With Metal Working Patents (Class 164/476)
  • Patent number: 6092586
    Abstract: Hot rolled steel strip is produced from continuously cast semi-finished steel in directly successive work steps, in which, after conversion of the molten steel into continuously cast semi-finished steel in a stationary process, the semi-finished steel is fed directly from the continuous casting to a continuous hot rolling mill, without prior separation, and an endless steel strip of any desired thinness is produced at the final rolling temperatures usual in process technology directly from the primary heat, using certain parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Mannesmann AG
    Inventor: Joachim Schonbeck
  • Patent number: 6051085
    Abstract: The carbon content in molten steel is adjusted to be a value not lower than 0.001%, and a thin steel strip is made from this molten steel using a twin drum type continuous casting apparatus by means of direct casting. The thus obtained slab is given a reduction of not lower than 10%. The coagulated steel strip is cooled to a temperature not higher than the temperature determined by a function of the carbon content, cooling speed and ratio of reduction of in-line. After that, the steel strip is reheated and then cooled again to a temperature not higher than the temperature determined by the function of the carbon content. Then the cooled steel strip is coiled. In the above process, a metallic sheet, the surface of which is smooth and the metallic structure of which is fine, can be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Shigenori Tanaka, Satoshi Akamatsu
  • Patent number: 5992001
    Abstract: A continuously cast strand is cut into elongated billets having ends and the billets are run through a rolling stand. after cutting the strand into billets and before rolling the billets one of the billets is engaged in the rolling stand and a trailing end of the one billet and a leading end of another billet are enclosed in a mold with the ends longitudinally spaced. This space between the ends is filled with molten metal in contact with the ends of the billets and the molten metal is hardened to interconnect the billet ends. Then the mold is removed from around the billet ends. The molten metal is of substantially the same composition as the billets. Furthermore the one billet is advanced in a travel direction by means of the stand and the mold and the other billet are advanced synchronously with the one billet after enclosing the billet ends in the mold. The mold is removed from the billet ends before the hardened metal between the billet ends enters the rolling stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: SMS Schloemann-Siemag AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Roloff, Hans-Georg Hartung, Friedrich Wilhelm Hollmann, Paul-Josef Mauk
  • Patent number: 5992502
    Abstract: For producing metallic bar stock there is first of all fabricated a primary product of substantially regularly round or angular cross-section, and this primary product is then deformed in cross-section to the final dimension corresponding to the bar stock by means of shaping. To provide for an efficient production of high-quality bar stock also in a minor quantity, the completely solidified primary product is subjected to a forging operation for a structural improvement before shaping it to the final dimension, during which forging off in one processing plane a spreading-restricted reduction of the cross-section in the range from (1.5 to 5):1 is effected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: GFM Holding AG
    Inventors: Gottfried Blaimschein, Otto Hein, Rupert Wieser
  • Patent number: 5993573
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved process for continuously casting aluminum alloys and improved aluminum alloy compositions. The process includes the steps of (a) heating the cast strip before, during or after hot rolling to a temperature in excess of the output temperature of the cast strip from the chill blocks and (b) stabilization or back annealing in an induction heater of cold rolled strip produced from the cast strip. The alloy composition has a relatively low magnesium content yet possesses superior strength properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Golden Aluminum Company
    Inventors: Mark S. Selepack, Theodore E. Blakely
  • Patent number: 5964275
    Abstract: There is disclosed an arrangement and for alternatively producing a hot-rolled strip, a hot-formed pre-strip or an unformed slab, of steel by the continuous casting method. In order to obtain a high product quality for strips as thin as possible and to ensure a high operational flexibility, the following characteristic features are realized individually or in combination:casting of a strand at slab thickness in an open-ended mold having a continuously constant cross section,a first forming step including forming of the strand having a liquid core to reduce its thickness,a second forming step including forming of the already completely solidified strand to further reduce its thickness to pre-strip format, anda third forming step including forming of strand pieces separated from the strand by hot-rolling the strand pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Flick, Gerlinde Djumlija
  • Patent number: 5961797
    Abstract: Wrought copper cathode starting sheets for use in the electrolytic production of copper made preferably by a continuous casting and rolling process are provided. Refined copper is melted in a shaft furnace and continuously cast preferably using a twin belt horizontal caster and straight line rolled to reduce the thickness of the casting by about 25% to 98% to produce a sheet having a thickness up to about 0.123 inch. The continuous sheet is cut after the rolling process from uncoiled sheet into discrete rectangular shapes suitable for use as a starting sheet, as a starting sheet blank or other metal sheet uses such as cladding and roofing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Asarco Incorporated
    Inventors: Melvin G. DeBord, Harry E. Tallert, Michael D. Owsley
  • Patent number: 5954117
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method for casting metal between two casting surfaces (8, 10), such as a roll caster, by feeding molten metal (16) into the caster. A fine, uniform layer of carbonaceous material (32) is applied to the exterior of the casting surface (28) upstream of a casting zone (2). Thereafter, the molten metal is solidified as it passes through the casting zone (Z), and the gauge of the solidified metal is reduced at least 10%. The cast sleet (12) of this invention exhibits a uniform surface appearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Alcoa Aluminio Do Nordeste S.A.
