Apparatus to replace a guide unit in a continuous casting machine

Method to replace a guide unit in a continuous casting machine (15), provided with at least one casting line (L1-L4) having guide units (11-14) located one after the other, wherein it provides to:

• position adjacent to the at least one casting line (L1-L4) at least one rotatable platform (24) on which at least a first guide unit (11′-14′) is housed in a first positioning zone (29), said at least one platform (24) having a second positioning zone (30) free and facing directly onto a zone (40) of said at least one casting line (L1-L4) where at least a second guide unit (11-14) is positioned, said at least a first guide unit (11′-14′) being associated with at least a first linear actuator (33) housed on board and inside the at least one platform (24) and said at least a second guide unit (11-14) being associated with at least a second linear actuator (32) housed on board and inside the at least one platform (24), said at least one platform (24) comprising at least a first slit (38) able to at least partly house a mobile shaft (35) of said at least a first linear actuator (33) and at least a second slit (37) able to at least partly house a mobile shaft (34) of said at least a second linear actuator (32);
• extract said at least a second guide unit (11-14) from said zone (40) of said at least one casting line (L1-L4) by means of said at least a second linear actuator (32) and take it into said second positioning zone (30) provided on said at least one platform (24), thus leaving free said zone (40) of said at least one casting line (L1-L4);
• rotate said at least one platform (24) so as to take said at least a first guide unit (11′-14′) in proximity to said zone (40) of said at least one casting line (L1-L4);
• insert said at least a first guide unit (11′-14′), by means of said at least a first linear actuator (33), on said zone (40) of said at least one casting line (L1-L4).

Continuous casting machine, wherein it comprises at least a replacement apparatus (10a, 10b) to replace at least a second guide unit (11-14) in line with at least a first guide unit (11′-14′) offline comprising:

• at least a platform (24) positioned, during use, at a side of said at least one casting line (L1-L4), and provided with at least a first positioning zone (29) of the at least a first guide unit (11′-14′) and at least a second positioning zone (30) of the at least a second guide unit (11-14), said at least a platform (24) being associated with rotation means (25, 26) to take, on each occasion, said at least a first positioning zone (29) or said at least a second positioning zone (30) facing the side of said at least one casting line (L1-L4), the apparatus also comprising at least a first linear actuator (33) associated with said at least a first guide unit (11′-14′) and at least a second linear actuator (32) associated with said at least a second guide unit (11-14), said linear actuators (33, 32) being housed on board and inside the at least a platform (24), and said at least a platform (24) comprising at least a first slit (38) able to at least partly house a mobile shaft (35) of said at least a first linear actuator (33) and at least a second slit (37) able to at least partly house a mobile shaft (34) of said at least a second linear actuator (32), said at least a second linear actuator (32) being configured to move said at least a second guide unit (11-14) from a positioning zone (40) outside said at least a platform (24) and, during use, in line with said at least one casting line (L1-L4), to said at least a second positioning zone (30) of the at least a platform (24), and said at least a first linear actuator (33) being configured to move said at least a first guide unit (11′-14′) from said at least a first positioning zone (29) of the at least a platform (24) to said positioning zone (40) outside said at least a platform (24) and, during use, in line with said at least one casting line (L1-L4), or vice versa.