A continuous casting device having multi-stage convergence control is disclosed. Cooling surfaces of the continuous casting device can be articulated in stages, providing individual convergence control to longitudinally spaced-apart regions of the casting cavity. In a proximal region, during which the molten metal exhibits solidification shrinkage, a first convergence profile can be used to optimally account for the solidification shrinkage. In a subsequent distal region, a second convergence profile can be used, such as to provide optimal control of exit temperature of the continuously cast article. Multi-stage convergence control can be achieved through individually articulatable cooling pads or other supports positioned opposite the cooling surfaces from the casting cavity to displace the cooling surfaces and thereby adjust the convergence profile of the casting cavity. Actuation of the individually articulatable cooling pads can effect different convergence profiles along the length of the continuous casting device.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a continuous casting method by which a slab of excellent internal quality can be obtained even if the casting speed is changed. In this invention, upon continuous casting with two pairs of the reduction rolls arranged along a casting direction and support rolls arranged between the reduction rolls, when a casting speed is reduced compared to a state where combination of reduction with reduction rolls at a first stage on an unsolidified portion of the slab and reduction with reduction rolls at a second stage on a solidified portion thereof is employed, the combination is switched to combination of reduction with the reduction rolls at the first stage on a portion of the slab at an end of solidification and the reduction with the reduction rolls at the second stage on the solidified portion thereof.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a continuous casting method by which a slab of excellent internal quality can be obtained even if the casting speed is changed. In this invention, upon continuous casting with two pairs of the reduction rolls arranged along a casting direction and support rolls arranged between the reduction rolls, when a casting speed is reduced compared to a state where combination of reduction with reduction rolls at a first stage on an unsolidified portion of the slab and reduction with reduction rolls at a second stage on a solidified portion thereof is employed, the combination is switched to combination of reduction with the reduction rolls at the first stage on a portion of the slab at an end of solidification and the reduction with the reduction rolls at the second stage on the solidified portion thereof.

In exemplary implementations of this invention, an actuated fabricator deposits structural elements (e.g., tensile structural elements) in a 3D pattern over large displacements. The fabricator is supported by at least three elongated support members. It includes onboard actuators that translate the fabricator relative to the ends of the support members. The fabricator is configured, by actuating different translations along different support members, to translate itself throughout a 3D volume. In some implementations, each of the actuators use fusible material to fuse metal tapes together, edge-to-edge, to form a hollow structure that can be shortened or lengthened.

A method is disclosed for the operationally reliable production of a cold-rolled flat steel product of ?0.5 mm in thickness for deep-drawing and ironing applications. In the method, a steel melt which (in wt %) comprises up to 0.008% C, up to 0.005% Al, up to 0.043% Si, 0.15-0.5% Mn, up to 0.02% P, up to 0.03% S, up to 0.020% N and in each case optionally up to 0.03% Ti and up to 0.03% Nb and, as a remainder, iron and unavoidable impurities, is, with the omission of a Ca treatment, subjected to a secondary metallurgical treatment which, in addition to a vacuum treatment, comprises a ladle furnace treatment and during which the steel melt to be treated is kept under a slag, the Mn and Fe contents of which are, in sum total, <15 wt %. From the steel melt, a thin slab or a cast strip are produced, which are subsequently hot-rolled to form a hot strip with a thickness of <2.5 mm and wound to form a coil. Subsequently, the hot strips are cold-rolled to form a flat steel product of up to 0.5 mm in thickness.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a continuous casting method by which a slab of excellent internal quality can be obtained even if the casting speed is changed. In this invention, upon continuous casting with two pairs of the reduction rolls arranged along a casting direction and support rolls arranged between the reduction rolls, when a casting speed is reduced compared to a state where combination of reduction with reduction rolls at a first stage on an unsolidified portion of the slab and reduction with reduction rolls at a second stage on a solidified portion thereof is employed, the combination is switched to combination of reduction with the reduction rolls at the first stage on a portion of the slab at an end of solidification and the reduction with the reduction rolls at the second stage on the solidified portion thereof.

A system for the continuous casting and subsequent flat rolling of a steel strip with an austenitic and/or ferritic microstructure and a thickness of less than 1.0 mm comprises a casting device with which a raw steel strip with a thickness in the range of 1.50 to 4.0 mm can be continuously cast. At least one hot rolling stand is coupled to the casting device, with which the raw steel strip can be roughed into the steel strip immediately after the casting process while still in the austenitic and/or ferritic microstructure range. At least one rolling module is arranged immediately after the hot rolling stand coupled to the casting device. The rolling module includes, in this order, a cooling device, a heating device and a hot rolling stand with which the roughed steel strip can be hot-rolled in the austenitic and/or ferritic microstructure range to specifications into the steel strip.

A process that produces a microalloyed steel in an integrated casting-rolling plant having a continuous casting machine with a mold, a single- or multi-stand prerolling train, a finish-rolling train having a first stand group with at least one first finish-rolling stand and a second stand group having at least one stand cooler. A metallic melt is cast in the mold to obtain a partly solidified thin-slab strand, which is supported, deflected and cooled. The solidified thin-slab strand is rolled by the prerolling train to obtain a prerolled strip that is finish-rolled in the first stand group to obtain the finish-rolled strip, which is fed to the second stand group and force-cooled in the second stand group, the finish-rolled strip having a thickness that results in a cooling rate of the core of the finish-rolled strip in the second stand group greater than 20? C./s and less than 200? C./s.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a continuous casting method by which a slab of excellent internal quality can be obtained even if the casting speed is changed. In this invention, upon continuous casting with two pairs of the reduction rolls arranged along a casting direction and support rolls arranged between the reduction rolls, when a casting speed is reduced compared to a state where combination of reduction with reduction rolls at a first stage on an unsolidified portion of the slab and reduction with reduction rolls at a second stage on a solidified portion thereof is employed, the combination is switched to combination of reduction with the reduction rolls at the first stage on a portion of the slab at an end of solidification and the reduction with the reduction rolls at the second stage on the solidified portion thereof.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a continuous casting method by which a slab of excellent internal quality can be obtained even if the casting speed is changed. In this invention, upon continuous casting with two pairs of the reduction rolls arranged along a casting direction and support rolls arranged between the reduction rolls, when a casting speed is reduced compared to a state where combination of reduction with reduction rolls at a first stage on an unsolidified portion of the slab and reduction with reduction rolls at a second stage on a solidified portion thereof is employed, the combination is switched to combination of reduction with the reduction rolls at the first stage on a portion of the slab at an end of solidification and the reduction with the reduction rolls at the second stage on the solidified portion thereof.