    Inventor: Wilton D. Godinho
  • Patent number: 5941299
    Abstract: The controlled pre-rolling of a slab, leaving a continuous casting plant is carried out with pairs of pre-rolling elements (14, 114, 16) assembled in at least one pre-rolling assembly (10), the first of these pre-rolling assemblies (10) being positioned immediately downstream of the foot rolls (12) of a crystalliser (11). At least one data processing and controlling unit (21) governs the positioning and the adjustment of the pre-rolling elements (14, 114, 16), the final pre-rolling zone being pre-defined by a specific pair (No.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Mirco Striuli, Andrea Carboni, Alfredo Lavazza, Umberto Meroni, Giovanni Coassin
  • Patent number: 5915457
    Abstract: A process for operating a continuous casting plant with a continuous casting machine that has a stationary mold and is connected via a roller table to an equalizing furnace. After establishment of the slab format at the mold outlet, at least the casting parameter of casting speed is set so that the slab, upon entry into the equalizing furnace, has the desired roll temperature of the hot strip to be produced, and the lowest point of the liquid pool is always located in the mouth region of the continuous casting machine. Measures are taken to influence the heat energy content of the slab after it leaves the continuous casting machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Fritz-Peter Pleschiutschnigg
  • Patent number: 5913987
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a soft magnetic steel sheet is disclosed. The silicon steel sheet is made to undergo a finish treatment so that it can be put to the practical use. The finish treatment method for an Fe-Si silicon steel sheet manufactured by a direct casting method by directly contacting a molten pool to a cooling roll according to the present invention includes the step of pickling the manufactured Fe-Si silicon steel sheet, and carrying out a cold rolling. Then the silicon steel sheet thus cold-rolled is heat-treated at a temperature above 0.5 Tm (Tm: melting temperature of the steel sheet).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignees: Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology
    Inventors: Jin Kyung Sung, Moon Chul Kim, Byoung Mu Do
  • Patent number: 5901777
    Abstract: A casting C obtained by solidification of molten metal by using a pair of water cooled casting rolls 2a, 2b is subjected to temperature adjustment in a temperature zone so that an austenite structure exists in its matrix. Thereafter, the casting is rolled by an in-line rolling mill 5 at a temperature ranging from 850.degree. C. to less than 1,350.degree. C. and at a reduction of 5 to 50%. In this way, overall variance of elongation of the steel material is kept within 5% in terms of the standard deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Matsumura, Yoshio Morimoto, Kiyomi Shio, Yoshiyuki Ueshima, Toshiaki Mizoguchi, Satoshi Akamatsu, Shigeru Ogawa, Kazuo Koyama
  • Patent number: 5894879
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing aluminum alloy sheet including a continuous, in-line sequence of forming a strip of aluminum alloy and rolling the strip to reduce its thickness and to cool the strip sufficiently rapidly that precipitation of alloying elements is substantially minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Gavin F. Wyatt-Mair, Edwin James Westerman
  • Patent number: 5875831
    Abstract: A process for producing a metallic coil using an apparatus characterized by providing a cooler downstream of a heat-treating furnace in a line of continuous casting of a thin strip-like slab, hot rolling, and heat treatment and providing, downstream of the cooler, a pickling device, a trimmer, a heat-treating device, a shear, and a coiler. The method comprises the steps of selectively treating the cast strip in one of a pickling line, a trimmer line, and a shear line after the line of continuous casting of a thin strip-like slab, and permitting the lines to be operated in a continuous or discontinuous (independent) manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikatsu Nohara, Shunji Shoda
  • Patent number: 5871040
    Abstract: In producing thin slabs by continuous casting, a method is developed in which internal defects are reduced to improve a production yield. Narrow sides of cast slabs are cooled in a controlled manner to produce cast slabs having a projection in a center of each of the narrow sides to a height of 5-10 mm above the level of the edge portions, and squeeze reduction with a reduction of 10-45% is carried out while an unsolidified portion of the narrow sides of the slab is within 50-80% of the thickness of the cast slab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadamichi Kaseda, Kazuo Okamura, Sei Hiraki, Takashi Kanazawa, Seiji Kumakura, Akihiro Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 5853043
