Process and apparatus for starting a continuous casting plant

An apparatus for the automatic start-up of a continuous casting plant in which molten metal is charged from a tundish via a controllable spout closure into a continuous casting mode and in which the instantaneous bath level rising therein is controlled in accordance with a predetermined start-of-casting curve so as to reach a desired bath level which is to be maintained during casting using measuring and control means, the apparatus comprising:

• a means for starting a drive means for pulling a cast bar form the continuus casting mold at a predetermined instantaneous bath level;
• a means for throttling the spout closure, which is initially fully open during the start of casting of the molten metal into the tundish, to a predetermined throttle position when the instantaneous bath level in the mold has risen to a first signal level of a prdetermined time curve;
• a means for monitoring the further rise of the instantaneous bath level and correcting the throttle position of the closure of the spout in accordance with a second signal level of said predetermined time curve;
• wherein temperature sensors are provided for monitoring the bath level.