摘要 |
Twin roll caster for casting thin steel strip comprises chilled casting rolls 16 mounted on roll supports 104. One of the rolls is fixed and the other is moveable laterally and biased toward the other roll by biasing units 119 acting on the moveable roll supports 104. A casting pool of molten steel is supported on the rolls 16 and the rolls are rotated to produce a solidified steel strip delivered downwardly from the nip between the rolls. A substantially constant gap is maintained between rolls 16 such that unsolidifed molten metal passes through the nip between the solidified shells of the forming strip and solidifies below the nip. The biasing units 119 are effective to apply substantially constant and low biasing forces to the biased roll. The biasing forces may be between the same and slightly more than the force required to balance the hydrostatic pressure of the casting pool and to overcome the mechanical friction involved in moving the biased roll. Controlling these casting roll separation forces enables gauge variation in the strip to be reduced.
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