    Abstract: A thin slab that is free of internal cracks is formed by reducing a continuously cast strand having a liquid core. The placement of the reduction rolls is controlled to effect a suitable amount of reduction. The methods effectively reduce bulging strain, as well as strain associated with reduction of the strand. As a result, total accumulated strain is reduced and a thin slab free of internal cracks can be manufactured at high speeds. The apparatus includes reduction blocks which are capable of shifting the rotation angle of an upper roller segment frame. Misalignment strain is reduced and the thickness of the strand can be changed without stopping the manufacturing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Isamu Takeuchi, Akihiro Yamanaka, Kazuo Okamura, Hiroyasu Simizu, Takasi Kanazawa, Seiji Kumakura, Masakazu Koide, Toshihiko Murakami, Tadao Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5846350
    Abstract: A process for casting, thermally transforming and semi-solid forming an aluminum base alloy into an article, the process comprising the steps of: casting a molten body of aluminum base alloy comprising 2 to 5 wt. % Si, 0.3 to 1.7 wt. % Mg, 0.3 to 1.2 wt. % Cu, 0.05 to 0.4 wt. % Fe, and at least one of the group consisting of 0.01 to 1 wt. % Mn, 0.01 to 0.35 wt. % Cr, max. 0.2 wt. % Ti, max. 0.3 wt. % V to provide a solidified body, the molten aluminum base alloy being solidified at a rate between liquidus and solidus temperatures of the aluminum base alloy to provide a solidified body having a dendritic microstructure. Thereafter, heat is applied to the solidified body to bring the body to a superheated temperature of 3.degree. to 50.degree. C. above the solidus temperature of the aluminum base alloy while maintaining the body in a solid shape and effecting thermal transformation of the body having the dendritic structure when the body is heated to above the solidus temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Northwest Aluminum Company
    Inventor: S. Craig Bergsma
  • Patent number: 5839502
    Abstract: In a method of continuous casting for rolling down a cast strand at the final stage of solidification to reduce segregation and center porosity at the center of the casting as much as possible and in particular prevent spot-shaped segregation, the rolling down is started after the center solid phase ratio of the casting reaches 0.2 and the rolling down is executed so as to compensate the total amount of volume contraction by solidification and cooling of strand in the section of the rolling down until the center solid phase ratio reaches 0.9 and thereafter the rolling down in continuously executed by a rolling down gradient of 0.08%/m or more to 1.5%/m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho
    Inventors: Kenzo Ayata, Hideo Mori, Susumu Ishiguro, Masaki Nitta
  • Patent number: 5832985
    Abstract: A process for producing a steel strip with properties of a cold-rolled product. The process including comprising the sequential steps of: a) producing a thin slab 30 to 100 mm thick from a steel melt by continuous casting in a continuous casting machine, and, after a cast strip emerges from a mold of the continuous casting machine, cast rolling the cast strip with a liquid core to reduce thickness of the cast strip by at least 10%; b) descaling the thin slab produced according to step a); c) hot rolling the descaled thin slab at temperatures in a range of 1150.degree. to 900.degree. C. for reducing thickness by at least 50% to produce an intermediate strip with a maximum thickness of 20 mm; d) after hot rolling, accelerated cooling of the intermediate strip to a temperature in a range of 850.degree. to 600.degree. C.; e) rolling down the cooled intermediate strip by isothermic rolling at 850.degree. to 600.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Fritz-Peter Pleschiutschnigg, Ingo von Hagen, Wolfgang Bleck, Paul Splinter
  • Patent number: 5832984
    Abstract: Molten steel is poured into a water cooled continuous casting mold in which the steel solidifies partially with the formation of a strand having a length and a peripheral shell. The strand has a cross-sectional surface area with one of a round shape, an oval shape and a polygonal shape having more than four sides. Additionally, the strand has a minimum circumference of 200 mm. The cross-sectional surface area of the strand leaving the mold is then reduced using rolls before the strand fully solidifies. The reducing includes deforming the strand into a polygonal shape having at least four corners while maintaining the circumference as well as the length of the strand at the peripheral shell constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiegesellschaft
