A sealing system (10) for use with a dummy bar head (1) of a continuous casting plant includes a plate-shaped, head element (12), to the edge region (13) of which a peripheral seal (14) is attached. It further includes an adapter element (18) made from metal which can be fastened with its bottom side (19) to a top end surface (2) of the dummy bar head (1). The head element (12) can be fastened to a top side (20) of the adapter element (18) and can be connected to the dummy bar head (1) as a result.

A continuous casting start timing determination method, a continuous casting facility operation method, a slab manufacturing method, a determining device, a continuous casting start determination system, and a display terminal device are provided. A continuous casting start timing determination method for determining a continuous casting start timing includes: a measurement step of measuring temperatures in a copper plate of a casting mold in the continuous casting facility, by use of a plurality of temperature sensors provided in a casting-direction determination position as a predetermined casting-direction position on the copper plate; and a determination step of determining the start timing based on a casting-direction position of a molten metal surface of molten steel, the casting-direction position being estimated based on measurement results in the measurement step and a width of a slab to be cast in the continuous casting facility.

Method of casting aluminum alloy ingot including lithium, including: preparing at least two molten aluminum based alloys in separate furnaces, first alloy with composition A free from lithium as purposive alloying element, and second alloy with composition B including lithium as purposive alloying element; transferring the first alloy via metal conveying trough from the furnace to a casting station; initiating casting an ingot and casting the first alloy to required length L1 in the casting direction; subsequently transferring the second alloy via metal conveying trough from the furnace to the casting station while simultaneously stopping transfer of the first alloy to the casting station; casting the second alloy from an end surface of the cast first alloy at length L1 to an additional required length L2 in the casting direction; cropping the cast ingot at a bottom thereof at a length greater than of equal to cast length L1.

A molten metal mold and bottom block system, including apparatus and method embodiments, which may include a mold cavity framework with a first side, a second side opposite the first side, a third side, and a fourth side opposite the third side, each side including an inner surface and the inner surfaces defining a mold cavity, and wherein one or more of the sides are movably mounted relative to the second side, and are controllably moved during the casting. This system may also include embodiments wherein the castpart produced has a tapered form at one or both of the castpart ends. Aspects of this invention may be considered to be a castpart shrinkage management system or a castpart form or profile control system due to the advantage of increased controls of castpart form during the casting process.

A molten metal mold and bottom block system, including apparatus and method embodiments, which may include a mold cavity framework with a first side, a second side opposite the first side, a third side, and a fourth side opposite the third side, each side including an inner surface and the inner surfaces defining a mold cavity, and wherein one or more of the sides are movably mounted relative to the second side, and are controllably moved during the casting. This system may also include embodiments wherein the castpart produced has a tapered form at one or both of the castpart ends. Aspects of this invention may be considered to be a castpart shrinkage management system or a castpart form or profile control system due to the advantage of increased controls of castpart form during the casting process.

A bottom block for use in direct chill (DC) casting that includes a flared base providing additional surface area for contact with coolant used in the DC casting process. The bottom block includes a first end that substantially fits within a DC mold while a second end has a larger cross-sectional area than the first end. A transition between the first end and the second end provides a surface for coolant to contact despite film boiling and air gaps between the ingot and the coolant.

A bottom block for use in direct chill (DC) casting that includes a flared base providing additional surface area for contact with coolant used in the DC casting process. The bottom block includes a first end that substantially fits within a DC mold while a second end has a larger cross-sectional area than the first end. A transition between the first end and the second end provides a surface for coolant to contact despite film boiling and air gaps between the ingot and the coolant.

A bottom block for use in direct chill (DC) casting that includes a flared base providing additional surface area for contact with coolant used in the DC casting process. The bottom block includes a first end that substantially fits within a DC mold while a second end has a larger cross-sectional area than the first end. A transition between the first end and the second end provides a surface for coolant to contact despite film boiling and air gaps between the ingot and the coolant.