Editorial Technical Reference

Non-ferrous strip continuous casting and rolling line (twin-roll and twin-belt casters with in-line rolling)

Strip casting plus in-line rolling · twin-roll and twin-belt casters for aluminium and copper strip, coiled without a separate hot mill

A non-ferrous strip continuous casting and rolling line pours molten aluminium, copper or brass straight into a strip-shaped mould, a pair of water-cooled rolls or two moving steel belts, and passes the cast strip through one or more rolling stands and a coiler in the same line, replacing ingot casting, reheating and breakdown hot rolling. Decide three things first: which caster type suits the alloy and output, how thick and wide the cast strip will be, and whether the strip is hot rolled in line while it still holds its casting heat.

Integrated lines that cast non-ferrous metals as strip or thin slab and roll them in line: twin-roll casters, twin-belt casters, in-line hot or skin-pass rolling stands, shears and coilers for aluminium, copper and brass strip. Vertical direct chill casters and wheel-and-band casters feeding rod rolling mills are covered on the Continuous casting machine for non-ferrous metals page; copper rod lines, steel strip casting and cold rolling mills are outside this page.

CNFX editorial research · Sources checked October 12, 2026 · 5 sources

Choose the caster Roll in line

Glowing hot strip running from a caster along a roller table into a series of green rolling stands, with coils of copper-coloured strip at the end of the line in a large mill hall — Hot strip passing from caster to rolling stands and coils

Start with your task

Choose the casterTwin-roll or twin-belt. Roll in lineUse the casting heat.

Choose a twin-roll or twin-belt caster for the strip

Larex AG's European patent EP0233147B1 on continuous twin-roll casting describes installed plants producing strip between 3 and 15 mm thick and 0.25 to 2 m wide at casting speeds of 0.75 to 1.4 m/min, with the strip leaving the rolls at 350 to 400 °C. With a roll diameter of 600 mm and a 12 mm distance between nozzle exit and roll exit, it calculates a mean rolling reduction of 7.4% after full solidification in the roll gap. [1]

A twin-belt caster solidifies the metal between two moving, water-cooled steel belts. Hazelett, which builds these machines, states that solidification is complete approximately 70% to 80% of the way down the mould length, and that copper and other high-temperature metals are fed from a tundish into an open pool whose level is regulated by a laser sensor. [4]

Hazelett lists its CS1500 copper strip caster, used in the Conti-M process developed with Mansfelder Kupfer und Messing, at a maximum width of 1500 mm, a casting rate of 38 kg per mm of width per hour (38 tonnes per metre of width) and production capacity of 20,000 to 200,000 tonnes per year, and claims 40% less energy and 75% shorter throughput time than the conventional process. [3] Editorial calculation: at the full 1500 mm width, 38 tonnes per metre per hour is 57 tonnes per hour.

Alcan's patent EP1307307B1 on belt cooling for twin-belt casting notes difficulties when producing thinner strip of 4 to 10 mm, compared with 10 to 30 mm for conventional belt castings, and with alloys of freezing range 40 to 50 °C rather than up to 20 °C, which must be cooled much more quickly. [2]

Give the line builder the alloys and their freezing ranges, the cast strip thickness and width, the finished gauge after in-line rolling, annual output, melting and holding furnace capacity, coil weight and inner diameter, and the downstream cold rolling or annealing steps.

Roll the strip in line while it holds its casting heat

Haga and Furukawa of Osaka Institute of Technology, writing in Materials in 2024, state that a conventional twin-roll caster for aluminium alloys casts at less than 2 m/min, about 1 m/min, while their unequal-diameter twin-roll caster casts at 10 to 60 m/min; at 30 m/min against 1 m/min its productivity is 30 times greater. [5]

Assuming 20 m between caster and mill for conveying and temperature control, they note that strip from a conventional caster at 1 m/min would take 20 min to reach the hot mill, while their strip at 30 m/min arrives in 40 s; the measured temperature of 3.7 mm Al-5%Mg strip after 40 s was 483 °C, above the 350 °C they give for hot rolling aluminium alloys. [5]

Their caster used copper rolls of 300 and 1000 mm diameter, 100 mm wide, at 30 m/min with a load of 13 N/mm, pouring at 720 °C. In-line hot rolling at 350 or 450 °C with reductions of 19, 27 or 36% reduced surface cracking and the anisotropy of elongation in the strip after cold rolling to 0.5 or 1.0 mm and annealing at 360 °C for 90 min. [5]

Editorial note: these are laboratory results on 100 mm wide strip of one alloy; ask a line builder for in-line rolling temperatures and reductions demonstrated on your alloy and width.

