Patent ID: 6056041
Filing Date: 2000-05-02
Classification: B22D,G01K

Abstract:
A method of controlling a temperature of a surface of a direct chill cast ingot cast in a casting machine having an open-ended mould provided with a bottom block during early stages of casting as said ingot emerges from said open-ended mould, the method comprising:directing a flow of a coolant onto at least one surface of an ingot emerging from an open-ended mould to impinge on said surface at a normal impingement point and to cool said surface,measuring a surface temperature on said emerging ingot at at least one measurement location which is at a predetermined position sufficiently close to said normal impingement point that said surface temperature is affected by said flow of coolant, to generate a measured surface temperature,determining the length of said ingot, being the displacement of the bottom block of said casting machine from an initial position at the start of the cast, corresponding to each said surface temperature measurement,and using said measured surface temperature to control a casting variable and thereby to control said temperature of said surface.