EP2367650A1

EP2367650A1 - Transport and storage device for ladle pipe for transferring liquid metal

Info

Publication number: EP2367650A1
Application number: EP09763842A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Vincent Boisdequin
Original assignee: Vesuvius Group SA
Current assignee: Vesuvius Group SA
Priority date: 2008-11-20
Filing date: 2009-11-19
Publication date: 2011-09-28
Also published as: WO2010057645A1; AU2009317512A1; CN102281971B; CN102281971A; US20110240246A1; RU2011124583A; EG26344A; UA103063C2; MX2011005341A; RU2526353C2; JP2012509187A; ZA201104534B; US8820592B2; CA2743102A1; JP5336603B2; KR20110095386A; BRPI0922003A2; AU2009317512B2; NZ593477A

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (22) for transporting and storing at least one ladle pipe (18) for a liquid metal casting plant, wherein said ladle pipe (18) comprises a channel for the liquid metal flow and extends substantially along an axis. The device (22) also includes a rack (22) adapted for storing the ladle pipe (18) in a position of use in which the channel axis is vertical, the rack (22) providing an access (33) from the outside towards a side surface of the pipe when the latter is in the position of use.

Description

Transport and storage device for a liquid metal transfer pocket tube. The present invention relates to a liquid metal casting process, in particular steel, more particularly a method relating to the introduction of a pocket tube in a casting installation.

A pocket tube is a tube comprising a channel extending substantially along an axis, vertical when the tube is in the position of use, and allowing the passage of liquid metal from a metallurgical vessel, such as a pocket, up to a splitter. It is introduced into the installation to have an upper end in contact with an upstream element of the installation, secured to the pocket, and a lower end immersed in a tundish. In the state of the art, the pocket tubes are delivered on a casting platform packaged in a box. They are more particularly presented in the box in a supine position, in which the axis of the channel of the tube extends horizontally. The tubes are held together and in the box by means of metal hoops surrounding them. It is known that, to introduce the tube in the installation, it comes to seize it in its use position with the aid of a manipulator arm comprising a clamp from surrounding the tube, the arm being manually controlled by an operator. EP-A1-0 858 851 discloses such a manipulator arm.

To prepare the tube for this operation, an operator dismounts the box and cuts the metal rings surrounding the tubes. These can then spread on the floor of the platform. Each tube is then individually rotated by the operators so as to reach the position of use.

However, the pocket tubes, because of their size and their destination, are heavy and bulky elements, which generally weigh more than 50 kilos. The handling of these tubes is therefore very difficult for the operators and can be long, which is likely to delay the introduction of the tube in the casting installation, causing many adverse effects.

The present invention aims to overcome these disadvantages by providing a transport and storage device for pocket tubes, used in a casting process and to simplify the introduction of pocket tubes in the installation casting. For this purpose, the invention relates to a device for transporting and storing at least one pocket tube for a liquid metal casting installation, the pocket tube comprising a channel for the passage of liquid metal. extending substantially along an axis, the device comprising a rack shaped to store the pocket tube in a position of use in which the axis of the channel is vertical, the rack providing access from the outside to a side face of the tube when it is in its position of use.

Thus, thanks to this device, the pocket tubes arrive at the casting platform in their position of use. It is therefore not necessary for operators to carry out on site an operation of moving the tube from their supine position to their position of use. In addition, as the side face of the tube is accessible in the device from the outside, the manipulator arm can directly enter the tube in the device and place it in the installation. The installation of the tube then requires no painful step of manual movement of the tube by an operator. The working conditions of the operators are therefore considerably improved.

In addition, this device reduces the number of steps, including the number of steps of displacement of the tube, made at the platform and thus simplify the introduction of the tube into the installation of casting. The risks of delay of the casting operations due to a long or difficult installation of the tube in the installation are greatly reduced.

The device further comprises many additional advantages. In particular, it contributes to improving the quality and life of pocket tubes. Indeed, the pocket tubes are made of a material based on alumina graphite having a tendency to oxidize at the temperature of the liquid metal, which is around 1500 ⁰ C for steel, for example. They are therefore provided with an airtight glaze allowing them to withstand oxidation at such temperatures. However, during transport and also the unpacking operation of the tubes as performed in the state of the art, the tubes can collide and the glaze located on the outer faces of the tube is therefore likely to flake off. . Locally glaze-free tubes therefore do not withstand the temperature as well and their service life is reduced. These are even likely to break during their use, thus causing significant losses in casting profitability, or even accidents at work. The device according to the invention makes it possible to solve these problems by storing each tube separately and in a confined space which is its own during transport and making the unpacking operation of the tubes superfluous. As a result, the proportion of damaged tubes prior to use is reduced, making casting easier and safer.

