Twin drum type continuous casting method

Abstract: A twin drum type continuous casting method is provided in which dimples can be formed on a cooling drum surface so as to prevent occurrence of cracks in a thin metal plate which is being cast, wherein there is no need of detecting temperature distribution of a cast piece surface nor of controlling shot particles blasting position onto the cooling drum surface. In the twin drum type continuous casting method in which a molten metal is poured in a molten metal storage portion (50) formed between a pair of cooling drums (1, 1') rotating in opposite directions to each other and a thin metal plate (40) is discharged downward thereof, a casting is done while shot particles (30) are being blasted by a shot particles blasting device (15) from at least two positions onto an entire widthwise outer circumferential surface (2) of each said cooling drum (1, 1') so as to form dimples on said surface (2), thereby preventing occurrence of cracks in the cast piece (40). Also, a brushing device (5) abutting on the outer circumferential surface (2) of the cooling drum (1, 1') cleans said surface (2).

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION: Field of the Invention: The present invention relates to a twin drum type continuous casting method as defined in the preamble portion of claim 1 and 4 in which a pair of cooling drums, rotating in opposite directions to each other, form a molten metal storage portion therebetween and discharge a thin metal plate downward thereof. Description of the Prior Art: In a twin drum type thin plate continuous casting apparatus, a pair of cooling (casting) drums, which are cooled by a cooling water circulating in an interior thereof, are supported horizontally by bearings fitted to a frame so as to be parallel to maintain a casting gap which corresponds to a cast piece thickness. Above the casting gap of the cooling drums, there is formed a molten metal storage portion to which a molten metal is supplied continuously from a tundish via a nozzle. The molten metal in the molten metal storage portion comes in contact with a surface of the cooling drums and is cooled to form a solidified shell, which in turn is led by the pair of cooling drums, which are driven to rotate in opposite directions to each other, to be discharged from the casting gap of the cooling drums as a cooled and solidified thin strip cast piece. In the twin drum type continuous casting method for casting a cast piece as mentioned above, in order to obtain a cast piece having no defect of surface cracks (fine cracks) etc. and having an excellent characteristics and quality, there are effectively used a shot blasting method, a photo-etching method, an electric discharge machining method, an electron beam machining method, etc., which are applied to a cylindrical surface of the cooling drum of the continuous casting apparatus so as to form a multiplicity of minute dimples uniformly or at random thereon, each said dimple having a shape of circle, oval, etc. of depth of approximately 5 to 100 µm and diameter of approximately 0.1 to 1.2 mm. This is known from publications of the Japanese laid open patent application Nos. Sho 60(1985)-184449, Sho62(1987)-254953, Sho 64(1989)-83342. Also, in the Japanese laid open patent application No. Hei 6(1994)-39501, as shown in Fig. 5 and constituting the prior art on which the preamble portion of claim 1 and 4 is based, there is disclosed a twin drum type thin plate continuous casting apparatus comprising a detecting device 113, 114 for detecting a surface temperature of a cast piece by sweeping thereon in the widthwise direction, a control device 112 to which a detected value of the cast piece surface temperature detecting device 113, 114 is inputted and a shot blasting device 115, 116 which, receiving a control signal from the control device 112, moves in the axial direction of the cooling drum 1, 1' to apply a shot blasting onto a surface of the cooling drum 1, 1'. Meanwhile, in Fig. 5, numeral 110, 111 designates a brush for cleaning the drum. In the prior art twin drum type continuous casting apparatus as shown in Fig. 5, temperature of the cast piece 40 is detected so that an area where the temperature is lower than a permissible temperature is detected and the control device 112 moves a nozzle of the shot blasting device 115, 116 to a position on the cylindrical surface of the cooling drum which corresponds to said area and causes a shot blasting to start. Also, it is so described there that even if there occur dimple worn-out places irregularly here and there, the control device 112 aims at such places and applies the shot blasting easily. However, if such a cooling drum as having a sufficient cooling effect of the drum surface is employed, the surface dimples wear substantially uniformly as a whole and there occur surface temperature lowered portions everywhere until it comes to a time to detect such a partial temperature lowering in the cast piece as mentioned above, so that there is a problem that a good response cannot be attained by detection of the respective temperature lowered portions and control of the nozzle movement to the position to be shot-blasted. