The SIMETAL Mold Expert consists of a number of packages, so-called ‘Experts’, that are combined to meet the demands of existing or new casting machines and allows metallurgists to gain the extra expertise in the processes influencing the solidification in the mold. Ease of integration into existing environments has been demonstrated in many installations worldwide. The SIMETAL Mold Expert reliably reduces sticker related breakouts to an absolute minimum.
SIMETAL Mold Expert - process monitor
Sticker related breakouts are a major reason for high repair costs and production loss. Processes in the mold are the main origin of surface defects but no directly accessible information is available. Disturbances of the solidification process, e.g. poor casting powder performance, tilted SEN´s improper taper settings and bad steel flow patterns in the mold are frequently overlooked due to lack of reliable information.
Breakout Expert
Auto adaptive algorithms suitable for different caster setups have been designed to consider not only vertical but also horizontal thermal distributions to detect different types of stickers. They have proven to be very successful in preventing sticker breakouts for any given position in the mold, i.e. also in the critical corners.
The package also comprises indication of irregularities concerning mold powder behavior, longitudinal crack formation, erroneous taper settings, and problems with the submerged entry nozzle all of which result in ‘hot areas’ or ‘hot spots’.
Friction Expert
This tool allows detailed investigation of the prevailing friction work and friction stress in between the strand shell and the copper plates in the mold, using the pressure and stroke values of a hydraulic oscillator. Valuable data such as the behavior of different casting powders and variations in friction coefficients due to e.g. changes in the steel analysis are monitored.
HeatFlux Expert
Heat removal by primary cooling reveals important information about the solidification process inside the mold. HeatFlux Expert calculates the thermal fluxes in the mold plates and supplements the derived information with thermal and friction results.
Level Expert
This completely new feature provides valuable information based on mold level and stopper or slide gate behavior.
Detailed mathematical analysis of the input data allows determination of the occurrence and the likely origin of bulging or roller deformation effects and evaluation of stopper rod or slide gate characteristics to detect clogging conditions. Furthermore statistics of mold level fluctuations and surface wave formation are displayed.