Numerical analysis of twin-roll casting of strips with profiled cross-section

Abstract

The relatively high production costs of innovative materials with tailored properties such as Tailor Welded Blanks, Patchwork Blanks, Tailor Heat Treated Blanks and Tailor Rolled Blanks are responsible for a growing interest in new cost-effective production methods. One of the promising energy-saving and environmental friendly technologies for the production of tailored blanks is twin-roll casting. In the study a new alternative method for twin-roll casting of strips with profiled cross-section is proposed, which uses one or more preloaded endless steel strips with an antiadhesive coating for profiling of the formed strip on a pair of the common cylindrical shells. As a primary stage for the practical process design, numerical simulation of the process using the finite element software package ANSYS is realized. In this way, dependencies of the strip elements outlet temperature, deformation zone length and elements outlet speed on the varied strips thickness and total solidification-deformation zone length are established. Based on the simulation results, a procedure for the twin-roll casting process design is suggested.