    Inventors: Fritz-Peter Pleschiutschnigg, Lothar Parschat, Dieter Stalleicken, Winfried Binder, Klaus Bruckner, Ingo von Hagen, Werner Rahmfeld
  • Patent number: 5810069
    Abstract: There is disclosed an arrangement and a process for alternatively producing a hot-rolled strip, a hot-formed pre-strip or an unformed slab, of steel by the continuous casting method. In order to obtain a high product quality for strips as thin as possible and to ensure a high operational flexibility, the following characteristic features are realized individually or in combination:casting of a strand at slab thickness in an open-ended mold having a continuously constant cross section,a first forming step including forming of the strand having a liquid core to reduce its thickness,a second forming step including forming of the already completely solidified strand to further reduce its thickness to pre-strip format, anda third forming step including forming of strand pieces separated from the strand by hot-rolling the strand pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagen GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Flick, Gerlinde Djumlija
  • Patent number: 5803155
    Abstract: The casting line for slabs comprises at least a mould (11), an assembly of foot rolls (12) located at the outlet of the mould (11), a plurality of containing and guide assemblies (13) associated with the vertical segment of the line, a possible extraction assembly cooperating downstream with the last containing and guide assembly (13) and a drawing assembly (16) associated with the horizontal segment of the line, the containing and guide assemblies (13) covering at least the whole vertical segment of the casting line, at least part of the rolls (14) of the containing and guide assemblies (13) cooperating with an actuator (19) governed by a data processing unit (20) to obtain a controlled soft-reduction pre-rolling at least in the second part of the vertical segment of the casting line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Alfredo Lavazza, Andrea Carboni, Giovanni Coassin
  • Patent number: 5771560
    Abstract: Method and continuous casting line for the continuous casting advantageously, but not only, of long products such as billets or blooms, whereby the solidification of the cast product (16) is completed at a position downstream of the outlet of the mould (13) and whereby the cast product (16) leaving a continuous casting machine (11) curving at a speed of at least 4 mts/min.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Umberto Meroni, Domenico Wogler Ruzza, Gianni Gensini, Dario Lestani
  • Patent number: 5769152
    Abstract: In a continuous casting process for steel, a molten core inside a strand is stalled at a specific point Q in a pass line of the strand to form a cored portion including no molten steel in the strand downstream of the specific point Q, and the cored portion is rolled by a pair of rolls under pressing into a solid strand in the latter half of a strand drawing stroke. The resulting solid strand comprises a skin formed of a chill crystal and the interior formed of a columnar crystal by addition of proper casting temperature. A through continuous casting/rolling process in which the above improved continuous casting process is combined with a subsequent hot rolling process is also disclosed. A drastic increase in the casting efficiency, an improvement in quality, and an equipment capable of freely adjusting a casting thickness can be resulted so that direct coupling between continuous casting and rolling is achieved and near-net-shaping of various steel materials is promoted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Yamada
  • Patent number: 5765626
    Abstract: In a continuous casting process for steel, a molten core inside a strand is stalled at a specific point Q in a pass line of the strand to form a cored portion including no molten steel in the strand downstream of the specific point Q, and the cored portion is rolled by a pair of rolls under pressing into a solid strand in the latter half of a strand drawing stroke. The resulting solid strand comprises a skin formed of a chill crystal and the interior formed of a columnar crystal by addition of proper casting temperature. A through continuous casting/rolling process in which the above improved continuous casting process is combined with a subsequent hot rolling process is also disclosed. A drastic increase in the casting efficiency, an improvement in quality, and an equipment capable of freely adjusting a casting thickness can be resulted so that direct coupling between continuous casting and rolling is achieved and near-net-shaping of various steel materials is promoted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Yamada
