Continuous Casting for Aluminum Sheet: a Product Perspective

Abstract

Continuous casting processes have been used successfully for more than 50 years to reduce the cost of manufacturing a variety of aluminum rolled products. Approximately 25% of North American flat-rolled sheet and foil is sourced from twin-roll cast or slab cast processes. Twin roll-casters provide a cost-effective solution for producing foil and light-gauge sheet from relatively low-alloyed aluminum (1xxx and 8xxx alloys). Slab casters, particularly Hazelett twin-belt machines, are well utilized in the production of 3xxx or 5xxx painted building products which require moderate strength and good corrosion resistance. Both foil and painted sheet are cost-sensitive commodity products with well-known metallurgical and quality requirements. There have been extensive trials and modest successes with continuous cast can stock and automotive sheet. However, they have not been widely adopted commercially due to generally lower levels of surface quality and formability compared with sheet produced from scalped direct chill (DC) cast ingot. The metallurgical requirements for can and auto sheet are considered in more detail with emphasis on the microstructural features which limit their application, e.g., particle distribution, grain size, and texture. Looking forward, slab casting offers the most viable opportunity for producing strong (i.e., higher alloy content), formable structural auto sheet with acceptable surface quality.