# Research on Online Traceability Methods for the Causes of Longitudinal Surface Crack in Continuous Casting Slab

## TL;DR

This paper introduces an online method to trace and control the causes of longitudinal cracks in steel casting, improving production stability.

## Contribution

A novel online traceability method using data integration and LightGBM-SHAP analysis to identify and control factors causing longitudinal cracks in casting slabs.

## Key findings

- The narrow left wide inner heat flow ratio of the mold was the most significant factor causing longitudinal cracks.
- Controlling mold cooling intensity reduced crack recurrence, with root cause analysis pointing to poor water quality causing scaling.
- Implementing the tracing method improved efficiency in resolving longitudinal crack issues during casting production.

## Abstract

In the casting and rolling production process, surface longitudinal cracks are a typical casting defect. Tracing the causes of longitudinal cracks online and controlling the key parameters leading to their formation in a timely manner can enhance the stability of casting and rolling production. To this end, the influencing factors of longitudinal cracks were analyzed, a data integration storage platform was constructed, and a tracing model was established using empirical rule analysis, statistical analysis, and intelligent analysis methods. During the initial production phase of a casting machine, longitudinal cracks occurred frequently. The tracing results using the LightGBM-SHAP method showed that the relative influence of the narrow left wide inner heat flow ratio of the mold was significant, followed by the heat flow difference on the wide symmetrical face of the mold and the superheat of the molten steel, with weights of 0.135, 0.066, and 0.048, respectively. Based on the tracing results, we implemented online emergency measures. By controlling the cooling intensity of the mold, we effectively reduced the recurrence rate of longitudinal cracks. Root cause analysis revealed that the total hardness of the mold-cooling water exceeded the standard, reaching 24 mg/L, which caused scaling on the mold copper plates and uneven cooling, leading to the frequent occurrence of longitudinal cracks. After strictly controlling the water quality, the issue of longitudinal cracks was brought under control. The online application of the tracing method for the causes of longitudinal cracks has effectively improved efficiency in resolving longitudinal crack problems.