COMBI-CASTERS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BLOOMS AND BEAM BLANKS-AN ALL-IN-ONE SOLUTION FOR TOP PRODUCTION FLEXIBILITY

• Published in: Tecnologia em Metalurgia, Materiais e Mineracao Vol. 20110515; pp. 619 - 626
• Main Authors: Peter, Kogler Hans, Leingruber, Franz, Trauner, Alfred, Shen, Jie, Berger, Karl
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2011
• Subjects: Beams (structural); Billet casting; Blanks; Blooms; I beams; Iron and steel making; Near net shaping; Reduction
• ISSN: 2176-1515

In the last few years, Siemens VAI Metals Technologies (Siemens VAI) has developed a specially designed combi-caster for long products, which offers the operator highest flexibility with respect to different casting sections and steel grades. The operator can easily transform its casting machine in a couple of hours from a High Quality Billet/Bloom Caster with soft reduction technology and mold EMS to a Special Beam Blank Caster according to the changing market demands. With Siemens VAI it is possible to combine the production of billet, bloom and near-net-shape beam blank at one single casting machine. These special casters are equipped with the latest casting technologies like mold stirring and soft reduction functionality. Latest improvement of the internal quality was the implementation of dynamic soft reduction technology on long product casters. Siemens VAI runs the soft reduction technology in a fully dynamic mode and continuously uses all relevant casting parameters in its computer model during the casting process. An optimization for beam blank casting has been reached with latest developments in the equipment design and in the fine tuned mold tapers. Siemens VAI beam blank casters provide a wide operation window with respect to casting speed and steel grades including as well as the peritectic steel analysis. Near net shape beam blank casting is an excellent alternative to the more conventional bloom casting route for the production of H-beams and profile shapes.