SMI (Sino Machine Industries) has supplied aluminium plant equipment and casthouse consumables since 1996 — more than 30 years of manufacturing and export experience serving primary smelters, secondary smelters, remelting plants and metal recycling operations across 30+ countries. Annual mechanical product output exceeds 4,000 metric tons across more than 1,200 product variants.
This page is the entry point to SMI’s complete aluminium industry range. It covers the full workflow of a modern casthouse — skimming dross from the furnace, recovering free metal under hydraulic pressure, cooling and transporting the salt cake, and casting the recovered and primary metal into sows and ingots — together with the electrolytic anode components used upstream in reduction cells and the transmission components used across plant machinery.
Every product below is manufactured to customer drawing or specification. Equipment is supplied under the SMI brand, under OEM arrangements, or under the customer’s own brand identity.
Hot aluminium dross skimmed from a furnace is not waste. It contains significant free metal, and the proportion of that metal which is recovered depends almost entirely on how quickly the dross is processed. Every minute of delay between skimming and pressing allows continued oxidation, converting recoverable aluminium into aluminium oxide — a direct production loss on every cast. SMI’s dross management range addresses this at the source, from the skim pan through to the finished aluminium block.
The aluminium dross press is the core of in-house dross recovery — a hydraulic compression system that squeezes free metal out of hot dross at the point of generation. SMI supplies standard dross press systems in three capacity configurations — SMI40, SMI60 and SMI80 — processing 250–700 kg of dross per pressing cycle, together with custom configurations matched to furnace output and casthouse layout. The automated press cycle runs hydraulic head descent, controlled-pressure compression, forced cooling through the integrated cooling circuit and head retraction, with no manual intervention during pressing.
In-house metal recovery with a correctly configured dross press system is typically 20–35%, depending on the time elapsed between skimming and pressing, the condition of the press head and dross pan as a matched set, and the dross generation characteristics of the specific furnace.
Full dross press specifications, capacity planning and upgrade options →
“Aluminium dross recycling machine” is the operational term used in many casthouses for what engineers specify as an aluminium dross press. The distinction matters at specification stage: the machine is only one element of a dross processing line, and recovery performance is governed as much by pan geometry, skimming practice and cooling as by the press frame itself. SMI manufactures and supplies dross recycling machines to primary and secondary smelters worldwide under SMI brand, OEM or customer-specified branding.
How the aluminium dross recycling machine works and how SMI supplies it →
Where a plant requires full downstream processing rather than pressing alone, SMI supplies complete aluminium dross recycling systems covering dross stirrer, dross cooler, crusher and screening machine, dust collector and conveyor. With this configuration the hot dross is managed continuously and oxidation is terminated in a very short time — in-house metal recovery can reach 70–80%, substantially higher than press-only solutions.
Aluminium dross recycling systems — full downstream processing →
The aluminium dross cooling pan cools the salt cake rapidly after pressing, bringing dross temperature down below 350°C (662°F) to stop secondary oxidation and coalesce the aluminium particles held in the cake. Faster cooling directly preserves recoverable metal. SMI cooling pans are manufactured from ASTM A27 grade 65-35 and SMI’s anti-thermal shock proprietary material for casthouse consumables, with cast forklift pockets and cast feet or lugs for safe transport, and are available in a range of specifications.
Aluminum dross cooling pan specifications and materials →
Press head and dross pan function as a single matched set — the head must seat correctly on the pan walls to drain hot dross rapidly, hold an effective thermal seal under hydraulic pressure, and transfer heat efficiently through the cooling circuit. Any mismatch or wear in this set degrades recovery performance steadily and progressively, often with no visible indication until direct measurement is taken.
SMI supplies press heads and dross pan sets across a wide range of designs, sizes and cross-sectional geometries — circular, rectangular and custom — validated for dry dross, wet dross, black dross, white dross, salt dross and rotary furnace slag.
