Specification
CASTING PRODUCT REDUCTION APPARATUS
[Technical Field]
[000 1] The present invention relates to a casting product reduction
5 apparatus for applying reduction to a casting product drawn from a mold, in a
thickness direction of the casting product.
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the
prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-4101, filed in Japan on January
12, 2012, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-137020, filed in Japan on
10 June 18, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
[Background Art]
[0002] For example, in continuous casting for steel, molten steel poured
into a mold is cooled by a cooling means, whereby solidified shell grows and
15 a casting product is drawn from below the mold. Here, the casting product
drawn from the mold has not completely solidified at the point in time when
coming out of the mold but has an unsolidified patiion therein. Therefore,
there is a possibility that so-called bulging deformation of the casting product
being deformed to bulge out occurs due to static pressure of the molten steel
20 in the mold. It is known that center segregation occurs at a region where the
bulging defonnation occurs.
[0003] To suppress the bulging deformation, continuous casting facilities
provided with casting product support rolls that come into contact with long
side surfaces of the casting product drawn from the mold and receive the
25 aforementioned static pressure are suggested, for example, in Patent
Documents 1, 2.
2
Here, to surely support the long side surfaces of the casting product, it
is effective to decrease the roll diameter and decrease the interval between the
casting product suppoti rolls. However, if the roll diameter is decreased, the
casting product suppoti roll becomes insufficient in stiffness and deformed to
5 deflect due to the static pressure, thus failing to surely support the casting
product.
Hence, in Patent Documents I, 2, backup rolls that support the casting
product support rolls are arranged to prevent the aforementioned casting
product support rolls from being deformed due to the static pressure.
10 [0004] Further, porosity may occur inside the casting product due to
solidification contraction or the like. The porosity can be decreased by
applying strong rolling reduction to the casting product during hot rolling, but
the rolling reduction amount during the hot rolling cannot be secured to fail to
sufficiently decrease the porosity in the case of a product with a large
15 thickness.
Hence, to suppress the occurrence of porosity at the stage of the
casting product, a roll segment apparatus that applies rolling reduction to the
casting product is suggested, for example, in Patent Document 3. In this roll
segment apparatus, a reduction means that brings a lower fi·ame and an upper
20 frame closer to each other and thereby can apply reduction to the casting
product.
[0005] Here, in the roll segment apparatus described in Patent Document
3, a roll in contact with the casting product is composed of divided rolls
divided in a roll axial direction, and bearing pmis that pivotally support the
25 divided rolls are arranged between divided rolls adjacent in the axial direction.
This structure makes it possible to receive a load applied on the roll by a
3
plurality of bearing parts in a distributed manner, and to apply reduction to the
casting product with a large rolling reduction force to decrease the porosity.
[Prior Art Document]
[Patent Document]
5 [0006] Patent Document 1 Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No.
Hl0-328799
Patent Document 2 Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No.
Hll-291007
Patent Document 3 Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No.
I 0 2000-312956
[Disclosure of the Invention]
[Problems to Be Solved by the Invention]
[0007] However, in the case where the roll in contact with the casting
product is divided in the roll axial direction, it becomes impossible to apply
15 reduction to the casting product any longer at the bearing pmis arranged
between the divided rolls adjacent in the axial direction, leading to a
possibility that the bulging deformation occurs at the bearing pmis. The
bulging deformation could not be fully corrected even by pressing thereafter
the place where the bulging deformation has occurred using other divided
20 rolls. Therefore, center segregation and porosity occur to degrade the
quality' of the casting product.
On the other hand, in the case where the divided rolls are not
employed, the load applied on a roll is received by two bearing parts, and
therefore it is impossible to apply reduction to the casting product with a large
25 reduction force and sufficiently decrease the porosity.
Fmiher, in a casting product support apparatus in which the backup
4
rolls are arranged for the casting product support rolls, it is possible to
decrease the bulging deformation and decrease the center segregation, but it is
impossible to sufficiently decrease the porosity because the casting product is
not subjected to reduction.
5 Further, in the case where the stiffness of the roll is improved by
increasing the roll diameter of the roll in contact with the casting product,
rolls need to be arranged at a distance in the casting product drawing direction.
This increases the bulging deformation and causes a possibility that the center
segregation occurs. In addition, reduction is locally applied to the casting
10 product, causing a possibility that internal cracks occur in the casting product.
As described above, it is impossible to simultaneously decrease the
center segregation and the porosity of the casting product in the prior art.
[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the
above situation and its object is to provide a casting product reduction
15 apparatus that applies reduction to a casting product drawn from a mold with
a sufficient reduction force and thereby can surely decrease center
segregation and porosity and suppress occurrence of internal cracks so as to
manufacture a high-quality casting product.
[Means for Solving the Problems]
20 [0009] To achieve the above object, a casting product reduction
apparatus according to the present invention is a casting product reduction
apparatus for applying reduction to a casting product drawn from a mold,
including: a pair of casting product press rolls that hold and press the casting
product therebetween; backup rolls that support the casting product press
25 rolls; and a pair of fi·ames arranged to face each other, wherein three or more
sets of the casting product press roll and the backup roll are arranged in a
5
casting product drawing direction on each of the frames, and wherein a rolling
reduction means that decreases and increases a distance between the pair of
fi·ames is provided at two or more places on the pair of frames.
[00 I 0] The casting product reduction apparatus with this structure
5 includes the casting product press rolls and the backup rolls that suppmi the
casting product press rolls, so that bearing parts of the casting product press
rolls and bearing patis of the backup rolls can receive the load applied when
applying reduction to the casting product. Consequently, it becomes
possible to apply reduction to the casting product with a relatively large
10 reduction force and sufficiently decrease the porosity.
