Process

From core box to delivery

Every step of shell moulding core production is carried out in-house.

The process

How a core is made

Shell moulding uses silica sand pre-coated with phenolic resin, which cures on contact with the heated core box. The result: light, precise and strong cores, ideal for complex castings.

Design

Our technical office works with the foundry and pattern shop on the core box, shooting points and vents, and follows the set-up up to sampling.

Shooting

SMEC machines shoot the sand into the heated box: curing times and temperatures are set and monitored over the network for every part number.

Deburring

Each core is finished by hand to remove flash along the parting lines, so it reaches the foundry ready to use.

Gluing

Multi-part cores are assembled and glued accurately to the dimensions on the drawing.

Coating

On request we apply refractory coatings that improve casting surface finish and reduce penetration defects.

Packaging & delivery

Protective, reusable packaging, specialised hauliers and scheduled deliveries from our warehouse.

Who we work for

Industries and materials

Every industry asks something different of a core. Hover over an industry to find out.

Automotive

Precision to the tenth

Cores for engine components, housings and manifolds: tight tolerances, clean surfaces and repeatability over large runs.

Earth-moving

Strength and size

Cores, including large ones, for heavy-duty castings for excavators, loaders and construction machinery.

Hydraulics

Complex internal passages

Assembled and glued cores for valve bodies, distributors and pumps, where every internal passage counts.

Engineering

Tailor-made

Solutions for general engineering, from sampling to series, including small batches and special parts.

Industry photos: automotive from Pexels; earth-moving: Petwoe, Wikimedia Commons, GFDL; hydraulics and engineering: S.J. de Waard, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5. Representative images.

Three metals, one technology

Shell moulding withstands the pouring temperatures of all major foundry metals.

Iron~1400 °C

Grey and ductile: the most common material for engineering castings.

Steel~1600 °C

The highest temperatures: cores must be strong and stable.

Aluminium~720 °C

Light castings, where finish and fine detail matter.

Typical pouring temperature

Warehouse

800 m² own warehouse

We store our customers’ core boxes and keep stocks of ready-to-ship cores, so we can respond quickly to repeat orders and manage very large batches.

Contact us

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