Bridging an interruption in production in a combined casting-rolling installation

A method for the production of a hot-rolled finished strip in a combined casting/rolling installation, wherein in a continuous operation a strand of an endless starting material passes through a facility for cutting and outward conveying at a transport speed in an uncut state, and the starting material is finish-rolled in a finishing train to form the finished strip, then cooled, cut and stored, wherein the following method steps are carried out in the facility for cutting and outward conveying so as to bridge an interruption in production in a section of the installation which is downstream of a material flow direction:

• a) accelerating at least one cutting edge of a first cutter, thereby initiating cutting of the endless starting material;
• b) clamping of the endless starting material by a clamping roller pair, wherein the clamping roller pair is arranged downstream of the first cutter in the material flow direction;
• c) lifting of the endless starting material by a lifting apparatus, wherein the lifting apparatus is arranged in the material flow direction between the first cutter and the clamping roller pair;
• d) cutting off a strand section from the starting material by the at least one cutting edge of the first cutter;
• e) lifting of the strand section by the lifting apparatus;
• f) cutting the starting material that is passing the first cutter into scrap pieces by means of the first cutter;
• g) conveying the scrap pieces outward;
• h) removing the strand section until the combined casting/rolling installation is ready for operation again, wherein the lifting apparatus comprises:
• a two-part lifting arm having an inner section and an outer section, wherein the outer section is articulated with respect to the inner section,
• a lifting actuator for raising the inner section of the lifting arm, and
• a pivot drive for pivoting the outer section of the lifting arm,
• wherein as the endless starting material is lifted, the lifting actuator unfolds the inner section of the lifting arm, and wherein as the strand section is lifted, the outer section of the lifting arm is pivoted with respect to the inner section of the lifting arm in a clockwise direction, thereby further raising the outer section of the lifting arm.

A combined casting/rolling installation for the production of a hot-rolled finished strip from an endless continuously cast starting material, comprising:

• a continuous casting installation,
• a facility for cutting and outward conveying in a material flow direction comprising a first cutter, a lifting apparatus and a clamping roller pair,
• a multi-stand finish rolling train for finish rolling the starting material to form the finished strip,
• a cooling section for cooling the finished strip, and
• a storage facility for conveying the finished strip outward,
• wherein the lifting apparatus comprises:
• a two-part lifting arm having an inner section and an outer section, wherein the inner section is articulated with respect to a support structure by means of a first joint and the outer section is articulated with respect to the inner section by means of a second joint,
• a lifting actuator for unfolding the inner section, and
• a pivot drive for pivoting the outer section in a clockwise direction with respect to the inner section of the lifting arm.