SMS Siemag AG (Düsseldorf, Germany):

Weyer, Mag.,head of direction “Management of innovations in continuous casting of steel”

Lechler GmbH (Metzingen, Germany):

Frick J. head of Direction "Technologies of steel making and rolling production", axel.weyer@sms-siemag.com

To ensure the fl exible production of diff erent steel grades at variable casting speeds and with a wide range of adjustable sizes (product dimensions), novel cooling concepts are needed. For secondary cooling this means that for all cooling strategies an as large as possible control range covering the whole product mix must be attained. Lechler and SMS Siemag have made joint developments and worked out eff ective overall concepts. Intensive joint work was resulted in the innovative product providing rise of operation efficiency and technological fl exibility for the secondary cooling system of slab continuous casters. Additionally, solving of technological problems allowed to optimize power supply and, subsequently, to cut operation expenses for water-air nozzles. Necessity of widening of the adjusting range for secondary cooling systems was connected with the permanent strengthening of the customers’ requirements to production, fl exibility and reproducibility during casting of steel for special usage; these demands are satisfying owing to the innovations. After development of the nozzle with adjusting valve, for the next step it is planned to prepare the experiments with several nozzles in one cooling area, as well as experiments at an industrial continuous caster.