Fmiher, it is possible to sufficiently press the whole casting product in
the width direction and suppress occurrence of center segregation without
making the casting product press roll into divided rolls.
[00 II] Fmiher, it is unnecessary to increase the stiffness of the casting
15 product press roll by increasing the roll diameter, and it is thus possible to
arrange the casting product press rolls at a small pitch in the casting product
drawing direction and relatively uniformly apply reduction to the casting
product so as to suppress internal cracks in the casting product.
Fmiher, three or more sets of the casting product press roll and the
20 backup roll are arranged in the casting product drawing direction on each of
the frames, and a reduction means is provided at two or more places on the
frames, so that the three or more sets of the casting product press roll and the
backup roll can uniformly apply reduction to the casting product.
[0012] Here, it is preferable that one of the casting product press rolls
25 forming a pair across the casting product has a large-diameter portion
projecting outward in a diameter direction at a middle pmiion in an axial
6
direction.
This makes it possible to apply reduction to the middle region in the
width direction of the casting product where an unsolidified portion exists by
the large-diameter pmiion, and not to apply reduction to completely
5 solidified end pmiions in the width direction of the casting product.
Consequently, the reduction load can be decreased.
Further, the casting product press roll is suppmied by the backup roll,
so that even if the stiffness of the casting product press roll is low, the
deflection deformation in the reduction direction of the casting product
10 press roll can be suppressed. Consequently, the casting product press roll
having the large-diameter pmiion projecting outward in the diameter direction
at the middle pmiion in the axial direction can be applied even to a relatively
wide casting product such as a slab.
Fmihermore, the casting product press roll is not pressed against the
15 completely solidified end pmiions in the width direction of the casting
product as described above, whereby it also becomes possible to suppress the
deflection deformation in the drawing direction of the casting product press
roll.
[0013] Here, it is preferable that the backup roll is divided into a plurality
20 of patis in an axial direction of the casting product press roll.
In this case, since the backup roll is divided into a plurality of parts in
a roll axial direction, bearing patis are arranged between the divided backup
rolls. Therefore, a plurality of bearing patis can receive the load applied on
the backup roll via the casting product press roll, whereby it becomes possible
25 to apply reduction to the casting product with a larger reduction force and
surely decrease the porosity.
7
Further, it is preferable that the backup roll is arranged inside in the
width direction of the large-diameter portion of the casting product press roll.
The casting product press roll comes into uniform contact with the backup
roll to make the abrasion of the backup roll uniform.
5 [0014] Further, it is preferable that the backup roll is arranged on a
downstream side in a drawing direction of the casting product with respect to
· the casting product press roll.
In this case, the backup roll arranged on the downstream side in the
drawing direction with respect to the casting product press roll can receive a
I 0 drawing resistance so as to suppress deflection deformation in the drawing
direction of the casting product press roll. Note that in the case where the
backup roll is divided, at least one of the divided backup rolls only needs to
be arranged on the downstream side in the drawing direction with respect to
the casting product press roll.
15 [0015] Further, it is adoptable that the backup roll is divided in an axial
direction of the casting product press roll, and at least one backup roll is
arranged on a downstream side in a drawing direction of the casting product
and at least one backup roll is arranged on an upstream side in the drawing
direction of the casting product.
20 If the casting speed (drawing speed of the casting product) is changed
depending on the operation status, the drawing resistance acting on the
casting product press roll also changes. Therefore, the deflection amount in
the drawing direction of the casting product press roll varies to cause bending
variation in the casting product press roll.
25 In this regard, as described above, provision of the plurality of divided
backup rolls makes it possible to support the casting product press roll from
8
the upstream side and the downstream side m the drawing direction to
suppress the aforementioned bending variation of the casting product press
roll.
[0016] Further, it is preferable that where a thickness of the casting
5 product is t, an end region in a width direction of the casting product which is
not subjected to reduction by the large-diameter portion of the casting
product press roll is a region of 60 mm or more from an end in the width
direction of the casting product and 1.5 x t or less from the end in the width
direction of the casting product.
10 In this case, since the completely solidified end pmtions in the width
direction of the casting product are not subjected to rolling reduction, the
rolling reduction load can be decreased. Further, the deflection deformation
in the reduction direction and the deflection deformation in the drawing
direction of the casting product press roll can be suppressed.
15 It was found from the experimental knowledge that if the end region
in the width direction of the casting product which was not subjected to
reduction by the large-diameter portion was less than 60 mm from the end in
the width direction of the casting product, the reduction load could not be
sufficiently decreased regardless of the thickness of the casting product, so
20 that it was hard to suppress the deflection deformation in the rolling reduction
direction and the deflection deformation in the drawing direction of the
casting product press roll.
On the other hand, it was found from the experimental knowledge that
the width of the solidified region at the end pmiion in the width direction of
25 the casting product was 1.5 x tat maximum in the vicinity of a solidified end
pmiion in a casting direction requiring reduction. Therefore, when the end
9
region in the width direction of the casting product which is not subjected to
reduction by the large-diameter portion exceeds 1.5 x t from the end in the
width direction of the casting product, it becomes hard to apply reduction to
the whole unsolidified pmiion in the width direction, resulting in occurrence
5 of bulging deformation in the casting product to tend to lead to internal
defects such as center segregation and porosity.
[Effect of the Invention] ·
[00 I 7] As described above, according to the present invention, it is
possible to provide a casting product reduction apparatus that applies
10 reduction to a casting product drawn from a mold with a sufficient reduction
force and thereby can surely decrease center segregation and porosity and
suppress occurrence of internal cracks so as to manufacture a high-quality
casting product.