The invention may also include one or more of the features of the following list:

the device comprises means for positioning the tube relative to the rack and / or means for positioning the rack relative to a support such as the casting platform. These positioning means, especially if they are coupled, allow a simpler interaction of the rack with a tube handling device comprising a robot responsible for taking and replacing the tubes in such a device and / or in the casting installation . Indeed, this robot then knows precisely the position of each tube without being provided with improved detection means such as vision means. This therefore makes it possible to automate reliably the introduction of the tubes into the casting installation without, however, considerably increasing the costs associated with the tools necessary for introducing the tube into the installation,

the device comprises means for immobilizing the tube relative to the rack, these immobilizing means preferably also forming the positioning means of the tube. Immobilizing means further reduce the risk of damaging the tube during transport since the tubes are in a fixed position during this operation and can not even hit the walls defining the location of the device in which each tube is located. If the immobilization means also form positioning means, this reduces the complexity of the device,

- The immobilizing means comprise a plurality of pins, preferably three, adapted to cooperate with complementary shaped notches integral with the tube. These notches can be placed directly on the tube or on a frame surrounding the tube. When three pins are present on the device, this makes it possible to obtain a non-hyperstatic immobilization of the tube,

the device comprises means for suspending the tube by an end corresponding to the inlet thereof, forming the upper end of the tube when the latter is in its position of use, which allows positioning and immobilization simplified tube. The present invention also relates to a pocket storage facility for liquid metal casting, comprising at least two transport and storage devices according to the invention and at least one handling device adapted to move a tube. between the transport and storage devices and a casting installation. In addition, the storage facility may also include a tube cleaning device, in particular by oxygen injection. This makes it possible to clean the tubes before their possible reuse thereof to prevent solid metal deposits in the tubes, such deposits being liable to disturb the flow.

The installation may also include a platform on which are provided the transport and storage devices, and preferably the handling device and / or cleaning, the platform and each transport and storage device comprising complementary means for positioning the device relative to the platform. The installation may also include at least one other storage device disposed on the platform and comprising one or more tubes in reserve, which may be particularly useful in the case where the last new tube of a device is would break when put into service. This makes it possible to avoid any dead time in the casting process. The invention also relates to a liquid metal casting process comprising the following steps:

a tube is taken from a first transport and storage device according to the invention,

this tube is introduced into the casting installation, the casting operations are carried out,

the tube is extracted from the casting plant,

- The tube is placed in a second transport and storage device according to the invention. The first and second transport and storage device as defined above may be identical or distinct, each of these devices may comprise one or many of the features outlined above.

This process ensures simple handling and storage of tubes from the beginning to the end of their use and thus a saving of time.

In addition, thanks to this method, the transport and storage device forms a support for easy recovery of used tubes for recycling purposes without the operators have to perform any operation. This storage for recycling is in fact carried out automatically, which also prevents operators from returning other types of waste than the tubes to the supplier carrying out the recycling.

In addition, this method allows to keep the tubes that have been used away from any contact with an operator or fragile material, which is particularly advantageous in view of the very high temperature of these tubes after their use and in particular to guarantee the safety of operators.

In a particular embodiment, before the storage step is repeated, the steps of introduction, casting and extraction for one or more other casting installations.

Thus, the same tube can be reused in several facilities before being stored.

The number of installations in which the tube is to be installed can be determined using objective data on the average life of the tubes.

In a particular embodiment, before the introduction of the tube into another casting installation, one proceeds to a cleaning step of the tube, in particular by oxygen injection.

Advantageously, the introduction of the tube into the other casting installation is performed in an angular orientation along an axis corresponding to the axis of the channel of the tube different from the orientation in which the tube was introduced into the previous installation. In this way, we increase the life of the tube because it best distributes the wear of the inner wall of the tube by changing the orientation of it relative to the installation. The wear of the surface of the tube is also distributed in contact with the upstream element of the device.

In addition, before the first sampling step, it is preferably put in place the transport and storage devices on a platform in predetermined positions, to facilitate the implementation of the method by an automatic manipulation device.

