Siemens VAI Metals Technologies (Linz, Austria):

Gruber, Head of Sales Dept. ES ISC

Leitner, Product Lifecycle Manager

Pitzer Head of Products and Technological Control Dept., wolfganggruber@siemens.com

Since 1999 ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG has been operating a two-strand CSP-plant in its Bruckhausen, Germany works. This Compact Strip Production unit provides casting of thin slabs with thickness 48–65 mm and width up to 1,600 mm; afterwards, these slabs are rolled in strip with thickness 1.0–12.7 mm. In 2011, the company decided to thoroughly modernize the automation system of the thin slab caster, an integral part of the CSP plant. The first results of modernization were obtained after mounting the Simetal LevCon system of adjusting the mould level and Simetal Mold Expert system for timely recognizing of breakages. Typical configuration of Simetal LevCon system, including mould level sensor, preamplifier, actuator, pendant, evaluation unit, CC explorer, plant network and LevCon itself is shown. Its operation is explained for two technological conditions — active or inactive compensation. In the same way, operation features of Simetal Mold Expert are analyzed. This system accumulates data about temperature, piston pressure, oscillation, primary cooling, mould level and casting speed, as well as data from automation system. After processing of these data, Simetal Mold Expert gives recommendations for friction, heat flux, temperature maps and metallurgical expertise. These results have displayed distinct achieving of the aims of modernization — quality improvement and operation stability. After this modernization project has been implemented, the CSP plant will be equipped with an integrated automation solution by Siemens VAI.

1. Juza, P.; Dittenberger, K.; Pesek, A.; Fleischl, U.; Lang, O.; Ober schmidleitner, N.: The new generation of continuous casting process, 10th Continuous Casting Conference (CCC ‘08), 26.–27. Mai 2008, Linz, Österreich.