Development of High Speed Wheel Caster for Thin Billet

In order to reduce the production cost of rod and wire rolling, a high-speed horizontal wheel caster for billet of 52-85 mm square has been developed. The wheel axis of the new caster is inclined from vertical centerline by a small angle of 3°~5°. The liquid steel is flowing from tundish to mold cavity through an enclosed nozzle so that the oxidation of steel stream can be prevented and the meniscus detecting and control devices can be eliminated. With the pilot caster of 3 m in diameter, billet of 50 mm×63/67 mm has been cast with speed of 18~22 m/min. Both surface and internal quality of the strand are satisfactory. Based on the result of pilot experiment, a wheel caster for billet of 70~85 mm square in cross-section is designed, the expected casting speed will be 28m/min, and it can match with high-speed rod mill for direct rolling.