THE CASTRIP~reg; PROCESS - RECENT OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCES AT NUCOR CRAWFORDSVILLE'S FIRST COMMERCIAL STRIP CASTING FACILITY

摘要

The Castrip~® process for the direct casting and rolling of steel sheet products is in the final phases of commercialization at Nucor Steel's plant in Crawfordsville IN. Castrip technology is based on the twin-roll casting concept, first proposed by Sir Henry Bessemer some 150 years ago. To date, the Castrip facility has produced more than 200,000 tons of light-gauge, hot rolled sheet between 0.84 and 2.0 mm. Most of the products have been low-carbon structural steel grades, utilized for construction and manufacturing applications. The Castrip process has a design capacity of 500,000 tons annually with a product range between 0.7 and 2.0 mm. The process represents a major step forward for the near-net-shape casting of steel sheet, utilizing less energy at a much smaller economic scale, as compared to conventional processes. Start-up and operational experiences at the Crawfordsville Castrip facility will be outlined in the paper.