057Abstract: In a method for vertical continuous casting of a steel band, a strand (11) of a parallelogram-like cross section is cast at first in a revolving chill-mold (2) and is thereafter transferred from said initial cross section with completely solidified longitudinal edges (10) and liquid core into a band (1) with plane-parallel cross section, this occurring in such a way that an already solidified shell (9) of the strand (11) which becomes increasingly thicker by cooling is increasingly compressed in the casting direction in a forming device (4) without upsetting deformation of the completely solidified longitudinal edges (10). In order to provide advantageous conditions it is proposed that after the compression into a band (1) the strand (11) with a still liquid core (16) is guided during the complete solidification of the core merely in a forming gap with a constant width corresponding to the thickness of the completely solidified longitudinal edges (10) and is calibrated in this process.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2004Publication date: September 30, 2004Inventor: Anton Hulek
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Publication number: 20040129405Abstract: The invention relates to a method for continuously casting ingots, slabs or thin slabs in a continuous casting plant. Said plant comprises strand guide segments (2.1 to 2.n) whose distances from one another can be adjusted underneath an ingot mold (1) and which have roll pairs (4, 4′) that can be subjected to the action of path-controlled or position-controlled hydraulic cylinders. The thickness of the cast strand (5) is reduced by conically adjusting its strand guide segments in a soft reduction line extending up to the crater top. The aim of the invention is to improve the adaptation of the continuous casting plant to different operating parameters. To this end, at least one roll pair (4, 4′) subjects the cast strand (5) to a size reduction in the area of its liquid core (7) between the ingot mold (1) and the soft reduction line (SR line). The invention also relates to a correspondingly designed continuous casting plant.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2003Publication date: July 8, 2004Inventors: Hans Streubel, Axel Weyer
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Publication number: 20040079513Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a magnesium hot strip, in which a melt from a magnesium alloy is continuously cast to form a roughed strip with a thickness of maximum 50 mm, and in which the cast roughed strip is hot-rolled directly from the cast heat at a hot-rolling initial temperature of at least 250° C. and maximum 500° C. to form a hot strip with a final thickness of maximum 4 mm, whereby in the first hot-rolling pass a reduction in the thickness of at least 15% is achieved. With the method according to the invention, magnesium sheets with improved deformability can be produced with reduced manufacturing effort and expenditure.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2003Publication date: April 29, 2004Inventors: Hans Pircher, Rudolf Kawalla
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Publication number: 20040079514Abstract: A cast carbon steel strip is prepared by continuously casting in a twin roll caster and cooling to transform the strip from austenite to ferrite at a temperature range between 400° C. and 850° C. at a cooling rate of not more than about 100° C./sec, such that the strip has a yield strength of greater than 450 MPa. The cast strip before cooling is passed through a hot rolling mill to reduce the thickness of strip by at least 15% and up to 50%.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2003Publication date: April 29, 2004Inventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannappar Mukunthan, Walter Blejde, Rama Mahapatra
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Publication number: 20040074628Abstract: Steel strip can be produced which in spite of its high manganese content has good deformation behaviour in that, according to the invention, from a steel which comprises more than 12 to 30 weight % of manganese, roughed strip (V) is cast close to the final dimensions in a double-roller casting machine (2), said roughed strip comprising a thickness of up to 6 mm. Following casting, this roughed strip is further processed to form continuous hot strip by preferably being rolled in a single hot roll pass.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2003Publication date: April 22, 2004Inventors: Bernhard Engl, Dieter Senk, Johann Wilhelm Schmitz, Andreas Offergeld
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Publication number: 20040074627Abstract: A method is disclosed for making relatively low cost sheet material of magnesium- and manganese-containing aluminum alloy for high elongation forming of articles of complex configuration. The alloy is continuously cast with an as-cast gage of 6-30 mm and immediately hot rolled with final strip exit temperature between 200 C and 350 C, and net rolled gage reduction of 30-80% to 3-12 mm, and coiled. The hot rolled coil is annealed at 470-560° C. to homogenize the microstructure. After cooling to ambient, the coil is cold rolled to desired sheet thickness, but with a net gage reduction of 50-90%. After suitable recrystallization of the cold worked microstructure the sheet is ready for hot, high elongation forming.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2002Publication date: April 22, 2004Inventor: Ravi Verma
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Patent number: 6712125Abstract: A molten metal supply system (90) includes a plurality of injectors (100) each having an injector housing (102) and a reciprocating piston (104). A molten metal supply source (132) is in fluid communication with the housing (102) of each of the injectors (100). The piston (104) is movable through a first stroke allowing molten metal (134) to be received into the housing (102) from the molten metal supply source (132), and a second stroke for displacing the molten metal (134) from the housing (102). A pressurized gas supply source (144) is in fluid communication with the housing (102) of each of the injectors (100) through respective gas control valves (146). The molten metal supply system (90) is in fluid communication with an outlet manifold (140) having a plurality of outlet dies (404), which may be used to form continuous metal articles including rods, bars, ingots, and continuous plate.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2002Date of Patent: March 30, 2004Assignee: Alcoa Inc.Inventors: Vivek M. Sample, Scott E. Reighard, Vincent A. Paola, Ronald G. Chabal
