Up-drawing continuous casting apparatus and up-drawing continuous casting method

Abstract

An up-drawing continuous casting apparatus includes a holding furnace that holds molten metal, and a shape defining member that is set near a molten metal surface of a molten metal held in the holding furnace, and defines a section shape of a casting to be cast, as the molten metal passes through the shape defining member. The shape defining member is able to be switched between a joined state and a partitioned state. With such a structure, it becomes possible to form a casting having a branched structure.

1 . An up-drawing continuous casting apparatus, comprising:
 a holding furnace that holds molten metal; and   a shape defining member that defines a sectional shape of a casting to be cast, as the molten metal passes through the shape defining member, wherein   the shape defining member is set near a molten metal surface of the molten metal held by the holding furnace, and the shape defining member is able to be switched between a joined state and a partitioned state.   
     
     
         2 . The up-drawing continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a molten metal cutter inserted into the molten metal that has passed through the shape defining member, in a case where the shape defining member is in the partitioned state.   
     
     
         3 . The up-drawing continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 a pair of the molten metal cutters is arranged so as to face each other through the molten metal that has passed through the shape defining member, on a parting line on which the shape defining member is partitioned.   
     
     
         4 . The up-drawing continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the shape defining member includes an inner shape defining member and an outer shape defining member, and
 the casting to be cast has a hollow structure.   
     
     
         5 . The up-drawing continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cooling part that cools and solidifies the molten metal that has passed through the shape defining member.   
     
     
         6 . The up-drawing continuous casting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein,
 when a starter is drawn up from the molten metal surface, the molten metal follows the starter and is drawn up from the molten metal surface by a surface film and surface tension, thereby forming a retained molten metal,   a shape is given to the retained molten metal by the shape defining member, and   the retained molten metal is solidified from an upper side to a lower side, thereby forming a casting.   
     
     
         7 . An up-drawing continuous casting method comprising:
 drawing up molten metal that is held in a holding furnace, while making the molten metal pass through a shape defining member that defines a sectional shape of a casting to be cast;   solidifying the molten metal by cooling the molten metal that has been drawn up through the shape defining member; and   switching the shape defining member from between a joined state and a partitioned state during casting.   
     
     
         8 . The up-drawing continuous casting method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 switching the shape defining member from the partitioned state to the joined state during the casting.   
     
     
         9 . The up-drawing continuous casting method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 inserting a molten metal cutter into the molten metal that has passed through the shape defining member in a case where the shape defining member is in the partitioned state.   
     
     
         10 . The up-drawing continuous casting method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 arranging a pair of the molten metal cutters so as to face each other through the molten metal that has passed through the shape defining member, on a parting line on which the shape defining member is partitioned.   
     
     
         11 . The up-drawing continuous casting method according to  claim 7 , wherein
 a casting having a hollow structure is cast by the shape defining member that is structured by an inner shape defining member and an outer shape defining member.   
     
     
         12 . The up-drawing continuous casting method according to  claim 7 , wherein,
 when a starter is drawn up from a molten metal surface, the molten metal follows the starter and is drawn up from the molten metal surface by a surface film and surface tension, thereby forming a retained molten metal,   a shape is given to the retained molten metal by the shape defining member, and   the retained molten metal is solidified from an upper side to a lower side, thereby forming a casting.