What is the process of continuous casting?

Continuous casting is the intermediate link connecting steelmaking and rolling, and is an important part of steelmaking (or workshop). The process of continuous casting mainly includes the following steps:

Preparation of molten steel: After the molten steel produced by the converter is refined by the refining furnace, the molten steel needs to be cast into different types and different specifications of billets.

Pouring of molten steel: the ladle with refined molten steel is transported to the rotary table, and after the rotary table is turned to the pouring position, the molten steel is injected into the tundish, and the tundish is then distributed to each crystallizer by the water outlet.

Cooling solidification: molten steel is cooled and solidified in the crystallizer to form a preliminary billet shell. Crystallizer is one of the core equipment of continuous casting machine, which makes castings form and solidify and crystallize quickly.

Drawing straightening: the drawing straightening machine and the crystallization vibration device work together to pull out the casting in the mold and straighten it. During this process, the billet is also cooled twice to further ensure that it is fully solidified.

Cutting: After cooling and straightening, the billet will be cut into a certain length of slab. This step is usually done by a fire cutter or hydraulic shears.

Transfer and casting: The cut billet is transported through the roller to the production roller, or directly to the rolling production.

In addition, the continuous casting process also includes the determination and control of a series of key parameters, such as drawing speed (drawing speed), molten steel temperature, cooling strength, etc. The reasonable setting and control of these parameters are crucial to ensure the smooth progress of continuous casting production and improve the quality of casting billets.