Ingot caster Wet & Dry to produce primary and secondary aluminum ingots

During the first months of 2020, GMS launched on the market its Continuous Ingot Casting Line under the trade name of “WET & DRY” (Patent Pending).
The machine has been designed to produce primary and recycled aluminum ingots in continuous casting in the two formats required by the market: the 10 kg “Standard” one and the 8.5 kg “Light” one.
The maximum production rate is 2,000 ingots / operating hour, both for the “Standard” and for the “Light” format.
With reference to the sketch, the innovative technical solutions have been conceived to ensure, also in the long course, excellent hydraulic sealing between the steel band and copper blocks and a safe and reliable hydraulic sealing between adjacent molds even in the most severe working conditions.
Following such input targets, the entire machine has been designed to obtain the maximum elasticity of the movable components of the continuous mold; ultimately, the copper blocks and the metallic band.
Among the most significant innovations, therefore, the self-closing design of the molds holder chain deserves a particular mention, which guarantees constant and perfect closure between adjacent molds and, above all, allows the chain to be dragged in traction, thus reducing the mechanical stress on the steel band and obtaining constant and durable mechanical stability of the system.

(1) Pressing structure with a variable radius for metallic Band “Hi-Force”. It allows safe closing of the metallic band/copper blocks and the minimum obstruction in the hypercritical area where the liquid metal enters the machine.
(2) Pressing structure for the metallic band “Flexy Closing Arms”. These mechanisms guarantee the maximum flexibility of the coupling molds/band even in the most critical operating conditions or in the presence of wear or metallic or non-metallic residues on the coupling surfaces.
(3) Large diameter band tensioning wheel. It allows minimizing the mechanical stress of the metallic band when it changes its direction.
(4) Molds cleaning station “CIP” (Cleaning In Place). Any traces of dirt left on the molds during the active cycle are getting removed with water at high pressure – just like the car wash guns – in the inactive section of the chain.
(5) Molds drying station “Safe Dry”. According to the safety standards, the drying station performs perfect molds drying before they receive the liquid aluminum.
(6) Dethatching fluid spraying system. The dethatching fluid is getting sprayed, in minimum quantity, in an automatic and repeatable manner on band and molds as required by GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices) in the field of aluminum casting and molding.
(7) Cooling system Wet & Dry. The cooling system has been designed to avoid even the minimum water infiltration in the travelling continuous mold in the hypercritical zone.
(8) Special in-line bar shear with adjustable cutting action. Different alloys have, or might risk having, different cutting properties. For this reason, cutting operations can be optimized according to the alloy to process. The cutting drums of the shear, driven by independent motors, allow adapting the cutting parameters to the characteristic of the alloy under process.
Each ingot is then marked with a bar code thanks to a special laser station—not shown in the picture.

… we make simple the metal complexity…