Strand guide segment and continuous casting plant

Abstract

A strand guide segment for a continuous casting plant, which strand guide segment has an upper frame, a lower frame and position-controlled hydraulic cylinder units for setting the distance between the upper frame and the lower frame and, as a result, a strand thickness of a strand to be guided by the strand guide segment. A first end of each hydraulic cylinder unit is mounted on the upper frame. At the second end of the hydraulic cylinder units, facing away from the upper frame, each hydraulic cylinder unit is detachably connected by a respective flange connection to a respective tie rod which, at its end facing away from the flange connection, is mounted on the lower frame.

Claims

1. A strand guide segment for a continuous casting plant, comprising: an upper frame; a lower frame; and positionally controlled hydraulic cylinder units for setting a spacing between the upper frame and the lower frame and thereby a strand thickness of a strand guided by the strand guide segment, wherein a first end of each hydraulic cylinder unit is mounted on the upper frame, wherein each hydraulic cylinder unit, at a second end that faces away from the upper frame, has a piston rod with a lower end that is detachably connected to a respective flange device that is connected to a first, upper end of a respective tie rod, wherein a second, lower end of the respective tie rod that extends away from the flange device is mounted on the lower frame.

2. The strand guide segment according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic cylinder units by way of the respective flange devices are screw-fitted to the respective tie rods.

3. The strand guide segment according to claim 1, wherein the respective tie rods are releasably connected to the respective flange device.

4. The strand guide segment according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic cylinder units are releasably connected to the respective flange devices.

5. The strand guide segment according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic cylinder units are mounted by joint bearings on bolts on the upper frame.

6. The strand guide segment according to claim 1, wherein the tie rods are mounted by joint bearings on bolts on the lower frame.

7. The strand guide segment according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic cylinder units are in each case clamped in the upper frame by split bearing shells and a split bearing block.

8. The strand guide segment according to claim 1, wherein the respective tie rods are in each case clamped in the lower frame by split bearing shells and a split bearing block.

9. The strand guide segment according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic cylinder units at the first end thereof have in each case one bearing block having a laterally assembled position-measuring sensor.

10. A continuous casting plant comprising a strand guide which has at least one strand guide segment according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 visualizes in a perspective illustration and by way of a simplified partial sectional view an exemplary embodiment of the proposed strand guide segment;

(3) FIG. 2A illustrates a detailed sectional view of the portion of the exemplary embodiment of the proposed strand guide segment which is illustrated as a simplified partial sectional view in FIG. 1; and

(4) FIG. 2B shows a lateral sectional view of the components of the exemplary embodiment of the strand guide segment visualized in FIG. 2A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) An exemplary embodiment of the proposed strand guide segment is visualized in a perspective illustration in FIG. 1. The strand guide segment 50 has an upper frame 8 and a lower frame 9, the mutual spacing of said upper frame 8 and said lower frame 9 along the guide being variable by lateral frames 20A and 20B. The strand guide segment 50 is configured for guiding a strand, in particular from partially solidified metal, and for setting the strand thickness of said strand. For this purpose, rollers 21 mounted on the upper frame 8 and rollers 22 mounted on the lower frame 9 are provided, the strand being guided between said rollers 21, 22, and wherein a spacing between the rollers 21 and 22 determines the strand thickness set by the strand guide segment 50. The spacing is set by four hydraulic cylinder units 1 having tie rods 2 which are in each case connected to said hydraulic cylinder units 1 and which are disposed on the four external corners of the strand guide segment 50.

(6) The hydraulic cylinder units 1 by means of a respective flange device 3 are releasably connected to the respective tie rod 2. The end of each hydraulic cylinder unit 1 that faces the upper frame 8 is designed as a bearing block 11, a position-measuring sensor 10 being assembled laterally on said bearing block 11. The bearing block 11 is configured for receiving a bolt 5 which in turn is clamped in the upper frame 8 by way of split bearing shells 6 and a split bearing block 7 which are provided, or assembled, respectively, on the upper frame 8. The bearing block 11 of a respective hydraulic cylinder unit 1 is mounted on the bolt 5 by means of a joint bearing 4 which is configured so as to be low-clearance. Each hydraulic cylinder unit 1 is axially aligned in the direction of the lower frame 9, wherein each hydraulic cylinder unit 1 on the end thereof that faces away from the upper frame 8 has a piston rod 1A. Said piston rod 1A is connected to the flange device 3 which in turn is connected to the tie rod 2.

(7) The tie rod 2 at the end thereof that faces away from the flange device 3 is mounted on the lower frame 9. More specifically, the tie rod 2 at this end by means of a low-clearance joint bearing 14 is mounted on a bolt 15. The bolt 15, and thus also the tie rod 2, by means of split bearing shells 16 and a split bearing block 17 is clamped in the lower frame 9.

(8) The front left portion of the strand guide segment 50 in a simplified perspective sectional view of the hydraulic cylinder unit 1 having the piston rod 1A thereof, the flange device 3, the tie rod 2, the joint bearings 4, 14, the bolts 5, 15, and the split bearing shells 6, 16 is illustrated in FIG. 1. In contrast, this sectional view is illustrated in detail in a two-dimensional manner in FIG. 2. In the exemplary embodiment visualized, the flange device 3 is connected in a force-fitting manner to the end portion of the piston rod 1A that faces away from the upper frame 8. For example, the flange device 3 may have been thermally shrink-fitted onto the end portion of the piston rod 1A. The flange device 3 by means of a plurality of screws 12 which are aligned in the axial direction of the piston rod 1A is connected to the end portion of the tie rod 2 that faces away from the lower frame 9 and is designed so as to be widened. The screws 12 during the casting operation establish a rigid connection between the piston rod 1A and the tie rod 2. The screws 12 can be released for maintenance work such that the flange device 3 and thus also the piston rod 1A of the hydraulic cylinder unit 1 can be separated, or uncoupled, respectively, from the tie rod 2. On account thereof, the upper frame 8 can be separated from the lower frame 9 in the case of maintenance work without the bearings on the upper frame or the lower frame having to be opened.

(9) FIG. 2B shows a view of a section along the lines B-B in FIG. 2A. As can be seen from FIG. 2B, the position-measuring sensor 10 in the region of the upper frame 8 is attached laterally to the bearing block 11 of the hydraulic cylinder unit 1. The position-measuring sensor 10 can therefore be serviced in a simple manner in the continuous casting plant without disassembling the strand guide segment 50.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(10) 1 Hydraulic cylinder unit 1A Piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder unit 2 Tie rod 3 Flange device 4, 14 Joint bearing 5, 15 Bolt 6, 16 Split bearing shells 7, 17 Split bearing block 8 Upper frame 9 Lower frame 10 Position-measuring sensor 11 Bearing block 12 Screw 20A, 20B Lateral frame 21, 22 Rollers 50 Strand guide segment