[BriefDescription of the Drawings]
15 [0018] [FIG. 1] A schematic explanatory view of a continuous casting
equipment in which a casting product reduction apparatus being an
embodiment of the present invention is arranged.
[FIG. 2] A front explanatmy view of the casting product reduction
apparatus being the embodiment of the present invention.
20 [FIG. 3] A pmiial cross-sectional explanatory view of the casting product
reduction apparatus being the embodiment of the present invention.
[FIG. 4] An explanatory view of another reduction means employable in
the casting product reduction apparatus being the embodiment of the present
invention.
25 [FIG. 5] A fiont explanatmy v1ew of a casting product reduction
apparatus being another embodiment of the present invention.
10
[FIG. 6] A top explanatory view illustrating an arrangement example of
divided backup rolls with respect to a casting product press roll.
[FIG. 7] A side explanatmy view of the arrangement example illustrated
in FIG. 6.
5 [FIG. 8] A front explanatory vww of a casting product reduction
apparatus in a conventional example compared with examples.
[FIG. 9] A front explanatory view of a casting product reduction
apparatus in Present Invention Example 1 in examples.
[FIG. 10] A fi·ont explanatory view of a casting product reduction
10 apparatus in Present Invention Example 2 in examples.
[FIG. 11] A fi·ont explanatmy view of a casting product reduction
apparatus in Present Invention Example 3 in examples.
[FIG. 12] A front explanatmy view of a casting product reduction
apparatus in Present Invention Example 4 in examples.
15 [FIG. 13] A graph illustrating evaluation results of the examples.
[FIG. 14] A schematic cross-sectional explanatmy view of a casting
product press roll unit in a case (1) evaluated in a reference example.
[FIG. 15] A schematic cross-sectional explanatory view of a casting
product press roll unit in a case (2) evaluated in a reference example.
20 [FIG. 16] A schematic cross-sectional explanatory view of a casting
product press roll unit in a case (3) evaluated in a reference example.
[FIG. 17] A graph illustrating the deflection amounts in a reduction
direction of the casting product press rolls calculated in the reference cases.
[FIG. 18] A schematic top explanatmy view of a casting product press
25 roll unit in a case ( 4) evaluated in a reference example.
[FIG. 19] A schematic top explanatory view of a casting product press
11
roll unit in a case (5) evaluated in a reference example.
[FIG. 20] A schematic top explanatmy view of a casting product press
roll unit in a case (6) evaluated in a reference example.
[FIG. 21] A graph illustrating the deflection amounts m a drawing
5 direction of the casting product press rolls calculated in the reference cases.
[FIG. 22] A schematic top explanatory view of a casting product press
roll unit in a case (7) evaluated in a reference example.
[FIG. 23] A schematic top explanatory view of a casting product press
roll unit in a case (8) evaluated in a reference example.
I 0 [Mode for Canying out the Invention]
[0019] Hereinafter, a casting product reduction apparatus that is an
embodiment of the present invention will be described referring to the
accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the
following embodiments.
15 [0020] The casting product reduction apparatus being this embodiment
is used arranged in a continuous casting equipment 10 illustrated in FIG. 1.
The continuous casting equipment 10 will be described first.
This continuous casting equipment 10 includes a water-cooled mold
11 and a casting product support roll group 20 located below the water-cooled
20 mold 11, and is configured as a vertical bending continuous casting machine
that has a vetiical zone 14 that draws downward a casting product 1 drawn
fi·om the water-cooled mold 11, a bending zone 15 that bends the casting
product 1, a straightening zone 16 that bends back the bent casting product 1,
and a horizontal zone 17 that conveys the casting product 1 in the horizontal
25 direction.
[0021] The water-cooled mold 11 1s m a cylindrical shape having a
12
rectangular hole, and the casting product 1 having a cross section according to
the shape of the rectangular hole is drawn out. For example, a water-cooled
mold with a long side length of the rectangular hole (corresponding to the
width of the casting product I) set to 700 to 2300 mm and a short side length
5 of the rectangular hole ( conesponding to the thickness of the casting product
1) set to 150 to 400 mm can be exemplified, but the water-cooled mold 11 is
not limited to this.
The water-cooled mold 11 is further provided with a primary cooling
means (not illustrated) for cooling molten steel in the rectangular hole.
10 [0022] The casting product suppoti roll group 20 includes a pinch roll
part 24 located at the vertical zone 14, a bending roll part 25 located at the
bending zone 15, a straightening roll pmi 26 located at the straightening zone
16, and a horizontal roll part 27 located at the horizontal zone 17.
Here, the casting product suppoti roll group 20 is configured to
15 suppoti long side surfaces of the casting product 1.
Fmther, spray nozzles (not illustrated) that spray cooling water toward
the long side surfaces of the casting product I are arranged as secondary
cooling means, in the continuous casting equipment 10.
[0023] The casting product reduction apparatus being this embodiment
20 is intended to apply reduction to the casting product 1 drawn fi·om the
water-cooled mold 11, in a direction of the thickness of the casting product I,
and is arranged at the horizontal zone 17 so as to apply reduction to the
casting product 1 in a region where a center solid phase ratio of the casting
product 1 is 0.2 or more. However, the casting product reduction
25 apparatus is not limited to this.
[0024] A casting product reduction apparatus 30 includes, as illustrated in
13
FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, casting product press rolls 31, 32 that come into contact
with the long side surfaces of the casting product 1 and form a pair across the
casting product 1, backup rolls 40 that support the casting product press rolls
31, 32, a first frame 51 that is arranged on one surface side of the casting
5 product 1, and a second frame 52 that is arranged on the other surface side of
the casting product 1.
