Method of and apparatus for continuously casting and rolling down thin slabs

An arrangement for continuously casting and rolling down a hot-rolled wide strip said arrangement comprising:

• a pitch line including a regenerative furnace, a holding furnace located downstream of the regenerative furnace, and a rolling train located downstream of the holding furnace;
• at least two casting lines for continuously casting a cast strand and arranged on opposite sides of the pitch line;
• means for cutting off a thin slab from the cast strand and located downstream of each of said two casting lines;
• an equalizing furnace located downstream of each cutting means coaxially therewith for homogenizing the thin slab and bringing it to a predetermined temperature;
• a movable furnace part located downstream of each equalizing furnace coaxially therewith and formed as one of a regenerative furnace part, a buffer portion and an equalizer portion;
• wherein at least one of the movable furnace parts and said regenerative furnace, which cooperates with said at least one of the movable furnace parts have means for connecting said regenerative furnace and said at least one of the movable furnace parts with each other for transporting the thin slab from a respective casting line to said pitch line, and direction reversing means for enabling transportation of the thin slab.

An arrangement for continuously casting and rolling down a hot-rolled wide strip, said arrangement comprising:

• first and second casting lines for casting a cast strand and extending parallel to each other;
• first means for cutting off a thin slab from the cast strand and located downstream of said first casting line;
• a pitch line formed coaxially with the first casting line and including downstream of said first cutting means arranged one after another, a first equalizing furnace, a first regenerative furnace, a first holding furnace, and a rolling train;
• and
• arranged one after another coaxially with the second casting line, a second cutting means, a second equalizing furnace, a second regenerative furnace, and a second holding furnace;
• wherein said first regenerative furnace and said second holding furnace have means for connecting said first regenerative furnace and said second holding furnace with each other for transporting a thin slab from the second casting line to the pitch line, and direction reversing means for enabling transportation of the thin slab.