Technical FAQ's

We have the capacity to manufacture sand castings up to 2.5m sq.

Our maximum casting weight is 900 kg for aluminium and 300 kg for iron, steel, and non-ferrous copper-based alloys.

We offer an industry-leading rapid prototyping casting service with in-house management of all manufacturing processes. Our processes include MAGMA virtual casting simulation, metallurgy lab testing and analysis, 3D sand printing of moulds and cores, semi-automated mould assembly and pouring, heat-treatment, casting qualification with digital radiography and computer tomography, CNC machining and CMM dimensional validation.

We are dedicated to supporting our customers throughout each stage of the manufacturing process, from rapid prototyping and initial production phase builds to scheduled production volumes of up to 5000 units.

We have the ability to manufacture prototype and initial phase batch sand castings replicating the mechanical properties of high-production casting methods.

To support material innovation for lightweight powertrain and body structures, we have refined high silicon aluminum alloy series for prototype and low-volume sand cast production, achieving high ductility and an 18% elongation with a UTS of 300 MPa, replicating high-pressure die casting (HPDC) geometry and mechanical properties.

We have the flexibility and capacity to support rapid prototypes, initial production phase builds and scheduled production volumes up to 5000 units dependant on size and complexity.

We can provide reverse engineering from existing components by utilising our CMM optical scanners and computer tomography capabilities to produce casting and machining 3D datasets. 

We provide a full-service, in-house manufacturing solution for fully machined and assembled cast components from our manufacturing facility based in Littlehampton, West Sussex, United Kingdom.

Lead time is highly dependent upon size and complexity, however we have a typical lead time of around of 2/3 weeks for first off 3D sand printed mould castings and an additional 2/3 weeks for machined castings.

Finecast Foundry manufactures high-integrity, complex cast components for a range of industries including automotive, motorsport, defence, aerospace, space exploration, marine, chemical, nuclear and rail.

We can manufacture sand cast components with a minimum wall thickness of 2.5mm.

We manufacture dimensionally consistent sand castings conforming to DCTG7-8 casting dimensional tolerances.

We can achieve superfine surface finishes of 4RA for aluminium castings and 5-7RA for iron, steel and bronze castings.

We provide cast component design support for all projects, our specialist casting design and development engineers will work closely with you to optimise the final cast design.

We can also identify opportunities for lightweighting and part count reduction.

By utilising the power of our 3D sand printing capabilities and engineering experience, we can often integrate functionality and reduce the total number of components in an assembly. This approach leads to benefits such as improved efficiency, enhanced performance, reduced manufacturing costs, and shorter production times.

Our specialist quality control engineers utilise our GE Seifert X|Cube Series 320KV, providing powerful CT scanning and radiographic inspection, ensuring casting integrity and dimensional accuracy.

Our specialist method engineers utilise industry-leading MAGMASOFT virtual casting simulation software, enabling us to produce castings “right first time,” eliminating lengthy trials and significantly reducing development costs and lead times.

We have a state-of-the-art 3D Sand printing facility on-site, eqipped with the latest technologically advanced Voxeljet printers. This innovative technology gives us the flexibility to print in a wide variety of sand media from silica to thermally efficient cerabeads allowing us to cast in a variety of materials from low-temperature aluminium through to high-temperature iron and steel.

3D printing offers rapid production of moulds and cores, often more cost-effective than traditional methods, especially for lower volumes, since it doesn’t require tooling. It enables the consolidation of multiple traditional cores into one printed piece, enhancing repeatability, accuracy, and supports the realisation of undercuts and rapid manufacture of complex cast shapes.

We have a range of CNC machining centres in-house including: High spec Mazak CNC machining centres, 3-axis to 5-axis with up to 12 machining centres. This provides the ability to offer a fully integrated service for the machining of bar, billet, or casting in both ferrous and non-ferrous metals from 100mm³ to 1.5m³

When sending a new cast component for quotation to Finecast Foundry, it’s essential to provide key information to ensure an accurate and comprehensive quotation. Here’s a list of the key information typically required:

1. Component Specifications

2. Technical Drawings / 3D Models (STEP, CATIA, ProE and SOLIDWORKS)

3. Material

4. Quantity

5. Surface Finish

6. Tolerance

7. Quality Standard

8. Testing and Inspection

9. Lead Time

10. Packaging and Shipping

We hold ISO 9001:2015 and EN9100:2018 quality certifications for the manufacture of high-integrity ferrous and non-ferrous machined castings. As an aerospace EN9100:2018-certified company, we are approved to develop, engineer, and manufacture complex castings to customer design and specification across a wide range of industries.

This scope encompasses tooling design, casting, and verification services, including heat treatment, finishing, radiography, non-destructive testing (NDT), machining, and sub-assembly. Additionally, we have tier 1 supplier approval to a number of major Automotive, Motorsport, Aerospace, Defence, and OEM manufacturers.