Device for hydrodynamic stabilization of a continuously travelling metal strip

A facility for dip-coating a metal strip in continuous motion, comprising:

• a liquid coating metal bath from which the strip exits in a vertical strand;
• a bottom roller, a decambering roller, and, optionally, a stabilizing roller, all immersed in the liquid-metal bath;
• drying blades placed at an exit of the bath, which drying blades are configured to inject compressed gas in order to remove excess coating that has not yet solidified so as to create a drying wave having a downward return stream of liquid metal;
• and
• a dissipating hydrodynamic-stabilization device placed between the drying blades and a last immersed roller, the dissipating hydrodynamic-stabilization device comprising a plurality of hydrodynamic pads configured to apply a load to at least one side of the metal strip and mounted so as to pivot around hinges so as to self-align the pads, the plurality of hydrodynamic pads extending transversely across a width of the strip, and positioned such that, when in use, the liquid-metal return stream of the drying wave flows at least in part over backs of the pads.