A laboratory direct chill casting plant Indutherm VCC3000 is a valuable tool for alloy design. It allows researchers to tailor alloys on a small scale under cooling conditions comparable to those in the industry. This is important for understanding the relationship between alloy composition, microstructure and properties. It allows researchers to test the effects of different alloy compositions and processing parameters quickly and easily on the final properties of the casting. Furthermore, it can be used to produce alloys that have special process engineering requirements, such as increased cooling rates. The aim of this study is to investigate cooling rates during casting through temperature measurements taken at specific intervals. This is crucial for producing castings with fine microstructures and desirable properties. For this reason, the plant is equipped with five thermocouples (TC) to monitor the live temperature during casting. This allows new alloy compositions and processing parameters to be tested under controlled conditions.