Patent ID: 7478664

Claim:
Casting and rolling plant for semi-endless rolling or endless rolling of a cast metal or steel strand ( 1 a ), which is cut to length as required in a solidified state, wherein cut lengths ( 20 ) of cast strand are held at a high temperature and heated to rolling temperature and homogenized in a roller hearth furnace ( 2 ) and are then fed into a rolling mill ( 3 ), and wherein a continuous casting machine ( 1 ) casts continuously, wherein a roller hearth furnace ( 2 ) that is designed with buffer length ( 23 ) and has at least one roller plane ( 24 ) is installed between the continuous casting machine ( 1 ) and the rolling mill ( 3 ) and at its inlet ( 12 a ) and/or outlet ( 12 b ) has a shearing station ( 14 ), which is followed by a descaling system ( 15 ), which is followed by the rolling mill ( 3 ), which is followed by a cutting station ( 16 ), a cooling station ( 17 ), and coilers ( 18 ), wherein the continuous casting machine, the shearing station, the roller hearth furnace, the rolling mill and the coilers are successively arranged, wherein a casting rate for a roll change is reduced so as to maintain a sufficient buffer time for a roll change between an end of the rolling of a preceding multiple length and insertion of a new length, wherein swiveling roller conveyors are installed at the inlet and outlet of the roller hearth furnace.