Continuous Casting of Steel

Abstract

Attempts to cast steel continuously have been made for the past century, yet it is only in the last few years that the first commercial plants have been installed.¹ The economic potentialities of this process encouraged inventors to persist in the face of failures which made the steel industry in general sceptical of its practicability. By cutting out the soaking pit and blooming mill of the normal steelworks, it can save both capital and labour costs. It may also reduce the minimum economic size of a steel-works. A greater yield of high-quality metal is obtained, which makes the process especially attractive for the more expensive steels; but it is now beginning to be used to cast lower-grade steels.