  • Patent number: 5762126
    Abstract: A steel strip (12) is continuously cast from a pool (30) of molten metal that is supported on one or more chilled casting surfaces (22A). The casting surfaces (22A) are moved to produce a solidified strip (12) moving away from the casting pool (30) along a transit path (10). The formation of scale on the solidified strip (12) as it passes through the transit path (10) is controlled by confining the solidified strip within an enclosure (37) from which oxygen is extracted by oxidation of the strip and which is sealed to control ingress of oxygen containing atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignees: BHP Steel (JLA) PTY Ltd., Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Massoud Assefpour-Dezfully, Kenneth Michael Browne
  • Patent number: 5720335
    Abstract: To suppress generation of scales on surfaces of a strip and to reduce the amount of non-oxidising gas consumed in the casting of strip in a twin roll caster there is provided downstream apparatus comprising pinch rolls 17a and 17b for pinching a strip 4 continuously cast by a pair of casting rolls 1a and 1b, a coiler 8 for coiling the strip 4 delivered from the pinch rolls 17a and 17b, an upstream chamber 19 for enclosing a travelling path of the strip 4 from the casting rolls 1a and 1b to the pinch rolls 17a and 17b, a downstream chamber 24 for enclosing a travelling path of the strip 4 from the pinch rolls 17a and 17b to a position before the coiler, a shutter on an end of the downstream chamber closer to the coiler and a gas supply source for supplying non-oxidising and reducing gases to the upstream and downstream chambers 19 and 24 and quenching means within the downstream chamber to cool the strip so that it leaves the chamber at a temperature of 300.degree. C. or below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignees: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Company Limited, BHP Steel (JLA) Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Shiro Osada, Heijo Kato, Hisahiko Fukase, Kengo Ishige, Massoud Assefpour-Dezfully
  • Patent number: 5669436
    Abstract: A composite metallurgical product includes a roll cast aluminum alloy core and a filler material bonded on the core. Assemblies joined by filler material are formed from this product by heating to flow the filler material into joints and subsequent solidification of the filler material in the joints. The composite product is made in several ways, including lamination at roll caster rolls, and lamination or thermal spraying at the exit side of a roll caster. The invention additionally provides for an angulation rolling method for varying percent of cladding on the composite, and a high-manganese aluminum alloy useful as core material in brazing sheet clad with aluminum-silicon brazing alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1997
    Assignee: Aluminum Company of America
    Inventors: Kevin S. Papich, Ronald Bachowski, Stephen F. Baumann, Robert A. Cargnel, Gerald E. Carkin, Donald J. Clements, Ronald W. Gunkel, William H. Hoffman, Larry G. McKinney, A. Victor Pajerski, John J. Palko, Edward P. Patrick, Jr., Stephen J. Rennekamp, Philip C. Scheble, William R. Sharkins, Frank P. Swigon, William G. Truckner
  • Patent number: 5657814
    Abstract: A direct rolling method and apparatus for a continuously cast slab of steel includes carrying out preliminary rolling of a continuously cast steel slab with a surface temperature of the slab in the range of 900.degree.-1200.degree. C. at a strain rate of 10.sup.-3 to 1 sec.sup.-1 with a total reduction of greater than 5% and at most 20%. The slab is then subjected to hot rolling after the preliminary rolling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Maebara, Tadao Ebukuro
  • Patent number: 5655593
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing aluminum alloy sheet including a continuous, in-line sequence of forming a strip of aluminum alloy and rolling the strip to reduce its thickness and to cool the strip sufficiently rapidly that precipitation of alloying elements is substantially minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp.
