Numerical Analysis of Horizontal Twin-Roll Casting for AA3003

Abstract

Molten AA3003 is cooled, solidified, and rolled into a sheet by horizontal twin-roll casting. In the present investigation, this process was numerically analyzed in two dimensions by assuming the melt, the mushy state, and the solidified as an incompressible nonlinear thermo-viscous material. Coupled analyses of flow and heat transfer were repeated for updated meshes by incremental time steps until a steady state was reached. Results for different roll speeds and sheet thicknesses were obtained including the filling stage of roll gap as well as plastic deformation after solidification. Based on these results, an optimum process schedule was proposed for production of AA3003 sheet of 1 mm in thickness where the roll nip gradually decreased from 3 mm through a couple of reductions. Unstable flows with irregular contacts with the roll surface were often encountered during the analysis but settled by adjusting the roll speed or melt head. (C) The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2018