Continuous Casting — A Practical Training Seminar
Conference Details: 19–11 October 2018, Detroit, Mich., USA
No. of Attendees: 116—including 77 from steel producers representing 34 different facilities
This year’s program included a day and a half of presentations, then a plant tour, followed by another half-day of presentations. The education chairs of the Continuous Casting Technology Committee, Jeff Brower and Bill Schlichting, urged the group to write down their questions throughout the conference and turn them in for the panel discussion later on. The education chairs also asked everyone to introduce themselves in the class to show the diversity in people attending.
The conference began with a historical perspective of continuous casting followed by a variety of talks focusing on equipment and mold flux. Then the presentations turned toward solidification, quality and productivity associated with continuous casting.
The second day of the conference focused on the casting machine and the molds. Discussions focused on mold design, maintenance and caster rolls.
Following the presentations, the group was split into two tour groups: AK Steel – Dearborn Works, focusing on slab casting, and Gerdau Long Steel North America Monroe Mill, focusing on long products casting.
Upon returning from the tours, the attendees submitted all of their questions to a panel for discussion. The panel, moderated by Jeff Brower, included Rick Besich of ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor, Ian Deeks from Nucor Steel–Arkansas, Yury Krotov from Steel Dynamics Inc. – Flat Roll Group Butler Division, Ron O’Malley of Missouri University of Science and Technology, and Bill Schlichting from United States Steel Corporation.
The third day wrapped up the conference with a focus on caster operations and maintenance issues, hydraulics and bearings, as well as secondary cooling water.
The Continuous Casting Technology Committee would like to thank sponsors Materials Processing Institute and Falk-PLI. They would also like to encourage anyone who would like to get involved with the committee to attend the upcoming meeting on 13–14 February 2019 in Jacksonville, Fla., USA, for the joint meeting with the Ladle & Secondary Refining and Refractory Systems Technology Committees.