[0025] On the first frame 51 and the second frame 52, three or more
casting 'product press rolls 31, 32 are arranged in a casting product drawing
direction Z respectively, and seven sets of casting product press rolls 31, 32
1 0 are arranged in this embodiment.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the casting product press roll 31, 32 is
configured such that its length in a roll axial direction is set to be larger than
the long side width of the casting product 1. Fmiher, the casting product
press roll 31, 32 is pivotally suppmied by bearing pmis 35 at both ends
15 respectively, and is thereby rotatable around its center axis. Fmiher, the roll
gap between the casting product press roll 31 on the first frame 51 and the
casting product press roll 32 on the second frame 52 is adjusted to get
narrower as it goes to the downstream side in the casting product drawing
direction Z.
20 Here, it is preferable in this embodiment that the roll diameter of the
casting product press roll 31, 32 is set to 320 mm or less and the roll pitch in
the casting product drawing direction Z is set to 340 mm or less.
[0026] Fmiher, on the first frame 51 and the second frame 52, the backup
rolls 40 that suppmi the casting product press rolls 31, 32 respectively are
25 arranged. More specifically, three or more sets of the casting product press
roll 31 and the backup roll 40 are arranged on the first frame 51 and three or
5
14
more sets of the casting product press roll 32 and the backup roll 40 are
arranged on the second frame 52 in the casting product drawing direction, and
seven sets of the casting product press rolls 31, 32 are arranged in this
embodiment.
The backup roll 40 is divided into a plurality of pmis in the axial
direction of the casting product press roll 31, 32 (the width direction of the
casting product 1) as illustrated in FIG. 2, and is divided into three parts, that
is, a first backup roll41, a second backup roll 42, and a third backup roll43.
Each of the first backup roll 41, the second backup roll 42, and the third
I 0 backup roll 43 is pivotally supported by bearing parts 45 at both ends
respectively, and is thereby rotatable around the center axis thereof.
[0027] The first frame 51 and the second frame 52 are coupled to each
other by a plurality of reduction means 54. In this embodiment, as
illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, four reduction means 54 are provided, and the
IS reduction means 54 provide a structure that the distance between the first
frame 51 and the second frame 52 increases and decreases, and are thereby
capable of adjusting the reduction force to the casting product 1.
The reduction means 54 is composed of, for example, a hydraulic
cylinder with a servo, and is configured such that one end of a cylinder rod 56
20 is fixed to the first frame 51 and the second frame 52 gets closer to and away
from the first frame 51.
[0028] In the continuous casting equipment 10 having the above structure,
molten steel is poured into the water-cooled mold 11 via an immersion nozzle
12 insetied into the water-cooled mold 11 and cooled by the primary cooling
25 means of the water-cooled mold 11, whereby a solidified shell 2 grows and
the casting product 1 is drawn out fi·om below the water-cooled mold 11. In
15
this event, inside the casting product 1, an unsolidified pmtion 3 exists as
illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
This casting product 1 is drawn out downward by the pinch roll part
24 and bent by the bending roll pati 25 as illustrated in FIG. 1. Then, the
5 casting product 1 is bent back by the straightening roll pati 26 and then
conveyed in the horizontal direction by the horizontal roll part 27.
[0029] In this event, the cooling water is sprayed toward the casting
product 1 from the spray nozzles provided between the rolls of the pinch roll
part 24, the bending roll part 25, the straightening roll pati 26 and so on to
10 cool the casting product 1, whereby the solidified shell 2 further grows.
Then, at the side subsequent to the horizontal zone 17 where the casting
product 1 is drawn out in the horizontal direction, the casting product 1
completely solidifies.
In this event, the casting product 1 drawn from the water-cooled mold
15 11 is subjected to reduction by the casting product reduction apparatus 30
being this embodiment in the region where the center solid phase ratio
becomes 0.2 or more.
Incidentally, it is experimentally known that problems such as center
segregation and porosity occur at the center solid phase ratio of the casting
20 product of 0.2 or more. The effect of the present invention becomes
conspicuous by applying reduction in a region of a solid phase ratio of 0.2 or
more, and therefore it is preferable to apply rolling reduction in a region of a
center solid phase ratio of the casting product of0.2 or more.
On the other hand, the upper limit of the center solid phase ratio of the
25 casting product is 1.0 because it is the region where the problems such as
center segregation and porosity occur.
16
[0030] Note that the center solid phase ratio is defined as a solid phase
ratio of a central portion in the casting product thickness direction and a
molten portion in the casting product width direction.
Fmiher, the center solid phase ratio can be found by a heat transfer
5 solidification calculation, and the enthalpy method, the equivalent specific
heat method and so on are widely known as the heat transfer solidification
calculation, any of which may be used. Further, for a simple method, the
following expression is widely known and may be used.
center solid phase ratio = (liquidus temperature molten pmtion
10 temperature )/(liquidus temperature - solidus temperature)
In the above, the molten portion temperature means the temperature of
the central portion in the casting product thickness direction and the molten
potiion in the casting product width direction, and can be found by the heat
transfer solidification calculation. Further, the liquidus temperature can be
15 calculated by referring to, for example, "Tetsu to hagane, The joumal of The
Iron and Steel Institute of Japan, Vol. 55. No.3 (19690227) S85, The Iron and
Steel Institute of Japan", and the solidus temperature can be calculated by
referring to, for example, "Hirai, Kanemaru, Mori: 19th Committee, Japan
Society for the Promotion of Science, Fifth Solidification Phenomena
20 Conference Material, Solidification 46 (December 1968)"
[0031] The casting product reduction apparatus 30 being this
embodiment structured as described above includes the casting product press
rolls 31, 32 and the backup rolls 40 that suppoti the casting product press rolls
31, 32 respectively, so that the bearing parts 35 of the casting product press
25 rolls 31, 32 and the bearing parts 45 of the backup rolls 40 can receive the
load applied when applying reduction to the casting product 1.
