Patent ID: 8893768
Filing Date: 2014-11-25
Classification: B22D

Abstract:
1. A method of continuously casting metal strip comprising: assembling a pair of counter-rotatable casting rolls having casting surfaces laterally positioned to form a gap at a nip between casting rolls through which thin cast strip can be cast, assembling a metal delivery system adapted to deliver molten metal above the nip to form a casting pool supported on the casting surfaces of the casting rolls and confined at the ends of the casting rolls, the casting pool forming a meniscus with each casting surface of the casting rolls, and counter rotating the casting rolls to form metal shells on the casting surfaces of the casting rolls that are brought together at the nip to deliver cast strip downwardly from the nip, delivering a shell thickness controlling gas to select areas within 300 mm of end portions of at least one casting roll downwardly toward the meniscus between the casting pool and the casting surface of the casting roll selected to control thickness of the metal shell without delivering the shell thickness controlling gas to other areas across the casting roll, and sensing the temperature and thickness profiles of the cast strip downstream from the nip to determine high or low temperature areas of the cast strip within 300 mm of end portions and causing the gas to be delivered to the high or low temperature areas to change the thickness of the metal shell.