Beam blanks

Beam blanks are near-net-shape products used to feed medium and heavy section mills. This state-of-the-art casting technology was invented by SMS Concast, who is currently the market leader in this specialist field.

An important aspect is that SMS Group can offer the complete processing chain for the production of beam blanks from one source:  SMS Concast provides  the caster  whereas the remaining parts of the process come from the global market leader SMS Group, such as the EAF meltshop and secondary metallurgy upstream and downstream the required medium or heavy section rolling mill.

Where beneficial, SMS Concast can equip the casters with special strand-reheating systems to control the beam-blank tip temperature before entry to the straightening zone. This is particularly important when micro-alloy steel grades are cast in large beam blanks, both to optimize the metallurgical properties and avoid transverse cracks. Also the SMS Concast ExpertShape mold tubes  have a very positive impact to reduce web crack formation.

Beam-blank sections range from 250 to 1,150 mm wide, and from 150 to 500 mm high. The largest beam blank section currently in use has a height of 490 mm, a width of 1'150 mm and a web thickness of 130 mm. This called for completely new approaches in terms of the design and dimensions of the molds as well as the entire set-up of the continuous casting equipment.