Radially acting aftercooler for horizontal continuous casting

For use in a horizontal continuous casting system in which a cooled die is supplied with a flow of molten metal such that a continuous casting is formed, an aftercooler for receiving the continuous casting from the cooled die and further cooling the continuous casting, said aftercooler comprising:

• a plurality of aftercooler segments each defining a casting passage therethrough, said aftercooler segments each including,
• a plurality of aftercooler sections each of said aftercooler sections defining radially angled surfaces which divide said aftercooler segment into cylindrical sectors, a water flow passage and a gas flow passage;
• a plurality of bands encircling said plurality of aftercooler sections to provide radially directed forces compacting said aftercooler segment and compressing said casting passage;
• support means for supporting said plurality of aftercooler segments in an end-to-end arrangement such that said casting passages, said water flow passages and said gas flow passages within each of said aftercooler segments are aligned;
• and
• a plurality of gas tubes received within said gas flow passages for injecting a flow of inert gas into said casting passage of at least one of said aftercooler segments.