Intermediate thickness and multiple furnace process line

An intermediate thickness slab caster and inline hot strip and plate line comprising:

• a) an intermediate thickness continuous strip caster;
• b) an inline cutoff downstream of said caster for cutting an intermediate thickness slab;
• c) a slab conveyor table inline with said cutoff;
• d) a slab loading and unloading means adjacent said slab conveyor table for removing and supplying slabs thereto;
• e) a slab collection and storage area adjacent said slab loading and unloading means for receiving and supplying slabs thereto;
• f) at least one reheat furnace having an entry end inline with said slab conveyor table for receiving slabs therefrom;
• g) a feed and run back table positioned at an exit end of said at least one reheat furnace;
• h) a hot reversing mill inline with said feed and run back table for reducing a slab on said fed and run back table to an intermediate product in a number of flat passes, said hot reversing mill including a pair of rolling mill stands adapted to be operated in tandem;
• and
• i) a pair of coiler furnaces positioned inline with said feed and run back table, one located upstream of said hot reversing mill means and the other located downstream, said coiler furnaces capable of receiving and paying out said intermediate product as it is passed between said coiler furnaces and through said hot reversing mill means so as to be reduced to an end product.

A method of processing metal slabs comprising the steps of:

• a) providing an intermediate thickness continuous caster and inline cutoff for casting an intermediate thickness strand and cutting said strand into a slab of predetermined length;
• b) providing a slab loading and unloading means adjacent a slab collection and storage area for moving slabs between a position inline with said intermediate thickness caster and said slab collection and storage area;
• c) feeding a slab to be worked into an inline heating furnace wherein said slab to be worked is from either said intermediate thickness caster or said slab collection and storage area;
• d) extracting said slab to be worked from said inline heating furnace onto a continuous processing line including a hot reversing mill having a coiler furnace on each of an upstream and downstream side thereof;
• e) flat passing said slab to be worked back and forth through said mill to form an intermediate product of a thickness sufficient for coiling;
• f) coiling said intermediate product in one of said coiler furnaces;
• and
• g) passing said coiled intermediate product back and forth through said mill to reduce said coiled intermediate product to an end product of desired thickness, said intermediate product being collected in and fed out of each of said coiler furnaces on each pass through said hot reversing mill.

A method of processing metal slabs comprising the steps of:

• a) continuously casting an intermediate thickness strand;
• b) cutting said strand into a slab of predetermined length;
• c) feeding said slab into at least one inline heating furnace;
• d) extracting said slab to be worked from said inline heating furnace onto a continuous processing line including a hot reversing mill having a coiler furnace on each of an upstream and downstream side thereof;
• e) flat passing said slab to be worked back and forth through said mill to form an intermediate product of a thickness sufficient for coiling;
• f) coiling said intermediate product in one of said coiler furnaces;
• and
• g) passing said coiled intermediate product back and forth through said mill to reduce said coiled intermediate product to an end product of a thickness of equal to or less than about 0.060 inch, said intermediate product being collected in and fed out of each of said coiler furnaces on each pass through said hot reversing mill.

A method of processing metal slabs comprising the steps of:

• a) continuously casting an intermediate thickness strand;
• b) cutting said strand into a slab of predetermined length;
• c) selectively feeding said slab to either
• i) a continuous processing line including a hot reversing mill having a coiler furnace on each of an upstream and downstream side thereof, or
• ii) an inline furnace from which said slab exits to said continuous processing line, or
• iii) a slab collection and storage area and subsequently transferring said slab to said furnace;
• d) flat passing said slab to be worked back and forth through said mill to form an intermediate product of a thickness sufficient for coiling;
• e) coiling said intermediate product in one of said coiler furnaces;
• and
• f) passing said coiled intermediate product back and forth through said mill to reduce said coiled intermediate product to an end product of desired thickness, said intermediate product being collected in and fed out of each of said coiler furnaces on each pass through said hot reversing mill.