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION : In view of the problem in the prior art twin drum type continuous casting method and apparatus as aforementioned, it is an object of the present invention to provide a twin drum type continuous casting method in which dimples can be formed on a cooling drum surface so as to prevent occurrence of cracks in a thin metal plate which is being cast, wherein there is no need of detecting temperature distribution of a cast piece surface nor of controlling shot particles blasting position to the cooling drum surface. This object is solved by a twin drum type continuous casting method as defined in claim 1 or claim 4. According to the present invention, in order to attain said object, in a twin drum type continuous casting method employing a drum device having a sufficient cooling effect of the drum surface, an area ratio of dimples formed by shot particles on the outer circumferential surface of the cooling drum is made smaller and blasting is done uniformly, thus the dimples formed previously can be repaired without a sudden change in the shape and area ratio of the dimples. That is, in order to solve the problem in the prior art, the present invention provides a twin drum type continuous casting method in which a molten metal is poured in a molten metal storage portion formed between a pair of cooling drums having dimples (D) and rotating in opposite directions to each other and a thin metal plate is discharged downward thereof, characterized in that a casting is done while shot particles are being blasted continuously from at least two positions onto an entire widthwise surface of each said cooling drum to form said dimples (D). In the twin drum type continuous casting method according to the present invention, said shot particles are blasted preferably in a blasting density of 0.05 to 10%. That is, in the twin drum type continuous casting method according to the present invention, dimples (concave portions) are formed in advance on the outer circumferential surface of the cooling drum and the shot particles are blasted in the blasting density of 0.05%, thereby making-up of the initial dimples becomes possible and there has been caused no crack in the cast piece even after a casting of 200 minutes. Also, in case the blasting density of the shot particles is set to 10%, even with a continuous blasting, there is caused only a little wearing of the outer circumferential surface of the cooling drum to endure a continuous use. In the above, the blasting density means a ratio of the area of the dimple (concave) portions formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cooling drum when a blasting of one path, that is, one rotation of the cooling drum in case the casting is done while a continuous blasting is being applied to the outer circumference surface of the rotating cooling drum, is finished, to the area of the cooling drum surface and is expressed by the following equation (1); (Equation 1) Blasting density (%) = Area of dimple portions formed on the drum surface Area of the surface of the cooling drum × 100 If the blasting density is less than 0.05%, a new dimple making-up rate cannot catch up relative to the wearing rate with result that the effect of dimples lowers gradually and the continuous casting time becomes shortened and cracks occur in the cast piece. On the other hand, if the blasting density is set to more than 10% from the beginning, there occurs an extraordinarily large difference in the blasting densities at adjacent places resulting in a problem of cracks occurring in the cast piece. As described later, however, if the blasting density is increased gradually, there arises no such problem as mentioned above and the blasting density may be raised to more than 10%. As a device that is able to change the blasting density of the shot particles largely from thin to thick, a shot particles blasting device of a centrifugal type has been effective. Control of the blasting density can be done by increasing or decreasing a rotational speed of a screw type feeding device of a shot particles feeding portion containing a centrifugal impeller. Otherwise a pneumatic pressure type blasting device is also effective as it is able to provide a similar mechanism. In order to effect a blasting in the entire width, the device may be oscillated. In the twin drum type continuous casting method of the present invention as aforementioned, the shot particles are blasted preferably with a deviation in the rotational direction of the cooling drum so as not to interfere with each other. As mentioned above, the shot particles are blasted with a deviation in the rotational direction as to the blasting direction so as not to interfere with each other, the blasting rate is restricted so that the maximum blasting density at the central portion becomes 10% or less and the position of the shot device is regulated so that the blasting density at the drum end portion and the drum central portion becomes 1/3 or more of the maximum density, thus