Patent ID: 8011418

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a metal strip from a cast slab or preliminary strip, comprising the steps of providing a device including a casting machine ( 2 ), at least one rolling train ( 4 , 5 ), and a shuttle system ( 7 ) arranged in a main transport line ( 6 ) connecting the casting machine ( 2 ) with the at least one rolling train ( 4 , 5 ), between the casting machine ( 2 ) and the at least one rolling train ( 4 , 5 ) and formed of at least two shuttles ( 7 ′, 7 ″) capable of being displaced transverse to a transport direction (F) of a strip-forming thin slab ( 3 ) or preliminary strip ( 3 ) along the main transport line ( 6 ); casting the slab ( 3 ) in the casting machine ( 2 ) or producing a preliminary strip ( 3 ′); transporting the cast slab ( 3 ) or the preliminary strip ( 3 ′) along the main transport line ( 6 ) from the casting machine ( 2 ) to the at least one rolling mill train ( 4 , 5 ), and subsequently rolling the cast slab ( 3 ) or preliminary strip ( 3 ′) using primary heat of a casting process in a first operating mode for continuously manufacturing the metal strip; and in a second operating mode, for batch manufacturing the metal strip, removing the cast slab ( 3 ) or preliminary strip ( 3 ′) from the main transport line ( 6 ) by displacing one or both of the shuttles ( 7 ′, 7 ″), in which the cast slab ( 3 ) or preliminary strip ( 3 ′) is stored, transverse to the main transport line ( 6 ), whereby the at least one rolling mill train ( 4 , 5 ) becomes decoupled from the casting machine ( 3 ); heating the removed cast slab ( 3 ) or preliminary strip ( 3 ′) to a desired temperature or maintaining the removed cast slab ( 3 ) or preliminary strip ( 3 ′) at the desired temperature prior to transporting the removed cast slab or preliminary strip back into the main transport line ( 6 ) by the one or both of the shuttles ( 7 ′, 7 ″).