US 7,487,820 B2
	Method for determining reuse or disposal of a refractory plate and device therefor
Philippe Mutsaarts, Obourg (Belgium)
Assigned to Vesuvius Crucible Company, Wilmington, Del. (US)
Appl. No. 10/565,480 PCT Filed Jul. 20, 2004, PCT No. PCT/BE2004/000106 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Jan. 20, 2006, PCT Pub. No. WO2005/007325, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 27, 2005.
Claims priority of application No. 03447192 (EP), filed on Jul. 22, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2006/0249274 A1, Nov. 09, 2006
Int. Cl. B22D 11/10 (2006.01); B22D 41/28 (2006.01); B22D 46/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 164—457  [164/488; 164/437; 164/337; 222/594]

12 Claims

1. Method for deciding whether to reuse or reject a refractory plate of a slide gate valve used for control of flow of a molten metal during pouring of said metal from an upper vessel towards a lower vessel, said plate having a plate use history, said method comprising: identifying a set of parameters, at least one of said parameters being measured during the pouring and at least one of said parameters being proper to the plate; determining values of the parameters during successive uses of the plate; comparing the determined values to threshold values; and deciding to reuse the plate if the determined values do not reach the threshold values, and deciding to reject the plate if the determined values exceed the threshold values.