Pilot Plant – Direct Strip Casting Facilities
The pilot plant at Teesside Technology Centre houses a twin roll direct strip casting plant for experimental studies in the development of this new technology.
The plant has rolls of 750mm diameter and 400mm width and is equipped with a coiler and protected atmosphere region beneath the rolls. Steel supply is provided by the 4t electric arc furnace route or from a smaller dedicated induction furnace.
A laboratory scale direct strip caster is also available for initial feasibility studies. Work has been undertaken on a range of stainless and carbon steel grades to assess both process development, product properties, and quality issues including direct application of the material into conventional products, such as tube and hollow sections. The equipment has also been used in studies of non-ferrous metals such as tin, zinc, lead and cobalt.
