Casting equipment and casting method using same

Abstract

Provided is casting equipment and a casting method using same. A casting method includes: preparing a tundish; injecting molten steel to the tundish; installing a vacuum forming member on an upper portion of the tundish to form vacuum in at least a partial area of an upper portion of a melting surface of molten steel accommodated in the tundish; forming a rotational flow by blowing a gas into the molten steel; and forming vacuum in at least a partial area of the upper portion of the melting surface of the molten steel. More particularly, the present disclosure may effectively remove inclusions in the molten steel and restrict reoxidation of the molten steel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Casting equipment comprising:
 a cover member installed on a tundish to define a space in at least a portion of an upper portion of a melting surface of molten steel accommodated in the tundish;   a vacuum pump connected to the cover member to form vacuum in the space; and   a control unit configured to control an operation of the vacuum pump.   
     
     
         2 . The casting equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the cover member comprises:
 a vertical part having a hollow shape in which upper and lower portions are opened and vertically provided so that at least a portion is submerged into the molten steel; and   a horizontal part connected to an upper portion of the vertical part to define a space between the vertical part and the horizontal part,   wherein an exhaust hole is defined in the horizontal part for connection with the vacuum pump.   
     
     
         3 . The casting equipment of  claim 2 , wherein the horizontal part covers only the upper portion of the vertical part. 
     
     
         4 . The casting equipment of  claim 3 , wherein the horizontal part is seated on an upper portion of the tundish. 
     
     
         5 . The casting equipment of  claim 4 , wherein a structure and an induction member are provided in the tundish,
 wherein the structure crosses an inside of the tundish while being spaced apart from a bottom surface of the tundish in order to form a flow of molten steel, and the induction member is disposed at each of both sides of the structure in parallel to the structure while being spaced apart from the bottom surface of the tundish.   
     
     
         6 . The casting equipment of  claim 5 , wherein the induction member has a top surface higher in position than a top surface of the structure. 
     
     
         7 . The casting equipment of  claim 6 , wherein a nozzle is provided to supply a gas to the tundish, and
 the nozzle is provided at one side of the structure between the induction members.   
     
     
         8 . The casting equipment of  claim 7 , further comprising a detection unit configured to measure a level of the melting surface of the molten steel in the space. 
     
     
         9 . The casting equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the detection unit comprises at least one of a distance sensor and a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         10 . A casting method comprising:
 preparing a tundish;   injecting molten steel to the tundish;   installing a vacuum forming member on an upper portion of the tundish to form vacuum in at least a partial area of an upper portion of a melting surface of molten steel accommodated in the tundish;   forming a rotational flow by blowing a gas into the molten steel; and   forming vacuum in at least a partial area of the upper portion of the melting surface of the molten steel.   
     
     
         11 . The casting method of  claim 10 , wherein the preparing of the tundish comprises forming an induction member configured to define an area for forming vacuum,
 wherein the induction member is formed at each of both sides of a structure, which crosses an inside of the tundish while being spaced apart from a bottom surface of the tundish, in parallel to the structure.   
     
     
         12 . The casting method of  claim 11 , wherein the installing of the vacuum forming member comprises:
 installing a cover member between the induction members;   forming a space, which is spaced apart from the melting surface of the molten steel, in the cover member by submerging at least a portion of the cover member into the molten steel; and   connecting a vacuum pump to the cover member.   
     
     
         13 . The casting method of  claim 12 , wherein the forming of the rotational flow comprises blowing a gas to one side of the structure. 
     
     
         14 . The casting method of  claim 13 , wherein the forming of the vacuum comprises suctioning the space by operating the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         15 . The casting method of  claim 14 , wherein the forming of the vacuum is performed when at least a portion of the cover member is submerged into the molten steel. 
     
     
         16 . The casting method of  claim 15 , wherein the forming of the vacuum comprises measuring variation in level of the melting surface of the molten steel in the space,
 wherein a degree of vacuum of the space is adjusted according to the variation in level of the melting surface of the molten steel.