Mold plate

Abstract

A mold plate has a casting side and a rear side remote from the casting side and includes a cooling channel which is open with respect to the rear side 3 and is arranged in the rear side. An insert is arranged in the cooling channel to reduce a flow cross-section of the cooling channel. The insert is fastened to the mold plate in a pivotally movable manner so that the insert can be pivoted from a closed position into an open position.

Claims

1. A mold plate, comprising: a casting side; a rear side remote from the casting side; a cooling channel arranged in the rear side and open with respect to the rear side; and an insert arranged in the cooling channel to reduce a flow cross-section of the cooling channel, said insert fastened to the mold plate in a pivotally movable manner so as to be able to pivot from a closed position into an open position.

2. The mold plate of claim 1, wherein the insert pivots about a pivot axis which is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the cooling channel.

3. The mold plate of claim 1, wherein the insert pivots about a pivot axis which is arranged at a lower end of the mold plate so that the insert is swingable downwards from the closed position into the open position.

4. The mold plate of claim 1, further comprising a securing element arranged on the rear side and configured to hold the insert in the closed position.

5. The mold plate of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of said insert placed in adjacent relationship, said securing element configured to simultaneously lock the plurality of said insert in the closed position.

6. The mold plate of claim 1, wherein the insert has an inner side which, in the closed position, is in partial contact with a casting-side-remote cooling surface of the cooling channel such as to form a cooling gap between the cooling surface and the inner side.

7. The mold plate of claim 1, wherein the insert has an inner side having grooves, and further comprising webs received in the grooves in one-to-one correspondence in the closed position of the insert, so that, between adjacent ones of the webs, a cooling gap is established between the insert and the mold plate.

8. The mold plate of claim 1, wherein the insert is releasably connected to the mold plate.

9. The mold plate of claim 1, further comprising a connecting element arranged between the insert and the mold plate.

10. The mold plate of claim 9, wherein the connecting element is a pivot pin mounted in the mold plate.

11. The mold plate of claim 9, wherein the connecting element is a hinge connected to the insert and the mold plate.

12. The mold plate of claim 1, further comprising a projection arranged in the cooling channel and received in an opening of the insert, when the insert pivots into the closed position.

13. The mold plate of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of said insert; and fastening points arranged between adjacent ones of the plurality of said insert.

14. The mold plate of claim 1, wherein the insert has an indentation on a longitudinal side of the insert.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in a schematic drawing, which shows by way of sole FIG. 1 a perspective illustration of a mold plate according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective illustration of a mold plate 1 in a partial section. The rear side 3 of the mold plate 1 is illustrated, wherein, of this rear side 3, again only a partial region of the mold plate 1 is shown. The mold plate 1 possesses a casting side 2, which is opposite the rear side 3. The casting side 2 is contoured in the illustrated region, and is specifically provided with a concave indentation. The rear side 3 is fastened to a supporting plate (not illustrated in more detail).

(3) The rear side 3 of the mold plate 1 is cooled. To this end, cooling channels 4, 5 are located in the rear side 3. The cooling channels 4, 5 extend in the casting direction, i.e. from top to bottom in the plane of the drawing. The two central cooling channels 4, 5 are open. In the lower region of FIG. 1, two inserts 6, 7 can be seen. These two inserts 6, 7 are pivotable about a pivot axis S. The pivot axis S of the two inserts 6, 7 is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L of the cooling channels 4, 5. In other words, the inserts 6, 7 can be pivoted downwards from a closed position into the illustrated open position. Gravity holds the two inserts 6, 7 in the open position. The two inserts 6, 7 can be displaced independently of one another into the closed position again, in that they are pivoted upwards in the plane of the drawing. They are then located in the respective cooling channel 4, 5. In the illustration of FIG. 1, three further inserts 8, 9, 10 are illustrated, which are located in the closed position. They terminate with their rear sides flush with the rear side 3 of the mold plate 1. They are likewise pivotable about the pivot axis S at the lower end of the mold plate 1. The inserts 6-10 are secured in the closed position. To this end, securing means 11, which each hold two mutually adjacent inserts 9, 10, are located in the upper fifth of the mold plate 1. The securing means 11 are screwed to the mold plate 1. An insert 6-10 is therefore unable to move from the closed position into the open position on its own.

