Introduction
Continuous casting machines for long product mills require cooling systems that provide even solidification for billets. Maintenance of the cooling risers and the ease of which they can be replaced is important to maintenance personnel. Proper alignment of the spray footprint of the nozzle is critical to producing a quality product. The ease of which risers can be replaced on breakdown repairs can help reduce unscheduled down time, and provide safer means in performing this task.
Challenges and Opportunities
Lechler was tasked with developing a new riser system that would provide easier replacement of the risers to help reduce manhours for a routine maintenance task. The new risers also needed to provide reliability of the spray footprint to the billet surface for even solidification. The riser manufacture and nozzle spray distribution are critical for even cooling along billet surfaces.
Solution
Lechler developed a new design that incorporated a quick release clamping mechanism for easy removal of each individual riser. The clamping mechanism allows the individual riser to slide into a bracket which then can be tightened secure. This eliminated the need for threaded connections that were used for the existing design. The Lechler 490 series nozzle was used to provide a clog resistant and evenly distributed spray pattern to help maintain product quality. Because of the stable spray pattern that the 490 series nozzle provides, more uniform cooling can be achieved versus previous nozzles that were used.
Outcomes and Evaluation
Creative solutions that Lechler engineers provide can help reduce maintenance down time and costs for long delays. The ability to provide a solution for faster and safer replacement of risers can reduce unscheduled down times resulting in cost savings. In addition, using the 490 series nozzles provided an added benefit of clog resistance and improved spray performance and distribution.
