Ancilliary Equipment

DOWNSTREAM HANDLING SYSTEMS

Precision-Engineered Extensions to WORSWICK Casting & Stacking Lines

To complement our world-class casting and stacking solutions, WORSWICK offers a range of modular, fully integrated downstream handling systems designed to enhance efficiency, operator safety, product traceability, and end-of-line automation.

1. Ingot and Mould Water Cooling Systems

Crossflow-Controlled Thermal Extraction for Immediate Handling and Process Continuity

The WORSWICK Ingot Cooling System is a precision-engineered, crossflow water-cooled conveyor developed to rapidly reduce ingot surface temperature from casting levels (typically 500 °C+) down to handling-safe levels near 50 °C. This allows for immediate transition to downstream operations, such as automated strapping or manual stacking, without the risk of thermal injury or strap deformation.

System Design Features:

  • Water-cooled mould base and under-conveyor cooling rails, enabling dual-stage cooling (mould and ingot) within a single continuous process.

  • Crossflow cooling architecture utilises lateral and upward-directed water flow from below the ingots, ensuring even surface heat extraction and preventing hotspot retention.

  • Multi-zone flow regulation via adjustable flow manifolds, ball valves or automated modulating valves—enabling independent control of flow rate and cooling intensity in distinct conveyor zones based on ingot type, geometry or alloy.

Technical Advantages:

  • Maintains optimal ingot core/skin temperature differential to reduce thermal stress and cracking.

  • Allows high-speed stacking immediately post-cooling without deforming packaging materials.

  • Fully integrated with inline or rotary casting systems for seamless process flow.

 Compact Cooling Alternative – Vertical Crossflow Cooling Tower

Where horizontal space is limited, WORSWICK offers a Vertical Cooling Conveyor System. This unit uses gravity-assisted vertical indexing to progressively lower ingots through a tiered water crossflow structure, offering:

  • Comparable thermal reduction performance in a smaller footprint

  • Custom cooling duration per tier

  • Optional air-knife final stage for surface drying before handling

2. Ingot Strapping Units

High-Speed, Integrated Securing of Final Stacks

WORSWICK strapping systems are engineered for seamless integration with our stacking lines, offering either semi-automatic or fully automatic operation depending on throughput and labour strategy.

  • Materials Supported:

    • Traditional steel strapping (for export or high-load stability)

    • Polyester (PET) strapping (for corrosion-free, ergonomic applications)

  • The strapping head interfaces directly with the final stack position on the storage conveyor, ensuring minimal movement and optimal tension alignment. Units are configured for top-down or side-entry strapping patterns, depending on stack height and pallet configuration.

3. Ingot Weighing Systems

High-Accuracy Weight Verification with Batch Labelling and Traceability

The WORSWICK weighing system combines industrial-grade shear beam load cells with a dedicated stack support beam, allowing direct, in-line weighing without halting production flow.

  • System Components:

    • Load cells (capacity >1300 kg; accuracy ±0.5 kg per 1000 kg)

    • Remote-mounted weight terminal with data input keypad

    • Integrated label printer (prints 70 mm × 36 mm self-adhesive stack ID labels)

  • Data Captured Automatically:

    • Stack weight

    • Time/date stamp

    • Cast ID / Alloy Specification No.

    • Sequential stack number

  • Optionally available “Trade-Approved” to legal-for-trade certification standards, ideal for commercial metal transfer applications.

4. Industrial Inkjet Marking System

Custom Coded Identification for Individual Ingots or Completed Stacks

For enhanced product traceability and compliance, WORSWICK offers contactless inkjet marking systems integrated into the post-stack zone or ingot conveyor.

  • System Capabilities:

    • Single or dual-line output

    • Character heights from 2.5 mm to 30 mm

    • Custom alphanumeric or batch-coded identifiers (e.g., “AL7075–Batch 1456”)

    • Configurable to apply marking on ingot end faces, top surfaces, or stack sides

  • Typical Output Example:

    • 12 characters @ 10 mm height

    • Font and print spacing adjusted for stack movement rate