How to Choose an Aluminum Sand Casting Foundry

1. Does the Foundry Have the Right Molding Process?

Start with the casting itself. Consider casting size, part weight, geometry, annual volume, core complexity, surface requirements and dimensional requirements.

CMT offers both green sand aluminum casting and air-set/no-bake aluminum casting, allowing the molding process to be selected around the requirements of the component.

2. Can the Foundry Support Your Production Volume?

Ask how the supplier plans to manufacture your casting – not simply whether they can manufacture it.

CMT supports requirements ranging from individual and low-volume castings through repeat medium- and high-volume production using both manual and automated molding equipment.

One piece per year to 300,000 pieces per year.

3. Does the Supplier Understand Casting Design?

• Draft
• Wall thickness
• Parting line
• Fillets and radii
• Core design
• Shrink allowance
• Gating
• Risering
• Machining stock

An experienced engineering review can identify potential issues while they are still inexpensive to correct.

CMT has engineers in-house that will evaluate your casting design and suggest the most cost effective method of producing your part. Learn more about aluminum sand casting design.

4. Does the Foundry Use Solidification Analysis?

Modern casting development should combine foundry experience with engineering tools.

• Shrinkage risk
• Feeding
• Risering
• Gating
• Hot spots
• Solidification direction

CMT provides 3D solidification analysis as part of its standard engineering capabilities.

5. Can the Foundry Produce the Required Cores?

• Internal cavities
• Flow passages
• Pockets
• Hollow sections
• Complex interior geometry

CMT utilizes shell, Isocure and air-set core and 3D printed sand core processes to support a variety of casting geometries.

6. Can It Handle Your Casting Size and Weight?

Determine maximum mold size, maximum casting weight, core limitations, flask sizes and handling limitations.

CMT’s capabilities cover aluminum castings from ounces through approximately 100 pounds.

8. Can It Support Secondary Operations?

• Heat treatment
• Shot blasting
• Vibratory finishing
• Machining
• Anodizing
• Powder coating
• E-coating
• Assembly

CMT routinely offers the above services to its customers – taking the burden off of the customer.

9. What Happens if You Already Own Tooling?

Changing foundries should not automatically mean replacing every pattern and core box.

• Patterns
• Match plates
• Core boxes
• Gating
• Fixtures

CMT routinely evaluates transferred aluminum casting tooling and existing casting programs to determine the most practical path into production. CMT will provide an analysis on the existing tooling and suggest the best methods to successfully utilize existing tooling.

10. How Strong Is the Supplier’s Quality System?

• Quality certifications
• CMM capability
• Alloy verification
• Dimensional inspection
• Process controls
• Traceability
• Corrective-action procedures
• First-article requirements
• Control plans

CMT is an ISO 9001:2015 Certified Company

11. Where Will Your Parts Be Produced?

• Shorter transportation distances
• Faster communication
• Easier plant visits
• Reduced international logistics exposure
• Shorter replenishment cycles
• Easier engineering collaboration

Cast Metals Technology manufactures aluminum castings in Ohio and Indiana and provides machining from its Indiana operations.