Billetcooler FLEX

Improved strand quality through optimized cooling.

With the first Billetcooler generation in 2002 the success story in secondary cooling for continuous casters started. Since then, we have equipped more billet and bloom casters with air mist nozzles than any other supplier.

And the development work continues. Because new requirements demand new cooling technologies.

Billetcooler FLEX®

Good cooling is a quality issue

Billetcooler FLEX solves your challenges:

  • New steel grades: New steel grades place high demands on precisely controlled secondary cooling. Different alloys require customized cooling profiles to guarantee uniform and crack-free cooling. This was not possible with conventional nozzles.
  • Larger formats: Larger, wider, heavier – the now usual formats place much higher demands on cooling performance. Larger quantities of heat have to be extracted, for example, while at the same time the edge zones must not be excessively cooled. Conventional processes did not offer the required flexibility for this.
  • More flexible casting speed: New steel grades require a greater range of casting speeds. Stable jet angles and liquid distribution are essential. This cannot be guaranteed with conventional nozzles.
Billetcooler FLEX® strand cooling

The principle: flexible water flow rate – stable spray angle

The new Billetcooler FLEX nozzle is characterized by its constant spray angle over the entire turn-down range. We offer three different nozzle sizes, each with a turn-down ratio (min./max. water flow rate) of 1:10.

Lechler therefore covers the requirements of most bloom and billet casters with just three standard nozzles. This minimizes the number of different nozzles, reduces logistics costs and helps to avoid maintenance mistakes.

Billetcooler FLEX® in spray comparisonAt varying water pressures and with a constant air pressure of 2 bar, the spray coverage of the Billetcooler FLEX (top row) is much more homogeneous than with conventional nozzles (bottom row).
Billetcooler FLEX<sup>®</sup> pressure / flow rate diagram

Functionality

Billetcooler FLEX – Your advantages at a glance

  • Controlled cooling. Thanks to the stable spray angle of between 60° and 70°, Billetcooler FLEX permits exact control of the cooling performance over the entire turn-down range for the first time.Thus, no overcooling or undercooling of the strand.

  • Flexible cooling. Billetcooler FLEX allows optimum adjustment of the water distribution for different formats – without time and cost-intensive nozzle replacement. This ensures an always optimum cooling.

  • Robust and maintenance-friendly.  The very large free cross-sections for air and water avoid blockages and guarantee high system availability while offering a high operating reliability.

  • Energy-efficient. Thanks to the new nozzle design, the Billetcooler FLEX consumes less compressed air compared to conventional air mist nozzles. This helps to improve the energy efficiency of the overall installation and saves operating costs.

  • Low noise emissions. Compared with conventional nozzles for secondary cooling, Billetcooler FLEX reduces noise emissions by up to 15 dB and offers therefore an improved occupational safety.

  • Space and weight-saving. Thanks to the new design, the forged nozzle body of the Billetcooler FLEX requires less space and can also be used in cramped environments. A maintenance-friendly design.