Equipment for continuous casting of strands of metals, preferentially ingots of aluminium. The equipment comprises a flexible casting mould 1 that may be rectangular with two side faces 4, 5 restrained against movement and two flexible side faces 2, 3. The flexible side faces are provided with a stiffening part 36 in their middle regions, that sustains such a rigidity that the shape of the side faces in said regions are substantial constant as the side faces are bowed. The restrained side faces 4, 5 may have a stiffening part that passes lengthwise through the side face and possibly through the adjacent corners. This will have the effect that the flexible faces will behave as rigid affixed in their ends. The stiffening part 36 of the flexible side faces is attached to drag beams 6, 7 in an actuating mechanism 43. The actuating mechanism comprises pull/push bars 14, 15, 16, 17 that via link arms 23, 24, 25, 26 are connected with swingable force transmitting plates 27, 28 swinged by means of an actuator. The actuator may be provided with an external or an internal position sensor, and by means of a PLC program and a servo valve the flexure may be controlled according to a pre-defined scheme of flexure. The outside of the casting mould may suitable be provided with a simplified and improved cooling system comprising a coolant jacket 39, that may be made out of a plastics profile or an aluminium profile attached to the mould wall 42.

The apparatus includes an upper metal reservoir (10), a casting mold (2) having an inlet and an outlet, and a vertically moveable base (7) positioned at the outlet with a casting shoe or bottom block (5) which is designed to bear against the outlet at the start of a casting cycle. The casting shoe is mounted as a moveable shoe on the base (7) and is designed to be locked by the direct engagement with the base when it has been brought into a centered position in relation to the casting mold (2). Furthermore, centering devices (3, 4, 8) for the casting mold and the casting shoe are provided thereon for centering the casting shoe in relation to the casting mold.

Metal casting apparatus for continuous or semi-continuous casting of metal (DC casting), in particular casting of roll blocks of aluminum. The casting equipment includes a casting die which has an open inlet for receiving a supply of molten metal and a cavity with an open outlet. A continuous outlet along the circumference of the passage through the casting die is provided for supplying water for direct cooling of the molten metal in connection with the formation of a cast billet. An outlet is provided for supplying a gas, such as air, in order to reduce the cooling effect, at least during the start phase of the casting process. The air outlet is provided between the water outlet and the die passage and predominantly in parallel with the latter. The air outlet passing along the circumference of the passage through the casting die, for supplying air in such a way that a skirt of air is formed which is designed to deflect the skirt of water and/or form an air cushion between the skirt of water and the cast billet.