What is Sand Casting?

Jan 3, 2024 | Know-How

The Challenge

Kingston University design student Benny approached Maybrey Precision Castings with an innovative aluminium door handle concept that formed part of his final-year project. Having already produced a 3D printed prototype complete with the appropriate draft angles for sand casting, the initial objective was to manufacture a sample casting to validate the design.

Following the successful sample, Benny wanted to progress to a production-ready solution. As a student working within a limited budget, commissioning a professionally manufactured pattern was not financially viable, so he made the decision to manufacture the pattern himself at the Kingston University workshop.

To achieve a fully functional casting, the door handle required a hollow section at one end to accommodate the fixing mechanism. This introduced an additional level of complexity, requiring not only a pattern but also a correctly designed core box and core print arrangement to produce and accurately locate the sand core within the mould.

Our Solution

Working closely with Benny throughout the project, our technical team provided guidance at every stage of the tooling design process. Through a series of video calls, we discussed the complete pattern design, including impression layout, moulding box size, pattern orientation and the overall setup required for successful production.

Particular attention was given to the design of the core box and core prints. We explained how the positive core print on the pattern and the corresponding negative feature within the core box would accurately locate the sand core during mould assembly, ensuring the finished casting incorporated the required hollow section.

Using this guidance, Benny produced the complete pattern and core box design in CAD before submitting it to Maybrey Precision Castings for technical review and approval. Once approved, the tooling was manufactured at the Kingston University workshop.

Collaboration and Delivery

With the tooling complete, Benny visited our foundry in Aylesford, where he experienced the complete sand-casting process first-hand. Working alongside our experienced foundry team, he was shown each stage of production, from mould preparation and pattern setup through to core placement, aluminium melt preparation and the pouring of the moulds.

This collaborative approach enabled Benny to see how design decisions made during the development phase directly influenced the manufacturing process, providing valuable practical experience that cannot be gained in a classroom environment alone.

The Result

The finished aluminium castings met the design requirements and demonstrated a successful transition from concept, through tooling design, to completed cast components.

Benny was delighted with the finished door handles, which were exhibited at Kingston University's end-of-year showcase. The quality of his project led to his selection to exhibit at the prestigious New Designers Show in London, where emerging designers from across the UK present their work to industry professionals.

This project demonstrates Maybrey Precision Castings' commitment to supporting innovation and developing the next generation of engineers and product designers. By sharing our technical expertise and working collaboratively throughout the design and manufacturing process, we helped transform a student's concept into a professionally manufactured product ready for national exhibition.

Whether restoring history, supporting innovation or creating something entirely new, Maybrey Precision Castings combines traditional foundry craftsmanship with modern engineering expertise to turn ambitious ideas into exceptional castings.

What is Sand Casting?

Sand casting is one of the oldest forms of metalworking still in widespread use: a process of forming metal parts by pouring molten metal into a cavity shaped by compacted sand. The mould is broken open after the metal has cooled and solidified, revealing the casting inside. The sand is recycled and the process begins again.

It sounds simple. In practice, it is anything but. The choice of sand, binder, and mould construction method determines the surface quality, dimensional accuracy, and structural integrity of everything that comes out. At Maybrey Precision Castings, we have been refining that process for 177 years.

How Sand Casting Works

The process begins with a pattern: a physical model of the casting, made from wood, resin, or metal, built to account for the shrinkage of the metal as it cools. The pattern is pressed into compacted sand to create the mould cavity. Cores, made separately from sand, are set into the mould where hollow sections or internal features are needed.

Once the mould is assembled and any cores are set, molten metal is poured at the correct temperature for the alloy. Pouring too fast or too slow, at the wrong temperature or with poorly designed running and gating, introduces defects. Getting it right consistently is where experience matters.

After solidification and cooling, the mould is broken apart, the casting is knocked out, and the process of fettling begins: removing the running system, cleaning the surface, and inspecting for defects before the casting moves to post-processing.

Materials

Sand casting is one of the few processes that can handle the full range of casting alloys in a single facility. At Maybrey we cast in:

  • Grey iron, ductile iron, and SG iron: the workhorses of industrial and heritage casting
  • Aluminium alloys: lightweight, corrosion-resistant, essential for aerospace and commercial applications
  • Copper-based alloys, including silicon bronze: used in architectural work and sculpture where warmth of colour and long-term patina matter

What It Can Produce

The versatility of sand casting is its defining quality. A single foundry with the right capability can produce a 750 kg iron casting for a heritage restoration project and a 5 kg silicon bronze sculpture for a public art commission, using the same fundamental process.

At Maybrey, we use sand casting to produce components for aerospace and defence, architectural and heritage restoration, art commissions, and commercial engineering: rail, marine, utilities, and buildings products. Castings can be produced as single pieces, small batches, or in ongoing production runs.

Advantages of Sand Casting

  • Material versatility: suitable for iron, aluminium, copper-based alloys, and more
  • Size range: castings from a few grams to 750 kg in iron, 250 kg in non-ferrous
  • Low-volume capability: a single casting is as achievable as a batch of fifty
  • Complex geometry: cores and split-line patterns allow for undercuts, hollow sections, and intricate forms
  • No minimum order: sand casting does not require the volume commitment that die casting tooling demands

Limitations Worth Knowing

Sand casting produces a rougher surface finish than gravity die or investment casting. For applications where a precise surface finish is critical, post-process work: machining, shot blasting, or grinding, is usually required. At Maybrey, this post-processing is carried out in-house.

Sand Casting at Maybrey

Our sand foundry in Aylesford operates eight Omega sand mixers covering both our iron and aluminium sections. We supply many castings fully machined, heat-treated, and finished, reducing your supply chain to a single point of contact. All production is carried out under ISO 9001:2015 and, for aerospace and defence work, AS9100 Rev D.

Explore our Sand Casting capability

See sand casting in practice: SG Iron Lampposts for Regent's Park

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