Side Dam Plate Research Articles

Casting of Thin Aluminum Alloy Rod Using Twin Wheel Caster Equipped with Rotating Side Dam Plates

A thin aluminum rod (width: 5 mm) was cast using a twin-wheel caster equipped with rotating side-dam plates. The upper and lower casting wheels were made of copper. The width of the flat upper and lower casting wheels was 5 mm. The rotating side-dam plate was made of mild steel. Paper 0.5 mm thick was pasted onto the plate. Boron nitride was sprayed onto the paper as an insulator and lubricant. A 6061 aluminum alloy thin rod could be cast continuously at casting speeds of 4 and 5 m/min. Molten metal was poured onto the lower wheel from a launder and conveyed into a square gap made by the lower wheel, upper wheel, and side-dam plates. The cross section of the cast rod was rectangular. The cross-sectional area of the rectangular rod was 12 to 15 mm2.

Changing from a Vertical Burr to a Horizontal Burr in the Vertical-Type High-Speed Twin-Roll Caster

Strip casting using a side dam plate produces a vertical burr at the strip edge. In the present study, changing this vertical burr into a horizontal burr using a burr changer is proposed. The burr changer was placed inside the side dam plate. The burr changer was made from mild steel and an insulator sheet and cut along the shape of the roll. The burr changer was placed so as to prevent exhaustion of semisolid metal between the side dam plate and the roll-side surface. When the position of the burr changer was appropriate, the vertical burr changed into a horizontal burr. The horizontal burr was flat. The width of the horizontal burr was affected by the lowest position of the burr changer and became narrower as the lowest position of the burr changer approached the roll gap position.

Reduction of Surface Cracks at Al-Mg Alloy Strip Surface Cast by Unequal Diameter Twin Roll Caster

Al-Mg alloy strips were cast by an unequal-diameter twin-roll caster. It was found that cracks formed on the surface at grain boundaries. The grains near the surface were small in size, which likely contributed to crack formation. The use of a molten metal pouring method to increase the grain size near the surface is proposed to reduce cracks. In the previous method, molten metal is poured into a pool, which is on the lower roll surrounded by side-dam plates, a back-dam plate, and the upper roll. In this study, molten metal was directly poured onto the roll surface at a shallow angle using a launder. When the angle was smaller than 20°, cracks did not form. With the proposed method, the heat transfers between the molten metal and the roll surface decreased, as determined from the grain size and strip thickness. The cracks on the strip surface were color-checked and visually inspected.

Burr Formation in Casting Using Vertical-Type High-Speed Twin-Roll Caster

The mechanism and region of burr formation in casting using a vertical-type high-speed twin-roll caster were investigated using a side-dam plate with a window. A383, an aluminum alloy typically used for casting due to its excellent fluidity at semisolid condition was used. The solid fraction of the semisolid metal ejected from the window was low. When solid metal was ejected from the window, no burr formed. The results suggest that a burr formed when the semisolid metal was ejected in gap between the side-dam plate and the side surface of a roll. The semisolid metal was ejected near the point where the semisolid metal on the two rolls met.

Casting of Thin Bare Wire Using Wheel Caster Equipped with Rotating Side-Dam Plates

A simple twin-wheel caster is proposed for casting thin bare wire. An unequal diameter twin wheel caster equipped with rotating side-dam plates is proposed for casting a thin bare wire of aluminum alloy to shorten the fabrication process. The rotating side-dam plate was made of mild steel. Al-10%Mg bare wire with a rectangular cross section could be cast at wheel speeds of 3 and 4 m/min. Area of the bare wire was less than 100 mm2 at these wheel speeds. The side surface of the bare wire was made flat by the rotating side-dam plates. The rotating side-dam plates prevent the cross section of the bare wire from becoming concave.

Investigation of Burr on Strips Cast by Vertical-Type High-Speed Twin Roll Caster

The factors affecting the shape and size of burrs that form at the edges of strips cast by a vertical type twin roll caster were investigated in this study. The size of the burr was found to be affected by the Si content of the strip. When the Si content was larger than 7 mass%, the burrs became larger. The position of the lower edge of the side dam plate also affected the shape of the burr. The burrs that formed were generally perpendicular to the strip surface but changed to being parallel to the strip surface as the position of the lower edge of the side dam plate was displaced upward from the center of the rolls.