as shown in Fig. 4, the blasting is done such that distribution of the shot particle dispersion becomes uniform on the entire widthwise surface. Also, the present invention provides a twin drum type continuous casting method in which a molten metal is poured in a molten metal storage portion formed between a pair of cooling drums having dimples (D) and rotating in opposite directions to each other and a thin metal plate is discharged downward thereof, characterized in that a casting is done while shot particles are being blasted intermittently from at least two positions onto an entire widthwise surface of each said cooling drum to form said dimples (D). In case the shot particles are blasted intermittently as mentioned above, the blasting may be done as follows. That is, the casting is started with the cooling drum on which dimples are formed in advance and the blasting is started within 60 minutes from the start of the casting. At the beginning of the blasting of the shot particles, the blasting density is set to 0.05 to 0.5%, and the blasting is done for several rotations or several tens rotations wherein the blasting density is set to maximum 5 to 10%. Then, the blasting density is reduced down gradually to come to 0.05 to 0.5% and the blasting is stopped. By so doing, the density distribution of the dimples on the outer circumferential surface of the cooling drum can be prevented from being changed suddenly and the casting can be done continuously with no interruption of the casting. Further, in case a repair of dimples is done with an increased density of the shot particles, the repair is started with the blasting density of 5 to 10% within 60 minutes from the start of the casting, continued in a further increased blasting density and, upon completion of the repair, stopped with the same condition as that of the time of the start. As for the repairing cycle for a second and a subsequent time, the starting time is decided by the following equation (2) by use of the previous blasting condition; (Equation 2) Pause period T (min) ≦ 2.3 × log {1+Σ(Blasting density (%) × Rotation number/100)} × 100-40 Provided that the pause period, being a period in which wearing of the dimples occurs, is set to maximum 60 minutes. That is, if the blasting is continued with a certain blasting density so that the dimples are overlapped one on another additionally, there occurs a waste shot in which a new dimple is formed on a previously formed one and a cumulative dimple density can be approximated by the following equation (3); (Equation 3) Cumulative dimple density (%) = 2.3 × log {1+Σ×(Blasting density (%) × Rotation number/100)} × 100 If the dimples are to be formed by one time of the cumulative dimple density, as shown by the above Equation 3, prevention of cracks will be possible with the cumulative dimple density of 30%, however, the repairing effect is lost quickly. Thus, with the cumulative dimple density of 40% or more, there arises firstly a surplus in the repairing effect and pause of the blasting for repair becomes possible. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of an apparatus used for a twin drum type continuous casting method according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line A-A' of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an explanatory view showing a state where dimples are formed by shot particles according tot the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state of distribution of shot particle dispersion in the twin drum type continuous casting method of the present invention. Fig. 5 is an explanatory view of a prior art twin ' drum type continuous casting apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS: Embodiments according to a twin drum type continuous casting method of the present invention are described below concretely with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. (First embodiment) A first embodiment is described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. In Figs. 1 to 3, numerals 1, 1' designate water-cooled cooling drums, arranged to oppose to each other, each having a cooling water passage therein and being of diameter of 1200 mm and width of 800 mm, and one of said drums 1' is a movable drum which is movable relative to the other drum 1 in the direction connecting the axes of both drums 1, 1'. Both said cooling drums 1, 1' rotate around the respective axis in opposite directions to each other as shown by arrows in Fig. 1. Between both said cooling drums 1, 1' formed is a molten metal storage portion 50 to which a molten metal is supplied from a molten metal pouring nozzle 51, and the construction is such that the molten metal is continuously solidified to form a cast piece of thin metal plate and to be discharged downwardly from the molten metal storage portion 50. On an outer circumferential surface 2 of the cooling drum 1, 1', there are formed in advance a multiplicity of initial dimples D (Fig. 3) by a photo-etching method, each said dimple being of diameter of 0.3 to 0.6 mm and depth of 0.05 to 0.15 mm, so as to form an area ratio of the dimples D of 30%. That