Short belt side dam for twin belt caster

1. A side dam for a continuous metal casting apparatus comprising:

an insulator comprising an insulator surface, wherein the insulator surface comprises a plurality of pockets, wherein the insulator comprises thermal insulating a material; and

a belt system comprising an endless belt movably supported such that the endless belt is movable relative to the insulator,

wherein the endless belt comprises a belt surface and a portion of the belt surface is configured to face a casting cavity of the continuous metal casting apparatus as the endless belt is moved, and

wherein the endless belt is movable such that the portion of the endless belt configured to face the casting cavity is adjacent to the insulator surface comprising the plurality of pockets.

2. The side dam of claim 1 , wherein the endless belt is movable in a horizontal plane of motion that is perpendicular to the belt surface.

3. The side dam of claim 1 , wherein the belt system further comprises:

at least one pulley supporting the endless belt;

a belt drive motor configured to move the endless belt relative to the insulator; and

a belt tensioner configured to adjust a tension of the endless belt.

4. The side dam of claim 1 , further comprising:

a support; and

a water cooled backing connected to the support,

wherein the insulator is supported on the water cooled backing,

wherein the endless belt is movably supported on the support and the endless belt is movable between the insulator and the casting cavity and between the water cooled backing and the casting cavity.

5. The side dam of claim 1 , wherein the side dam comprises a side dam length, wherein the insulator comprises an insulator length, and wherein the insulator length is less than the side dam length.

6. The side dam of claim 1 , wherein plurality of pockets comprises two elongated pockets.

7. The side dam of claim 1 , wherein the belt system further comprises at least one pulley supporting the endless belt, and wherein the at least one pulley is a cooled pulley.

8. The side dam of claim 7 , wherein the at least one pulley is at least one of internally cooled, air-cooled, or water-cooled.

9. The side dam of claim 1 , wherein the belt system further comprises at least one pulley supporting the endless belt, and wherein the at least one pulley comprises at least one of an idler pulley, a drive pulley, or a tensioner pulley.

10. The side dam of claim 1 , further comprising a belt tensioner, and wherein the belt tensioner is a linear belt tensioner.

11. The side dam of claim 1 , wherein the side dam further comprises a cavity-facing side and an outwards facing side, and wherein a path of the endless belt along the cavity-facing side comprises a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the portion of the endless belt in the first portion of the path is non-coplanar in a direction along a length of the side dam with a portion of the endless belt in the second portion of the path.

12. A continuous casting apparatus comprising:

the side dam of claim 1 ;

a first endless casting belt comprising a first casting surface;

a second endless casting belt comprising a second casting surface, wherein the first casting surface and the second casting surface define the casting cavity; and

an injector,

wherein the insulator is adjacent to the injector of the continuous metal casting apparatus and extends upstream relative to the injector, and

wherein the casting cavity and the endless belt form a moving cavity that is static relative to a cast slab.

13. A side dam for a continuous metal casting apparatus comprising:

a support;

a belt system comprising an endless belt and a tensioner, wherein the endless belt is movable in a plane of motion that is perpendicular to the belt surface; an insulator connected to the support and providing thermal insulation to the side dam, wherein the endless belt is movable relative to the insulator, wherein the insulator comprises an insulator surface, wherein the insulator surface comprises a plurality of pockets, and wherein the endless belt is movable such that the portion of the endless belt configured to face the casting cavity is adjacent to the insulator surface comprising the plurality of pockets

wherein the endless belt is movably supported on the support such that the endless belt is movable relative to the support,

wherein the endless belt comprises a belt surface and a portion of the belt surface of the endless belt is configured to face a casting cavity of the continuous metal casting apparatus as the endless belt is moved, and

wherein a tension of the endless belt is adjustable through the tensioner.

14. The side dam of claim 13 , further comprising:

a water cooled backing connected to the support, wherein the insulator is supported on the water cooled backing, wherein the endless belt is movably supported on the support and the endless belt is movable between the insulator and the casting cavity and between the water cooled backing and the casting cavity.

15. The side dam of claim 13 , further comprising an insulator, wherein the side dam comprises a side dam length, wherein the insulator comprises an insulator length, and wherein the insulator length is less than the side dam length.

16. A continuous casting apparatus comprising:

the side dam of claim 13 ;

a first endless casting belt comprising a first casting surface;

a second endless casting belt comprising a second casting surface, wherein the first casting surface and the second casting surface define the casting cavity; and

wherein the casting cavity and the endless belt form a moving cavity that is static relative to a cast slab.

17. The continuous casting apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a speed of the endless belt is adjustable such that the speed of the endless belt matches a speed of the first casting surface and a speed of the second casting surface.

18. A side dam for a continuous metal casting apparatus comprising:

an insulator comprising an insulator surface, wherein the insulator surface comprises a plurality of pockets, wherein the insulator is configured to reduce heat transfer into the side dam, and wherein the plurality of pockets are defined in a majority of the insulator surface; and

a belt system comprising an endless belt movably supported such that the endless belt is movable relative to the insulator,

wherein the endless belt comprises a belt surface and a portion of the belt surface is configured to face a casting cavity of the continuous metal casting apparatus as the endless belt is moved, and

wherein the endless belt is movable such that the portion of the endless belt configured to face the casting cavity is adjacent to the insulator surface comprising the plurality of pockets.