The temperature of liquid steel for continuous casting determines the casting speed and cooling conditions. The failure to meet the required casting process parameters may result in obtaining slabs of inconsistent quality. Numerical methods allow for real processes to be modelled. There are professional computer programs on the market, so the results of the simulations allow us to understand the processes that occur during casting and solidification of a slab. The study attempts to evaluate the impact of the superheat temperature on the slab structure based on the industrial operating parameters of the continuous casting machine.

The analysis of influence of mould withdrawal rate on the solidification process of CMSX-4 single crystal castings produced by Bridgman

method was presented in this paper. The predicted values of temperature gradient, solidification and cooling rate, were determined at the

longitudinal section of casting blade withdrawn at rate from 1 to 6mm/min using ProCAST software. It was found that the increase of

withdrawal rate of ceramic mould results in the decrease of temperature gradient and the growth of cooling rate, along blade height. Based

on results of solidification parameter G/R (temperature gradient/solidification rate), maximum withdrawal rate of ceramic mould

(3.5 mm/min), which ensures lower susceptibility to formation process of new grain defects in single crystal, was established. It was

proved that these defects can be formed in the bottom part of casting at withdrawal rate of 4 mm/min. The increase of withdrawal rate to 5

and 6 mm/min results in additional growth of susceptibility of defects formation along the whole height of airfoil.