On August 23^rd, 2011, the width-adjustable mold package developed by CISDI in-house was successfully applied at No.1 slab caster of Meishan Steel, which cast 36 heats steadily in sequence with control accuracy up to 0.1mm. With CISDI proprietary hydraulic width-adjustable mold, hydraulic servo system and dynamic control technology, the mold allows on-line real-time control of mould width and taper, featuring high control precision, stable operation and simple equipment construction.

Precise control of mould width and taper is crucial for good slab quality and stable caster operation; the successful development of this technology has tackled the challenge posed by mould width and taper excursion for Chinese slab caster designers.

This research is made on revamping of No.1 slab caster mold of Meishan Steel, which is an imported second-hand full-curved caster with fixed mould made in 1980s. As the mould has to be changed for producing different slab width, the caster productivity is quite poor. Meishan Steel has asked many engineering companies for revamping solutions but all failed. When CISDI was contracted in 2010, CISDI developed the novel mould width-adjusting device as a solution to the limited space which does not allow any existing mould type.