How to match press head and dross pan for maximum recovery →
Aluminium dross transport equipment and sow moulds handle ingots and molten metal removed from smelters and transfer launders. SMI transport sow moulds are reusable cast steel moulds engineered for high-temperature resistance, structural integrity under continuous use, custom sizing to plant dross volumes, controlled pouring to minimise spillage, and straightforward maintenance access.
Aluminum dross transport equipment — specifications and applications →
Skimming practice determines how much metal enters the dross stream in the first place — and therefore how much is available to recover downstream. SMI furnace tools are manufactured from proprietary high-temperature, corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant materials developed for molten aluminium service, and are used on wheel loaders, forklifts, FTVs, Glama vehicles and other furnace tending machines.
Aluminium dross skim blades remove the dross layer from the surface of the furnace melt to recover better metal from every cast. SMI skim blades use a two-piece design — scraper rod plus replaceable scraper plate — so only the blade is replaced at end of life rather than the entire assembly. This extends service life, reduces downtime and lowers total cost of ownership.
One end connects to a high-temperature, corrosion-resistant long rod by fixing bolt; the other end mounts to the vehicle. The blade moves with the telescopic arm to distribute heat evenly through the dross, and stirring with skim blades also disperses cleaning fluxes more evenly through the melt. Iron contamination is significantly reduced, helping produce the best grades of aluminium.
Aluminum dross skim blades and skim tools →
Aluminium furnace skimming tools perform three functions in casthouse service: dross removal (efficient removal of the oxide layer, reducing metal loss and improving casting quality), stirring and mixing (uniform temperature distribution and better alloy homogenisation), and flux distribution (improving cleaning flux efficiency by dispersing it evenly into the melt).
Features include two-piece replaceable blade design to cut maintenance time, proprietary high-performance materials for longer service life, custom design to furnace and operating conditions, compatibility with existing skimming systems, and on-site technical support. Applications cover aluminium melting furnaces, holding furnaces, reverberatory furnaces, rotary furnaces and secondary aluminium plants.
Aluminium furnace skimming tools for dross removal and melt stirring →
The intelligent ladle slag scraper is a four-degree-of-freedom skimming machine used for molten metal pretreatment — desulphurisation, dephosphorisation and desiliconisation — in both steelmaking and aluminium smelting plants. The machine rotates as a whole, the lifting frame rises and descends, the telescopic arm extends and retracts, and the swing frame tilts up and down, giving flexible action with high slag removal efficiency, strong penetrating force and stable operation.
Control is manual on site or remote via 5G communication. Protective plates mounted close to the ladle reduce high-temperature damage to the equipment. The scraper picks up both free-flowing and non-flowing slag from the molten pool, ladle or molten iron tank, improving pretreatment and metallurgical efficiency.
Intelligent ladle slag scraper applications in steel and aluminium mills →
Sow molds and ingot molds are not interchangeable commodity items. Geometry determines cooling rate, release behaviour, downstream handling and service life; material selection determines resistance to thermal cycling. SMI supplies both, in proprietary and conventional grades, to customer drawing.
SMI alloy steel sow molds are reusable cast steel moulds used to cast molten aluminium from furnaces and transfer launders into large-format ingots — sows — for downstream processing, transport or resale. Material selection is the central engineering decision: the mold must withstand repeated cycling from ambient to molten aluminium temperature without cracking, warping or losing dimensional integrity.
Material options include 8630 WCB 9 alloy steel (SMI’s standard recommendation for continuous casting service), SMI & HT anti-thermal shock proprietary material (developed in-house for casthouse consumables, with a 30-year service record), and customer-specified grades. Fork pockets, feet and lugs are fully cast into the mold body — never welded on — eliminating the failure mode associated with welded attachments under repeated thermal cycling. Sow molds are available in standard sizes and custom configurations with capacities from 800 to 2,000 lb aluminium.
