Scania has experienced difficulties with large variations of the slope of the back plane after press quenching of case hardened crown wheels of especially type R780 Steg supplied from ingot cast material. This leads to that a large number of crown wheels has to be remeasured and sorted according to back slope which is time consuming for operators. Also, after sorting of the crown wheels, hard machining has to be adjusted according to the different slopes of the back plane of the crown wheels. In some cases, it also leads to scrapping of the crown wheels.This master’s thesis was divided in two parts. The aim of the first part was to confirm that the crown wheel type and casting technique that exhibits the largest variations in slope of the back plane is the R780 Steg originating from ingot cast material. The crown wheel types that were compared were the R780 Steg, R780 Slät and R885 Slät. Crown wheels manufactured from ingot cast material and from continuous cast material were compared. Hence, 6 combinations were examined. The slope of the back plane was measured with the measuring probe FARO after press quenching. The slope of the crown wheels was found to depend on both casting technique and the geometry of the crown wheel. The results confirmed that the crown wheel type and supplier combination that by far yields the largest variations in slope of the back plane is the R780 Steg supplied by Steel Plant A who uses the ingot casting technique. For this combination the variation exceeds 0,1 mm. All other combinations of crown wheels and suppliers yield acceptable variations.The second part of this master’s thesis was composed of determining if segregations in the cast ingot are the cause of the variations in slope of the back plane of the crown wheel type R780 Steg. This was done by measuring if there is a correlation between the slope of the back plane of the crown wheel after press quenching, the chemical composition and the original position of the crown wheel in the ingot. As in the first part of the study, the distortion was measured by the measuring probe FARO. The samples were sent to Degerfors Laboratorium for chemical analysis. Analyses of C, S and N were made by using combustion analyses. For As, P, B and Al optic spectrometry (spark) was used. All other elements were analysed by x-ray fluorescence. Segregations were found to be present and in combination with the geometry of R780 Steg to be the cause of the large variations in slope of the crown wheels.The results of this thesis show that, for the crown wheel type R780 Steg, Scania should not use suppliers that employ the ingot casting technique. Instead, only suppliers using the continuous casting technique should be used. However, for the other crown wheel types ingot or continuously cast material can be used.

No description available.

L’amélioration de la solidification de lingots d’acier industriels de plusieurs tonnes demeure un défi scientifique. Lors de cette étape cruciale, des hétérogénéités chimiques – à l’échelle du mètre – peuvent se développer. Le mouvement des grains solides qui se forment et se déplacent dans le bain liquide est un des leviers d’action sur la macroségrégation. L’inoculation permet d’agir sur le nombre, la taille et la morphologie de ces grains via des ajouts dans le métal liquide. Dans ce travail, les nuances 42CrMo4 et 34Cr4 ont été inoculées pour plusieurs formats de lingots. Des techniques de caractérisation (2D et 3D) ont été développées pour la comparaison des structures de solidification dendritiques avant et après inoculation. Une première série de lingotins (50 g) a montré l’effet affinant de poudres à bonne cohérence cristallographique avec la ferrite et l’effet grossissant d’un ferroalliage de cérium. Après une étude à plus grande échelle (8 kg) pour les meilleurs candidats (poudres de TiN, CeO2, Si3N4 et ferroalliage de cérium), un ajout de cérium a été fait dans un lingot industriel de 6,2 t. Le cérium, responsable de la croissance des grains équiaxes pour l’ensemble des lingots caractérisés. Il agit probablement sur les tensions interfaciales solide/liquide et moule/liquide tout en remplaçant les sites de germination nativement présents dans le métal liquide par des inclusions au cérium qui ne servent pas de sites de germination / Improving the solidification of large industrial steel ingots remains a scientific challenge. During casting chemical heterogeneities (macrosegregation), sometimes in the scale of meters, can arise. Solid grain motion is one phenomena responsible for macrosegregation. Inoculation allows the number, size and morphology of these grains to be modified through additions to the liquid metal. In this work 42CrMo4 and 34Cr4 grade steel ingots of several sizes were modified with potential inoculants. Characterization techniques (2D and 3D) were developed to compare dendritic solidification structures before and after inoculation. The first series of small ingots (50 g) showed grain refinement for powder additions with a low lattice misfit between the inoculant and solidifying melt, and a coarsening effect when ferrocerium was added. The best inoculant candidates (TiN, CeO2, Si3N4 powders and cerium ferroalloy) were tested in medium sized ingots, after which the cerium addition was tested with a 6,2 t industrial ingot. Cerium is responsible for coarsening the grain size in all sizes of cast ingots investigated. This is likely due to a modification of the solid/liquid and liquid/mold interfacial energy along with the replacement of existing sites with cerium inclusions which are not active during nucleation

