A machine for manufacturing continuous bars of nonferrous metal by continuous casting includes a movable casting shell, composed of segments arranged in succession, each one having a portion defined, with a bottom and flanks, of the casting shell, and open on the sides directed toward the contiguous segments. The contiguous segments are movable along a closed path that has a substantially rectilinear portion at the casting region. Along the portion, the segments are substantially aligned and define a portion of the casting shell, with bottom and flanks, which is continuous, substantially rectilinear and closed, for at least one portion of the path downstream of the casting region, by a closure component.

A computer determines a thickness and/or a temperature of a metal strip. The computer determines the temperatures occurring along a respective rotation part of the respective surface elements of the rotary elements and a rotary element shape which forms in the region of a draw-off point on the respective surface element, by a respective rotary element model and using an exchanged enthalpy quantity, the respective contact time with a metal and a respective cycle time exchanged per time unit of a respective rotary element of a casting device with the environment thereof. The temperature of the metal situated in the die region, and the heat flow from the metal to the respective surface element, are determined by a respective metallurgical solidification model and using a metal temperature, the temperatures of the surface elements, the rotary element shape and characteristic metal values.

A clamping system for fastening a cooling unit on a circulating supporting element of a caterpillar-type casting machine includes at least one connecting element, which is pre-tensioned in its longitudinal direction by a spring, and a clamping arrangement, by which the cooling unit is fastenable on the supporting element. The connecting element is accommodated in a displaceably mounted manner in the direction of its longitudinal axis inside the supporting element. The clamping arrangement is formed by a head on an upper end face of the connecting element and a recess, which is provided on/in the cooling unit and is brought into interaction therewith. The connecting element is pre-tensioned by the spring toward the supporting element and is transferred into a clamping position, in which the cooling unit, when the head of the connecting element engages with the recess provided on/in the cooling unit, is automatically clamped with the supporting element.

A device and method for producing metal slugs, in which: a movable support has a plurality of cavities separated by partition walls, such that the cavities travel over a path, a feeding means is positioned above a location on said path and is capable of forming a stream of molten metal, flowing under the effect of gravity, such that, during the continuous movement of the movable support, the continuous stream of molten metal from the feeding means is divided or fragmented into slugs formed successively in said cavities, under the effect of said partition walls.

The invention relates to a transport device (10), in particular for transporting cooling blocks (12) in a caterpillar casting machine, comprising a guide rail (16), which forms an endless circulating track (U) for a caterpillar casting machine (14), and a support element (18) having a plurality of rollers (20), by means of which the support element (18) is guided on the guide rail (16) and rolls along same, wherein a cooling block (12) of a caterpillar casting machine (14) can be placed on the support element (18). The guide rail (16) has a first running surface (16.1) and a second running surface (16.2), wherein the running surfaces (16.1, 16.2) are provided on opposite sides of the guide rail (16). The support element (18) has at least three rollers (20.1, 20.2, 20.3), of which two rollers (20.1, 20.2) are in rolling contact with the first running surface (16.1) of the guide rail (16), and at least one further roller (20.3) is in rolling contact with the second running surface (16.2) of the guide rail (16), wherein at least one roller (20.1; 20.2; 20.3) is preloaded towards the guide rail (16).

The invention relates to a transport device (10), in particular for transporting cooling blocks (12) in a caterpillar casting machine, comprising a guide rail (16), which forms an endless circulating track (U) for a caterpillar casting machine (14), and a support element (18) having a plurality of rollers (20), by means of which the support element (18) is guided on the guide rail (16) and rolls along same, wherein a cooling block (12) of a caterpillar casting machine (14) can be placed on the support element (18). The guide rail (16) has a first running surface (16.1) and a second running surface (16.2), wherein the running surfaces (16.1, 16.2) are provided on opposite sides of the guide rail (16). The support element (18) has at least three rollers (20.1, 20.2, 20.3), of which two rollers (20.1, 20.2) are in rolling contact with the first running surface (16.1) of the guide rail (16), and at least one further roller (20.3) is in rolling contact with the second running surface (16.2) of the guide rail (16), wherein at least one roller (20.1; 20.2; 20.3) is preloaded towards the guide rail (16)

The invention relates to a clamping system (10) for fastening a cooling unit (12) on a circulating supporting element (13) of a caterpillar-type casting machine, and comprises at least one connecting element (20), which is pre-tensioned in its longitudinal direction by a spring (22), and clamping means (24), by which the cooling unit (12) is fastenable on the supporting element (13), wherein the connecting element (20) is accommodated in a displaceably mounted manner in the direction of its longitudinal axis inside the supporting element (13). The clamping means (24) is formed by a head (28) provided on an upper end face (26) of the connecting element (20) and a recess (30), which is provided on or in the cooling unit (12) and can be brought into interaction therewith, wherein the connecting element (20) is pre-tensioned by means of the spring (22) toward the supporting element (13) and is thus transferred into a clamping position, in which the cooling unit (12), when the head (28) of the connecting element (20) is engaged with the recess (30) provided on or in the cooling unit (12), is automatically clamped with the supporting element (13).

A casting nozzle for feeding molten metal into a moving casting mold of a caterpillar casting machine, including an elongated housing body having a slot-like outlet side (A), wherein multiple flow passages are formed in the housing body along its longitudinal direction (x) and over its width direction (B), through which passages molten metal can be channeled in the direction of the outlet side (A) and can be fed from there into the moving casting mold, wherein the housing body is of an at least two-part design in the direction of its height and has at least one upper shell and at least one lower shell, wherein the upper shell and the lower shell are spaced apart from one another by separating webs and the individual flow passages extend between the separating webs.

A caterpillar casting machine for producing a cast material from liquid metal, including two guide rails, which are used to form two endless horizontal circulating tracks arranged opposite each other, and a plurality of support elements, which are each guided on the guide rails with cooling blocks attached thereto such that a continuous chain of support elements is formed. The support elements are moved in a transport direction along the circulating tracks. Between the cooling blocks, which arrive at the opposite position in straight sections of the circulating tracks of the guide rails, a moving casting mold for the cast material is formed. A cooling device is also provided, which has separate cooling zones each with at least one cooling nozzle, wherein the cooling zones can be individually controlled along the transport direction and/or transverse to the transport direction to adjust an opening or closing of the cooling nozzles.

A device and method for producing metal slugs, in which: a movable support has a plurality of cavities separated by partition walls, such that the cavities travel over a path, a feeding means is positioned above a location on said path and is capable of forming a stream of molten metal, flowing under the effect of gravity, such that, during the continuous movement of the movable support, the continuous stream of molten metal from the feeding means is divided or fragmented into slugs formed successively in said cavities, under the effect of said partition walls.