17
Consequently, it becomes possible to apply reduction to the casting product 1
with a relatively large reduction force and surely decrease the porosity.
Further, the casting product press roll 31, 32 is not divided in the roll
axial direction and therefore can press the whole casting product 1 in the
5 width direction and suppress occurrence of center segregation due to bulging
deformation.
[0032] Further, according to the casting product reduction apparatus 30
in this embodiment, it is unnecessary to increase the roll diameter for securing
the stiffness of the casting product press rolls 31, 32, and therefore it is
10 possible to densely arrange the casting product press rolls 31, 32 in the
casting product drawing direction Z to thereby prevent the reduction force
from locally acting and suppress internal cracks of the casting product.
More specifically, since the casting product press rolls 31, 32 are set to 320
mm or less and the roll pitch in the casting product drawing direction Z is set
15 to 340 mm or less, it becomes possible to apply reduction to the casting
product I little by little at a small pitch to thereby sufficiently suppress
internal cracks of the casting product 1.
Note that the size of the casting product press rolls 31, 32 and the
lower limit of the roll pitch in the casting product drawing direction Z are not
20 patticularly limited but may be set in a range where actual operation is
possible.
[0033] Further, since three or more sets of the casting product press roll
31, 32 and the backup roll 40 (seven sets of the casting product press roll 31,
32 and the backup roll 40 as illustrated in FIG. 3 in this embodiment) are
25 ananged in the casting product drawing direction Z on each of the first frame
51 and the second fi·ame 52, and the reduction means 54 is provided at two or
18
more places (at four places in this embodiment) on the first frame 51 and the
second frame 52, the plurality of casting product press rolls 31, 32 can
uniformly apply reduction to the casting product 1. Further, the bearing
parts 35 arranged at the casting product press rolls 31, 32 can receive the
5 reduction load.
[0034] Here, the reason why the number of sets of the casting product
press roll 31, 32 and the backup roll 40 arranged on each frame is three or
more in the casting product drawing direction Z is that if the size of the
casting product press roll 31, 32 and the roll pitch in the casting product
10 drawing direction Z are set in a range where actual operation is possible, two
sets of them cannot uniformly apply reduction because of a large interval
therebetween in the casting product drawing direction.
[0035] Further, it is necessary to provide the reduction means 54 on a pair
of frames, at two places or more. Here, the two places means both sides in
15 the width direction of the casting product, and the reduction means 54 on the
pair of frames provided on both sides in the width direction of the casting
product enable uniform application of reduction to the casting product.
Incidentally, the reduction means 54 is provided at two places also
in the casting product drawing direction Z in addition to the two places on
20 both sides in the width direction of the casting product, that is, at four places
in total in this embodiment, so that a reduction gradient can also be given in
the casting product drawing direction Z.
Further, since the reduction force can be increased only by increasing
the size of the device (for example, the cylinder diameter) constituting the
25 reduction means provided on the frames, it becomes possible to give a larger
reduction force without increasing the size of the reduction apparatus in a
19
casting direction.
[0036] Fmiher, since the backup roll40 is divided into a plurality ofpmis
in the roll axial direction, not only the bearing parts 35 but also the plurality
of bearing pmis 45 arranged between the divided backup rolls 41, 42, 43 can
5 also receive the reduction load, whereby it becomes possible to apply
reduction to the casting product 1 with a larger reduction force to
sufficiently decrease the porosity.
Incidentally, the number of divisions in the roll axial direction of the
backup roll 40 only needs to be plural (two or more), and a case of the
I 0 number of divisions of three is exemplified in this embodiment. The upper
limit of the number of divisions is not limited but may be set in a range where
actual operation is possible. As described above, according to the casting
product reduction apparatus 30 being this embodiment, the high-quality
casting product 1 can be manufactured in which occurrence of porosity, center
15 segregation and intemal cracks is suppressed.
[0037] The casting product reduction apparatus being the embodiment
of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is
not limited to the embodiment and can variously modified as necessary
without depmiing from the scope of the technical spirit of the invention.
20 For example, though the casting product reduction apparatus
including the backup roll divided into a plurality of parts has been described
in this embodiment, the casting product reduction apparatus is not limited to
this but may include one backup roll which is not divided. However, by
dividing the backup roll into a plurality of pmis, it becomes possible to
25 receive the reduction load in a distributed manner and apply reduction to
the casting product with a larger reduction force, and therefore it is
20
preferable to divide the backup roll into a plurality of parts.
Further, there is no limitation in the number of divisions of the backup
roll, and a backup roll divided into two or four or more parts may be used.
[0038] Further, the reduction means has been described as the one using
5 a hydraulic cylinder but is not limited to this. For example, a mechanical
reduction means 154 using a disc spring 155 and a screw jack 156 may be
arranged on the first frame 151 and the second frame 152 as illustrated in FIG.
4.
Fmther, the casting product reduction apparatus has been described
10 as being arranged in the vertical bending continuous casting machine, but
may be applied to a curved continuous casting machine, a vettical continuous
casting machine, or a horizontal continuous casting machine.
[0039] It is preferable to atTange the casting product reduction
apparatus of the present invention at a position where bending strain or
15 straightening strain does not occur in the casting product in the continuous
casting machine.
[0040] The position where the bending strain or the straightening strain
does not occur in the casting product means a position except for a bending
pati and a straightening part among a vetiical pati, a bending pati, a curved
20 pati, a straightening pati, and a horizontal pati constituting the continuous
casting equipment. By an·anging the casting product reduction apparatus
at the position, intemal cracks of the casting product can be suppressed when
applying reduction to the casting product.