På Ovako i Hofors, framställs stål via götgjutning. Göten har ett kvadratiskt tvärsnitt som varierar mellan 300 och 700 mm. Dessa transporteras från stålverket, till valsverket för uppvärmning. Varpå de varmvalsas till färdiga ämnen. Under tiden i ugnen när göten värms upp, oxiderar järn och andra legeringar och bildar glödskal. Om glödskalet valsas in i ämnet ger det upphov till defekter, som föroreningar och sprickor, med kvalitetsproblem som följd. Därför var det en önskan från Ovako att ta fram en metod för att rensa glödskal på göt med varierande tvärsnitt.   Syftet med examensarbetet var att utreda möjligheterna att avlägsna glödskal från göt, med hjälp av vattentryck eller andra metoder.   Olika metoder har utvärderats utifrån tidigare forskning inom området, och utifrån olika värderingar, valdes högtrycksspolning med vatten som metod att gå vidare med. Under höga tryck och flöden sprutas vatten genom dysor, som bryter glödskalet och avlägsnar det från götet. Denna metod är den mest förekommande på de flesta valsverk. Problematiken hos Ovako är att deras göt har varierande tvärsnitt, och utrustningen måste anpassa sig efter dimensionerna.   Beräkningar gjordes med värden från befintliga valsverk, och med deras utrustning som klarar av att rensa glödskal på ett tillfredsställande sätt.   Ett systemtryck på 25 MPa, med ett totalflöde på nästan 130 l/s levereras genom 44 dysor fördelat på götets fyra sidor. Avståndet mellan dysor och göt är 150 mm, där dysornas stråle har en vinkel på 15 grader mot ytans normal. Detta system ger ett yttryck på 0,92 MPa. Varav yttrycket bör ligga mellan 0,5 och 1,0 MPa för att ge god rensning. Ackumulator bör användas, med en volym på ca 0,35 m3.   När götets tvärsnitt ändras vid rensningen, kommer dysramperna att justeras för att alltid ha samma avstånd från dysorna till götet. Slutsatsen av arbetet är att denna metod och utrustning kommer att rensa göt på ett tillfredsställande sätt. Däremot bör utrustningen optimeras, för att passa de olika typerna av stål som tillverkas på Ovako. / At Ovako in Hofors, steel is produced through ingot casting. These ingots have a square cross-section, which varies between 300 and 700 mm. These are transported from the steel plant, to a hot-rolling mill for reheating. Whereupon it then gets rolled into finished materials. During the time in the furnaces, when ingots are heated, iron and other alloys oxidize and form a scale. If this scale then is rolled into the material, defects, such as impurity and cracks are formed in the steel, with quality issues as a result. Therefore, it was a desire from Ovako to develop a method to clean the scale on ingots with varying cross-section.   The aim of this thesis was to investigate the possibility of removing scale from ingots using high-pressure water or other methods.   Various methods have been evaluated on the basis of previous research in the area, and based on different values, water was chosen as a method to proceed with. Under high pressure and flow, water is sprayed through nozzles, which breaks the scale and removes it from the ingot. This method is the most occurring in hot-rolling mills. The problem at Ovako is that their ingots have varying cross-section, and the equipment must adapt to the difference in the dimensions.   Calculations were made using values from existing rolling mills and with their equipment that is capable of descale in a satisfactory manner.   A system pressure of 25 MPa, with a total flow of almost 130 l/s are delivered through 44 nozzles distributed over the ingots four sides. The nozzle distance to the ingot is 150 mm, where the nozzles have a jet angle of 15 degrees to the surface normal. This system provides a surface pressure of 0,92 MPa. Which should be between 0,5 and 1,0 MPa to give a satisfactory result. Accumulator should be used, with a volume of 0,35 m3.   When the ingots cross-section changes during descaling, the spray headers will adapt to have the same distance between nozzles and the ingot. The conclusion of this work, is that this method and equipment will clean ingots in a satisfactory manner. However, the equipment should be optimized to suit the different types of steel, produced in Ovako.

