Continuous casting and rapid solidification of wires produced by a newly developed shape flow casting technique

The shape flow casting (SFC) process was developed for continuous casting of wires with diameters ranging from 1 to 3 mm possessing a refined microstructure achieved by rapid substrate quenching. An instrumented and computerized meltspin facility was designed for a quantitative study of the process parameters including process modelling in order to optimize the casting process under high cooling conditions. The microstructural parameters were correlated with the governing process variables, such as superheat of the melt, velocity of the melt jet, nozzle geometry, and its adjustment. The present paper describes the process principles of the SFC-technology, which enables a flexible production of steel, nickel, or aluminium wires and other novel materials. The microstructural features are quantitatively correlated to the process parameters.