Concretely, in the case of the vetiical bending continuous casting
25 equipment, the casting product reduction apparatus may be arranged at any
position of the vetiical pati, the curved pmi, and the horizontal part. In the
21
case of the curved continuous casting equipment, the casting product
reduction apparatus may be arranged at any position of the curved pati and
the horizontal part. In the case of both of the horizontal continuous casting
equipment and the vertical continuous casting equipment which do not have
5 the bending pa1i and the straightening part, the casting product reduction
apparatus may be arranged at any position.
[0041] However, reduction applied to the casting product to a large
extent at a position immediately after the casting product is drawn from the
mold does not lead to improvement in center segregation and porosity but
10 leads to occurrence of internal cracks because oflow strength of the solidified
shell. Therefore, there is generally a high possibility that the central solid
phase ratio is 0 in a range of less than 2 m from the lower end of the mold,
and it is preferable not to arrange the casting product reduction apparatus in
this range. Accordingly, the improvement effects in the center segregation
15 and so on can be achieved by arranging the casting product reduction
apparatus at a position of 2 m or more fi·om the lower end of the mold and
cooling the casting product so that the central solid phase ratio is 0 or more.
Note that the range of the central solid phase ratio is not particularly limited,
but may be a range of 0.2 to 1.0 as has been described, and may finiher be a
20 range of 0.6 to I .0 because the effects can be achieved even by applying
reduction after solidification proceeds to a ce1iain extent.
[0042] Further, any one or both of the casting product press rolls 31, 32
fmming a pair across the casting product 1 may be configured to include a
large-diameter portion 201 projecting outward in the diameter direction at its
25 middle pmiion in the axial direction and small-diameter pmiions 202
respectively located on both ends of the large-diameter portion 201 as
22
illustrated in FIG. 5.
[0043] In this example, the width W of the casting product 1 is 900 mm
or more, the one casting product press roll 31 is configured to press a middle
region S I in the width direction of the casting product I where the
5 large-diameter portion 201 is located and not to press end regions S2 in the
width direction of the casting product I where the small-diameter portions
202 are located.
Note that the end region S2 in the width direction of the casting
product 1 is a region of 60 mm or more from the end in the width direction of
10 the casting product 1 and 1.5 x tor less fi·om the end in the width direction of
the casting product 1 where the thickness of the casting product 1 is t. In
this example, the end region S2 is a region of 60 mm or more from the end in
the width direction of the casting product 1 and 360 mm or less from the end
in the width direction of the casting product 1.
15 [0044] The backup roll 40 that suppmis the one casting product press roll
20
32 is divided in the axial direction of the casting product press roll 32 (width
direction of the casting product 1) and is divided into three parts, that is, a
first backup roll 41, a second backup roll42, and a third backup roll43 as in
the above-described embodiment.
Here, the backup roll 40 is arranged to suppmi the large-diameter
pmiion 201 of the casting product press roll 32.
Further, the first backup roll 41, the second backup roll 42, and the
third backup roll 43 have both ends pivotally supported by pivotal suppmi
patis 45 and thereby be rotatable about their respective center axes Obr, Ob2,
25 ob3·
[0045] Here, as illustrated in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the first backup roll 41
23
and the third backup roll 43 may be arranged on the downstream side in the
drawing direction Z of the casting product 1 with respect to the casting
product press roll 31, 32. In this case, the second backup roll42 is arranged
on the upstream side in the drawing direction Z of the casting product 1 with
5 respect to the casting product press roll31, 32.
In other words, the first backup roll 41 and the third backup roll 43,
a~d the second backup roll 42 may hold the casting product press roll 31, 32
therebetween in the drawing direction Z.
[0046] In this case, explaining the casting product press roll 32 as an
I 0 example, in a cross section perpendicular to a center axis Ow of the casting
product press roll 32, an angle e formed between a straight line linking the
center axis Ow of the casting product press roll 32 to the center axes Ob~o Ob3
of the first backup roll 41 and the third backup roll 43 and the rolling
reduction direction (vertical direction) as illustrated in FIG. 7 is set to so or
15 less.
Fmiher, a difference amount X in the drawing direction Z between the
center axis Ow of the casting product press roll32 and the center axes Ob~o Ob3
of the first backup roll 41 and the third backup roll 43 is set to be within a
range of sin 0.23° x (Rw + Rb) 0.23°, thereby allowing the
backup roll to surely receive the drawing resistance so as to suppress
deflection deformation in the drawing direction of the casting product suppmi
roll.
[0048] Note that also for the second backup roll 42 arranged on the
10 upstream side in the drawing direction Z with respect to the casting product
press roll 32, in a cross section perpendicular to the center axis Ow of the
casting product press roll 32, an angle 8 ' formed between a straight line
linking the center axis Ow of the casting product press roll 32 to the center
axis Ob2 of the second backup roll 42 and the reduction direction (vetiical
15 direction) is set to so or less, and a difference amount X' in the drawing
direction Z between the center axis Ow of the casting product press roll32 and
the center axis Ob2 of the second backup roll 42 is set to be within a range of
sin 0.23°X (Rw + Rb) < X' < sin S0 x (Rw + Rb)·
[0049] In the continuous casting equipment 10 including the casting
20 product rolling reduction apparatus 30 having the structure in which the
large-diameter portion 201 projecting outward in the diameter direction is
provided at the middle pmtion in the axial direction of the casting product
press roll 32, the casting product 1 completely solidifies on the side
subsequent to the horizontal zone 17 where the casting product 1 is drawn in
25 the horizontal direction, and the horizontal roll part 27 at the horizontal zone
17 applies reduction to the casting product 1 as described in the above
25
embodiment.
