Strip casting

A method of initiating a process for casting metal strip comprising:

• introducing molten metal between a pair of cooled parallel casting rollers via a tundish and a metal delivery nozzle;
• containing the molten metal so introduced above a nip of said rolls as a casting pool by providing refractory side closures at both sides of the nip;
• cooling metal from said casting pool under conditions sufficient to form a strip of solid metal;
• and
• passing said cooled metal through said nip;
• said method of initiating said process comprising, at the commencement of a casting operation:
• preheating, to a temperature of at least about 1000.degree. C., the metal delivery nozzle, the tundish and said side closures at respective preheating locations spaced from the rollers,
• moving the preheated delivery nozzle and tundish into operative positions above said casting rollers and moving the preheated end closures into operative positions engaging said casting rollers at both sides, respectively, of the nip;
• and
• thereafter pouring molten metal into the tundish to flow and flowing such through the delivery nozzle and thence into said casting pool, the time interval between the initiation of the first of the movements of any one of said preheated delivery nozzle, said preheated tundish and said preheated side closures from their respective preheating locations to the initiation of pouring said molten metal being no more than three minutes.