A cooling pad for a belt casting system includes a first nozzle arrangement and a second nozzle arrangement. In some embodiments, the first nozzle arrangement includes an elongated nozzle assembly that includes a base defining a receiving area, a first insert positionable within the receiving area, and a second insert positionable within the receiving area. The first insert and the base together define a first elongated dispensing slot. The second insert is adjustable relative to the first insert, and the second insert and the base together define a second elongated dispensing slot. In various embodiments, the second nozzle arrangement includes a plurality of multi-position nozzles, each movable between a base position and an offset position such that the heat transfer rate may be locally controlled across the cooling cavity.

An aluminum alloy sheet for motor vehicles is produced by casting a melt, containing 3.0-3.5 mass % Mg, 0.05-0.3 mass % Fe, 0.05-0.15 mass % Si, and less than 0.1 mass % Mn, a balance substantially being inevitable impurities and Al, into a slab having a thickness of 5 to 15 mm in a twin-belt caster so that cooling rate at depth of thickness of the slab is 20 to 200 C./sec; winding the cast thin slab into a coiled thin slab subjected to cold rolling with a roll having a surface roughness of 0.2 to 0.7 m Ra at a cold rolling reduction of 50 to 98%; subjecting the cold rolled sheet to final annealing either continuously in a CAL at a holding temperature of 400 to 520 C. within 5 minutes or in a batch annealing furnace at a holding temperature of 300 to 400 C. for 1 to 8 hours; and subjecting the resulting sheet to straightening with a leveler.

An approach for continuous casting of molten metals with vertically flexible edge containment is disclosed. A vertically flexible edge containment device can confine molten metal in a moving mold cavity of a continuous metal casting apparatus. In operation, the vertically flexible edge containment device is configured to flex in a vertical direction relative to a flow of the molten metal in the moving mold cavity. The flex in the vertical direction of the vertically flexible edge containment device corresponds with changes in one of a thickness and height of the molten metal in the moving mold cavity as the molten metal travels from an upstream mold region to a downstream mold region before leaving an exit end of the moving mold cavity.

A continuous casting and rolling line for casting, rolling, and otherwise preparing metal strip can produce distributable metal strip without requiring cold rolling or the use of a solution heat treatment line. A metal strip can be continuously cast from a continuous casting device and coiled into a metal coil, optionally after being subjected to post-casting quenching. This intermediate coil can be stored until ready for hot rolling. The as-cast metal strip can undergo reheating prior to hot rolling, either during coil storage or immediately prior to hot rolling. The heated metal strip can be cooled to a rolling temperature and hot rolled through one or more roll stands. The rolled metal strip can optionally be reheated and quenched prior to coiling for delivery. This final coiled metal strip can be of the desired gauge and have the desired physical characteristics for distribution to a manufacturing facility.

A method of texturizing a casting mold of a continuous belt casting system includes providing at least one endless belt having an elongated belt surface. The elongated belt surface includes at least a first region and at least a second region adjacent to the first region across a width of the elongated belt surface, and the elongated belt surface is configured to at least partially define a casting cavity of the continuous belt casting system. The method includes texturizing the elongated belt surface by applying a predetermined texture to the first region.

The present invention provides a continuous rolling temperature control process for high-flux continuous casting and direct rolling of a continuous aluminum alloy cast slab, comprising a continuous casting machine, a through-beam laser transmitter K, a controller, a spraying head, and a spraying system. A liquid-state aluminum alloy metal melt passes through the continuous casting machine and then is cooled and solidified to form a continuous cast slab; the movement direction of the continuous cast slab is controlled by a lifting table so that the continuous cast slab passes through an interior of a traction machine and extends into a continuous rolling machine; and the through-beam laser transmitter K is arranged between the continuous casting machine and the traction machine. According to the present invention, comprehensive performance indicators required by different series of aluminum alloys under high-flux continuous casting and direct rolling conditions are distinguished, and the continuous rolling temperatures of continuous cast slabs of different series of high-flux continuous cast and rolled aluminum alloy sheets are correspondingly designed and controlled. A preset continuous rolling temperature enables the comprehensive performance of different series of aluminum alloys to reach a product quality standard, reduces interior defects and alleviates the problems of segregation and the like. The flow velocity (or flow rate) of the spraying system can be controlled to reduce the loss of a cooling liquid (an emulsion), thereby reducing the cost, and achieving the purpose of energy conservation and emission reduction.

A casting roller or belt for a revolving chill mould of a strip casting system is provided for the manufacture of an aluminium alloy strip. The strip casting system for manufacturing the aluminium alloy strip includes at least one such revolving chill mould with a casting gap. In the casting roller or belt of the strip casting system, adhesion to the casting roller or belt is avoided during strip casting, and a low-segregation and crack-free aluminium alloy strip can be produced under industrial conditions. This is achieved by utilizing a specific surface structure of the casting roller or belt in which a roughness value Sa is more than 5 m and an average peak count RPc (0.5 m) is less than 42 cm.sup.1.