A method to determine a presence or absence of water in a cavity of a starter block having a non-horizontal surface of DC casting equipment including emitting a wave using a device containing a sensor, the wave propagating along a virtual beam path, directing the wave towards the cavity of the starter block such that the wave is reflected on a horizontal surface of the water, if water is present in the cavity, or is reflected on a non-horizontal surface of the cavity of the starter block, if no water is present in the cavity, detecting the reflected wave using the sensor, or not detecting the wave using the sensor, determining that there is water present in the cavity if the sensor detects the reflected wave, and determining that water is absent in the cavity if the sensor does not detect the wave while the sensor emits the wave.

The tool according to the invention comprises a connecting head (22) support (70) extending along a longitudinal axis (B-B′); a mold base (72), supported by the support (70), the mold base (72) defining an axial orifice for passage of the connecting head (22); an end-piece (74) for mounting the support (70) on a movement member for moving the tool in the mold; and a mechanism (76) for longitudinal immobilization of the connecting head (22) on the support (70). The mechanism (76) for longitudinal immobilization is longitudinally adjustable relative to the support (70) in order to immobilize the connecting head (22) relative to the support (70) in at least two different longitudinal positions along the longitudinal axis (B-B′).

A method to determine a presence or absence of water in a cavity of a starter block having a non-horizontal surface of DC casting equipment including emitting a wave using a device containing a sensor, the wave propagating along a virtual beam path, directing the wave towards the cavity of the starter block such that the wave is reflected on a horizontal surface of the water, if water is present in the cavity, or is reflected on a non-horizontal surface of the cavity of the starter block, if no water is present in the cavity, detecting the reflected wave using the sensor, or not detecting the wave using the sensor, determining that there is water present in the cavity if the sensor detects the reflected wave, and determining that water is absent in the cavity if the sensor does not detect the wave while the sensor emits the wave.

The invention relates to a method for producing foundry ingots (1) from metal, in particular from steel, having a cross-sectional area of more than 0.1 m.sup.2, wherein liquid metal (2) is discharged into an ingot mold (15) open at the bottom either directly form a casting ladle (11) or via a tundish (12), and wherein, by a drawing piston (28), which is vertically movable in the direction of a longitudinal axis (5) of the foundry ingot (1) and on which the foundry ingot (1) is at least indirectly arranged, the at least partially solidified foundry ingot (1) is drawn from the ingot mold (15) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (5).

The invention relates to a method for producing foundry ingots (1) from metal, in particular from steel, having a cross-sectional area of more than 0.1 m.sup.2, wherein liquid metal (2) is discharged into an ingot mold (15) open at the bottom either directly form a casting ladle (11) or via a tundish (12), and wherein, by a drawing piston (28), which is vertically movable in the direction of a longitudinal axis (5) of the foundry ingot (1) and on which the foundry ingot (1) is at least indirectly arranged, the at least partially solidified foundry ingot (1) is drawn from the ingot mold (15) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (5).

Provided herein is a system, apparatus, and method for aligning a continuous casting mold and a starter block. The continuous casting mold alignment system may include: a continuous casting mold; a mold frame supporting the continuous casting mold; a starter block; and at least one bearing assembly. The at least one bearing assembly is movable between a lowered position and a raised position, where the at least one bearing assembly, in the raised position, engages and supports one of the continuous casting mold or the starter block. The at least one bearing assembly, in the raised position, enables the one of the continuous casting mold or the starter block to be moved into alignment with the other of the continuous casting mold or the starter block by a force below a predefined threshold.

A method for the continuous casting of metal strands. The liquid metal is simultaneously cast via a moulds into metal strands. The moulds each have a narrow side and a broad side. The moulds have a uniform narrow side so that the metal strands have equal thicknesses after casting. At least one of the moulds used has a broad side whose length differs from the length of the broad side of the other simultaneously used moulds. For each mould used, a sprue stone is provided, which is arranged on a casting table and is provided for receiving the starter strands. The casting of the metal strands includes a mould filling phase with a fixed casting table in which a plurality of starter strands is cast into the associated sprue stones. The casting includes a continuous casting phase in which the casting table is lowered and metal strands are cast.

A method for the continuous casting of metal strands. The liquid metal is simultaneously cast via a molds into metal strands. The molds each have a narrow side and a broad side. The molds have a uniform narrow side so that the metal strands have equal thicknesses after casting. At least one of the molds used has a broad side whose length differs from the length of the broad side of the other simultaneously used molds. For each mold used, a sprue stone is provided, which is arranged on a casting table and is provided for receiving the starter strands. The casting of the metal strands includes a mold filling phase with a fixed casting table in which a plurality of starter strands is cast into the associated sprue stones. The casting includes a continuous casting phase in which the casting table is lowered and metal strands are cast.

A puller head mold for receiving molten metal or alloy during the casting of an ingot, the puller head mold having a tapered screw thread structure. The tapered threaded puller head is used to pull and withdraw a cast ingot from a casting furnace, and can be particularly useful for the handling of ingots having a relatively narrow diameter. The tapered threaded puller head profile provides for full release of the tapered threaded puller head from a cast ingot in a fraction of a turn. The size and profile of the cast ingot formed with the tapered threaded puller head is resilient to thermal gradients while cooling.

A continuous casting start timing determination method, a continuous casting facility operation method, a slab manufacturing method, a determining device, a continuous casting start determination system, and a display terminal device are provided. A continuous casting start timing determination method for determining a continuous casting start timing includes: a measurement step of measuring temperatures in a copper plate of a casting mold in the continuous casting facility, by use of a plurality of temperature sensors provided in a casting-direction determination position as a predetermined casting-direction position on the copper plate; and a determination step of determining the start timing based on a casting-direction position of a molten metal surface of molten steel, the casting-direction position being estimated based on measurement results in the measurement step and a width of a slab to be cast in the continuous casting facility.