A primary object of the present invention is to provide a continuous-cast slab where central porosity is reduced by surly crushing the slab, and a method and apparatus of manufacturing the same.

The continuous-cast slab 1 having horizontally symmetrical granular equiaxed crystals at least in the center in the thickness direction includes a first reduction dent 2 and a second reduction dent 3 that further dents from the bottom surface of the first reduction dent 2 and is narrower than the first reduction dent 2 at least on one long side surface. Such a configuration can makes it possible to achieve the continuous-cast slab 1 of no more than 2.5×10.sup.−4 cm.sup.3/g in a maximum porosity volume while segregation is reduced.

Methods of forming a high-strength metal alloy precursor by tailor-casting strips having a tailored thickness across a width of a strip material are provided. The tailor-cast strips have varying thickness throughout the width, which can then be further tailor rolled to a final required thickness profile/tailored thickness. Such tailor-casting method can be conducted by contacting a patterned surface of a casting roller or a casting block with a liquid high-strength metal alloy in a continuous casting process. The present disclosure provides methods of continuously casting a strip having varying thickness across the width allows for improved product in subsequent processing, like tailor rolling. Methods of making a high-strength metal alloy structural automotive component from a tailor-cast blank having a tailored thickness are also provided.

Crystallizer for the continuous high-speed casting of a metal product (P), which has a casting cavity (13) defined by walls (14) connected to each other in correspondence with edges (15) and provided with cooling means (16).

Crystallizer for the continuous high-speed casting of a metal product (P), which has a casting cavity (13) defined by walls (14) connected to each other in correspondence with edges (15) and provided with cooling means (16).

Method to obtain a continuous casting apparatus to cast, through the casting cavity of a crystallizer of a mold, a cast product with a polygonal cross section.

A system for producing electrodes for lead-acid batteries is disclosed. An electrode that has been produced comprises at least one upper and/or one lower frame element as well as a lattice-shaped region that extends away from said upper or lower frame element and has a plurality of openings, the upper and/or lower frame element being of a greater thickness than the lattice-shaped region. Said system comprises the steps of: a) producing a profiled strip-shaped blank using a casting method in which the strip-shaped blank is formed, solely by means of said casting method, to have a greater thickness on one side in at least one of the regions which should eventually form the upper or lower frame element, than the thickness in regions which should eventually form the lattice-shaped region, and b) producing said lattice-shaped region with the openings in a subsequent expanded metal process.

Method for the continuous casting of a product (P), chosen from billets or blooms, along a curved casting line (18), the method providing to cast a liquid metal (M) in a crystallizer (11) having a tubular cavity (12) with an octagonal cross section.

Continuous casting apparatus, comprising a mold and a crystallizer for the continuous casting of a metal product. The mold is provided with primary cooling means using a cooling fluid and associated with the walls of the crystallizer. A plurality of cooling members is installed downstream of the mold to perform a secondary cooling of the product, said cooling members comprising a plurality of delivery nozzles configured to deliver a liquid for cooling the product.

Method for the continuous casting of a product (P), chosen from billets or blooms, along a curved casting line (18), the method providing to cast a liquid metal (M) in a crystallizer (11) having a tubular cavity (12) with an octagonal cross section.

Method to obtain a continuous casting apparatus to cast, through the casting cavity of a crystallizer of a mold, a cast product with a polygonal cross section.