Sand Casting

Consistent, Porosity-Free and On-Time Castings

Aluminum Sand Casting Services

LeClaire Manufacturing in Bettendorf, Iowa, casts and machines simple to complex aluminum sand castings and permanent mold castings. With a focus on automation of our manufacturing processes and controls, we lead the foundry and machining industry in quality, consistency and on-time delivery of aluminum sand casting and machining.

Request a Quote

What Is Sand Casting?

Sand casting is a method of producing metal pieces from a mold made of tightly packed and bonded “sand.” The mold is formed around a pattern and then molten metal is poured into the mold in order to produce the finished part.

What Is The “Sand” In Sand Casting Made From? 

While it is useful to think of this sand as the kind you might find at the beach, this material has several components. The primary one is a fine, silica-based particulate, but water and a bonding component typically called clay are also part of the mixture.

What Steps Go Into The Sand Casting Process?

The process works this way:

  1. We create a pattern in the shape of the part. The patterns can be made from a variety of materials and can be very intricate in design. 
  2. The sand is poured, packed and bonded around the pattern to form a cavity (in two halves). We then combine the halves to form the mold. We also form one or more “runners” in the mold. These are the openings through which the metal will enter the mold.
  3. We pour molten metal material into the mold through one or more runners.
  4. The metal cools and solidifies.
  5. We break the sand mold away and remove the finished part.

Aluminum Sand Casting by LeClaire Manufacturing

What are the Benefits of Aluminum Sand Casting?

  • Aluminum is a light-weight and strong material. In many industries, keeping the total weight of the final product down is essential. Aluminum provides a lighter alternatives to other metals sometimes used in casting.
  • Readily available raw material. Aluminum, the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust, is not in short supply.
  • It’s a cost-effective casting process. The sand used in the casting process is simple to form into molds, and after production is done, we break it down and use it again. This reduces raw material and other costs in comparison to other casting methods.
  • The simplest and most versatile aluminum casting method. The only limits of sand casting involve the kind of patterns that you can create. This is especially true when dealing with a company skilled in the use of sand casting cores like LeClaire.
  • High degree of tooling flexibility to accommodate design changes. Because the tooling process is less cumbersome than other methods, sand casting can produce one of the fastest turnarounds between receiving changes and production.
  • Ideal for manufacturing scale-up. Need a prototype or parts for testing? Between the lower costs and the efficient tooling process, sand casting provides you with an efficient means to get the aluminum parts or equipment you need.
  • Ideal for low production applications. While sand casting molds aren’t always ideal for massive production runs, they are an excellent lower-cost alternative for smaller runs. Their ease of creation and versatility give sand casting big advantages.

Is Sand Casting Right for You?

Want to compare your different casting options? Then read more about the strengths of different aluminum casting methods

Which Industries Are Served by Aluminum Sand Casting?

Aluminum sand castings has applications in a wide range of industries, including aerospace and defense; agriculture; automotive; energy; marine; medical; mining; and fluid management. Below are some of the applications of our casting services across leading industries.

Consumer Goods

From appliance parts to aluminum cookware to lawn care equipment, LeClaire’s sand casting capabilities are a perfect fit for the consumer home goods industry. Leading manufacturers of merchandise found in marine engines, motorcycles, snow mobile, and grill bodies turn to LeClaire’s for aluminum casting services.

Agriculture

Agriculture applications for our casting capabilities include measuring and control devices, valves, and field equipment parts. Our sand casting services are up to the challenge of manufacturing agricultural parts. Whether it is pickers and spreaders, ag waste removal equipment, tractor parts, or other farm equipment, we have you covered.

Military/Defense Applications

We are proud to serve customers in the defense industry. From helicopter parts to flight control equipment, from missile launch technology to Special Ops field equipment, the military applications of our casting capabilities are wide-ranging.

The LeClaire Sand Casting Difference

Green Sand Casting Equipment

At LeClaire Manufacturing, our sand castings are made using automatic green sand molding machines. Green sand is mixed with clay and water to obtain the desired characteristics. The mixed sand and clay is then automatically measured, and then pneumatically blown, against the pattern. Hydraulic rams compact the sand against the pattern, the mold then enters the production belt line, where the molten aluminum is poured using robotic ladling. Our fully automated green sand molding machines and our robotic ladling system enable us to achieve predictable and repeatable results.

Tooling

Utilizing dedicated and certified mold flow Software Engineers, LeClaire Manufacturing utilizes computer “Casting FEA” simulations on all new tools we build. This advanced technology identifies problem areas, or porosity probability, before the tool is made. This ensures our customers receive the castings they require, to the specification they require. Our software simulations are conducted and analyzed by a certified user, one of only 29 certified Simulation Engineers in the U.S. today.

Core Making

LeClaire Manufacturing makes all cores in-house. The use of multiple types of core-making machines allows us to meet each specific core’s requirement. Our ability to make complex cores and turn out a quality casting separates us from our competitors. From a single cylindrical core to complex eighteen piece core assemblies, LeClaire Manufacturing has the experience and expertise to make your design a reality.

Metal Pouring

Selecting the correct aluminum alloy for your casting is critical to the quality of your part. LeClaire has experience pouring a wide variety of metals depending on our customer’s specific needs. After 50+ years of pouring 200, 300, 500 and 700 series aluminum alloys, we are experts in selecting the right aluminum alloy for your specific project needs.

Heat Treating

There is no room for error in heat-treating. Accurate controls yield predictable results. Utilizing drop bottom heat treat systems, as well as ‘a system worth visiting LeClaire for’, our experience and expertise in maximizing mechanical properties and efficiencies thru heat treat is extensive.

Achieving Mechanical Properties

Achieving the desired mechanical properties is accomplished through a combination of alloy selection, heat treat cycle time, aging cycle and, in some cases, additives to the metal. Our decades of alloying experience help us to meet the desired mechanical properties.

Meeting our customers’ mechanical property requirements is critical to our customers’ parts — and our success as well. Our in-process mechanical property testing ensures we meet or exceed each customer’s specific project requirements, no matter how challenging.

Request a Quote

Why Do Customers Prefer LeClaire Manufacturing?

“No foundry I know of does as complicated of parts, as consistently, as LeClaire.”

Vice President, Aluminum Casting Engineering Software Company