Cooling plate and method for manufacturing a cooling plate

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooling plate for use in the inner lining of metallurgical furnaces, especially smelting furnaces or shaft furnaces, and relates to a method for manufacturing a cooling plate. The cooling plate has a plate member, which is made of a copper material, and has integrated coolant channels. To manufacture the cooling plate, a raw ingot is provided, which is equipped with channels, and has a starting thickness that is greater than the final thickness of the plate member. The raw ingot is then deformed in a rolling step to reduce the starting thickness to the final thickness of the plate member and to deform the cross-sections of the channels. In this connection, the coolant channels obtain circularly oblong, final cross-sections.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A cooling plate comprising: 
 a plate member made of a copper material having a fine-grained structure possessing an average particle size of less than 10 mm, the plate member having integrated coolant channels, wherein the thickness of the plate member is reduced by machining the final cross-sections of the coolant channels.    
     
     
         2 . The cooling plate as recited in    claim 1   , wherein the particle size is less than 5 mm and is preferably between 0.005 mm and 2 mm.  
     
     
         3 . The cooling plate as recited in    claim 1   , wherein the final cross-sections of the coolant channels are oval.  
     
     
         4 . The cooling plate as recited in one of    claim 1   , wherein a first side of the plate member has grooves for accommodating fireproof material.  
     
     
         5 . A method for manufacturing a cooling plate having a plate member, comprising the steps of: 
 initially providing a raw ingot made of a copper material, the raw ingot having a starting thickness greater than a final thickness of the plate member;    reducing the starting thickness of the raw ingot to the final thickness of the plate member, using at least one forming step; and    producing coolant channels in one of the raw ingot and the plate member prior to attaining the final thickness.    
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in    claim 5   , wherein the coolant channels have circular cross-sections prior to the reducing step, the coolant channels are deformed in response to the thickness of the plate member being reduced to the final thickness, so that the coolant channels have oval cross-sections.  
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in    claim 5   , wherein the step of reducing the starting thickness of a raw ingot is accomplished by cold rolling; the step of producing channels having circular cross-sections is subsequent to the rolling, the channels having a circular cross-section; and the step of reducing continues to reduce the ingot to the final thickness of the plate member, while the channels are deformed into coolant channels having oval cross-sections.  
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in    claim 5   , wherein the channels having circular cross-sections are mechanically drilled into one of the raw ingot and the plate member, using deep-hole drilling.  
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in    claim 5   , wherein the channels are cast into the raw ingot.