US-12623265-B2 - Bridging an interruption in production in a combined casting-rolling installation

US12623265B2US 12623265 B2US12623265 B2US 12623265B2US-12623265-B2

Abstract

A method and a device that bridge an interruption in production in a combined casting-rolling installation to provide a combined casting-rolling installation for producing a hot-rolled finished strip, in which, in the case of an interruption, also thick precursor material having a thickness of >30 mm can be separated in a rapid and reliable manner from the next precursor material.

Inventors

Heinz FÜRST
Simon GROSSEIBER
Thomas Lengauer
Alexander Mayr
Wolfgang Peitl
Alois Seilinger

Assignees

Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220427
Priority Date: 20210609

Claims (18)

1 . A method for production of a hot-rolled finished strip in a combined casting/rolling installation, wherein in a continuous operation a strand of an endless starting material passes through a facility for cutting and outward conveying at a transport speed in an uncut state, and the starting material is finish-rolled in a finishing train to form the finished strip, then cooled, cut and stored, wherein the following method steps are carried out in the facility for cutting and outward conveying so as to bridge an interruption in production in a section of the installation which is downstream of a material flow direction: a) accelerating at least one cutting edge of a first cutter, thereby initiating cutting of the endless starting material; b) clamping of the endless starting material by a clamping roller pair, wherein the clamping roller pair is arranged downstream of the first cutter in the material flow direction; c) once the endless starting material is clamped by the clamping roller pair, lifting of the endless starting material to a first height with a rotatable arm of a lifting apparatus by rotating the rotatable arm of the lifting apparatus, wherein the lifting apparatus is arranged in the material flow direction between the first cutter and the clamping roller pair; d) while the endless starting material is clamped by the clamping roller pair, cutting off a strand section from the starting material by the at least one cutting edge of the first cutter while the endless starting material is at the first height; e) while the endless starting material is clamped by the clamping roller pair, lifting of the strand section by the lifting apparatus to a second height higher than the first height; f) cutting the starting material that is passing the first cutter into scrap pieces by means of the first cutter; g) conveying the scrap pieces outward; h) removing the strand section until the combined casting/rolling installation is ready for operation again.
2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the acceleration of the at least one cutting edge of the first cutter, the clamping of the endless starting material and the lifting of the endless starting material are initiated immediately after the occurrence of the interruption in the production.
3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the acceleration of the at least one cutting edge of the first cutter, the clamping of the endless starting material and the lifting of the endless starting material are initiated simultaneously and immediately after the occurrence of the interruption in the production.
4 . A method for the production of a hot-rolled finished strip in a combined casting/rolling installation, wherein in a continuous operation a strand of an endless starting material passes through a facility for cutting and outward conveying at a transport speed in an uncut state, and the starting material is finish-rolled in a finishing train to form the finished strip, then cooled, cut and stored, wherein the following method steps are carried out in the facility for cutting and outward conveying so as to bridge an interruption in production in a section of the installation which is downstream of a material flow direction: a) accelerating at least one cutting edge of a first cutter, thereby initiating cutting of the endless starting material; b) clamping of the endless starting material by a clamping roller pair, wherein the clamping roller pair is arranged downstream of the first cutter in the material flow direction; c) lifting of the endless starting material by a lifting apparatus, wherein the lifting apparatus is arranged in the material flow direction between the first cutter and the clamping roller pair; d) cutting off a strand section from the starting material by the at least one cutting edge of the first cutter; e) lifting of the strand section by the lifting apparatus; f) cutting the starting material that is passing the first cutter into scrap pieces by means of the first cutter; g) conveying the scrap pieces outward; h) removing the strand section until the combined casting/rolling installation is ready for operation again, wherein the lifting apparatus comprises: a two-part lifting arm having an inner section and an outer section, wherein the outer section is articulated with respect to the inner section, a lifting actuator for raising the inner section of the lifting arm, and a pivot drive for pivoting the outer section of the lifting arm, wherein as the endless starting material is lifted, the lifting actuator unfolds the inner section of the lifting arm, and wherein as the strand section is lifted, the outer section of the lifting arm is pivoted with respect to the inner section of the lifting arm in a clockwise direction, thereby further raising the outer section of the lifting arm.
5 . The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein after lifting the endless starting material the inner section of the lifting arm includes an acute angle a from horizontal.
6 . The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein after lifting the strand section the outer section is aligned parallel to the inner section of the lifting arm.
7 . The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein after lifting the endless starting material the inner section of the lifting arm includes an acute angle a that is less than 90° from horizontal.
8 . A combined casting/rolling installation for the production of a hot-rolled finished strip from an endless continuously cast starting material, comprising: a continuous casting installation, a facility for cutting and outward conveying in a material flow direction comprising a first cutter, a lifting apparatus and a clamping roller pair, a multi-stand finish rolling train for finish rolling the starting material to form the finished strip, a cooling section for cooling the finished strip, and a storage facility for conveying the finished strip outward, wherein the lifting apparatus comprises: a two-part lifting arm having an inner section and an outer section, wherein the inner section is articulated with respect to a support structure by means of a first joint and the outer section is articulated with respect to the inner section by means of a second joint, a lifting actuator for unfolding the inner section, and a pivot drive for pivoting the outer section in a clockwise direction with respect to the inner section of the lifting arm.