(4) If the mold plate 1 is in use, the mold plate 1 as a whole is supported on a supporting plate (not illustrated in more detail). The securing means 11 therefore do not serve to absorb the cooling-liquid forces acting on the inserts 6-10, but merely to hold the inserts 6-10 in the closed position.

(5) The cooling channels 4, 5 are configured differently. For example, a projection 12 is located in the lower region in the cooling channel 5. The projection 12 is accommodated in an opening 13 of the insert 7 in the closed position of the insert 7. It can furthermore be seen that the further insert 9, in the closed position, is configured differently from the adjacent insert 10 or the insert 8 at the other end of the mold plate 1. The respective inserts 6-10 are adapted to the local cooling requirements in the respective cooling channel 4, 5. They can be pivoted into the respective cooling channels 4, 5 to fit perfectly. To this end, the inserts 6-10 possess indentations 15 on their longitudinal sides 14, these indentations 15, in the closed position, are located adjacent to fastening points 16 via which the mold plate 1 is connected to the supporting plate (not illustrated in more detail) in the fitted position. A plurality of fastening points 16 follow one another in the casting direction in mutually spaced rows. Webs 17, which extend to the rear side 3 of the mold plate 1, are located between two adjacent fastening points 16. The inserts 6-10 abut with small, edge projections 26 in depressions 25 in the webs 17 of the mold plates 1 so that they cannot fall inwards and reduce/close the cooling gap.

(6) During operation, cooling water can flow into the respective cooling channel 4, 5 via a water inlet 18 and can flow out again via a water outlet 19. In this case, the cooling water flows over a cooling surface 20 of the mold plate 1, wherein the cooling surface 20 is opposite the casting side 2. In the closed position, the cooling surface 20 is opposite an inner side 21 of the respective insert 6-10. The Inner sides 21 in this exemplary embodiment are provided with a plurality of grooves 22 extending mutually parallel and extending at a spacing from one another. The grooves 22 are provided to receive webs 23 which protrude at the cooling surface 20 and face in the direction of the rear side 3. Respective cooling gaps are located between mutually adjacent webs 23 such that they are delimited by the cooling surface 20 and the inner side 21. A plurality of these cooling gaps extend parallel to one another, wherein a high flow rate prevails within the cooing gaps.

(7) In this exemplary embodiment, the inserts 6-10 are connected to the mold plate via a pivot pin (not illustrated in more detail) acting as a connecting element. The inserts 6-10 are captively held. However, the inserts 6-10 are still removable and can be released from the mold plate 1, in particular when the mold plate 1 is worn and the inserts 6-10 enable further use with a new mold plate.

(8) The mold plates according to the invention are, in particular, thin-walled mold plates, which are made from a copper material and can absorb thermal loads of 3-7 MW/qm and, in particular, ca. 5 MW/qm in rated operation. The deposits produced by the cooling water should not exceed a thickness of 0.01 mm, wherein deposits with a thickness of up to 0.5 mm are possible. The mold plate should be freed of deposits having a greater thickness. To this end, the mold plate is removed from the continuous casting mold. After exposing the rear side 3, the securing means 11 are released and the individual inserts 6-10 are pivoted from the closed position into the open position for maintenance and for cleaning. After cleaning, the inserts 6-10 can be pivoted back into the closed position. The securing means 11 are fitted again and the mold plate is ready to be used again.

(9) If the inserts 6-10 need to be removed completely, connecting means 24, which are screwed to the mold plate 1 in the region of the pivot axis S, can be released.