is, with an area of the dimples D of less than 30%, there are caused cracks in the cast piece and with that of 30% or more, the casting becomes possible without causing cracks in the cast piece and even with that of 100%, there is seen no crack. On an upstream side in the rotational direction of the cooling drum 1, 1', there is provided a shot particles blasting device 15. In Fig. 1, a shot particles blasting device of one cooling drum 1 only is shown, illustration of that of the other cooling drum 1' being omitted. The shot particles blasting device 15 is arranged so as to face perpendicularly to the outer circumferential surface 2 of the cooling drum 1, 1' in an inclined upward direction, an angle  of inclination thereof being 30° to the perpendicular to the direction connecting the axes in the rotational direction of the cooling drum 1, 1' from right beneath the cooling drum 1, 1'. The shot particles blasting device 15 comprises a shot particles supply conduit 10 which has a blasting impeller 10a, 10b at its terminal end portion. The shot particles blasting device 15 is arranged with two units spaced from each other in an axial direction of the cooling drum 1, 1', as shown in Fig. 2. In a space between the shot particles blasting device 15 and the cooling drum 1, 1', there is provided a cover 20 for covering a part of the circumferential surface of the cooling drum 1, 1' along a substantially entire length in the axial direction, or a substantially entire width, of the cooling drum 1, 1', as shown in Fig. 3. The shot particles blasting device 15 is of a centrifugal type. Said two units of the shot particles blasting device 15 are disposed with a deviation between each other in the rotational direction of the cooling drum 1, 1' and the amount of this deviation will be sufficient if it is same as a height of the impeller of the shot particles blasting device 15. The maximum amount of the deviation becomes 314 mm between a front end and a rear end of the fitting positions of the shot particles blasting devices 15, when a diameter of the cooling drum is 1.2 m. A lining of a wear resistant material 25 is applied to an inner side of the cover 20. A gap between the cover 20 and the cooling drum 1, 1' is set to approximately 1 to 2 mm, and each end of the cover 20 is positioned 1 to 5 mm inside of each end of the cooling drum. Also, at a lower portion of the cover 20, there is provided a shot particles recovery nozzle 21 of an air suction type. The cover 20 is connected to a bearing portion (not shown) of the cooling drum 1, 1' so that there is caused no relative displacement to the cooling drum 1, 1'. On a downstream side of the shot particles blasting device 15 in the rotational direction of the cooling drum 1, 1' and on an opposite side to the side where the two cooling drums 1, 1' are opposing to each other, there is provided a brushing device 5. In Fig. 1, the brushing device 5 of one cooling drum 1 only is shown, illustration of that of the other cooling drum 1' being omitted. The brushing device 5 comprises a supporting member 4 connected to a bearing portion (not shown) of the cooling drum 1, 1', a supporting arm 4a connected pivotably at its central portion to an end portion of the supporting member 4 and a brushing wheel 3, 3' fitted by a bearing to each end portion of the supporting arm 4a so as to abut on the outer circumferential surface 2 of the cooling drum 1, 1'. In the first embodiment constructed as mentioned above, shot particles 30 are blasted toward the outer circumferential surface 2 of the cooling drum 1, 1' from the shot particles blasting device 15, thereby dimples D are formed on the outer circumferential surface 2 of the cooling drum 1, 1'. These dimples D, together with initial dimples D formed in advance on the outer circumferential surface 2 of the cooling drum 1, 1', serve to prevent occurrence of cracks in the cast piece 40 which is solidified at the molten metal storage portion 50 and is discharged. Moreover, as the dimples D are continuously formed on the outer circumferential surface 2 of the cooling drum 1, 1' while the cooling drum 1, 1' rotates for casting, even if there occur changes in the configurations of the initial dimples D, occurrence of cracks in the cast piece 40 can be prevented securely. Thus, according to the first embodiment, a continuous casting for hours can be done and a continuous casting amount per time can be increased. Also, as the shot particles blasting device 15 is of a centrifugal type and the cover 20 covers the cooling drum 1, 1' along the substantially entire length in the axial direction or the substantially entire width thereof, the shot particles 30 collide with an entire area of the outer circumferential surface 2 of the cooling drum 1, 1', thereby the dimples D can be formed uniformly on the entire area of the outer circumferential surface 2 of the cooling drum 1, 1'. The shot particles 30 blasted by the shot particles blasting device 15 to collide with the outer circumferential surface 20 of the cooling drum 1, 1' are accumulated in the lower portion within the cover 20 and then are sucked by the