Molds play an integral role in the process of continuous casting liquid steel. Molds are the most critical component of the continuous casting process. Use of a high quality copper mold tube can increase productivity and steel quality by minimizing defects in the required bloom, billet, or slab.

Copper mold tubes play a critical role in increasing the efficiency of the steel manufacturing process and improving steel quality. But before we get into the details of how copper mold tubes help increase steel mills’ production, let’s take a closer look at understanding the continuous casting process.

Understanding the Continuous Casting Process

The continuous casting process, also known as strand casting, revolutionized the steel industry. Prior to the adoption of continous casting, molten steel was poured into indivdual ignot molds.  This process was slow and innefficent.  During the continious casting process, molten steel flows from a ladle into the copper mold tube through a tundish.  In the copper mold tube, the strand is cooled until an solid outer shell is formed which contains the remaining molten core until the entire strand is solidified. The mold is considered the most integral part of the continuous casting process since it is the last thing to touch the molten steel prior to solification. It plays a critical role in improving the efficiency of the process and the quality of the strand.

Since the mold casts the final shape, it significantly impacts the surface quality of the strand produced. The copper mold tube is water-cooled as the liquid steel flows into the mold.  The water-cooling system extracts heat from the steel and maintains the integrity of the mold.

The process is known as continuous casting because the liquid steel contained in the ladle is continually fed into the caster via the tundish. Molten steel can be continually made into solidified steel strands without interruptions.

How Copper Mold Tubes Increase Production in Steel Mills

Copper molds play an important role in enhancing the efficiency of the production process. Moreover, copper molds also improve steel quality. The function of the copper molds is to receive molten steel and to allow quick heat transfer from the molten steel to the cooling water, which allows quicker solidification of the molten steel.

Since copper is an excellent conductor of heat, it is a great metal to use for the exchange of heat. Moreover, copper molds are resistant to thermal erosion and are resistant to deformation, resulting from thermal stress, making copper mold tubes one of the best choices for steel production.

Given the importance of this process, the use of a high quality copper mold tube is one of the best ways to enhance the efficiency of the steel mill production process.

Copper Mold Tubes at FRC Global

At FRC Global, our trained and experienced engineers understand the significance of copper mold tubes for your final product. Therefore, we craft copper mold tubes with the utmost care and precision. Our copper tube molds are produced in an ISO9000 certified manufacturing facility. Moreover, the copper mold tubes produced at FRC Global undergo an extensive quality control testing program that ensures that you get the best quality copper mold tubes to enjoy efficient steel production.

By relying on the use of global resources, FRC Global is dedicated to delivering exceptional quality and innovative solutions to our customers for an exceptional customer experience.

FRC Global Copper Tube Designs

Copper mold tubes can come in many shapes and sizes which allows steel mills to cast different shaped and sized semi-finished products.  Beyond a standard design, FRC Global also offers specialized copper tube mold designs, including textured molds and other unique designs.  These specialized designs promote extra heat extraction which allows the caster to run faster. 

FRC Global Copper Tube Qualities

Apart from many distinct copper tube mold shapes and designs, FRC Global also offers various copper qualities and coating qualities. The main copper qualities that are used for the manufacturing of copper tube molds include:

• Phosphorous Deoxidized Copper (Cu DHP)
• Copper-Silver (Cu Ag)
• Copper-Chromium-Zirconium (Cu Cr Zr) 

Since mold coatings are integral to improving the mold tube’s wear resistance, FRC Global offers Chromium and Chromium-Nickel coatings. If you want any other qualities of copper or a distinct coating, FRC Global can accommodate your special request.

To find out more about copper mold tubes at FRC Global, or get a quote, contact us today.