Patent ID: 8649986

Claim:
A method for predicting an occurrence of longitudinal cracks in continuous casting of steel slabs, comprising: measuring a temperature of a local strand by thermal elements distributed in rows and columns in a mold wall as a fingerprint for the mold; and performing a statistical assessment comprising principle component analysis of only the measured temperature values and temperature values determined in a crack-free state based on measurement and evaluation of the thermal elements, including measured data from preceding castings, to determine a risk of a break-out in the strand caused by the longitudinal crack; the statistical assessment further comprising at least one of: determining a frequency distribution of the longitudinal cracks along a broad side of the strand as a percentage and over time; determining a dynamic temperature distribution in a vertical direction of the mold along the broad side of the mold by thermal elements which are arranged columnwise; and determining a change in a static temperature distribution in the vertical direction of the mold along the broad side; the method further comprising distinguishing by an expert system between a presence of a longitudinal crack and a different defect.