Upgrade and reconfiguration of pilot plant caster

Corus Process Engineering (CPE) has completed the upgrade and reconfiguration of a purely vertical billet plant caster at Corus’ Teesside Technology Centre (TTC) Pilot Plant.

The reconstructed caster, which is of a vertical/bending configuration, enables TTC to offer an extended range of investigative procedures and compliments the recently installed increased melting and refining capacity of the Pilot Plant.

The previous vertical billet caster was able to cast 150mm square by 6m long billets from a ladle charge of around 3 tonnes of steel. The new caster is fed from a ladle charged with 7 tonnes of steel and is able to cast a wide range of billet sizes, as well as a mini slab 142mm x 300mm, which is cast through a plate mould.

The casting floor of the reconfigured caster is 1.2m higher than the previous floor. The caster has a horizontal run out and storage bed, which enable products to be cast under steady state conditions. This is critical for TTC because it needs to simulate full scale casting production.

CPE designed most of the equipment for the new caster specifically for the job. This included support structures, the mini slab mould (fitted with multi-tapered, ceramic coated copper plates), top zone/bender and strand guides. In addition, to reduce the overall cost of the project, CPE used a considerable amount of redundant equipment from its Stocksbridge and Llanwern plants in the construction of the straighteners (which are designed to apply soft reduction loads), the billet mould assemblies (which incorporate EMS) and mould oscillation equipment.

The mini slab mould, also designed by CPE specifically for the job, is designed to sit on the same oscillation system and within the same mould table as that for the tube mould assemblies. Water cooling is delivered to the four copper plates via a distribution system that connects to the same supply and returns as those for the billet moulds. Furthermore, this is the first time that it has been proposed that such a small size of slab be cast through a plate type mould.

Construction of the top zone/bender, strand guides, straightener, associated spray equipment and cooling pipework took place in CPE’s workshops. CPE was also responsible for erecting the new structure and for excavating and installing the foundations for the straightener, run out roller table and discharge bed. New mould and spray cooling water supply and return pipework was installed on site and connected to existing termination points. This system consists of six separate product spray zones, all operating within a closed loop configuration. The new spray cooling system gives TTC more flexibility with its casting trials, as it enables zone spray water flow rates to be pre-set and controlled more accurately and with greater repeatability with respect to product type and casting speed.

For hydraulic control of the straightener, including the potential application of soft reduction loads, CPE refurbished a redundant power pack from Stocksbridge. For control of the straightener actions, a manually operated valve station was provided adjacent to the straightener itself. Cutting the billets to length is by means of a manually operated torch and the billets are stored on a storage bed adjacent to the strand. The chain type Dummy Bar is also stored, within its receiver, on the storage bed.

The mini slab mould is designed to sit on the same oscillation system and within the same mould table as that for the tube mould assemblies. Water-cooling is delivered to the four copper plates via a unique distribution system that connects to the same supply and returns as those producing 140mm square and 180mm square billets. This the first time that a plate type mould has been designed and installed to cast such a small slab. Further work is being carried out on equipment automation and control systems prior to recommissioning.

Keith Wilson, site engineer for CPE, TTC Pilot Plant caster commented: "All projects from conception to completion require a dedicated team of project management and design, which unites individual skills and collectively works as a team, which CPE P&T had on the TTC project. Teamwork on any project continues into the manufacturing phase and during equipment installation. During the installation phase on TTC site, the responses CPE received from its subcontractors, both from the manufacturing and installation sectors, were more than satisfactory.”

“Successful installation in accordance with an agreed project programme depends very much on good working relationships being developed with the customer. The TTC engineering personnel were part of this team and instrumental in their support during the installation phase. On all projects, both now and in the future, CPE works towards fostering good teamwork across all disciplines and boundaries."

For more information, visit www.corusnes.com