Advantageously, it is detected whether a location of a transport and storage device stores a tube and withdraws the tube stored in this location where appropriate. In this way, unnecessary steps of movement performed by the automatic handling device are avoided. The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example and with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a pocket tube storage installation according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a device for transporting and storing tubes of pocket according to a particular embodiment of the invention, such a device belonging to the installation of Figure 1; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a detail of the device of FIG. 2. FIG. 1 shows a storage installation 10 for pocket tubes. This installation is located in the vicinity of a casting installation 12 comprising a metallurgical vessel 14 including in particular a pocket adapted to contain liquid metal before casting and a distributor 16, for distributing the liquid metal in the various casting molds and located downstream of the pocket. The purpose of the installation 10 is to store the pocket tubes 18 allowing the transfer of the liquid metal from the pocket 14 to the distributor 16 during casting, so as to facilitate the introduction of these into the casting installation 12 and comprising for this purpose a channel for the passage of the liquid metal from the ladle to the distributor.

The storage facility 10 will now be described in more detail. This storage installation comprises a platform 20 on which storage devices are arranged, in this case racks 22a and 22b, each comprising three locations for storing pocket tubes 18, as well as a handling device 24 adapted to move the various storage devices and the casting installation 12 and a cleaning device 26, in particular allowing the cleaning of the pocket tubes by injection of 'oxygen. As seen in Figure 1, the transport and storage devices 22 are brought to the storage facility, with their locations filled with tubes, in a box. They are therefore also used to transport tubes.

We will now describe with reference to Figure 2 more specifically a transport and storage device, in particular, a rack 22 of the installation 10. As can be seen, this transport and storage device is constituted by a rack, comprising three compartments 30a, 30b, 30c each forming a location for storing a pocket tube.

The rack 22 is shaped to store in each of the compartments 30a, 30b, 30c the tube in a position of use, that is to say a position in which the channel 31 of the tube is vertical. Each compartment comprises three closed sides, that is to say that these sides each comprise a wall through which we can not pass the tube 18 in its position of use, and each compartment comprises, on the same face of the rack, an open side providing access 33 to each pocket tube 18, especially the side face thereof when the tube is in the use position, so that a handling device can come to take this tube in the rack 22.

The rack 22 further comprises, in each compartment 30a, 30b, 30c, suspension means of the tube through the input thereof. These means are also visible in Figure 3. They are constituted by pins 32 projecting from the upper end of the rack and intended to cooperate with notches of the tube. In particular, the rack includes, for each compartment 30a, 30b ₁ 30c, three pins 32 each disposed at the upper end of a closed side of the compartment. The pins 32 also make it possible to immobilize and correctly position the tube in each of the compartments and to immobilize it relative to the rack 22. The tube 18 comprises four notches 34, a notch being located on each side of the rack. a head 36 of square shape of the tube 18. The pins 32 and the notches 34 are shaped so that all the notches can be formed on a given pin, the tube being immobilized relative to the compartment regardless of the notch 34 thereof. ci co-operates with a given pin of the rack 22. [0041] As seen in Figure 2, the rack 22 further comprises tabs 38 provided with orifices 39 at its lower end. The orifices 39 are intended to cooperate with pawns of the platform (not shown in the figure). They thus form means for positioning the storage devices with respect to the platform. This makes it easier to grip the tube, the position of which relative to the platform is perfectly determined by the handling device 24, especially when the latter is automatic.

The storage facility is not limited to what has been described above. It could be envisaged that this installation is provided with a means for making it easier to set up the racks 22 on the latter, in particular a conveyor. In addition, such an installation may include additional storage devices, including a storage storage device, for example to store new tubes that would be used in case of problems.

Similarly, the installation may be devoid of cleaning device 26 and the handling device 24 may be actuated by an operator. In addition, each storage device 22 may comprise one or more compartments, the number of which is not limited to three. In addition, the means for suspending the tube in the storage device 22 may comprise only two pins.

It is also conceivable that the tubes are positioned in a different manner in the storage device, in particular that they are placed on a bottom of this device. The storage device may also include closed sides, one of the closed sides comprising a removable panel or movable so as to provide access to a side face of the tube in its position of use.

The storage devices could also be used to store tubes of different shapes, or casting elements consisting of a set of a tube and a frame.

The positioning means of the rack relative to the platform are optional or of a different form from that described.

In addition, the two storage devices 22a, 22b arranged in the installation may not be identical. We will now describe a liquid metal casting process performed using the installation of Figure 1.

We first receive the box including the storage devices 22 and one of these devices is routed full to the platform, including the device 22a. It can be routed to the platform by a conveyor. The platform already supports an empty 22b device.

The racks 22a and 22b are then put in place by means of the complementary positioning means (for example the orifices 39 of the tongues 38 cooperating with pins) of the rack 22a, 22b and of the platform. The racks are therefore placed in a determined position on the platform.