9 . The combined casting/rolling installation as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the lifting actuator is a first hydraulic cylinder for raising the inner section of the lifting arm.
10 . The combined casting/rolling installation as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the pivot drive is a second hydraulic cylinder which connects the outer section to the inner section of the lifting arm.
11 . The combined casting/rolling installation as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the second hydraulic cylinder is arranged substantially parallel to the inner section of the lifting arm.
12 . The combined casting/rolling installation as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the outer section of the lift arm comprises at least one tube aligned transversely to the material flow direction, wherein the at least one tube is arranged below the starting material when the lifting arm is not raised.
13 . The combined casting/rolling installation as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first joint and the second joint have horizontal axes of rotation.
14 . The combined casting/rolling installation as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the second joint is arranged below the starting material when the lifting arm is not raised.
15 . The combined casting/rolling installation as claimed in claim 8 , wherein when the lifting arm is not raised a lowerable roller table is located below the lifting arm.
16 . The combined casting/rolling installation as claimed in claim 8 , wherein when the lifting arm is not raised a measuring roller is located above a passline of the starting material through the facility for cutting and outward conveying.
17 . The combined casting/rolling installation as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the measuring roller is connected to a displacement measuring system for measuring a deflection of the starting material.
18 . The combined casting/rolling installation as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the outer section of the lift arm comprises at least one cooled tube aligned transversely to the material flow direction, wherein the at least one cooled tube is arranged below the starting material when the lifting arm is not raised.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a 35 U.S.C. §§ 371 national stage application of International Application No. PCT/EP2022/061187, filed Apr. 27, 2022, which claims priority to Austrian Patent Application AT A50468/2021, filed Jun. 9, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the technical field of combined casting/rolling installations and the production of a hot-rolled finished strip on a combined casting/rolling installation. On a combined casting/rolling installation, a strand of an endless starting material, such as a slab or thin slab strand, is continuously cast from liquid molten metal, typically a molten steel, and the strand is subsequently finish-rolled in a finish rolling train to form a hot-rolled finished strip. Continuous operation has proved particularly useful in the production of thin or ultra-thin finished strip, wherein the strand produced in the continuous casting installation is rolled in an uncut state in the finish rolling train to form the finished strip and the finished strip is either cut for the first time either before or after the cooling section. On the one hand, the present invention relates to a method for the production of a hot-rolled finished strip in a combined casting/rolling installation, wherein in a continuous operation a strand of an endless starting material passes through a facility for cutting and outward conveying at a transport speed in an uncut state, and the starting material is finish-rolled to form the finished strip in a finish rolling train, then cooled, cut and stored. On the other hand, the invention relates to a combined casting/rolling installation for the production of a hot-rolled finished strip from an endless continuously cast starting material, comprising a continuous casting installation, a facility for cutting and outward conveying, in the material flow direction comprising a first cutter, a lifting apparatus and a clamping roller pair, a multi-stand finish rolling train for finish rolling the starting material to form the finished strip, a cooling section for cooling the finished strip, and a storage facility for outward conveying the finished strip. PRIOR ART WO 2009/121678 A1 discloses a combined casting/rolling installation for the production of a hot-rolled finished strip. In the continuous operation, a strand of an endless starting material passes through a facility for cutting and outward conveying at a transport speed in an uncut state, and the starting material is finish-rolled in a finish rolling train to form the finished strip. In order to bridge an interruption in a section of the installation which is downstream of the facility for cutting and outward conveying in the material flow direction, the starting material is first cut, then lifted, the starting material which is following on is cut into scrap pieces, and the scrap pieces are conveyed outward. The starting material that is blocking the downstream section of the installation is then removed from the installation. Similar methods and similar installations are also known from WO 2014/029544 A1 and DE 10 2013 213 418 A1. It is not apparent from the prior art how the installation and the method for bridging an interruption in a section of the installation which is downstream of the facility for cutting and outward conveying in the material flow direction, must be modified so that even thick starting material with a thickness >30 mm, preferably ≥45 mm, can be separated quickly and reliably from the starting material which is following on. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to modify an existing combined casting/rolling installation for the production of a hot-rolled finished strip from an endless continuously cast starting material as well as an existing method for the production of a hot-rolled finished strip in a combined casting/rolling installation in such a manner that, in the event of an interruption in a section of the installation which is downstream of a facility for cutting and outward conveying in the material flow direction, even thick starting material with a thickness >30 mm, preferably ≥45 mm, can be quickly and reliably separated from the starting material which is following on (for example, from the continuous casting installation or the roughing train). Investigations by the applicant have shown that in existing combined casting/rolling installations, the lifting apparatus in the facility for cutting and outward conveying would have to be designed extremely large in order to be able to lift starting material with a thickness >30 mm, preferably ≥45 mm. Due to the large design, the lifting beam becomes very heavy and also the hydraulic cylinders become very large in order to lift the starting material so quickly that a collision between the starting material which is blocking the installation and the starting material that is following o