Method for maintaining a slide gate on a vessel containing a metal melt, and a slide gate

Abstract

A method is provided, in particular for maintaining a slide gate (10) of a vessel containing metal melts. The slide gate (10) comprises a housing (11), a slide unit guided longitudinally in this, a holding element (15), a linear drive (12) which can be located in this for adjusting the slide unit, at least one electrical line and/or a connection line (16, 17, 18) for a medium, such as gas or air. The connecting of the at least one electrical line and/or the connection line (16, 17, 18) for the medium takes place in this situation by means of a plugging action. This plugging action of the at least one connection line (16, 17, 18) takes place automatically with the moving of the linear drive (12) into the holding element (15), and/or the detachment takes place automatically when it is moved out of the holding element (15). As a result, handling is more easily achieved in particular at the maintaining of the slide gate by means of a robot, and, at the same time, the process stability and the operational safety are increased during the casting.

1 . Method for the maintaining of a slide gate ( 10 ) of a vessel containing a metal melt, which comprises a housing ( 11 ), a slide unit guided longitudinally in the housing, a holding element ( 15 ), a linear drive ( 12 ) which can be inserted into this for the adjustment of the slide unit, at least one electrical line and/or a connection line ( 16 ,  17 ,  18 ) for a medium, such as gas or air, wherein the linear drive ( 12 ) can preferably be moved in and/or taken out by a robot, and the connection of the at least one electrical line and/or the connection line ( 16 ,  17 ,  18 ) for the medium takes place by a plugging action, characterized in that this plugging action of the at least one connection line ( 16 ,  17 ,  18 ) takes place automatically with the movement of the linear drive ( 12 ) into the holding element ( 15 ), and/or the detachment of the at least one connection line ( 16 ,  17 ,  18 ) takes place automatically when removed the linear drive ( 12 ) from the holding element ( 15 ). 
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the linear drive ( 12 ) can be inserted into the holding element ( 15 ) and/or removed from the holding element transverse to its adjustment direction. 
     
     
         3 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the plugging of the connection lines take place in the same direction like with the movement of the linear drive into the holding element and/or the disconnection of the connection lines take place in the same direction like with the detachment of the linear drive from the holding element. 
     
     
         4 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein respectively the plugging and the disconnection of the at least one connection line take place in the opposite direction. 
     
     
         5 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein during the plugging action of the at least one electrical line and/or the connection line for the medium, first a centering action takes place, and then the plugging action as far as into the end position. 
     
     
         6 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical connection line for the power supply of at least one consuming unit, such as a measuring and evaluation device for early slag recognition or inductive heating, and the at least one connection line for the medium serves as a gas seal or for cooling or a similar purpose, wherein the respective connection line is connected to an external electrical power, gas, or compressed air source. 
     
     
         7 . Slide gate for a vessel containing a metal melt, which comprises a housing ( 11 ), a slide unit guided longitudinally in the housing, a holding element ( 15 ), a linear drive ( 12 ) which can be inserted into this for the adjustment of the slide unit, at least one electrical line and/or a connection line ( 16 ,  17 ,  18 ) for a medium, such as gas or air, wherein the linear drive ( 12 ) can preferably be moved in and/or taken out by a robot, and the connection of the at least one electrical line and/or the connection line ( 16 ,  17 ,  18 ) for the medium takes place by a plugging action, characterized in that assigned in each case to the linear drive ( 12 ) and to the holding element ( 15 ), in pairs, are at least one electrical plug component ( 26 ,  36 ) and/or in each case at least one valve plug component ( 27 ,  28 ,  37 ,  38 ) for the medium of the at least one connection line ( 16 ,  17 ,  18 ), in such a way that they are plugged in automatically when the linear drive ( 12 ) is moved into the holding element ( 15 ), and therefore create the connection of the respective connection line ( 16 ,  17 ,  18 ), and/or are automatically detached when the linear drive ( 12 ) is removed from the holding element ( 15 ) and accordingly the disconnection of the respective connection line ( 16 ,  17 ,  18 ) takes place. 
     
     
         8 . Slide gate according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the linear drive ( 12 ) and the holding element ( 15 ) are in each case provided with at least one guide means, which interact in such a way that the linear drive ( 12 ) can preferably be moved transversely into the holding element ( 15 ) and removed from it respectively, wherein the guide means are arranged so as to project on the front side at the linear drive ( 12 ), project at its drive rod ( 12 ′), and at the holding element ( 15 ) on the rear side by their free-standing end. 
     
     
         9 . Slide gate according to  claim 8 , characterized in that the guide means are configured at the linear drive ( 12 ) as a flange ( 22 ), and the at least one valve plugging component ( 27 ,  28 ) for the medium extends laterally at this flange ( 22 ) in the insertion direction, while the guide means at the holding element ( 15 ) are configured as guide slots ( 25 ′) and the at least one valve plugging component ( 27 ,  28 ) runs projecting between them, such that the valve plugging components ( 27 ,  28 ), corresponding in pairs, are plugged into one another when the flange ( 22 ) is moved into these guide slots ( 25 ′). 
     
     
         10 . Slide gate according to  claim 9 , characterized in that two valve plugging components ( 27 ,  28 ,  37 ,  38 ) are assigned to the flange ( 22 ) and two to the holding element ( 15 ), running parallel to one another, which in each case can be plugged in pairs, wherein preferably centering means are provided between these valve plugging components ( 27 ,  28 ,  37 ,  38 ) for centering the valve plugging components during the plugging action. 
     
     
         11 . Slide gate according to  claim 9 , wherein the guide slots are formed in a C-shaped receiver part of the holding element, in the inside of which the valve plugging components and the centering means are secured. 
     
     
         12 . Slide gate according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one electrical plug component arranged above the linear drive and the corresponding plug component is arranged laterally above the receiver part at the holding element, such that these two plug components are plugged together when the linear drive is moved into the holding element. 
     
     
         13 . Slide gate according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one valve plug component and/or the one electrical plug component are held in a device mounted floating or on jointed bearings in the holding element or at the linear drive transverse to the longitudinal extension, in order to compensate for deviations in the corresponding valve plug components and/or the plug component. 
     
     
         14 . Slide gate according to  claim 8 , wherein the connection lines are guided laterally at the holding element towards the slide gate, and along the rear side at the linear drive, wherein they are bundled through at least one sleeve, projecting away on the rear side at the linear drive, and at least one hose, to the external electric power, gas, or compressed air sources.