Then, it comes to take a tube from a location of the first rack 22a with the manipulation device 24. This operation takes place only if the handling device 24 has detected, in particular with the aid of conventional means of detection, that a tube was present in the corresponding location of the rack. Once the handling device 24 supports the tube, the latter is introduced into the casting installation 12 and is extracted from the casting installation 12, using the device 24, once the casting took place.

The tube is then introduced into the oxygen injection cleaning device 26, which makes it possible to remove deposits of solid material from this tube, and then the tube is reintroduced into a new casting installation, the empty bag 14 having then replaced by a new identical pocket.

We can repeat this operation of reintroduction and extraction of the tube of the installation a number of times. Then, when it is considered that the tube has been sufficiently used, it is extracted from the casting installation 12 in which it was placed and put back in the second rack 22b.

The method is then reset with another tube stored in the first rack 22a. When the first rack 22a is empty and so there is no longer any new tube, the second rack 22b is completely filled with used tubes. The second rack 22b including the used tubes is then moved out of the storage facility and is recovered for transport to a recycling site in which the tubes will be recycled. The first rack 22a is then moved to the location where the rack 22b was stored and a new rack filled with new tubes is conveyed to the location in which the rack 22a was previously stored. The process can thus continue as described above. Alternatively, one could consider, when the device comprises means for controlling the orientation allowing it to take several orientations in the casting installation, the tube is introduced in a first orientation relative to the the axis of its channel in a first casting installation during the first step of introduction thereof, and then it is subsequently reintroduced according to a second orientation, or even a third orientation, in one or a plurality of other casting plants.

To do this, the storage facility could include a specific location in which the handling device would put the tube, then resume in another direction. It could also include means for changing orientation comprising a pivoting base and in which the handling device 24 would put the tube. This base would then pivot and the handling device would take the tube in the same orientation as before to reintroduce it into the casting machine. Such means could for example belong to the cleaning device.

Claims

Claims.

A device for transporting and storing at least one pocket tube (18) for a liquid metal casting installation, the pocket tube (18) having a channel for the passage of liquid metal and extending substantially according to an axis, the device being characterized in that it comprises a rack (22) shaped to store the pocket tube (18) in a position of use in which the axis of the channel is vertical, the rack (22) an access (33) from the outside to a side face of the tube when it is in its position of use.

2. Device according to the preceding claim, comprising means for positioning the tube (18) relative to the rack (22).

3. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising means for immobilizing the tube relative to the rack (22), the immobilizing means preferably forming the positioning means of the tube.

4. Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the immobilizing means comprise a plurality of pins (32), preferably three, adapted to cooperate with notches (34) of complementary shape integral with the tube (18).

5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising means for positioning the rack (22) relative to a support, for example the platform (20).

6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising means for suspending the tube by an end corresponding to the inlet thereof.

7. Pocket tube adapted to be transported and stored in a device according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of notches (34), preferably at least three notches (34) adapted to cooperate with pawns (32) of the rack (22).

8. Installation (10) storage pocket bags for liquid metal casting, characterized in that it comprises at least two transport and storage devices (22a, 22b) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and at least one device (24) for handling a tube, able to move a tube (18) between the transport and storage devices and a casting installation (12).

9. Installation (10) according to claim 8, further comprising at least one device (26) for cleaning the tubes, in particular by oxygen injection.

10. Installation (10) according to any one of claims 8 and 9, comprising a platform (20) on which are provided the transport and storage devices (22a, 22b), and preferably the handling device and or cleaning (24, 26), the platform and each transport and storage device comprising means complementary positioning (39) of the device relative to the platform.

11. A method of casting liquid metal, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

a tube (18) is taken from a first rack (22a) as defined in claim 1,

this tube (18) is introduced into the casting installation (12), the casting operations are carried out,

the tube (18) is extracted from the casting installation (12),

- The tube (18) is placed in a second rack (22b) as defined in claim 1.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, before the storage step, reproducing the steps of introduction, casting and extraction for one or more other pockets.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, before the reintroduction of a tube (18) in another casting installation, there is carried out a step of cleaning the tube, in particular by oxygen injection.

14. A method according to any one of claims 12 and 13, wherein the reintroduction operation of the tube in the other casting installation is performed in an angular orientation along an axis corresponding to the axis of the channel of the tube different from the orientation in which the tube was introduced into the previous installation.

15. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein before the first sampling step is placed the transport and storage devices on a platform (20) at predetermined positions.

16. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein it is detected whether a location (30a, 30b, 30c) of a transport and storage device stores a tube (18) and withdraws the tube (18). stored in this location if any.