Method of manufacturing a cooling plate and a cooling plate manufactured with this method

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a cooling plate includes providing a metallic plate body with a front face, a rear face and at least one channel extending through the metallic plate body beneath the front face; inserting with radial clearance a metallic tube into the channel so that both tube ends protrude out of the channel; and achieving a press fit of the tube within the channel by shrinking the section of the channel by the action of a metal-forming process applied to the plate body.

1 - 34 . (canceled)  
     
     
         35 . A method of manufacturing a cooling plate for a metallurgical furnace, said method comprising: 
 providing a metallic plate body with a front face, a rear face and at least one channel extending through said metallic plate body beneath said front face;    inserting, with radial clearance, a metallic tube into said channel so that both tube ends protrude out of said channel; and    achieving a press fit of said tube within said channel by applying a metal-forming process to said metallic plate body.    
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein said metal-forming process provides an elastic deformation of said tube so as to produce a pre-tensioned fit of said tube in said channel.  
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein the step of providing a metallic plate body with at least one channel comprises: 
 a) providing a forged or rolled copper or steel slab; and    b) drilling said at least one channel through said slab.    
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein the step of providing a metallic plate body with at least one channel comprises: 
 continuously casting a metallic slab with at least one cast-in channel extending there through; and    manufacturing said metallic plate body out of said continuously cast metallic slab.    
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein the step of manufacturing said metallic plate body comprises: 
 machining said at least one cast-in channel with a metal-cutting tool so as to improve its dimensional and form tolerances.    
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the step of achieving a press fit of said tube within said channel comprises a metal-forming process applied locally along said at least one channel.  
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein said metal-forming process applied locally along said at least one channel provides an elastic deformation of said tube so as to produce a pre-tensioned fit of said tube in said channel.  
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the step of providing a metallic plate body with at least one channel comprises: 
 providing a bulge on said metallic plate body, said bulge extending along said at least one channel.    
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein said metal-forming process is applied to said bulge so as to depress the latter.  
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the step of providing a metallic plate body with at least one channel further comprises: 
 providing an aperture within said bulge.    
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein said metal-forming process is applied to said bulge so as to depress the latter.  
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the step of providing a metallic plate body with at least one channel further comprises: 
 providing an aperture within said bulge, wherein said aperture extends into said at least one channel.    
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein said metal-forming process is applied to said bulge so as to reduce the width of said aperture.  
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the step of achieving a press fit of said tube within said channel comprises: 
 rolling down said plate body after insertion of said metallic tube in said channel.    
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 48 , wherein said plate body is rolled down so as to confer an oval section to said channel and said tube.  
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the step of achieving a press fit of said tube within said channel further comprises: 
 radially expanding said tube by establishing a hydraulic pressure inside said tube.    
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the step of achieving a press fit of said tube within said channel further comprises: 
 radially expanding said tube with at least one explosion inside.    
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the step of achieving a press fit of said tube within said channel further comprises: 
 expanding said tube by pulling an expansion head there through.    
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein said plate body is made of copper or steel.  
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein said tube is made of copper or stainless steel.  
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein: 
 each of said tube ends protruding out of said channel is bent towards the rear of the plate body, so as to form a connection pipe-end pointing in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane parallel to the rear face of the plate body.    
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the step of providing a metallic plate body comprises: 
 providing a plate body with a first perimeter face and an opposite second perimeter face, wherein said at least one channel extends through said metallic plate body so as to form a first opening in said first perimeter face and a second opening in said second perimeter face.    
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 56 , wherein at least one of said perimeter faces is bevelled towards the rear face of said plate body.  
     
     
         58 . The method according to  claim 56 , wherein for at least one of said openings, a recess is milled into said perimeter face, so that said recess is open towards the rear face of the plate body, and so that said opening lies within said recess.  
     
     
         59 . A cooling plate for a metallurgical furnace comprising a metallic plate body with a front face, a rear face and at least one metallic tube in a channel extending through in said metallic plate body beneath said front face so that both tube ends protrude out of said plate body, with a press fit between said metallic plate body and said at least one metallic tube, and with a plastic deformation of said metallic plate body along said channel, said plastic deformation providing a pre-dominant contribution to said press fit.  
     
     
         60 . The cooling plate according to  claim 59 , wherein said plate body initially comprises a bulge extending along said at least one channel.  
     
     
         61 . The cooling plate according to  claim 60 , wherein an aperture is provided in said bulge.  
     
     
         62 . The cooling plate according to  claim 61 , wherein, after plastic deformation of said plate body and more specifically said bulge, a slit is provided along said at least one channel, said slit originating from said aperture.  
     
     
         63 . The cooling plate according to  claim 59 , wherein said plate body is made of copper or steel.  
     
     
         64 . The cooling plate according to  claim 59 , wherein said tube is made of copper or stainless steel.  
     
     
         65 . The cooling plate according to  claim 59 , wherein said plate body is made of steel and said tube is made of copper.  
     
     
         66 . The cooling plate according to  claim 59 , wherein: 
 each of said tube ends is bent so as to form a connection pipe-end pointing in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane parallel to the rear face of the plate body.    
     
     
         67 . The cooling plate according to  claim 59 , wherein: 
 said plate body as a first perimeter face and a second perimeter face; and    said at least one tube extends through said metallic plate body so that one tube end emerges out of said first perimeter face and the other tube end emerges out of said second perimeter face.    
     
     
         68 . The cooling plate according to  claim 67 , wherein at least one of said perimeter faces is bevelled towards the rear face of said plate body.  
     
     
         68 . The cooling plate according to  claim 67 , wherein at least one of said perimeter faces includes a recess that is open towards said rear face of said plate body and in which said tube end emerges out of said plate body.