High quality Oxygen Free Copper (OFC) products are of a great interest to the automotive and power industries due to their superior performance in electrical conductivity, heat transfer and corrosion resistance. Rautomead has shown the Vertically Upward Continuous Cast (VUCC) process to be an excellent option to cast high quality rods of OFC within a wide range of diameters and exceptional ability for downstream processing. On the other hand, Rautomead also recognises the challenges associated with this process and the need to control and refine certain parameters in order to maintain high quality grain structure while trying to increase casting rate.

Post processing of cast products is generally required to obtain the properties of the end product. To process continuous cast material the castings are often continuously rolled, formed or drawn to final cross-sectional area. This reduction decreases grain size and enhances the mechanical properties. Therefore, it is essential to maintain a homogeneous structure throughout the length of the casting. Inhomogeneities lead to localised mechanical property variances in properties which can lead to failures during processing. These inhomogeneities arise from the repeating periodic withdrawal pattern the cast material undergoes during solidification. The required pattern is material dependant and can vary significantly.

To develop improved production processes and techniques, an accurate prediction of the cast behaviour is required. Traditional approach involves running costly casting trials and evaluating retrospectively the outcome, whilst coupled numerical simulations offer a lower cost alternative to predict the casting outcome, reducing the need for costly trials significantly.