Strip casters are not rod casting lines

No manufacturer listing linked to this page has been confirmed to offer strip casting and rolling lines; the companies reviewed list copper and aluminium rod casting and rolling lines, which are a different product.

When comparing line builders, ask for the caster type, the strip thickness and width range demonstrated, reference lines running the same alloy family, and whether in-line rolling stands, shears and coilers are included.

From tundish nozzle through caster and rolling stands to the coiler

Unit	Role	Fix in the order
Metal feed (tundish and nozzle)	Delivers melt across the mould width; open pool with laser level control for copper. [4]	Feed system and level control.
Twin-roll caster	Water-cooled rolls solidify and lightly reduce the strip. [1] [5]	Roll diameter, width, material.
Twin-belt caster	Moving steel belts cool the strip; belt cooling sets the strip limits. [2]	Belt width, cooling, coating.
Temperature control zone	Keeps the strip in the hot-working range before the mill. [5]	Length and heating or cooling.
In-line rolling stands	Reduce thickness while the strip is hot. [5]	Number of stands, reduction, power.
Shear and coiler	Cut and coil the strip.	Coil weight and inner diameter.

Cast gauge and casting speed per alloy, from twin-roll and belt-caster examples

Field	What it means and published values	Ask the supplier for
Maximum production capacity (tons/hour)	Example: 38 t per metre of width per hour on a copper strip caster. [3]	Rate for your alloy and width.
Casting speed range (m/min)	Examples: 0.75–1.4 m/min twin-roll plants; 10–60 m/min unequal-diameter caster. [1] [5]	Speed for your alloy and gauge.
Rolling mill power (kW)	Drives the in-line stands.	Power per stand.
Maximum product width (mm)	Examples: 0.25–2 m twin-roll; 1500 mm copper strip caster. [1] [3]	Width range.
Temperature control accuracy (±°C)	Holds strip in the hot-rolling range.	Accuracy and measuring points.
System length (meters)	Example assumption: 20 m caster to mill. [5]	Layout length.
Casting temperature (°C)	Example: Al-5%Mg poured at 720 °C. [5]	Pouring temperature per alloy.
Strip thickness range (mm)	Examples: 3–15 mm twin-roll; 4–10 mm thin belt-cast strip. [1] [2]	Cast and finished gauges.
Rolling speed range (m/s)	Matches the casting speed in line.	Speed range of the stands.
Electrical supply (V AC)	Plant supply.	Voltage and frequency.
Operating temperature range (°C)	Ambient for equipment.	Range.
Cooling water flow rate (m³/h)	Roll or belt cooling water.	Flow and water quality.
System weight (t)	Foundation design.	Weight and loads.

Send the alloy, strip and output data together

Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.

Alloys: [grades; freezing range]
Cast strip: [thickness; width]
Finished strip: [gauge after in-line rolling; temper]
Output: [tonnes per year; tonnes per hour]
Line: [caster type; in-line stands; shear; coiler]
Utilities: [cooling water; power; floor length]

See manufacturer records Send an enquiry through CNFX

Buyer questions

How fast does a twin-roll caster cast aluminium strip?

A twin-roll casting patent gives 0.75 to 1.4 m/min for installed plants, while an unequal-diameter laboratory caster ran at 30 m/min. [1] [5]

Can cast strip be hot rolled without reheating?

In one study, 3.7 mm Al-5%Mg strip was still at 483 °C after 40 s and 20 m at 30 m/min, above the 350 °C hot-rolling threshold the authors give. [5]

How much copper strip can a twin-belt caster produce?

Hazelett lists 38 tonnes per metre of width per hour for its CS1500, up to 1500 mm wide. [3]

Sources and what still needs a direct check

Sources checked 2026-10-12. Two European patents (Larex AG, Alcan) and Hazelett describe twin-roll and twin-belt strip casting in their own words; the Materials article reports laboratory trials of in-line hot rolling. Figures belong to the plants, alloys and conditions named.

Still to check yourself

Match caster type to alloy and freezing range.
Fix cast and finished strip thickness.
Confirm in-line rolling temperature and reduction on your alloy.
Check throughput per metre of width.
Verify the legal supplier and factory.