CASTERS

 4 NOS RUSSIAN MAKE SINGLE STRAND SLAB

CASTERS
 RADIAL TYPE BATCH CASTERS,12 M. RADIUS,
MET. LENGTH 23 M
 COMMISSIONED IN 1984-85
 TOTAL RATED CAPACITY : 1.24 MT /YR
 CAST SIZE RANGE : 180-320 X 1300-2000
 PRODUCTS :
LOW TO HIGH CARBON STEELS INCLUDING
BOILER QUALITY, HIGH TENSILE, STRUCTURAL
STEELS, SHIP BUILDING QUALITY.
 ORIGINAL CASTER DETAILS
 12 T TUNDISH WITH MANUAL STOPPER RODS
 RADIAL MOULD WITH COPPER WALLS
 1 NO. 140 DIA DOUBLE SPLIT 5-ROLL SEGMENT
 1 NO. 230 DIA 8-ROLL SEGMENT
 RADIAL PINCH ROLL SEGMENTS :
DIA 320 - 6 NOS.
DIA 360 - 4 NOS.
DIA 400 - 4 NOS.
DIA 450 - 3 NOS
 HORIZONTAL PINCH ROLL SEGMENT: DIA 480 - 5 NOS
 PINCH ROLL SEGMENTS ARE SINGLE SPAN, 2-ROLL WITH 1
DRIVEN ROLL
 SOLID LINK TYPE BOTTOM INSERTED DUMMY BAR
 GCM WITH OXY. – ACETYLENE FLAME CUTTING
 DRAWBACKS OF BHILAI CASTERS
MOULDWALLS OF COLD ROLLED COPPER WITH
LOW HARDNESS, CAUSING SHRINKAGE AND
DIMENSIONAL VARIATION.
SMALLTUNDISH SIZE MEANS INCREASED NMI
AND LESS TIME FOR CHANGEOVERS
HIGH ROLL PITCH LIMITS CASTING SPEED
17
NOS. RADIAL SEGMENTS WITH INADEQUATE
FASTENING ON BASE FRAME CAUSES
MISALIGNMENT OF PASS LINE, AND LENGTHY
REALIGNMENT PROCESS
 DRAWBACKS OF BHILAI CASTERS

HEAVY DUMMY BAR WITH SINGLE TAPER LINK

CAUSES SHOCK LOADS ON CASTER ROLLS
INADEQUATE SECONDARY COOLING LIMITS
CASTING SPEEDS AND AFFECTS QUALITY
DRIVEN ROLLS IN TOP ZONE AFFECT SURFACE
QUALITY
SINGLE SPAN ROLLS OFFER POOR STRAND
SUPPORT CAUSING INTERNAL DEFECTS
MANUAL CENTRALIZED GREASE LUB. SYSTEM
 MODIFICATION IN SLAB CASTER
MOULD
MODIFICATIONS
 COPPER NARROW WALL CHANGED TO CR-ZR-CU ALLOY,
WIDE WALL TO AG-CU ALLOY
 INLET COOLING PIPE INCREASED FROM DIA 125 TO DIA 200,
FLOW INCREASED FROM 160 M³ /HR AT 6 BAR TO 220 M³ /HR AT
8 BAR FOR WIDE WALL, AND 20 M³ /HR TO 30 M³ /HR FOR
NARROW WALL
BENEFITS
 MOULD LIFE INCREASED FROM 50 TO60 HEATS TO AVERAGE
135 HEATS
 BETTER COOLING ALLOWED HIGHER CASTING SPEED
 IMPROVEMENT IN SLAB SURFACE QUALITY
 MODIFICATION IN SLAB CASTER
IDLE SEGMENTS
8-ROLL SEGMENT
MODIFICATIONS
 8-ROLLS 230 DIA SINGLE SPAN MODIFIED TO 10-ROLLS
180 DIA SPLIT
 LUBRICATION MODIFIED FROM ONE TIME GREASE PACKING
TO CENTRALISED GREASE LUB. SYSTEM
 BEARING PEDESTAL COOLING INTRODUCED
 ROLL MATERIAL CHANGED FROM 34 XHIM TO 13 Cr SS

BENEFITS
 IMPROVEMENT IN SLAB SUB SURFACE AND INTERNAL
QUALITY
 10-ROLL LIFE INCREASED FROM 200 TO 300 HEATS
 ROLLER LIFE INCREASED
 MODIFICATION IN SLAB CASTER
PINCH ROLL SEGMENTS
MODIFICATIONS
 DIA 320 DRIVEN ROLLS CONVERTED TO IDLE ROLLS
 ALL DIA 320, 360, 400 SINGLE SPAN IDLE ROLLS CONVERTED TO SINGLE
SPLIT ROLLS
 ALL SEGMENT TOP FRAME BRACKET HOLES MODIFIED TO REDUCE
PIN PLAY CAUSED BY WEAR OUT
 DIA 320, 360, 400 ROLLERS NECK AND BEARING HOUSING MODIFIED TO
PREVENT GREASE WASHOUT AND INGRESS OF SCALES AND MUCK
 SEGMENT FOUNDATION MODIFICATIONS :
* FOUNDATION FASTENERS CHANGED FROM M 56 TO M 64
STUDS
* FOUNDATION BLOCK PACKINGS MODIFIED FOR BETTER
SURFACE CONTACT BETWEEN SEGMENT AND RADIAL FRAME
* LOOSE PACKINGS MATERIAL CHANGED FROM MS TO SS
* SEGMENT LOCATING DOWEL PINS MODIFIED FOR EASIER AND
QUICKER FIXING
* FOUNDATION STUDS TIGHTENING DONE WITH HYDRAULIC
TORQUE WRENCH
 MODIFICATION IN SLAB CASTER
PINCH ROLL SEGMENTS
BENEFITS