Alloy steel sow mold — material options and configurations →
Thermiting dross will warp and bow the best cast steel pans. Based on nearly 30 years of on-site practice in aluminium mills and smelting plants, SMI has developed proprietary alloys specifically to withstand this punishment — and the better solution remains not to generate thermiting material in the first place: skim on time, keep foreign material out of the furnace, and remove all dross when skimming.
SMI supplies the complete casting consumable set for scrap recycling — ingot molds, sow molds, skim pans, dross pans, slag pans, slag bins and skim pots — in cast iron, ductile iron, cast steel 1028 and cast steel 8630, with patterns and molds made to specific customer requirements. Iron and zinc molds are also available.
Ingot molds, sow molds and dross pans for aluminium scrap recycling →
The SMI small standard ingot mold is a three-cavity long-form casting tool for efficient, repeatable casting of small aluminium ingots in batch production. Three ingots are cast per pour, increasing throughput and reducing cycle time against single-cavity alternatives. Cavity geometry is optimised for consistent 7–9 kg ingot weight, clean release and stable stacking.
Two surface finishes are available from the same casting geometry — natural steel finish for standard service, and protective coating where enhanced corrosion resistance is required. Material grade is selected to the metal being cast: aluminium, copper and copper alloys, or tin and lead. Lead time is approximately 4–6 weeks from order confirmation, shipped by ocean freight in 1×20GP, with DDP available on request.
7–9 kg small standard ingot molds — specifications and finishes →
SMI has supplied ingot molds for aluminium, magnesium, lead, brass, bronze and zinc service for nearly three decades, in customised shapes and sizes matched to each metal’s casting temperature and thermal cycling conditions. Production covers material selection from heat-resistant alloys, precision mold casting, heat treatment to enhance heat resistance and durability, stage-by-stage quality control, and customisation to the smelting facility’s size, capacity and operational requirements. Lead time is 6–8 weeks from order placement, shipped by ocean freight in 1×40HQ, with on-site installation service available.
Aluminium, magnesium, brass, bronze, lead and zinc ingot molds →
Selecting between a sow mold and an ingot mold is a decision about what happens to the metal next. The comparison below covers the differences that determine the choice.
| Factor | Sow Molds | Ingot Molds |
|---|---|---|
| Typical output | Thick blocks, 500–2,000 kg | Standardised bars, 20–25 kg |
| Primary function | Cast large sows for remelting or rolling | Produce standardised ingots for sale or machining |
| Design priority | Bulk strength, slow cooling, durability | Standardisation, speed, surface quality |
| Cooling method | Natural cooling, 4–8 hours | Forced cooling (water/air), 10–30 minutes |
| Typical service life | 300–500 pours | 1,000–1,500 pours |
| Common failure mode | Thermal fatigue cracking, warping | Surface oxidation peeling, dimensional wear |
| Best fit | Primary smelting and bulk scrap remelting | Downstream processing, extrusion, forging, trade |
In short: use sow molds for intermediate product requiring remelting or rolling, and ingot molds for final product needing standardised shape and fast turnover.
Full sow mold vs ingot mold comparison — materials, cooling and service life →
Upstream of the casthouse, the cast steel anode yoke — also called anode steel claw, electrolytic claw or anode yoke bracket — is a critical consumable in Hall-Héroult reduction cells. It forms both the structural and the electrical connection between the aluminium guide rod above and the prebaked anode carbon block below, carrying the mechanical load and transmitting the high-amperage direct current required for electrolytic reduction.
SMI cast steel anode claws are produced using electric arc furnace and medium frequency induction furnace melting, with rare earth additions during refining to control gas content and optimise electrical conductivity. Standard material is low carbon steel Q235 or Q235B — equivalent to BS3100 Grade A1, AS 2074-2003 Grade C2 and AISI 1010/1008/1006 — with melt range 1494–1515°C and surface finish Ra 12.5 to Ra 25.