[0050] In this event, a force in the reduction direction (vertical direction
in this embodiment) acts on the casting product press rolls 31, 32 due to the
reduction reaction force. Further, a force in the drawing direction Z
5 (horizontal direction in this embodiment) acts on the casting product press
rolls 31, 32 due to the drawing resistance when the casting product 1 moves in
the drawing direction Z.
[0051] Here, in the embodiment having the above structure, the casting
product press roll32 has the large-diameter portion 201 projecting outward in
10 the diameter direction at its middle portion in the axial direction and the
small-diameter portions 202 located on both ends of the large-diameter
pmtion 201, and the casting product press roll 32 is configured to press the
middle region S1 in the width direction of the casting product 1 where the
large-diameter pmtion 201 is located and not to press the end regions S2 in
15 the width direction of the casting product 1 where the small-diameter pmtions
202 are located, thereby making it possible to apply reduction only to the
middle region S 1 in the width direction of the casting product 1 where the
unsolidified pmtion 3 exists. Thus, reduction load can be greatly reduced.
[0052] Fmther, since the casting product press roll 32 is suppmted by the
20 backup roll 40, the deflection deformation of the casting product press roll 32
in the reduction direction can be suppressed.
Fmther, since the small-diameter pmtions 202 of the casting product
press roll 32 are located at the completely solidified end regions S2 in the
width direction of the casting product 1, the drawing resistance acts only on
25 the middle region S 1 in the width direction where the unsolidified pmtion 3
exists, so that the deflection deformation in the drawing direction of the
26
casting product press roll 32 can also be prevented.
[0053] Here, in this embodiment, the end region S2 in the width direction
of the casting product 1 where the small-diameter portion 202 is located is a
region of 60 mm or more from the end in the width direction of the casting
5 product 1 and 1.5 x t or less from the end in the width direction to the center
side of the casting product 1, where the thickness of the casting product I is t.
Specifically, a region of 60 mm or more from the end in the width direction of
the casting product 1 and 360 mm or less from the end in the width direction
of the casting product 1 can be exemplified. This makes it possible to avoid
10 application of reduction to the completely solidified region so as to surely
reduce the reduction load. Further, the deflection deformation in the
reduction direction and the deflection deformation in the drawing direction of
the casting product press roll 31 can be suppressed.
[0054] Fmiher, since the backup roll 40 is divided into the first backup
15 roll 41, the second backup roll 42, and the third backup roll 43 in the axial
direction of the casting product press roll 32, the axial direction length of the
backup roll 40 can be decreased and stiffness can be secured even with a
small roll diameter.
[0055] Here, the first backup roll 41 and the third backup roll 43 are
20 arranged on the downstream side in the drawing direction Z of the casting
product 1 with respect to the casting product press roll31, 32, so that the first
backup roll41 and the third backup roll43 can receive the drawing resistance
so as to suppress the deflection deformation in the drawing direction of the
casting product press roll 31, 32.
25 [0056] Furthermore, the second backup roll 42 is arranged on the
upstream side in the drawing direction Z of the casting product 1 with respect
27
to the casting product press roll 31, 32, and the first backup roll 41 and the
third backup roll 43, and the second backup roll 42 hold the casting product
press roll 31, 32 therebetween in the drawing direction Z, thereby suppressing
occurrence of bending variation in the casting product press roll 31, 32 even
5 if the casting speed (drawing speed of the casting product) is changed
depending on the operation status.
[0057] Furthermore, it is preferable to set the difference amount X in the
drawing direction Z between the center axis Ow of the casting product press
roll 32 and the center axes Ob1, Ob3 of the first backup roll 41 and the third
10 backup roll 43 to sin 0.23°x (Rw + Rb) 300 mm, and a cooling water hole of 50
mm was bored. The size of the casting product was 300 mm thick x 2200
36
mm wide. It was obtained by calculation that when the reduction was
applied to the casting product having the cross section by 0.6 mm per casting
product press roll, the average drawing resistance in the range of 200 mm
from the end in the width direction of the casting product was about 2.3 times
5 the drawing resistance by a molten steel static pressure of the unsolidified
pmiion. The end region in the width direction of the casting product which
was not subjected to the reduction by the large-diameter portion of the casting
product press roll in (1), (3) was 200 mm on either side. Note that in each
case (I), (2), (3), the center axis of the casting product press roll and the
10 center axis of the backup roll coincide each other in the drawing direction.
[0079] The calculation results are illustrated in FIG. 17. From the
comparison between (1) and (2), it was confirmed that only one (upper side)
of the casting product press rolls forming a pair across the casting product
having a large-diameter pmiion at the middle pmiion in the axial direction
15 could decrease the reduction !dad acting on both of the casting product press
rolls forming a pair to suppress the deflection deformation of both of the
casting product press rolls forming a pair down to about two thirds. Thus,
the life until permanent deformation occurs in the casting product press rolls
can be greatly increased. Further, a high-quality casting product can be
20 manufactured which has less internal defects such as center segregation and
porosity due to bulging deformation caused by the deformation of the casting
product press rolls.
Fmiher, from the comparison between (1) and (3), it was confirmed
that the backup roll arranged at plate-shaped frame with high stiffness
25 supporting the casting product press roll could suppress the deflection
deformation of the casting product press roll down to about one sixth. Note
37
that in the comparison between (1) and (2) and the comparison between (1)
and (3), the same effects can be achieved even in the case where only the
other (lower side) of the casting product press rolls forming a pair has a
large-diameter portion.