    Inventors: Gavin F. Wyatt-Mair, Edwin James Westerman
  • Patent number: 5634513
    Abstract: To provide a continuous casting method to diminish as much as possible center segregation and center porosity in the center of the cast piece, structure, a continuous casting method includes the application of reduction to a cast piece in the final solidification stage of the cast piece draw out process of continuous casting. The reduction is commenced at a point after the center solid fraction of the cast piece has reached 0.2, and the reduction gradient is decreased as the center solid fraction grows larger. The enlargement of the center solid fraction is divided into at least three zones with an optimal reduction gradient (%/m) established for each of the zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho
    Inventors: Susumu Ishiguro, Masaki Nitta, Kenzo Ayata, Hideo Mori
  • Patent number: 5634510
    Abstract: The integrated manufacturing system is formed by the combination of a continuous casting apparatus and hot rolling mills. The continuous casting apparatus is formed by confronting wide side mold walls and confronting narrow side mold walls. The narrow side mold walls are composed of an electrically conductive refractory material and are directly heated. Each of the narrow side mold walls include an upper squeezed portion and a lower parallel portion. The upper squeezed portion has a surface in contact with the molten metal which converges in width along a casting direction. The lower parallel portion has a surface in contact with the molten metal which is substantially uniform in width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Hirano, Yutaka Fukui, Hideyo Kodama, Toshiyuki Kajiwara, Yasutsugu Yoshimura, Tomoaki Kimura, Kenji Horii, Tadashi Nishino
  • Patent number: 5632325
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for strand-casting near to final size cast formats from non-ferrous metals for the purpose of further cold working, especially strips, bars or tubes of copper or copper alloys. The process includes continuously casting the melt in a vertical mold to form a vertical strand, withdrawing the solidified strand from the mold in a centrally guided manner and directly threading into a surface treatment machine, removing the surface of the strand, laterally cutting the surface-finished strand in a predetermined manner, and removing the cut strand pieces from the machine. The machine for carrying out the process has a base frame which is connected to a foundation and on which a withdrawal device, a surface treatment unit, a cross-cutting device, and a conveying device are provided in line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Eberhard Fischer, Helmut Maag, Erling Roller
  • Patent number: 5616189
    Abstract: An alloy of aluminum containing magnesium, silicon and optionally copper in amounts in percent by weight falling within one of the following ranges:(1) 0.4.ltoreq.Mg.ltoreq.0.8, 0.2.ltoreq.Si.ltoreq.0.5, 0.3.ltoreq.Cu.ltoreq.3.5;(2) 0.8.ltoreq.Mg.ltoreq.1.4, 0.2.ltoreq.Si.ltoreq.0.5, Cu.ltoreq.2.5; and(3) 0.4.ltoreq.Mg.ltoreq.1.0, 0.2.ltoreq.Si.ltoreq.1.4, Cu.ltoreq.2.0; said alloyhaving been formed into a sheet having properties suitable for automotive applications. The alloy may also contain at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of Fe in an amount of 0.4 percent by weight or less, Mn in an amount of 0.4 percent by weight or less, Zn in an amount of 0.3 percent by weight or less and a small amount of at least one other element, such as Cr, Ti, Zr and V.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: Alcan International Limited
    Inventors: Iljoon Jin, John Fitzsimon, Michael J. Bull, Pierre H. Marois, Alok K. Gupta, David J. Lloyd
  • Patent number: 5611232
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing hot rolled steel strip from continuously cast input stock in successive work steps includes adjusting strip-shaped input stock after solidification to hot rolling temperature and introducing the input stock into a multiple-stand rolling mill for rolling into finished strip. The rolled stock is heated by an inductive heating unit at least between the first stand and the second stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: SMS Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wolfgang Rohde, Gunter Kneppe
  • Patent number: 5601138
    Abstract: Method for the controlled pre-rolling of thin slabs (20) leaving a continuous casting plant, whereby the pre-rolling is carried out with a plurality of pairs of rolls (14-16), a first pre-rolling assembly (10) being positioned immediately downstream of foot rolls (12) of a mold (11), at least one displaceable roll (16) being included in the pairs of rolls (14-16), the pairs of rolls (14-16) being associated with pressure transducer (18) and hydraulic capsule (17), position transducer (24) being included. The pressure transducer (18) and position transducer (24) can be associated with a data processing unit (21), at least the first of the pairs of rolls (14-16) processing a slab (20) which has just emerged from the mold (11) with a thin solidified skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Bruno Di Giusto, Fulvio Fasano, Wogler Ruzza, Mirco Striuli, Alfredo Lavazza, Andrea Carboni, Giovanni Coassin
  • Patent number: 5601137
    Abstract: The invention provides a continuous steel plate manufacturing facility including continuous casting equipment (12) having a plurality of strands, a plurality of rows of slab conveyers (14) disposed downstream of each of the strands, and a single slab transporting apparatus (16) disposed downstream of the slab conveyers for horizontally transporting slabs from the rows of slab conveyers to a single rolling line disposed downstream of the rows of slab conveyers. A continuous slab casting line defined by the strand and the slab conveyers diagonally intersects, at an intersection point, on the slab transporting apparatus with a slab feeding line (18) which is in communication with the rolling line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Abe, Shigeki Narishima, Kinichi Higuchi
