Process and apparatus for a combined casting and rolling installation

A method and an apparatus for producing hot-rolled products in a combined casting-rolling installation. A method and a combined casting-rolling installation with which an uninterrupted continuous casting process can be maintained not only when there is a planned interruption to production but also when there is an unplanned interruption to production, occurring for example in a heating zone, a finishing mill train, a cooling zone or a storage device. These method steps are carried out to bridge an interruption in production in the part of the installation that is downstream of the cutting-up and delivering device (6): a) cutting off a strand portion (21) of the continuously produced preliminary material (3) by means of a first shears (9); b) raising the tail part of the strand portion (21) from the roller table (4) by means of a raising device (11); c) breaking up the preliminary material (3) passing the first shears (9) into pieces of scrap (19) by means of the first shears (9) into pieces of scrap (19) by means of the first shears (9), delivering the pieces of scrap (19) and removing the strand portion (21) unit the operational readiness of the combined casting-rolling installation is restored.