Method and apparatus for the manufacture of formable steel strip

Abstract

In the manufacture of formable steel strip having a thickness between 0.5 and 1.5 mm, the following process steps are performed sequentially in a continuous process: (a) in a continuous casting machine forming liquid steel into a hot slab having a thickness of less than 100 mm, (b) hot rolling the hot slab from step (a), in the austenitic region and below 1100.degree. C., to form strip having a thickness of between 2 and 5 mm, (c) cooling the strip from step (b) to a temperature between 300.degree. C. and the temperature T.sub.t at which 75% of the steel is converted to ferrite, (d) rolling the cooled strip from step (c) at said temperature between 300.degree. C. and T.sub.t with a thickness reduction of at least 25% at a rolling speed not more than 1000 m/min., (e) coiling the rolled strip from step (d).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.