Configurations include parallel three-claw, four-claw, three-dimensional four-claw, six-claw, eight-claw and double yoke, all to customer drawing. Material certification covering chemical composition and mechanical properties is supplied as standard.
Anode steel claw — configurations, materials and technical specification →
The anode carbon block is consumed progressively during electrolysis, typically requiring anode assembly adjustment every 15–18 days as block height reduces. A yoke and guide rod complete one service cycle of roughly one month before removal. Used assemblies return to the anode assembly workshop for mechanical removal of aluminium slag and electrolyte (primarily cryolite and aluminium fluoride), hydraulic pressing off of the cast phosphorus iron ring, and shot blast cleaning. Yokes passing dimensional and structural inspection are returned to production with a new guide rod and carbon block.
SMI anode yokes are in active service at primary aluminium smelters across the Middle East, Europe, India, North America and Asia-Pacific. SMI also supplies the downstream recycling equipment used in the anode assembly workshop.
Anode steel yoke — service cycle, recycling and supply →
Beyond the aluminium-specific range, SMI manufactures transmission and drive components — planetary carriers, large-format transmission housings, gearboxes and PTO driveline assemblies — to customer drawing. Capability covers in-house grey iron and ductile iron housing casting, spur/helical/bevel gear cutting, shaft machining to spline profile, heat treatment to specified surface hardness and case depth, and assembly with bearing fitting, gear mesh setting and seal installation.
OEM supply is available with customer branding on assemblies and packaging, and spare parts programmes run alongside new unit supply.
Transmission parts and gearbox components — manufacturing capability →
In-house metal recovery with a correctly configured dross press system is typically 20–35%. The variables that most affect the result are the time elapsed between skimming and pressing, the condition of the press head and dross pan as a matched set, and the dross generation characteristics of the specific furnace. A complete dross recycling system with stirrer, cooler, crusher, screening and dust collection can reach 70–80%.
It depends on what happens to the metal next. Sow molds cast 500–2,000 kg blocks for remelting or rolling, cool naturally over 4–8 hours and last around 300–500 pours. Ingot molds cast standardised 20–25 kg bars for downstream processing or trade, cool in 10–30 minutes and last 1,000–1,500 pours.
SMI’s own anti-thermal shock proprietary formulations are the standard choice for dross pans, press heads, sow molds and skim blades. Conventional grades — ASTM A27 Gr 65-35 and 70-40, ASTM A148 Gr 105-85, AISI 8630, GGG-40, GGG-50, cast steel 1028, HT250, QT500-7 and ductile iron — are also available, as are customer-specified grades.
Yes. All products are manufactured to customer drawing or specification, and supply is available under the SMI brand, under OEM arrangements, or under the customer’s own brand identity — including configuration, capacity, labelling, colour, control interface and documentation language.
For dross equipment: furnace type and number of furnaces, estimated dross generation rate, dross type, existing dross handling equipment, available utilities and any layout constraints. For molds: metal being cast, required weight per cavity or per sow, dimensions, casting method, annual volume and surface finish preference. SMI responds with a written recommendation and commercial proposal.
Small standard ingot molds are approximately 4–6 weeks from order confirmation. Multi-metal ingot molds are 6–8 weeks from order placement. Dross press systems and recycling lines are quoted per configuration. Ocean freight is standard, with 1×20GP or 1×40HQ depending on order volume, and DDP delivery available on request.
SMI equipment and consumables are in active service at primary aluminium smelters across the Middle East, Europe, India, North America and Asia-Pacific, including multiple operations within the world’s highest-output primary aluminium production groups. Supply relationships are subject to confidentiality agreements; reference accounts are available to qualified buyers under appropriate terms.
SMI’s application engineering team will confirm the correct configuration for your operation before order placement and respond with a written technical recommendation and commercial proposal.
Email: Inquiry@sinomachine.org
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Serving global aluminium and magnesium smelters and the metal recycling industry since 1996.