Xu Baosheng (1912–2007)

Xu Baosheng was an outstanding figure in the field of metallurgical machinery. He was not only the founder of Chinese own discipline system of metallurgical machinery, but also a world pioneer in inventing and designing the continuous casting machine. He designed and manufactured the first two-flow vertical continuous casting machine of China in 1958. Then, he designed independently the first experimental unit of curved mold caster in the world in 1960, two years earlier than the famous Von Moos’ continuous casting machine. Xu Baosheng was also the very first to utilize flying shears in the continuous casters. Furthermore, he introduced the critical innovation such as the composite vibration mold and the differential gear type vibration mechanism. The curved mold caster designed by him in 1962 soon became the largest combination continuous casting machinery unit in the world. In view of the foregoing, it can be said that Xu Baosheng made a very important contribution to the development the machinery technology of steel casting not only in China but also in the world. As a matter of fact, he was awarded as one of the thirteen pioneers of the development of the continuous casting.