One of the main goals in the improvement of continuous casting technology is to improve the quality of the
cast semifinished products. The most common surface defects on these products (folds, bleeders, coarse
traces of mold oscillation, hanger tears) are related to the stability of operation of the mold oscillation
mechanism and its drive and the accuracy with which the prescribed level of metal is maintained in the
mold. Research done by the consortium MMZ–NKMZ–VNIIMETMASh on the development of a spring-
based mold oscillation mechanism has made it possible to gain valuable experience in this area, design new
components and oscillation mechanisms, and arrive at a better understanding of the technological aspects
of their operation and the service requirements of such mechanisms on high-speed continuous casters. The
Moldavian plant plans to continue its tests of an experimental oscillation mechanism with spring
connectors in order to further improve the surface quality of continuous-cast semifinished products and
stabilize the casting operation.
One of the main objectives in improving continuous casters is improving the quality of the cast semifinished prod-
ucts. The defects most often encountered on the surface of continuous-cast semifinished products (folds, bleeders, coarse
traces of mold oscillation, hanger tears) are related to the stability of the operation of the mold oscillation mechanism and its
drive, as well as the accuracy with which the level of the metal in the mold is kept at the prescribed level.
The mold oscillation mechanism on radial continuous casters should provide for reciprocating motion of the mold
along a section of a circular trajectory with a radius equal to the radius of curvature of the mold’s liner. The motion should
conform to a certain law and take place with a specified degree of precision and frequency.
The Moldavian Metallurgical Plant (MMZ) uses a four-bar oscillation mechanism of the lever-hinge type. The
hinges are on roller bearings. The drive is based on a dc electric motor and does not contain a reduction gear (Fig. 1). The
use of such a drive was dictated by the need to decrease the size of the gaps in the kinematic chain from the shaft of the elec-
tric motor to the shaft of the eccentric. This has alleviated impacts that occurred in the couplings as a result of the alternat-
ing loads and has thus made it possible to more accurately maintain the prescribed law of motion of the mold. Deviations
from the assigned trajectory of the mold should not exceed 0.4 mm in such oscillation mechanisms.
The law of oscillation of the lever-hinge mechanism is sinusoidal. The amplitude of the mold oscillations is ±5 mm
and the frequency of oscillation is 30–150 min
–1
.
Metallurgist, Vol. 48, Nos. 11–12, 2004
COMMERCIAL TRIALS OF AN OSCILLATION
MECHANISM FOR CONTINUOUS-CASTER
MOLDS WITH SPRING CONNECTORS
V. G. Banachenkov,
1
Yu. P. Remenyuk,
1
V. S. Zenin,
1
V. N. Kireev,
1
A. M. Rotenberg,
2
and D. V. Petreev
2
UDC 621.746.27
Translated from Metallurg, No. 12, pp. 55–59, December, 2004.
0026-0894/04/1112-0606
©
2004 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.
606
1
The Moldavian Metallurgical Plant (MMZ) SZAO.
2
All-Russia Scientific Research, Planning, and Design Institute of Metallurgical Machinery (VNIIMETMASh).