Patent ID: 6374901
Filing Date: 2002-04-23
Classification: B21B,C21D

Abstract:
In or for use in a continuous casting steel mill having a caster for producing steel castings, severing means downstream of the caster for transversely severing castings emanating from the caster, a reheat furnace downstream of the severing means, and a conveyor for conveying castings from the caster to the reheat furnace;quench apparatus located in-line downstream of the caster and upstream of the reheat furnace for quenching a surface layer of the casting to a selected depth of penetration so as to transform austenite in the surface of the casting to a non-austenitic microstructure, said quench apparatus comprising: (a) an array of spray nozzles arranged in transversely separated groups above and below castings passing therebetween; (b) at least one valve for each group for controlling the amount of spray provided by each group to the castings passing therebetween; (c) a control unit for controlling the valves thereby to regulate the amount of spray provided by each group, in response to selected parameters including casting width and casting speed; thereby to provide transversely differentiated spray to the castings being quenched.