A method is provided, in particular for maintaining a slide gate (10) of a vessel containing metal melts. The slide gate (10) comprises a housing (11), a slide unit guided longitudinally in this, a holding element (15), a linear drive (12) which can be located in this for adjusting the slide unit, at least one electrical line and/or a connection line (16, 17, 18) for a medium, such as gas or air. The connecting of the at least one electrical line and/or the connection line (16, 17, 18) for the medium takes place in this situation by means of a plugging action. This plugging action of the at least one connection line (16, 17, 18) takes place automatically with the moving of the linear drive (12) into the holding element (15), and/or the detachment takes place automatically when it is moved out of the holding element (15). As a result, handling is more easily achieved in particular at the maintaining of the slide gate by means of a robot, and, at the same time, the process stability and the operational safety are increased during the casting.

A method for maintaining the optimal argon injection flow rate which will result in production of steel slab of a chosen alloy having optimal cleanliness. The steel is cast using an argon injected slide gate. The selected steel has a known optimal argon injection flow rate Qb* for casting steel of optimal cleanliness. The method involves calculating the present steel pressure and determining the present injection flow rate conductance Gb of the argon injected slide gate during either of 1) a steel pressure change event; or 2) an argon flow change event. The measurements are used to calculate present argon pressure required to insure the required injection flow rate of argon into the steel for optimal cleanliness of the cast steel.

A method for maintaining the optimal argon injection flow rate which will result in production of steel slab of a chosen alloy having optimal cleanliness. The steel is cast using an argon injected slide gate. The selected steel has a known optimal argon injection flow rate Qb* for casting steel of optimal cleanliness. The method involves calculating the present steel pressure and determining the present injection flow rate conductance Gb of the argon injected slide gate during either of 1) a steel pressure change event; or 2) an argon flow change event. The measurements are used to calculate present argon pressure required to insure the required injection flow rate of argon into the steel for optimal cleanliness of the cast steel.