Investigation of Side-Dam Plate in Single-Wheel Caster for Casting Rods

The cross section of a thin rod cast by a single-wheel caster, for which the wheel cross section is an inverted trapezoidal groove, is concave. To make the cross section convex, an inner side-dam plate is proposed. A single-wheel caster with a flat wheel (without a groove) and rotating side-dam plates is also proposed. 5182 aluminum alloy rods with a convex or rectangular cross section can be cast. The area of the rod is smaller than 150 mm2. The diameter of the converted circle area is 15 mm.

Fabrication of Aluminum Alloy Rods Using a Single Wheel Caster with Rotating Side Dam Plates and Pool-Less Pouring

A single wheel caster equipped with rotating side dam plates was proposed and assessed in conjunction with a pool-less pouring method as a compact and economical system for producing metal rods. The diameter and width of the single wheel were 600 and 10 mm, respectively, while those of the rotating side dam plates were 200 and 15 mm. Both were made from mild steel and rotated at the same speed. This system was tested using 5182 aluminum alloy at a casting speed of 5 m/min, and it was determined that rods with convex cross-sections could be formed with cross-sectional areas ranging from 75 to 135 mm2.

Prevention of Solidification of Al-40%Sn-1%Cu in Melt Pool on the Roll Casting Using Unequal Diameter Twin Roll Caster

Among the problems encountered when roll casting Al-405Sn-1%Cu, which is an aluminum alloy used for sliding plate bearings in large maritime diesel engines, are solidified chips embedded in the strip and scratch marks on the lower roll contact surface. In this study, three different improvement methods aimed at eliminating these particular defects—vibrating the side plates and back dam plate, adding a vibrating plate, and varying the casting conditions—are examined. Vibrating the side plates and dam plate was found to be effective for preventing these defects, while adding another vibrating plate was comparatively less effective. As for casting conditions, it was also determined that the occurrence of these defects could be reduced by increasing the roll speed, and that the molten metal casting temperature had little or no influence on defect formation.

716 高速双ロールキャスターで作製したアルミニウム合金板のエッジでのバリにサイドダムプレートが及ぼす影響

716 高速双ロールキャスターで作製したアルミニウム合金板のエッジでのバリにサイドダムプレートが及ぼす影響

Fabrication of Aluminum Alloy Strip by Roll Caster Equipped with a Scraper

A single roll caster equipped with a scraper (SRCES) was devised in order to improve the free solidified surface. The scraper contacted to the free solidified surface at the constant force. The some amount of semisolid layer on the solid layer was removed and the surface became flat. The scraper was made from the mild steel plate. The mild steel plate was covered by the insulator paper to prevent the cooling of the melt. The melt pool was made on the roll by the side dam plates, back dam plate and the scraper. Therefore, a tip or a nozzle was not needed. In this study, AA6022 and AA5182 aluminum alloy were cast by SRCES. The scraped surface condition of the strip cast by SRCES was investigated. The free solidified surface was flat. The as-cast strip could be cold rolling. The free solidified surface could be cold-rolled and the roughness was reduced. The mechanical properties of cast strip were investigated by the 180 degrees bending test. There was no difference between the roll contact surface and the free solidified surface after cold rolling. This result showed that the free solidified surface could be improved up to the roll contact surface by the scraper and cold rolling. Furthermore, in this study, the scraper was applied to a twin roll caster. The aluminum alloy clad strip was cast by twin roll caster equipped with a scraper. Interface of the clad strip was connected and clear.

Strip Casting by a Single Roll Caster Equipped with a Scraper

A scraper was equipped to a single roll caster to improve the free solidified surface. The scraper contacted to the free solidified surface at the constant force. The some mount of semisolid layer at the surface was removed and the surface became flat. The scraper was made from the mild steel plate. The mild steel plate was covered by the insulator paper to prevent the cooling of the melt by the plate. The melt pool was made on the roll by the side dam plates, back dam plate and the scraper. Therefore, a tip or a nozzle was not needed. The AA5182 and AA6022 aluminum alloy were cast. The as-cast strips could be cold rolled. The microstructure of as-cast strip was not uniform at thickness direction. However, the microstructure became uniform after the cold rolling and the annealing.