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Publication number: 20040035550Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing thin slabs whereby the cross-section thereof is reduced during solidification in a continuous casting device wherein the stand guide adjacent to the mould comprises wedge-shaped adjustable roller-strand sections for regulating the thickness of the strand or the thin slabs. According to the invention, the thickness of the strand is reduced only on one point of the strand guide below the first segment downstream from the mould in an area of the strand containing a liquid core by regulating the strand guide rollers with a soft transition. The segment following the segment situated directly after the mould comprises a pivoting point on the input side and an adjusting means arranged on the output side.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2003Publication date: February 26, 2004Inventors: Karl Rittner, Jurgen Muller, Fernando Vergniory, Armando Villareal Gutierrez, Pedro Sagasti
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Publication number: 20040026066Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for the continuous casting of slabs or ingots, in particular of thin slabs in a continuous casting installation. Said installation comprises a soft reduction section in a continuous casting guide under the mould. The soft reduction section contains pressure rollers and support roller (3, 4), which are continuously restrained in relation to one another, either individually or as a segment (1), by means of hydraulic cylinders (7, 7′) and are restrained in a limiting manner by stops (30). The installation uses a hard-pressure restraining force in an area of the soft reduction section that has not yet completely solidified and a soft-pressure restraining force in an area of the soft reduction section that has completely solidified.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2003Publication date: February 12, 2004Inventors: Werner Rahmfeld, Jacob Wetter
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Publication number: 20040016530Abstract: Non-oriented electrical steels are widely used as the magnetic core material in a variety of electrical machinery and devices, particularly in motors where low core loss and high magnetic permeability in all directions of the strip are desired. The present invention relates to a method for producing a non-oriented electrical steel with low core loss and high magnetic permeability whereby the steel is produced from a steel melt which is cast as a thin strip or sheet, cooled, hot rolled and/or cold rolled into a finished strip. The finished strip is further subjected to at least one annealing treatment wherein the magnetic properties are developed, making the steel strip of the present invention suitable for use in electrical machinery such as motors or transformers.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2003Publication date: January 29, 2004Inventors: Jerry W. Schoen, Robert J. Comstock
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Patent number: 6675869Abstract: A plain carbon steel strip is continuously cast in a twin roll caster and passes to a run out table on which it is subjected to accelerated cooling by means of cooling headers whereby it is cooled to transform the strip from austenite to ferrite at a temperature range between 850° C. and 400° C. at a cooling rate of not less than 90° C./sec, such that the strip has a yield strength of greater than 450 MPa. The strip after casting and before cooling is passed through a hot rolling mill to reduce the thickness of strip by at least 15% and up to 50%.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2001Date of Patent: January 13, 2004Assignee: Nucor CorporationInventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannappar Mukunthan, Walter Blejde, Rama Mahapatra
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Patent number: 6655282Abstract: A process for manufacturing a strip of aluminium or an aluminium alloy for electrolytically roughened lithographic printing plates, in which the alloy is continuously cast as a strip and then rolled to final thickness, is such that the cast strip is rolled to final thickness with a thickness reduction of at least 90% without any further heating. The resultant microstructure in the region close to the surface of the strip leads to improved electrolytic etching behaviour.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2002Date of Patent: December 2, 2003Assignee: Alcan Technology & Management Ltd.Inventors: Guenther Hoellrigl, Glenn Smith
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Publication number: 20030213578Abstract: A continuous casting method is demonstrated, in which a slab including a liquid core 11 is bulged and then reduced in its thickness with a reduction roll pair 7, in which case, the uppermost surface of the lower roll 7b in the reduction roll pair 7 is located at a higher level than the lower pass line 9 of the slab. With this method, the slab can be efficiently reduced in its thickness without any loss of reduction force and the generation of segregation can be suppressed at the center area of the slab in the thickness direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2003Publication date: November 20, 2003Inventors: Sei Hiraki, Akihiro Yamanaka, Toshihiko Murakami, Seiji Kumakura
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Patent number: 6647604Abstract: A rolling system has a die having a row of separate throughgoing passages for producing a plurality of continuously advancing and parallel hot metal strands and a plurality of pinch rollers for pulling the strands out of the die and moving them in a direction along a path. A vertical-roll stand on the path receives the strands and horizontally compresses them. A horizontal-roll stand on the path aligned in the direction with the vertical-roll stand receives the strands and vertically compresses them. The rolls are rotated to draw the strands downstream.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2002Date of Patent: November 18, 2003Assignee: SMS Demag AktiengesellschaftInventor: Ferruccio Sclippa