shot particles recovery nozzle 21 to be recovered. The shot particles which have not been recovered by the shot particles recovery nozzle 21, an oxide film formed on the outer circumferential surface 2 of the cooling drum 1, 1' by the casting, particles attached to the outer circumferential surface 2 of the cooling drum 1, 1' by the blasting of the shot particles 30, etc. follow the rotation of the cooling drum 1, 1' to come to the brushing device 5, where they are removed of the outer circumferential surface 2 of the cooling drum 1, 1' by the brushing wheel 3, 3'. Thus, there is caused no mixing of these attachments etc. into the molten metal in the molten metal storage portion 50 and occurrence of cracks in the cast piece 40 can be prevented. Also, according to the first embodiment, a supply amount of the shot particles 30 into the shot particles blasting device 15 can be arbitrarily changed, for example, by changing a rotation of a screw feeder, thereby a blasting density of the shot particles can be regulated easily so as to change the area ratio of the dimples D and the blasting density of the shot particles also can be regulated corresponding to a casting speed. In the first embodiment, the casting has been done with a casting speed of 60 m/min and a blasting rate of 250 g/min using the shot particles 30 of average particle diameter of 0.8 mm, there has been caused no crack in the cast piece 40 even with lapse of 180 minutes after beginning of the casting and an excellent result could be obtained. The area ratio of the dimples D formed by the blasting of the shot particles 30 at this time was 0.05%. Also, in the first embodiment, even in the case where the blasting rate of the shot particles 30 has been changed from 250 g/min to 50 kg/min with other conditions being unchanged, there has been caused no crack in the cast piece 40 after 180 minutes from the beginning of the casting and an excellent result has been obtained. The area ratio of the dimples D formed by the blasting of the shot particles 30 at this time was 10%. Also, in the first embodiment, the blasting of the shot particles 30 has been started with a blasting rate of 250 g/min after 60 minutes from beginning of the casting, said blasting rate has been increased with an increasing rate of 250 g/sec until coming to a final blasting rate of 50 kg/min, the blasting at this final blasting rate has been applied for 17 rotations of the cooling drum 1, 1', then the blasting rate has been decreased with a decreasing rate of same 250 g/sec until coming to a blasting rate of 2500 g/min, at which the blasting was stopped. While the casting is being continuously done, the blasting was started again 60 minutes thereafter with a blasting rate of the shot particles 30 of 2500 g/min, said blasting rate has been increased up to maximum 70 kg/min and then decreased to 2500 g/min, at which the blasting was stopped. The casting has been done with said operation being repeated three times and an excellent cast piece has been obtained. Even when the blasting has been started with a blasting rate of the shot particles 30 of 50 kg/min or even when the blasting rate immediately before the stop of the blasting has been set to 50 kg/min, same excellent result has been obtained. (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment is described below. While the second embodiment has a same construction as the first embodiment as described above, the cooling drum 1, 1' is not that formed with the initial dimples D by the photo-etching method as in the first embodiment but that formed with the initial dimples D of the area ratio of 30% by the shot particles 30 by the shot particles blasting device 15. The dimples D formed by the shot particles 30 blasted by the shot particles blasting device 15 during the casting have been formed in the same way as in the first embodiment. And in the second embodiment also, same function and effect as in the first embodiment has been obtained. It is to be noted that while the cooling drum 1, 1' having initial dimples D on the outer circumferential surface are used in the first and second embodiments, such a cooling drum as having no initial dimple D but having only the dimples formed on the outer circumferential surface by the shot particles blasted by the shot particles blasting device during the casting may be used in the present invention. In the second embodiment, the casting has been done with a casting speed of 60 m/min and a blasting rate of 50 kg/min using the shot particles 30 of average particle diameter of 0.8 mm, and even with lapse of 180 minutes after beginning of the casting, there has been caused no crack in the cast piece 40 and an excellent result could be obtained. The area ratio of the dimples D formed by the blasting of the shot particles 30 at this time was 10%. Also, in the second embodiment, the casting has been done on the same drum condition and casting speed as in the first embodiment. The blasting was done with a blasting rate of 50 kg/min using the shot particles 30 of average particle diameter of 1.0 mm and because of the brushing wheel 3, 3' provided downstream