AbstractDuring the late twenties, Siegfried Junghans wished to produce cast rods and pipes in order to widen the basis of his brass-stock business. He soon found that the continuous-casting process, as described in the literature, particularly in patents, could never be used on an industrial scale with any chance of success, even though modifications were introduced. He therefore worked out for himself the conditions that must be fulfilled in continuous casting in order to make products which could compete with those produced by other methods. These attempts led to a realization of the fundamental principle that in continuous casting the so-called “uniformity” rule must be obeyed, i.e. temperature, quantity of metal, and speed must be so related that when solidification of the ingot begins at the outer zone, the hot strength of the solid skin formed is sufficient to withstand the mechanical stress to which it is subjected during withdrawal of the ingot from the mould. This basic principle was laid down, i...