A diploma thesis was objected to a figure analyzing and a figure interpretation of ingot processing. The described figures were obtained from samples which were taking from feeder-heads of ingot of lower ram, produced in Vitkovice Machinery Group. The thesis was focused on ingot solidification and segregation processes which were associated with this procedure. The figures obtained from numeric simulation of ingot solidification in defined places were analyzed using statistic method – linear regression, as well as linear regression was used for evaluation of explored samples, their chemical compositions and mechanical properties. In conclusion all acquired results were summarized.

The present study was carried out to investigate the formation and evolution of non-metallic inclusions during ingot casting. Emphasize have been on understanding the types of inclusions formed and developed through the casting process and on the development of already existing inclusions carried over from the ladle during casting. Industrial experiments carried on at Uddeholm Tooling together with laboratory work and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. Ingots of 5.8 tons have been sampled and the types of inclusions together with their distribution within the ingot have been characterized. Two new types of inclusions have been found. Type C1 is found originated from casting powder and in the size from a few μm to 30 μm. Type C2 is of macro inclusion type sizing up to 70 μm. The presence of C2 inclusions are few but very detrimental for the quality of the steel. Both types, C1 and C2 consist of alumina, indicating that reoxidation is the main reason for their existence. The protecting argon shroud has been studied by the use of a 1:1 scaled 2D model. Both flow pattern and oxygen measurement have been carried out. CFD has also been used as an auxiliary tool. It has been found that the oxygen pickup through argon gas shroud depends mostly on the distance between the ladle and the collar placed on top of runner. Further increase of gas flow rate above 2.5 m3.h-1 had very little effect on the oxygen distribution since both the flushing effect and the entraining effect with respect to oxygen are enhanced by further increase of inert gas flow rate. In the case of dual gas inlet, the flow in the shroud was found much less diffused compared with either vertical or horizontal injection system. The oxygen content in this arrangement was also greatly reduced. Studies of the runner after casting revealed a sparse non-metallic network structure around the periphery of the steel rod remained in the runner. The surface of the refractory had been severely attacked by the mechanical force from the streaming steel. The erosions of the centre stone and the end stone were on the other hand negligible. CFD calculations showed that the flow at those locations is almost stagnant. The surface of the refractory in contact with the steel was found to have an increased content of alumina. The source for the alumina could come from either exchange reaction of dissolved aluminium replaces the silica or reoxidation products origin from oxygen pick up during the transfer from the ladle to the vertical runner. Inclusions were also found entrapped in the steel refractory interface. It was also found that a formation of a liquid slag film as early as possible during casting would increase the possibility to remove inclusions and especially inclusions generated by the casting powder. / QC 20100617

Ces travaux portent sur la déformation des aciers au cours de leur solidification, au moyen d'une expérience instrumentée et de sa simulation numérique. L'étude est focalisée sur deux phénomènes induits par la déformation : la fissuration à chaud et la macroségrégation. L'expérience consiste à poinçonner latéralement un lingot de 450 kg, alors que son cœur est encore partiellement liquide.L'expérience est instrumentée thermiquement et mécaniquement. Les lingots sont analysés, visuellement en termes de lieu et de fréquence d'apparition de fissures, et par microsonde pour les ségrégations chimiques.Pour la fissuration à chaud, une simulation numérique 3D par éléments finis est mise en œuvre avec le logiciel Thercast®, dans lequel a été implanté un critère d'amorçage de fissure basé sur la déformation plastique cumulée en fin de solidification, entre deux valeurs critiques de fraction de liquide. La comparaison entre simulations et observations montre le caractère prédictif du critère.La simulation numérique de la macroségré-gation est réalisée avec le logiciel R2sol qui résout simultanément la déformation du solide et l'écoulement du liquide. La simulation montre la redistribution des solutés dans le cœur du lingot sous l'effet de la compression du squelette solide et de l'écoulement du liquide, induits par le poinçonnement. Elle reproduit qualitativement les mesures expéri-mentales mais sous-estime l'amplitude des hétérogénéités de composition chimique. Une discussion des résultats permet de dégager des pistes permettant d'espérer une prédiction quantitative dans le futur.Les deux thématiques étudiées ont mis en relief la nécessité d'une bonne modélisation des phénomènes de microségrégation des alliages multiconstitués. Un modèle a été spécifiquement développé à cet effet. / Experimental and numerical studies of hot tearing and macrosegregation formation during steel solidification are reported. On one hand, an ingot punching test is considered. It consists of the application of a deformation at the surface of a solidifying 450 kg steel ingot. On the other hand, finite element thermo-mechanical modelling of the test is used.For hot tearing analysis, 3D finite element modeling is applied by use of Thercast® software. The time evolution of the strain tensor serves to evaluate the possibility for hot tear formation with a Hot Tearing Criterion (HTC). The HTC compares the local accumulation of strain over a certain solidification interval with the expression of a critical value proposed in the literature. Detailed comparisons reveal an excellent capability of the HTC to predict the formation of hot tears.For macrosegregation analysis, a two-phase formulation has been implemented (R2sol software), in which the velocities of the liquid and solid phases are concurrently solved for. The simulation shows how solutes are redistributed through the central mushy zone of the ingot under the effect of the com-pression of the solid phase resulting from the punching of the solid shell. The simulation proves its capability to reproduce the main experimental trends. However the predicted intensity of macrosegregation is lower than measured. Through discussion and analysis of different numerical sensitivity tests, critical material parameters and model improvements are identified in view of achieving better quantitative predictions in the future.The two topics studied have clearly shown the need for a good modelling of microsegregation phenomena in multicomponent alloys. A numerical model has especially been developed and implemented in the two software packages.

