A continuous casting technique for producing flat and thin strips of aluminum is developed. A rotating heated iron mold is used instead of a conventional cooling mold. It is essential for the successful production that the mold temperature should be maintained higher than the melting point of the aluminum, and that the solid-liquid interface should be located at the highest position of the mold. Heat extraction for the solidification of the strips was carried out at first by way of a dummy plate and then, with the solidified strip in fixed position, by use of cooling sprayed water. The strips obtained showed an unidirectionally solidified structure. The surface of the strip proved extremely smooth and flat, if a suitable position of pouring molten aluminum into the rotary mold is chosen.
An apparatus has been developed to measure the friction coefficient between the die and the casting at the time of ejection in die casting. The measurement was achieved by measuring the force when a test plate was pulled perpendicularly after the aluminum alloy was shot under high pressure condition. The effects of injection condition, hardness of castings, state of die surface, and spraying condition of lubricants have been discussed and examined. The friction coefficient was very high (1.0-2.0) in the case of non-lubrication, and it decreased as hardness of castings increased and roughness of die surfaces decreased. The friction coefficient decreased and then became constant (0.2-0.3) with increasing in the amount of layers of lubricants.