  • Patent number: 5590703
    Abstract: A method for removing a surface layer from a solidified body of metal at an elevated temperature to remove surface defects therefrom. The method comprises providing a solidified body having a surface wherein the body can have a temperature greater than 200.degree. F. and below the solidus temperature of the metal. The metal surface is contacted with an abrasive material having a particle size in the range of 6 to 300 grit (U.S. Sieve Series). The abrasive material is applied at a flux sufficient to remove a surface layer from the body, the layer having a thickness in the range of 10 to 300 .mu.m to provide a surface substantially free of said surface defects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1997
    Inventor: C. Edward Eckert
  • Patent number: 5584337
    Abstract: In continuous casting a thin carbon cast strip, the scale formed thereon is made thin and made to have a composition suited to working such as cold rolling and pressing. Moreover, an apparatus for inhibiting scale formation is simplified, and the consumption amount of an inert gas is reduced. The cast strip is thus produced efficiently. A carbon steel containing up to 0.5% of C is cooled and solidified by a pair of cooling drums to give a thin cast strip having a thickness up to 10 mm. The cast strip is introduced into a seal chamber, where the strip is held in an Ar gas atmosphere containing up to 5% of oxygen through a temperature region to at least 1,200.degree. C., and the strip is cooled at a rate of at least 10.degree. C./sec through a temperature region to 750.degree. to 800.degree. C., followed by coiling the strip in a coil form with a coiler at a temperature of at least 500.degree. C. and up to 800.degree. C. Furthermore, the atmosphere is formed with a nitrogen gas or exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nakashima, Hideki Oka, Hidemaro Takeuchi, Shigenori Tanaka, Yoshimori Fukuda, Satoshi Akamatsu, Masafumi Miyazaki, Yoshikazu Matsumura
  • Patent number: 5579569
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of making coiled plate, sheet in coiled form or discrete plate. The apparatus is an intermediate thickness slab caster with a slab storage container and inline hot strip and plate line. The apparatus includes a continuous strip caster forming a strand of between 3.5 and 6 inches thick; a cutoff for cutting the strand into a slab of desired length; a slab table; a slab storage container adjacent to the slab conveyor table adapted to selectively receive slabs from the slab conveyor table; a reheat furnace having an entry inline with both the slab conveyor table and the slab collection and storage area for receiving slabs from either; a feed and run back table at the exit of the reheat furnace; a hot reversing mill for reducing the slab to a coiling thickness; a pair of coiler furnaces located on opposite sides of the hot reversing mill; and a finishing line downstream of the pair of coiler furnaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Tippins Incorporated
    Inventors: George W. Tippins, John E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 5577548
    Abstract: In continuous casting in a continuous casting plant, a strand (2) after emergence from the mold (1) is reduced in thickness by a wedge-shaped roller gap. In order to assure upon the casting to obtain the shortest possible wedge-shaped solidified head piece (25) or in the event of an interruption in casting or a decrease in the operating casting speed a short completely solidified strand intermediate piece of a thickness (28) differing from the desired final thickness (26) of the strand, the strand (2) is reduced in thickness exclusively in a region in which it has a liquid center (20), support segments (4, 5) being so directed at all times that the liquid tip (19) of the liquid center (20) always lies in a region of the strand guide in which the roller gap developed by the rollers (8) is the narrowest parallel gap--with respect to the following strand guide and disregarding a roller adjustment which follows the shrinkage of the completely solidified strand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Hohenbichler, Kurt Engel, Andreas Kropf
  • Patent number: 5534087
    Abstract: A method for producing a Cu--Ag alloy based conductive material containing about 10% to about 20% at % Ag, that involves the steps of continuously casting the alloy into a rod followed by quickly cooling the rod, cold-working the rod to a reduction in area of 80% or more, then heat treating the cold-worked rod at a temperature of 250.degree. C. to 350.degree. C. for 1 hour or more to form a heat-treated rod, and thereafter cold-working the heat-treated rod to a reduction in area of 90% or more as defined based on the cast rod to produce conductive material having a high strength of 700 MPa or more and conductivity of 75% IACA or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignees: Showa Electric Wire & Cable Co., Ltd., General Director of National Research Institute for Metals
    Inventors: Tooru Hirota, Akira Imai, Tomoyuki Kumano, Masamitsu Ichihara, Yoshikazu Sakai, Kiyoshi Inoue, Hiroshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 5531840
    Abstract: A method of producing a support for a planographic printing plate, which comprises after continuous casting an aluminum plate having a thickness of not more than 3 mm from molten aluminum by a twin roller continuous casting method, heat-treating the aluminum plate and then reducing the thickness of the plate to 0.5 mm or less by cold rolling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Akio Uesugi, Tsutomu Kakei
