A metal casting installation is provided that includes a loading platform, a tundish, a first ladle and a second ladle, each of the first and second ladle has a floor provided with an opening, a collector nozzle and a ladle shroud. The installation also includes a ladle sliding gate configured for moving the collector nozzle and the ladle shroud between a sealed position, a casting position, and an unclogging position. A turret is provided for holding the first and second ladles, configured for moving and holding in place the first and second ladles between a loading station and a casting station over the tundish. A robot is also provided and configured for loading a new ladle shroud onto the ladle slide gate, and coupling a driving device to the ladle slide gate.

A ladle shroud is fixed to a coupling device for reversibly coupling an inlet orifice of said ladle shroud to a collector nozzle fixed to the outside of a bottom floor of a ladle in a metal casting installation, by means of at least a first and second elongated latch pivotally mounted on a hinge, such that the latch can pivot from a fixing position to an idle position. The idle position of the latches allows the engagement of the ladle shroud into its casting configuration about the collector nozzle, and the fixing position of the latches engages catches provided on said latches into matching fasteners located on the gate frame holding the collector nozzle.

A ladle shroud is fixed to a coupling device for reversibly coupling an inlet orifice of said ladle shroud to a collector nozzle fixed to the outside of a bottom floor of a ladle in a metal casting installation, by means of at least a first and second elongated latch pivotally mounted on a hinge, such that the latch can pivot from a fixing position to an idle position. The idle position of the latches allows the engagement of the ladle shroud into its casting configuration about the collector nozzle, and the fixing position of the latches engages catches provided on said latches into matching fasteners located on the gate frame holding the collector nozzle.

Method for automatically replacing the spout nozzle of a slide closure with a robot for manipulating the slide closure with an appropriate apparatus, the spout nozzle being able to be clamped against the slide plate of the slide closure by a carrying ring that can be released by turning. During the changing procedure, the carrying ring is turned with a defined torque, by means of which the new spout nozzle is clamped with a likewise defined tension force against the slide plate. In this way, operational reliability of the slide closure is guaranteed, independently of any tolerance and other deviations. The apparatus for implementing the method includes a gripping lance with clamping jaws for manipulating the spout nozzle and a gripping ring with catches for manipulating the carrying ring. The gripping ring can be actuated by a hydraulic rotation cylinder. A pneumatic cylinder is used to actuate the gripping lance.

Method for automatically replacing the spout nozzle of a slide closure with a robot for manipulating the slide closure with an appropriate apparatus, the spout nozzle being able to be clamped against the slide plate of the slide closure by a carrying ring that can be released by turning. During the changing procedure, the carrying ring is turned with a defined torque, by means of which the new spout nozzle is clamped with a likewise defined tension force against the slide plate. In this way, operational reliability of the slide closure is guaranteed, independently of any tolerance and other deviations. The apparatus for implementing the method includes a gripping lance with clamping jaws for manipulating the spout nozzle and a gripping ring with catches for manipulating the carrying ring. The gripping ring can be actuated by a hydraulic rotation cylinder. A pneumatic cylinder is used to actuate the gripping lance.

A steel ladle drainage method is achieved by using a steel ladle structure. Vacuum interlayers are provided within an upper nozzle, an upper fixed plate, a lower fixed plate and a sliding plate of the steel ladle structure respectively. In the steel ladle drainage method provided by the present invention, a metal drainage agent is used to replace the drainage sand in the prior art, the metal drainage agent is melted by the liquid steel and deposited in the upper nozzle, the sliding plate with the vacuum interlayer and the upper nozzle with the vacuum interlayer have the insulation effect on the melted metal drainage agent. Moreover, through moving the sliding plate, the two pouring holes of the upper and lower fixed plates are connected with each other, the metal drainage agent enters the tundish through the pouring holes and the lower nozzle under the action of gravity.

A steel ladle drainage method is achieved by using a steel ladle structure. Vacuum interlayers are provided within an upper nozzle, an upper fixed plate, a lower fixed plate and a sliding plate of the steel ladle structure respectively. In the steel ladle drainage method provided by the present invention, a metal drainage agent is used to replace the drainage sand in the prior art, the metal drainage agent is melted by the liquid steel and deposited in the upper nozzle, the sliding plate with the vacuum interlayer and the upper nozzle with the vacuum interlayer have the insulation effect on the melted metal drainage agent. Moreover, through moving the sliding plate, the two pouring holes of the upper and lower fixed plates are connected with each other, the metal drainage agent enters the tundish through the pouring holes and the lower nozzle under the action of gravity.

The apparatus for continuous slab casting having a nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism capable of moving a submerged nozzle at the exchange of the nozzle through a moving-connecting space D of a base under a slide valve mechanism and keeping the connection between the submerged nozzle and the slide valve mechanism during the operation, and a rotation mechanism to rotate the base of the nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism, which is characterized by a fixing mechanism that fixes the submerged nozzle in the nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism by pressing the submerged nozzle toward one or both inner sides of the moving-connecting space D of the base in one or both directions perpendicular to the moving direction of the submerged nozzle during the nozzle exchange.

The apparatus for continuous slab casting having a nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism capable of moving a submerged nozzle at the exchange of the nozzle through a moving-connecting space D of a base under a slide valve mechanism and keeping the connection between the submerged nozzle and the slide valve mechanism during the operation, and a rotation mechanism to rotate the base of the nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism, which is characterized by a fixing mechanism that fixes the submerged nozzle in the nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism by pressing the submerged nozzle toward one or both inner sides of the moving-connecting space D of the base in one or both directions perpendicular to the moving direction of the submerged nozzle during the nozzle exchange.

A metal casting installation is provided that includes a robot configured for carrying out the operations of handing a new ladle shroud to a manipulator of the ladle located at the loading station, and coupling a driving device to the ladle slide gate each manipulator is fixed relative to the corresponding first or second ladle such as to move together with the corresponding first or second ladle between the loading station and the casting station.