5 [0080] Next, the deflection amount of the casting product press roll in the
drawing direction was evaluated in the following cases:
a case (4) in which only one (upper side) of the casting product press rolls
forming a pair across the casting product has a large-diameter portion at the
middle portion in the axial direction, and the axis of the backup roll and the
10 axis of the casting product press roll coincide each other in the drawing
direction;
a case (5) m which the casting product press roll does not have a
large-diameter portion at the middle portion in the axial direction, and the axis
of the backup roll and the axis of the casting product press roll coincide each
15 other in the drawing direction; and
a case (6) in which only one (upper side) of the casting product press rolls
forming a pair across the casting product has a large-diameter portion at the
middle pmiion in the axial direction, and one of the backup rolls is arranged
on the downstream side in the drawing direction. The outlines of the cases
20 (4), (5), (6) are illustrated in FIG. 18, FIG. 19, FIG. 20.
[0081] The calculation results are illustrated in FIG. 21. From the
comparison between (4) and (5), it was confirmed that only one (upper side)
of the casting product press rolls forming a pair across the casting product
having a large-diameter portion at the middle pmtion in the axial direction
25 could decrease the reduction load acting on both of the casting product press
rolls forming a pair and, as a result, decrease the drawing resistance because
38
the drawing resistance was propmiional to the reduction load, and suppress
the deflection deformation in the drawing direction of the casting product
press rolls by about three out of ten. Thus, the life until permanent
deformation occurs in the casting product press rolls can be greatly increased.
5 Further, a high-quality casting product can be manufactured which has less
internal defects such as center segregation and porosity due to bulging
deformation caused by the deformation of the casting product press rolls.
Further, it was confirmed that in the case where one of the backup
rolls was arranged on the downstream side in the drawing direction as in (6),
10 the places for supporting the drawing resistance increased as compared with
the case ( 4), the deflection deformation of the casting product press rolls
could be suppressed down to about one eighth. Note that in the comparison
between (4) and (5) and the comparison between (4) and (6), the same effects
can be achieved also in the case where the other (lower side) of the casting
15 product press rolls forming a pair has a large-diameter portion.
[0082] Next, an internal crack occurrence rate when applying reduction
to the casting product in the process of solidification by a roll at one place
was experimentally evaluated about a case (7) in which only one (upper side)
of the casting product press rolls fanning a pair across the casting product had
20 a large-diameter portion at the middle portion in the axial direction and a case
(8) in which both of the casting product press rolls forming a pair across the
casting product had respective large-diameter portions at the middle pmiions
in the axial direction. The outlines of the cases (7), (8) are illustrated in FIG.
22, FIG. 23.
25 Here, the internal crack occurrence rate indicates the probability that
the intemal crack was visually confirmed at one or more places on an etch
39
print in a cross section in the casting direction of a randomly selected casting
product. The experiment conditions and the results of the internal crack
occurrence rate are illustrated in Table 2.
[0083] [Table 2]
casting casting
casting reduction amount internal crack
product product
speed per roll occurrence rate
width thickness
(mm) (mm)
(m/min) (mm) (%)
(7) 2200 240 0.8-1.2 1.0 4.0
(8) 2200 240 0.8-1.2 1.0 0.5
5 [0084] It was confirmed that in the case where the roll having a
large-diameter potiion was arranged only on one side of the casting product,
the casting product was subjected to reduction fi·om the one side with a large
reduction amount, whereas in the case where the rolls having respective
large-diameter potiions were arranged on both sides of the casting product,
10 the casting product was subjected to reduction from both sides with a small
reduction amount and therefore the internal crack occurrence rate was
extremely small.
[Explanation of Codes]
[0085] 1 casting product
15 I 0 continuous casting equipment
11 water-cooled mold
30 casting product reduction apparatus
31, 32 casting product press roll
40 backup roll
20 51, 151 first fi·ame
52, 152 second fi·ame
54, 154 rolling reduction means
40
[Name of Document] What is claimed is
[Claim 1] A casting product reduction apparatus for applying reduction
to a casting product drawn from a mold, comprising:
a pair of casting product press rolls that hold and press the casting
5 product therebetween; backup rolls that support the casting product press
· rolls; and a pair of frames arranged to face each other,
wherein three or more sets of the casting product press roll and the
backup roll are arranged in a casting product drawing direction on each of the
frames, and
10 wherein a reduction means that decreases and increases a distance
between the pair of fi·ames is provided at two or more places on the pair of
frames.
[Claim 2] The casting product reduction apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein at least one of the casting product press rolls forming a pair
15 across the casting product has a large-diameter pmtion projecting outward in
a diameter direction at a middle pmtion in an axial direction.
[Claim 3] The casting product reduction apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the backup roll is divided into a plurality of parts in an axial
direction of the casting product press roll.
20 [Claim 4] The casting product reduction apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the backup roll is arranged on a downstream side in a drawing
direction of the casting product with respect to the casting product press roll.
[Claim 5] The casting product reduction apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the backup roll is divided in an axial direction of the casting
25 product press roll, and at least one backup roll is arranged on a downstream
side in a drawing direction of the casting product and at least one backup roll
5
10
- .. -
41
is arranged on an upstream side m the drawing direction of the casting
product.
[Claim 6] The casting product reduction apparatus according to any one
of claims 2 to 5,
wherein where a thickness of the casting product is t, an end region in
a width direction of the casting product which is not subjected to reduction by
the large-diameter pmiion of the casting product press roll is a region of 60
mm or more from an end in the width direction of the casting product and 1.5
x tor less from the end in the width direction of the casting product.
Dated this July 2§, 2014
[RANJNA MEHTA-DUTI]
OF REMFRY & SAGAR
ATIORNEY FOR THE APPLICANT[S]