초록 ▼

The flatness of a casting belt in a continuous metal casting machine is continuously monitored and thereby also the condition of its thermal protective coating. One or more non-contacting eddy-current sensing probes are placed in proximity to the reverse or coolant side of a belt for sensing and mea

The flatness of a casting belt in a continuous metal casting machine is continuously monitored and thereby also the condition of its thermal protective coating. One or more non-contacting eddy-current sensing probes are placed in proximity to the reverse or coolant side of a belt for sensing and measuring the distance of the belt from the probe to reveal irregularities in the flatness of the belt while it travels past the probe. A deficiency of insulative belt coating can cause variations in belt flatness during casting. By monitoring such variations an operator of the continuous casting machine is alerted that the coating needs to be retouched or replaced without interrupting the casting process. Or such monitoring can alert the operator that the belt has become inherently not flat. A similar proximity sensing probe is utilized for the purpose of supplying an instant report of the initial entrance of molten metal into the casting cavity adjacent to a casting belt at the start of a cast. In this way, forward travel of the casting belt is initiated in synchronized relationship with introduction of the molten metal into the casting cavity by starting the forward belt motion at the appropriate instant before the entrained plug (“dummy bar”) which is positioned between the two casting belts is moved out of position.

대표청구항 ▼

In the continuous casting of metal product from molten metal employing a moving mold including at least one revolving, tensed, flexible, electrically-conductive metallic casting belt having a front face defining a portion of the moving mold and having a predetermined desired “pass line”position, and

In the continuous casting of metal product from molten metal employing a moving mold including at least one revolving, tensed, flexible, electrically-conductive metallic casting belt having a front face defining a portion of the moving mold and having a predetermined desired “pass line”position, and said casting belt having a back face cooled by aqueous coolant applied to said back face in the vicinity of said moving mold, the method of monitoring status of the front face of the revolving casting belt during continuous casting comprising the steps of: positioning a proximity sensor in predetermined spaced relationship relative to said back face of the revolving casting belt during continuous casting, said proximity sensor being positioned in a region opposite to said portion of the moving mold, said proximity sensor being positioned at a predetermined distance from said desired “pass line”position of the front face of the revolving casting belt, using the proximity sensor for sensing the spacing between the back face of the revolving casting belt and said proximity sensor, and from the sensed spacing between the back face of the revolving casting belt and said proximity sensor determining deviation of the front face of the revolving casting belt relative to said predetermined “pass line”. In a twin-belt continuous casting machine wherein two tensed, flexible, electrically conductive casting belts are simultaneously revolved, and each of said casting belts has a front face and a back face, and said front faces are used for defining a moving mold between them as said casting belts are simultaneously revolving, and each of said belts is desired to follow a predetermined “pass line”during continuous casting, apparatus for monitoring characteristics of the front face of at least one of said casting belts as said one belt is revolving during continuous casting, said apparatus comprising: an eddy-current type of proximity sensor, mounting means holding said proximity sensor in predetermined spaced relationship relative to the back face of said one belt as it is revolving during casting, said mounting means holding said proximity sensor in a region where said one belt is desired to move along said “pass line”, energizing means for energizing said proximity sensor with an alternating current, and means for determining variations in the spacing between said proximity sensor and said back face of the revolving casting belt for determining deviations of the revolving casting belt from sad “pass line”.