System and method for controlling the casting of a product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10758971-B2
Application number	US-201716090641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2017
Priority date	Apr 8, 2016
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A system for controlling the progress of the manufacture of at least one product by vertical semi-continuous direct chill casting, in particular from aluminium alloy, in a fixed mold, the control system includes a dummy bottom configured to form a movable lower bottom of the fixed mold and to carry the product during casting; a weighing cell, on which the dummy bottom is arranged to rest, the weighing cell being configured to take measurements representative of the mass of the product carried by the dummy bottom during casting; and a support of the dummy bottom, to which the weighing cell is linked, configured to lower the false bottom relative to the fixed mold, substantially in a vertical direction, during casting; and a processing unit connected to each weighing cell, and configured to process the measurements, and calculate the variation in the mass of the product over time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for controlling the carrying out of the manufacture of at least one product by vertical semi-continuous casting, with direct cooling, in a fixed mold, said control system comprising:
at least one bottom block configured to form a movable bottom base of the fixed mold and to carry the at least one product, during casting,
at least one weighing cell, on which the at least one bottom block is disposed in abutment, the at least one weighing cell being configured to take measurements representing the mass of the at least one product carried by the at least one bottom block during casting,
a bottom block support, to which the at least one weighing cell is connected, configured to lower the at least one bottom block with respect to the fixed mold, substantially in a vertical direction, during casting, and
at least one processing unit connected to the at least one weighing cell, and configured to process the measurements, to calculate the variation in mass of the at least one product over the course of time.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one weighing cell is connected to the bottom block support by means of at least one holding member provided on a plate supporting the bottom block support.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one bottom block is held on the substantially vertical axis by means of at least one housing, the at least one housing receiving an end region of at least one member of the at least one weighing cell.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one bottom block comprises at least one vertical holding means, configured to be engaged in a groove provided on the end region of the member of the at least one weighing cell.

5. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the end region of the member of the at least one weighing cell has a height less than the depth of the at least one housing of the at least one bottom block.

6. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the member of the at least one weighing cell is a sheath extending in a vertical direction and being intended to cover the holding member provided on a support plate and wherein the end region of the sheath engages in the at least one housing of the at least one bottom block.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the member of the at least one weighing cell, the holding member provided on the support plate supporting the bottom block support and the at least one housing of the at least one bottom block are situated in a central position of the control system.

8. The system according to claim 1 , comprising a protective cover, in which the at least one weighing cell is housed.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one product is an aluminum alloy.

10. A method for controlling the manufacture of at least one product by vertical semi-continuous casting with direct cooling by a control system according to claim 1 , wherein:
casting is carried out in the fixed mold so that the at least one product is carried by the at least one bottom block;
during the casting, measurements are taken representing the mass of the at least one bottom block by means of the control system;
the measurements are processed, during the casting, calculating the variation in mass of the at least one product over the course of time by means of the control system;
the casting is stopped if an abnormality in filling or surface defects and/or hanging is detected;
if no abnormality is detected, the casting is continued until the required quantity of the at least one product is reached and stripping from the mold is carried out.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one product is a billet or a plate.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein an interface makes it possible to display the variation in mass of the at least one product over time for the at least one weighing cell and/or indicates filling problems and/or surface defects and/or hanging problems and/or a problem in centering of the deflector and/or a problem in centering of the at least one bottom block according to changes in mass of the at least one product over time.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein an automatic controller interrupts the casting when a variation in mass of the at least one product in the course of time is symptomatic of a filling problem, wherein, once a time has elapsed after the start of the casting, when the mass of the at least one product is less than or equal to a threshold mass value and/or when the variation in mass of the at least one product in the course of time is symptomatic of a hanging or surface-defect problem on the basis of predetermined conditions combining the amplitude and duration of this variation in mass.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one product is an aluminum alloy.

Assignees

• Constellium Issoire

Inventors

• Blais Soizic
• Renard Franck
• Guichou Nicolas
• Ballu Arnaud
• Valentin Bernard

Classifications

• B22D11/041

  for vertical casting (B22D11/043, B22D11/049 - B22D11/059 take precedence) · CPC title

• B22D11/16 Primary

  Controlling or regulating processes or operations · CPC title

• B22D11/148

  Safety arrangements · CPC title

• B22D11/003

  Aluminium alloys · CPC title