 BETTER SLAB SURFACE AND INTERNAL QUALITY

 HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY DUE TO HIGHER CASTING
SPEED
 HIGHER MACHINE AVAILABILITY
 INCREASE IN ROLLER AND BEARING LIFE
 INCREASE IN SEGMENT LIFE
 BETTER FOUNDATION RIGIDITY AND PASS LINE
ALIGNMENT
 REDUCED MAINTENANCE COSTS
 MODIFICATION IN SLAB CASTER
COOLING SYSTEMS
SECONDARY COOLING SYSTEM
MODIFICATONS
 M.S.PIPES CHANGED TO S.S.PIPES, ADDITIONAL FILTERS USED
TO ELIMINATE NOZZLE CHOKING.
 COOLING ZONES EXTENDED FROM 5 TO 7 AND COOLING
SCHEMES REDESIGNED TO ATTAIN HIGHER CASTING SPEED
 AIR MIST COOLING INTRODUCED FOR UNIFORM & EFFICIENT
COOLING

BENEFITS

 HIGHER CASTING SPEED

 BETTER SLAB QUALITY
 MODIFICATION IN SLAB CASTER
COOLING SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT COOLING SYSTEM

MODIFICATION

 BOOSTERPUMP INSTALLED FOR EACH CASTER

FLOW INCREASED FROM 300 M³/HR TO 500 M³/HR

BENEFITS
 BETTER ROLLER & SEGMENT FRAME LIFE
 MODIFICATION IN SLAB CASTER
DUMMY BAR
MODIFICATIONS
 LINKS WIDTH REDUCED FROM 120 MM TO 80 MM
 DUMMY BAR THICKNESS INCREASE USING ONE TAPER LINK
MODIFIED BY USING THREE LINKS OF GRADUAL TAPER
 LENGTH INCREASED BY 2.7 M
 WEIGHT OF 200 MM DUMMY BAR REDUCED FROM 17 T TO 13 T
AND 250 MM DUMMY BAR REDUCED FROM 21 T TO 17 T
 INSERTION PRESSURE REDUCED TO 100 BARS FROM 140 BARS BY
MODIFIED HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT
 PROVISION OF GREASE LUBRICATION FOR DUMMY BAR PINS

BENEFITS
 SMOOTHER DUMMY BAR INSERTION IN CASTER
 REDUCED ROLLER AND BEARING BREAKAGE
 ENHANCED DUMMY BAR LIFE
 MODIFICATION IN SLAB CASTER
GAS CUTTING MACHINE
MODIFICATIONS

 WORKING LENGTH OF GCM INCREASED BY 2M TO ALLOW

HIGHER CASTING SPEED
 NITROGEN USED INSTEAD OF COMPRESSED AIR FOR GRIPPER
OPERATION
 PROPANE GAS REPLACED ACETEYLENE GAS FOR FLAME
CUTTING OF SLABS
BENEFITS
 ALLOWED HIGH SPEED CASTING
 RELIABLE GRIPPING OPERATION ELIMINATED SLIPPAGE
 RELIABLE & CHEAPER SLAB CUTTING
 MODIFICATION IN SLAB CASTER
CENTRALISED GREASE LUB.SYSTEM

MODIFICATIONS

 MANUAL GREASE SYSTEM OPERATION MADE AUTOMATIC

 GREASE CHANGED FROM LITHIUM COMPLEX TO HIGH
TEMPERATURE CALCIUM SULFONATE

BENEFITS

 BEARING LIFE INCREASED, REDUCING CASTER REPAIR

TIME
 MAINTENANCE STRATEGY
SLAB CASTER
 CASTER TAKEN FOR REPAIRS AFTER AROUND 200
HEATS. TIME TAKEN 3 – 4 SHIFTS
 TAKEN FOR REPAIRS EARLIER IF ANY INCIDENCE OF
DEFECTS AT SLAB OR PLATE STAGE
 MAINTENANCE IS CONDITION BASED
THOROUGH MANUAL INSPECTION OF ENTIRE
CASTER DONE – MOULD, LADLE TURRET, ALL
SEGMENTS, ALL DRIVES & LINKAGES, CASTER
FOUNDATION, DUMMY BAR, ROLL TABLES, GCM ETC.
 DEFECTIVE SEGMENTS REPLACED WITH READY
SPARE SEGMENTS
 CASTER ALIGNMENTS & ROLL GAP SETTING DONE
FOR ENTIRE CASTER IN EVERY REPAIR.
 MAINTENANCE STRATEGY
SLAB CASTER
CAPITAL REPAIR OF CASTER IS CARRIED OUT
AFTER AROUND 1.5 MT OF PRODUCTION, i.e.,
ONCE IN 3 YEARS

MAJOR BUILDING & EQUIPMENT STRUCTURAL

REPAIRS ARE DONE

ALL SEGMENTS ARE REPLACED WITH READY

SPARES SEGMENTS WITH COMPLETE SET OF
NEW ROLLS

CASTER ALIGNED TO AN ACCURACY OF 0.7mm

CAPITAL REPAIRS TAKES AROUND 50 SHIFTS