The thesis deals with the design of ingots from duplex (austenitic-ferritic) stainless steels in terms of minimal occurrence of axial porosity. The optimal shape and dimension of the ingot and the casting conditions are determined based on numerical simulations. The resulting internal quality of the realized ingot is evaluated. The presence of shrinkage porosity is determined by penetrant testing. The degree of chemical heterogeneity, the extent of macrosegregation, of selected elements in given ingot locations is measured by an optical emission spectrometer. Segregation values are compared with simulation results. The micro-purity of the ingot is assessed on the basis of metallographic samples.

This master’s thesis deals with the design of the new concept of lifting turntable QHZ 20. The main objective is to reduce the installation depth of table. Part of thesis is background research of individual components of the forging complex with hydraulic press CKW 25. It describes the current structure QHZ table, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of possible solutions of the table. The work also includes design, description and calculation of the chosen solution.

The flow pattern in the uphill teeming process has been found to be closely related to the quality of ingots and further to affect the yield of ingot production, which is crucial for the steel making process. The formation of non-metallic inclusion and entrapment of mold flux has been considered to be affected by the flow pattern in the gating system and molds by many previous researchers. The aim of this study is to investigate the flow pattern of steel in the gating system and molds during the initial filling stage. In addition, to study the utilization of swirl blade implemented at the bottom of the vertical runner on the improvement of initial filling condition in the mold. A three dimensional model of two molds gating system for 6.2 ton ingots from Scana Steel was adopted in the present work. A reduced geometry model including one mold and a runner, based on the method from previous researchers, was also used for comparison with the current more extensive model. Moreover, a reduced geometry model including one swirl blade and a runner was simulated to find effects of an increased-length vertical runner on the flow pattern improvement at the vertical runner outlet. Flow pattern, hump height and wall shear stress were respectively studied. A reduced geometry with homogenous inlet conditions fails to describe the fluctuating conditions present as the steel enters the mold. However, the trends are very similar when comparing the (hump height-surface height) evolution over time. The implementation of swirl blades gives a chaotic initial filling condition with a considerable amount of droplets being created when steel enters the molds during the first couple of seconds. However, a more calm filling condition with less fluctuation is achieved at the molds after a short while. Moreover, the orientation of the swirl blades affects he flow pattern of the steel. A proper placement of a swirl blade improves the initial filling conditions. The utilization of swirl blades might initially result in larger hump height. However, it gives fewer fluctuations as the casting proceeds. In the model without swirl blades, the maximum wall shear stress fluctuates with a descending trend as the filling proceeds. An implementation of swirl blades can decrease and stabilize the wall shear stress in the gating system. A special attention should be made in choosing refractory at the center stone, the horizontal runner near center stone and the vertical runner at the elbow. This is where the wall shear stress values are highest or where the exposure times are long. / QC 20120203