The company I work for uses 1074 strip in its processes. I have been informed that the best practice at the start of this process is to take the concast slab directly from the caster to the reheat furnace and then rolling into hot band, to avoid defects from stresses formed when the slab has fully cooled to ambient temperature. There may be other causes for defects in the slab (surface decarb?). Others have told me that the slab can be fully cooled to ambient temperature, stored days if not weeks, or shipped offsite to a secondary processor to be reheated and rolled into hot band with no concerns for an increase in defects - cracking in the slab. I would appreciate your opinions on this and any references to studies that have been conducted on this issue. Thank you.
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Nathan Parr
Greenville SC
[864-770-2338]
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