  • Patent number: 5528816
    Abstract: Plant and method to produce strip (11), starting from thin slabs (29) produced by a continuous casting plant (12), whereby the thin slab (29) undergoes at least one descaling step followed by a roughing step and a finishing step before being wound in coils, the mould being subjected to an oscillation action the conformation of which is at least partly correlated with the casting parameters (at least the speed, temperature and complex structure of the steel), and whereby the thin slab (29) leaving the crystalliser of the continuous casting plant (12) has a thickness between 70 and 100 mm. and travels at a speed between 2 and 10 metres per minute, the thin slab (29), before the roughing rolling step, staying at least in a furnace (16) at least maintaining the temperature of the slab (29) for a period correlated at least with the characteristics of the surface defects of the thin slab (29), the roughing rolling step being carried out at an outgoing speed of about 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Estore Donini, Gianpietro Benedetti
  • Patent number: 5511606
    Abstract: An arrangement for operating a continuous casting plant for the manufacture of thin slabs for hot strip rolling includes at least one pair of reducing rolls which follow a continuous casting mold. Adjustable strand guide elements are arranged following the pair of reducing rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1996
    Assignee: SMS Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hans Streubel
  • Patent number: 5497821
    Abstract: Steel is continuously cast by employing a mold and a casting track. The casting track has a metallurgical length wherein the steel is substantially liquidus at one end of the length and substantially solidified at the other end of the length. At a distance along the length, the area of the cross-section of the solidifying liquid steel is reduced while maintaining the length of the perimeter of the reduced cross-section. The distance is between about 10% and about 80% of the length from the one end to the other end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Assignee: Giovanni Arvedi
    Inventors: Giovanni Arvedi, Giovanni Gosio
  • Patent number: 5496423
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing aluminum alloy sheet stock including two sequences of continuous, in-line operations. The first sequence includes the continuous, in-line steps of hot rolling, coiling, coil self-annealing and the second sequence includes the continuous, in-line steps of uncoiling, quenching without intermediate cooling, cold rolling, and coiling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignee: Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Gavin F. Wyatt-Mair, Donald G. Harrington
  • Patent number: 5493766
    Abstract: A process for hot working a continuous-cast bloom or a steel ingot, the process comprising the steps of: (1) cooling a bloom produced by continuous casting or a steel ingot produced with a mold to bring the surface temperature thereof to 50.degree. to 150.degree. C. higher than the Ar.sub.3 transformation point thereof; (2) quenching the bloom or the steel ingot in such a way that its interior remains red hot while the surface is transformed to have a bainite structure; and (3) heating the bloom or the steel ingot in a furnace followed by hot shaping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Aichi Steel Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin-ichiro Yamakawa, Takeshi Hanada, Toshiyuki Tsuge, Kenichi Takakura, Masahiro Takeda, Kenzo Yamaguchi, Takemi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5488987
    Abstract: Method for the controlled pre-rolling of thin slabs (20) leaving a continuous casting plant, whereby the pre-rolling is carried out with a plurality of pairs of rolls (14-16) grouped together in one or more pre-rolling assemblies (10), the first of the pre-rolling assemblies (10) being positioned immediately downstream of foot rolls (12) of a mold (11), at least one displaceable roll (16) being included in the pairs of rolls (14-16), the pairs of rolls (14-16) being associated with pressure transducer means (18) and hydraulic capsule means (17), position transducer means (24) being included. The pressure transducer means (18) and position transducer means (24) can be associated with a data processing unit (21), at least the first of the pairs of rolls (14-16) processing a slab (20) which has just emerged from the mold (11) with a thin solidified skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Bruno Di Giusto, Fulvio Fasano, Wogler Ruzza, Mirco Striuli, Alfredo Lavazza, Andrea Carboni, Giovanni Coassin
  • Patent number: 5482107
    Abstract: A molten silicon steel is continuously strip cast to a thickness approaching the aim final thickness of magnetic core laminations that are to be punched from the resulting steel strip. The strip is temper rolled and then annealed to produce stress relief and secondary grain growth. Recrystallization is avoided during cooling following strip casting and thereafter. The steel phase and predominant crystalline texture of the steel strip at its final thickness is the same as the steel phase and predominant crystalline texture that existed initially upon solidification from the molten state. The steel phase is body centered cubic. The crystalline texture is characterized by (100) planes of the unit cubes of the crystals lying in a plane of the strip parallel to the strip surface with random orientation of the (100) planes in that plane of the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: Inland Steel Company
    Inventor: Robert R. Judd