A method to determine a presence or absence of water in a cavity of a starter block having a non-horizontal surface of DC casting equipment including emitting a wave using a device containing a sensor, the wave propagating along a virtual beam path, directing the wave towards the cavity of the starter block such that the wave is reflected on a horizontal surface of the water, if water is present in the cavity, or is reflected on a non-horizontal surface of the cavity of the starter block, if no water is present in the cavity, detecting the reflected wave using the sensor, or not detecting the wave using the sensor, determining that there is water present in the cavity if the sensor detects the reflected wave, and determining that water is absent in the cavity if the sensor does not detect the wave while the sensor emits the wave.

A modular micro mill for manufacturing steel long product from scrap metal using an induction melting furnace is disclosed. Scrap or pre-refined metal is delivered and melted in the induction melting furnace, the melted steel then being transferred by a preheated tundish to a casting station for producing billets. From the caster the billets are transferred directly to a billet staging station and stored in queue for delivering to main conveyor leading directly to the rolling mill without being cooled to ambient. The bars produced by the rolling mill are then quenched to impart desired metallurgical properties within the finished product. A control system runs the operation of the production line of the modular micro mill, the control system specifically adapting production rates, conveyor speeds, temperatures, etc. of components upstream within the production line based on the specific requirements and/or dimensions of the finished product exiting the production line.

A method of controlling molten metal flow and an electromagnetic brake system for a metal-making process, including: a first magnetic core arrangement having a first and second long sides with N.sub.c teeth, and arranged to be mounted to opposite longitudinal sides of an upper portion of a mould, a first set of coils, each being wound around a respective tooth of the first magnetic core arrangement, and N.sub.p power converters, with N.sub.p being an integer that is at least two and N.sub.c is an integer that is at least four and evenly divisible with N.sub.p, wherein each power converter is configured to feed a DC current to its respective group of 2N.sub.c/N.sub.p series-connected coils.

A method for cleaning a surface of a twin-roller continuous thin strip casting roller, each casting roller of a twin-roller continuous thin strip casting machine using two brush rollers arranged at a top and bottom for cleaning the surface, wherein a rotational direction of one brush roller is the same as the casting roller, a linear speed of the casting roller is constant and greater than a rotational speed of the casting roller, and a roller surface cleaning device controls a distance or pressure between the brush rollers and the casting roller by a position control device fixed on a casting roller bearing seat, which controls the flattening amount to be within 1-10 times of an average pit depth of a casting roller face.

A method for cleaning a surface of a twin-roller continuous thin strip casting roller, each casting roller of a twin-roller continuous thin strip casting machine using two brush rollers arranged at a top and bottom for cleaning the surface, wherein a rotational direction of one brush roller is the same as the casting roller, a linear speed of the casting roller is constant and greater than a rotational speed of the casting roller, and a roller surface cleaning device controls a distance or pressure between the brush rollers and the casting roller by a position control device fixed on a casting roller bearing seat, which controls the flattening amount to be within 1-10 times of an average pit depth of a casting roller face.

The measuring device includes: a detecting section including a coil which detects a change in a value of impedance caused by a change in a mold level; an amplifying section which amplifies an output of the detecting section; a pre-pouring calibration section which determines a reference value of a positive feedback ratio of the amplifying section in environmental conditions before pouring of molten metal; and a mold oscillation signal calibration section which obtains a standard value of difference in an output of the measuring device, the standard value of difference corresponding to a known value of amplitude of mold oscillation when the positive feedback ratio is the reference value, obtains a deviation of measurement based on a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the output in mold oscillation and the standard value, and corrects the positive feedback ratio within a predetermined range including the reference value.

The measuring device includes: a detecting section including a coil which detects a change in a value of impedance caused by a change in a mold level; an amplifying section which amplifies an output of the detecting section; a pre-pouring calibration section which determines a reference value of a positive feedback ratio of the amplifying section in environmental conditions before pouring of molten metal; and a mold oscillation signal calibration section which obtains a standard value of difference in an output of the measuring device, the standard value of difference corresponding to a known value of amplitude of mold oscillation when the positive feedback ratio is the reference value, obtains a deviation of measurement based on a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the output in mold oscillation and the standard value, and corrects the positive feedback ratio within a predetermined range including the reference value.

A method for operating a casting/rolling system and to a corresponding system for casting and rolling an endless strand material. The casting/rolling system comprises a strand casting machine and a rolling train arranged downstream of the strand casting machine. The method has the following step: controlling the drive for the rollers of the first roller frame of the rolling train by means of a drive control in response to a target value specification of the pass sequence model. Furthermore, the drive of the at least one strand guiding roller is controlled by a strand guiding roller drive control in response to a target value specification of the strand casting machine drive model.

A computer determines a thickness and/or a temperature of a metal strip. The computer determines the temperatures occurring along a respective rotation part of the respective surface elements of the rotary elements and a rotary element shape which forms in the region of a draw-off point on the respective surface element, by a respective rotary element model and using an exchanged enthalpy quantity, the respective contact time with a metal and a respective cycle time exchanged per time unit of a respective rotary element of a casting device with the environment thereof. The temperature of the metal situated in the die region, and the heat flow from the metal to the respective surface element, are determined by a respective metallurgical solidification model and using a metal temperature, the temperatures of the surface elements, the rotary element shape and characteristic metal values.

A computer determines a thickness and/or a temperature of a metal strip. The computer determines the temperatures occurring along a respective rotation part of the respective surface elements of the rotary elements and a rotary element shape which forms in the region of a draw-off point on the respective surface element, by a respective rotary element model and using an exchanged enthalpy quantity, the respective contact time with a metal and a respective cycle time exchanged per time unit of a respective rotary element of a casting device with the environment thereof. The temperature of the metal situated in the die region, and the heat flow from the metal to the respective surface element, are determined by a respective metallurgical solidification model and using a metal temperature, the temperatures of the surface elements, the rotary element shape and characteristic metal values.