High Speed Continuous Casting Technology for Surface Defects Free Stainless Steel Strand: Construction and Operation of the Chiba No. 4 Continuous Caster

摘要

At Kawasaki Steel Chiba Works, as part of a modernization program aimed at creating an "urban steel works", No. 4 continuous caster was constructed as a replacement for Chiba's super annuated No. 1 continuous caster. The new caster is used exclusively for speciality steels, centering on stainless, and has functioned smoothly since the start of its operation in July 1994, realizing an improvement in the quality of stainless and high-carbon steel slabs by the introduction of a vertical bending type machine, a larger tundish and other features, and promoting enhancement of productivity by the adoption of automatic equipment.