Installation for the manufacture of hot-rolled steel strip

Abstract

In an installation for the manufacture of hot-rolled steel strip from continuously cast stock, a caster for the continuous casting of the stock into steel strip, a furnace positioned for receiving the strip after it leaves the caster and containing at least two winding/unwinding mandrels each placed in first and second proximate locations, respectively, the first mandrel is placed in the first location adapted to receive and wind the strip into a coil, transport devices are provided for transporting the coil and first mandrel from the first location to a second location and the second mandrel from the second location to the first location; the strip is unwound from the first mandrel in said second location and then fed to a mill. Alternative embodiments include vertical or horizontal movement of the mandrels, more than two mandrels, devices for driving the mandrels at different speeds, cutting means, clamping devices, furnace heating devices, dividing shears and descaling.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.