In the continuous casting process liquid steel flows out of the ladle into the tundish (or holding tank) and then is fed into a water-cooled copper mold. Solidification begins in the mold, and continues through the caster. The strand is straightened, torch-cut, then, traditionally, discharged for intermediate storage. As considerable amounts of energy is needed to reheat these cast items as part of the subsequent rolling processes, advancements such as near-net-shape-casting or better integration of continuous casting and rolling operations are emerging as promising options to improve energy efficiency and productivity.