摘要 |
<p>A method is disclosed for deforming, as by bending or straightening, a continuously cast metal strand and preventing internal cracking of such a strand produced in a machine having a primary cooling zone within an open-ended mold and a curved secondary cooling zone. The bending or straightening is applied to the strand at a location where the strand has a still liquid core defining interfaces between the liquid core and surrounding solidified metal. The bending or straightening elongates and places in tension one strand wall while an oppositely facing strand wall is placed in compression. A neutral force axis, representing a location of neither elongation nor compression, is located between the wall in tension and the wall in compression. Water spray secondary cooling is applied to the oppositely facing walls at the bending or straightening location with this cooling being controlled to cool the wall in compression to a lesser degree than wall in tension, to relatively weaken the wall in compression and strengthen the wall in tension. This controlled cooling shifts the neutral axis toward the elongated tensioned wall to thereby reduce elongation of the adjacent internal interface surface and eliminate crack formation along the adjacent internal interface surface. Pinch rolls may also be arranged to apply compression to additionally shift the neutral axis toward the elongated tensioned wall.</p> |