Device and process for fast changing of parts of the bar guide in continuous-casting plants
AssigneeDanieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
InventorsAlfredo Poloni, Massimo Maurizio, Michele Meret
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a continuous-casting plant, the segments of the guide for the casting bar are replaced rapidly, at least in part, using a two-station system, at least one of which stations being mobile, so as to be able to align head on a platform provided with means for hooking and extracting the said guide with the structure containing the guide itself. Once this alignment is obtained, the guide is displaced from one station to the other, its segments are replaced, and the guide is brought back into the original position.
Claims26
Apparatus for use in the maintenance of a continuous-casting bar production plant to facilitate the rapid inspection and maintenance of the bar guide line, said bar guide line comprising a plurality of guide segments operably arranged on a supporting structure and defining a first station, an outlet portion of said bar guide line of said first station being operably aligned in a first operating position with a bar extraction and straightening assembly, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a second station that includes at least one service platform having a guide bar receiving surface that is horizontally aligned with the outlet portion of the bar guide line, and, service means cooperatively associated with said at least one service platform for engaging and removing at least a portion of the plurality of guide segments from an operable position on the supporting structure to an exposed position on the at least one service platform of the second station and
- (b) rail means extending between said first and second stations;
- (c) displacement means for moving said first station relative to said second station on said rail means, said movement being from the first operating position in which the stations are not aligned to a second service position in which the stations are in head-on alignment,
- whereby the first and second stations are rapidly disposed into alignment upon termination of bar production for removal, inspection and maintenance of all or a portion of the guide segments.
A method for the inspection and maintenance of bar guide segments in a continuous-casting plant for the production of metal bar stock, the plant including an ingot mold, an oscillator and a bar guide assembly comprising a plurality of guide segments, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a first station comprising the bar guide assembly;
- (b) providing a second service station that includes at least one service platform equipped with means for engaging and removing at least a portion of the plurality of guide segments;
- (c) providing displacement means that allow relative movement of the first and second stations to a head-on aligned position;
- (d) moving the first and second stations relative to each other to a head-on aligned position;
- (e) engaging at least a portion of the plurality of guide segments in the bar guide assembly;
- (f) removing a predetermined number of the engaged guide segments from the bar guide assembly to a position on the at least one service platform;
- (g) performing any necessary maintenance on the removed guide segments;
- (h) moving the guide segments to an operable position in the bar guide assembly;
- and
- (i) moving the first and second stations relative to each other so that the stations are not aligned.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.