Method for containing a slab during continuous casting

Continuous casting equipment, comprising:

• a mold configured to cast a slab, and a plurality of rolls disposed in opposing pairs facing each other, the pairs spaced apart along a casting axis in order to define a passage between the pairs for the cast slab, wherein the plurality of rolls comprises electromagnetic rolls, the electromagnetic rolls provided internally with an electromagnetic stirrer configured to stir a liquid contained in the slab, and including containing rolls configured to exert only a containing action on said slab during continuous casting, wherein the electromagnetic rolls and therefore said passage are configured to have a length less than a width of the slab so that at least a portion of the slab axially adjacent to auxiliary containing rolls protrudes with respect to one end of said electromagnetic rolls, and wherein said containing rolls are configured to have a length substantially equal to said width of the slab;
• and
• wherein the plurality of rolls includes a first pair of electromagnetic rolls and a second pair of electromagnetic rolls, the first and second pairs of electromagnetic rolls spaced from one another along the casting axis;
• wherein each of the electromagnetic rolls is associated with a respective non-electromagnetic auxiliary containing roll that is aligned with and coaxial with the respective electromagnetic roll, each of the electromagnetic stirrer rolls and their associated auxiliary containing rolls being in contact with the slab;
• wherein the auxiliary containing rolls associated with the first pair of electromagnetic rolls are located on a first side with respect to the casting axis, and wherein the auxiliary containing rolls associated with the second pair of electromagnetic rolls are located on a second side, opposite the first side, with respect to the casting axis;
• wherein a plurality of containing rolls are provided between the first and second pairs of the electromagnetic rolls, the plurality of containing rolls arranged to contain and support the slab;
• wherein the auxiliary containing rolls each have a first length and the first and second pairs of electromagnetic rolls have a second length, and wherein the first length is 10% to 40% of the second length;
• and
• wherein the first pair of electromagnetic rolls generate a first force in a first direction, and the second pair of electromagnetic rolls generate a second force in a second direction opposite the first direction, the first and second directions being transverse to the casting axis thereby forming a recirculation loop between the first and second pairs of electromagnetic rolls.