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Publication number: 20030196776Abstract: A method of controlling a continuous steel strip casting process based on customer-specified requirements includes a general purpose computer in which product specifications of steel product ordered by a customer is entered. The computer is configured to automatically map the product specifications to process parameters/set points for controlling the continuous steel strip casting process in a manner to produce the customer ordered product, and in one embodiment produces a process change report detailing such process parameters/set points for operator use in physically implementing such process parameters/set points in the strip casting process. Alternatively, the computer may provide the process parameters/set points directly to the strip casting process for automatic control thereof in producing the customer ordered steel product.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2003Publication date: October 23, 2003Inventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannapar Mukunthan, Walter Bleide, Rama Mahapatra
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Patent number: 6634416Abstract: In a continuous-casting plant, the segments of the guide for the casting bar are replaced rapidly, at least in part, using a two-station system, at least one of which stations being mobile, so as to be able to align head on a platform provided with means for hooking and extracting the said guide with the structure containing the guide itself. Once this alignment is obtained, the guide is displaced from one station to the other, its segments are replaced, and the guide is brought back into the original position.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2000Date of Patent: October 21, 2003Assignee: Danieli & C Officine Meccaniche S.p.A.Inventors: Alfredo Poloni, Massimo Maurizio, Michele Meret
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Patent number: 6627055Abstract: A continuously cast copper ingot is made by a procedure in which turbulence is imparted to the metal/solid interface during the casting operation. The ingot is then hot worked to form a billet having a smaller average grain size and a larger diameter than possible in the past. The billet is especially useful for making electroplating anodes used in the damascene process for making copper interconnects in silicon wafers.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2001Date of Patent: September 30, 2003Assignee: Brush Wellman, Inc.Inventors: William J. Bishop, David Krus, Jr.
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Patent number: 6622778Abstract: A method for the direct production, from molten metal, of scale-free thin metal strip. Hot thin metal strip exiting a continuous caster system is directed to a reducing chamber wherein a reducing gas reduces strip surface oxides while the cast metal strip is at an elevated temperature from retained heat from the molten metal. A cooling unit following the reducing chamber is used to cool the strip to a temperature below about 150° C. prior to exposing the strip to an oxidizing atmosphere. In various embodiments of the invention, strip thickness is reduced with use of hot and cold rolling mills and the scale-free surface of the strip is coated with protective coatings.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2000Date of Patent: September 23, 2003Assignee: Danieli Technology, Inc.Inventor: Stephen L. Feldbauer
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Publication number: 20030173054Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an installation for producing a metal strip. The aim of the invention is to make sure that the metal strip formed in the casting installation passes through the first cooling and grain texturing phase substantially without being subjected to stress and without effects on the subsequent installations. To this end, the molten bath is fed to a two-roll casting device and a cast metal strip is formed in the casting gap between two casting rolls whose rotational axes lie in a horizontal plane (two-roll casting method), the thickness of the cast strip ranging between 1.0 to 20 mm, preferably between 1.5 to 12 mm. The cast metal strip that freely emerges downwards from the two-roll casting installation is directly deflected from the vertical casting direction to a substantially horizontal transport direction. The metal strip is taken up and conveyed in a controlled manner by means of a first drive roll stand that operates at a first transport speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2002Publication date: September 18, 2003Inventors: Gerald Hohenbichler, Heinrich Puhringer, Gerhard Finstermann, Ernest Fuhrmann
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Patent number: 6620265Abstract: A method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy fin material brazing comprises forming an ingot sheet by casting a molten liquid of an aluminum alloy by a continuous casting rolling method, and cold-rolling the ingot sheet to prepare a fin material. The aluminum alloy contains prescribed amounts of Mn, Fe, and Si, with the balance being Al and inevitable impurities. The continuous cast-rolling is applied under each a prescribed condition of a molten liquid temperature, a roll press load, a casting speed, and a thickness of the ingot sheet. Two or more intermediate annealings are applied midway in the cold-rolling process, with intermediate annealing including final intermediate annealing with a heating furnace in prescribed temperature range, thereby adjusting the prescribed rolling ratio in the cold-rolling, after the final intermediate annealing.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2002Date of Patent: September 16, 2003Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akira Kawahara, Takeyoshi Doko