Continuous casting for flat products

Continuous casting produces some 95 percent of steel. As a pioneer of this technology, SMS group offers the world's largest portfolio of plants for carbon and stainless steel slabs. It also means that the thin, medium, thick and ultra-thick slabs produced on our continuous casters all form an ideal basis for superior steel products.

Included in our program is everything from turnkey integrated plants to revamps, powerful and efficient single components, electrical and automation systems, and servicing. This gives us the capabilities to transform technical process lines into integrated value-added chains. In order to achieve the very best results for our customers, we also work with leading research institutes. We work closely with you to make your projects the best possible.

Our specialists have many years of experience and in-depth know-how. That is why we are your best partner for modernizations. We upgrade ageing plants precisely and efficiently to today's technology – even those of other manufacturers. The spectrum of our modernizations ranges from small optimizations right up to extensive alterations. This is achieved by practice-proven and cost-effective new modules e.g. through adjustments to drive technology, electrics and automation.

We custom-design each revamp to your specific requirements and use state-of-the-art technology. Our forward-looking, detailed planning goes into every project. Right from the start, you can be sure that your continuous casting plant will achieve the improvements and competitive boost you wish.

Benefits

• Higher productivity, higher yield
• Lower operating costs
• Wider product range
• Shorter downtimes
• Larger maintenance intervals
• Modern eco-standards as well as energy and resource savings
• Better value creation and competitiveness

Nothing short of revolutionary, our Belt Casting Technology (BCT^®) is a further leap towards near-net-shape casting. Depending on the BCT^® caster type you choose, you can run different production rates and manufacture a large variety of product sizes. Even alloys that were previously unsuitable for continuous casting can be processed.

Knowing the temperature development within the mold is essential for understanding and optimizing the casting process. Now you can - with our HD mold. It provides the necessary data in high resolution as well as new insights into the processes inside the mold.

What already became an essential part of modern medicine years ago is now successfully applied by the SMS group for cast products. Inspection of the internal quality using ultrasound – HD scan. For evaluation of the ultrasound data, SMS group has developed a software. It provides significant results.

With HD scan, we have created an easy and secure method to prove the quality of cast products. With HD scan it is possible to capture the inner quality of cast products with ultrasound. For the evaluation of the ultrasound data, we have developed a software that provides meaningful, reproducible and objective results.

HD scan brings clarity in the assessment of product quality.

Perfect alignment of the continuous caster is the basis for highest slab quality. SMS group sets the best available measuring technology as the new aligning standard in casting plants and calls it HD LASr (High Definition Laser Aligning System remote).

HD LASr enables operators to easily apply the high-precision lasertracker with the customized software excelling in its practicality. The measuring for best aligning and best slab quality becomes digitalized.

Strand guide rollers are crucial for manufacturing high-quality steel slabs. Ideal here is the STEC-Roll^® solution. Axle rollers with rotating axles from other manufacturers and drive rollers with split bearings on existing segment frames can be easily replaced with a STEC-Roll^®. Further changes are not necessary.

STEC-Roll^® sets new standards in cost-efficient maintenance and long service life. STEC-Roll^® is easy to maintain, as well as quick to dismantle and install: a STEC-Roll^® line can be fully dismantled in less than two hours. Unlike comparable products, our rollers can be installed and dismantled without any special tools and hydraulic presses. In addition, an STEC-Roll^® can be reused several times. All this significantly reduces your maintenance costs.

As one of the world’s largest system integrators in the metallurgical business, we design tailored solutions und implement advanced technologies for continuous casting machines. Our X-Pact^® automation systems ensure:

• setup the mold for each slab
• tracking several ladles within one strand
• increasing the yield by optimizing slab length
• optimizing the yield by recommend the best casting speed
• handling interfaces with various partners
• reporting all relevant production events
• process optimization, condition monitoring, quality evaluation, metallurgical parameter administration and operator guidance – integrated in one system