Innovative Electromagnetic Stirring Technologies for Wheel and Belt Continuous Casting Process

Electromagnetic stirring is an established strategy for improving the quality of continuously cast metals. In thin aluminium slabs, however, its implementation is constrained by short solidification length, limited installation space, and magnetic-field distortion caused by surrounding metallic components. This work presents a staged design assessment of three compact electromagnetic stirring configurations conceived for the Wheel and Belt continuous casting line of Continuus-Properzi S.p.A. Harmonic electromagnetic simulations were performed for all three configurations, whereas a coupled steady-state, isothermal electromagnetic–fluid-dynamic analysis, based on a fully liquid melt assumption, was carried out only for the axial-flux configuration. Qualitative experiments on a low-melting-point GaInSn alloy were used as proof-of-concept support for the predicted stirring patterns, rather than as a full quantitative validation of the industrial process. Because the three configurations were investigated at different levels and under different operating conditions, the results do not establish a quantitative performance ranking. The axial-flux configuration was selected for further development based on its compactness, integration feasibility, and the circular flow topology obtained numerically and observed qualitatively. Future work will focus on quantitative velocity measurements, transient and thermo-solidification modelling, and industrial-scale validation.