Characterization of Ingots Cast with the APEX~(TM) Casting System

摘要

Traditional aluminum direct-chill rolling ingot casting uses a fixed mold bore opening (MBO) that is optimized to cast an ingot that is flat in the steady-state region under particular conditions. A fixed MBO mold is chosen as a compromise between cast speed and amount of ingot butt swell. The APEX~(TM) Casting System has controllable rolling faces that allow the MBO to change dynamically during casting. The mold can optimize the shape of the ingot over a wide range of casting parameters from cast start to end. This expands the traditional limits on speed with a fixed MBO. With the ability to cast faster and increase pit productivity, internal metallurgical properties such as macrosegregation and porosity can become the limiting factor for speed. Comparisons of metallurgical data from ingots cast at different speeds up to 120 mm/min with the APEX~(TM) Casting System will be discussed and compared with other technologies.