thereof, oxide etc. sticked to the cooling drum outer circumferential surface have been removed so that occurrence of cracks in the thin metal plate has been prevented sufficiently and an effect of increased cast piece production from the molten metal has been obtained. In the above, the present invention has been described concretely based on the embodiments as illustrated but, needless to mention, the present invention is not limited to said embodiments but may be added with various modifications in the concrete construction and structure within the scope of the claims as mentioned below. For example, while a centrifugal type of the shot particles blasting device has been used in the embodiments, a pneumatic pressure type blasting device may be used instead. Also, an angle of 30° as the inclination angle  of the shot particles blasting device 15 to the rotational direction of the cooling drum 1, 1' from right beneath the cooling drum 1, 1' has been employed in the embodiments, said angle  is appropriate if it is 15 to 50° so as not to interfere with drawing of the cast piece and with the brushing. Incidentally, if the angle  is less than 15°, there occurs a problem of making contact with the drawn cast piece and if it is more than 50°, recovery of the shot particles will become difficult because of the blasted shot particles falling down through a gap between the drum and the nozzle. According to the twin drum type continuous casting method of the present invention as aforementioned, the casting is done while the shot particles are being blasted from at least two positions continuously or intermittently onto the substantially entire widthwise surface of the cooling drum, thereby without a need to control the positions of the shot particles blasting device by detecting the temperature distribution in the cast piece which is being cast as in the prior art, dimples can be formed in a low density and in a uniform distribution on the outer circumferential surface of the cooling drum by the shot particles blasting device while the casting is being done. Accordingly, by use of the twin drum type continuous casting method of the present invention, occurrence of cracks in the thin metal plate which is being cast can be prevented and the casting amount per time can be increased.

Claims: A twin drum type continuous casting method in which a molten metal is poured in a molten metal storage portion (50) formed between a pair of cooling drums (1,1') having dimples (D) and rotating in opposite directions to each other and a thin metal plate (40) is discharged downward thereof, characterized in that a casting is done while shot particles (30) are being blasted continuously from at least two positions onto an entire widthwise surface (2) of each said cooling drum (1,1') to form said dimples (D). The twin drum type continuous casting method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said shot particles (30) are blasted in a blasting density of 0.05 to 10%. The twin drum type continuous casting method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said shot particles (30) are blasted with a deviation in a rotational direction of said cooling drum (1,1') so as not to interfere with each other. A twin drum type continuous casting method in which a molten metal is poured in a molten metal storage portion (50) formed between a pair of cooling drums (1,1') having dimples (D) and rotating in opposite direction to each other and a thin metal plate (40) is discharged downward thereof, characterized in that a casting is done while shot particles (30) are being blasted inter-mittently from at least two positions onto an entire widthwise surface (2) of each said cooling drum (1,1') to form said dimples (D); the blasting of said shot particles (30) is started within 60 minutes from the start of the casting; a pause period T when said shot particles (30) are blasted intermittently onto the surface (2) of said cooling drum (1,1') is set to a value of 60 minutes or less which is calculated by a following equation: T(min) ≤ 2.3 log {1+Σ(Blasting density (%) x Rotation number)/100} x 100-40; and said shot particles (30) are blasted so that a cumulative blasting density in one cycle becomes 40% or more. The twin drum type continuous casting method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that said shot particles (30) are blasted with repeated cycles of pattern, one cycle being such that a blasting density is 0.05% at an initial stage of blasting, 10% or more at a maximum time of blasting and 0.05 to 10% at a final stage of blasting and then there is provided a pause of blasting.

Inventors: TANAKA KISABURO, WAKIYAMA YOUICHI, YAMAMOTO KEIICHI, TANAKA, KISABURO, WAKIYAMA, YOUICHI, YAMAMOTO, KEIICHI, TANAKA, KISABURO, MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND. LTD., WAKIYAMA, YOUICHI, MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND. LTD., YAMAMOTO, KEIICHI, MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND. LTD.
Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD, MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B22D11
IPC codes: B22D11