Use of a hydraulic squeeze film to lubricate the strand in continuous casting

Abstract

A method of continuously casting a strand, having of the steps of providing a cooled mould having a wall defining a passage having one end and another end, feeding molten material into the one end in a direction towards the other end, lubricating the passage with a film of lubricant interposed between the mould wall and the molten material, the lubricant film having a thickness, withdrawing an at least surface-hardened strand from the other end of the passage, and subjecting at least one region of the wall of the mould to oscillations transverse to the direction of movement of the molten material, said oscillations having an amplitude that is less than the lubricant film thickness, and also having a frequency that is less than that which will promote cavitation in the lubricant film, the amplitude and the frequency of the oscillations generating a pressure increase in the lubricant by way of a squeeze film phenomenon.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.