Aluminium sand casting from 10 g to 800 kg: prototypes, small, medium and large series with CNC machining, heat treatment and testing laboratory
ALKO METALLGUSS GmbH
Carl-Zeiss-Straße 26, 72555 MetzingenNew on Amplifa
Foundry for aluminium sand casting since 1969
ALKO METALLGUSS GmbH is an aluminium sand foundry founded in 1969, based in Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg. The company produces aluminium sand castings in a weight range from 10 grams to 800 kilograms – from prototypes in OBB sand through small and medium series to core-rich large series for the automotive industry. Production is carried out using jolt-squeeze and hand moulding as well as on a fully automatic air impulse moulding machine (HWS) with box sizes up to 2000x1500x500/500 mm; core shooters (Laempe) and an automatic moulding sand preparation system (WEBAC) complete the process chain. This includes SF6 castings for high-pressure-tight castings, NC/CNC machining from CAD data, heat treatment (annealing, hardening and tempering, straightening) as well as CAD patternmaking with casting-technological preparation. Customers come from mechanical engineering, automotive, optics, medical technology, rail transport, engine building, pump technology, construction, electrical engineering and heating technology. On 4,000 m² of production space, the foundry operates its own testing laboratory with spectral analysis, 3D measurement and leak testing.
- Site
- Metzingen
- Processes
- Aluminium sand casting, Prototypes in OBB sand, Small series - moulding machines, Medium series - moulding machines, moulding system, Large series automotive - moulding system, SF6 casting (high-pressure-tight castings), NC/CNC-controlled machining of castings from CAD data, Tooling manufacture for castings / CAD patternmaking (casting-technological preparation, external
- Materials
- Aluminium alloys, Aluminium (sand casting/gravity die casting), Aluminium sand casting (jolt-squeeze, hand moulding, air impulse moulding, SF6 casting, OBB sand, NC/CNC machining from CAD data, Heat treatment (annealing, hardening and tempering, straightening)
- Certificates
- EN ISO 9001:2015, ISO 9001
- Founded
- 1969
- Industries
- Mechanical engineering, Automotive, Optical industry, Medical technology, Rail transport, Engine building
- 01
Materials and design consulting
- 02
CAD patternmaking / casting-technological preparation
- 03
Tooling manufacture
- 04
Core shooting
- 05
Melting and casting (sand casting)
- 06
Fettling and blasting
- 07
Heat treatment
- 08
NC/CNC machining
- 09
Quality inspection
- 10
Shipping
Materials and processes
Aluminium sand casting (jolt-squeeze, hand moulding, air impulse moulding
Aluminium sand castings from 10 g to 800 kg for prototypes through large series.
SF6 casting
High-pressure-tight castings with leak, X-ray and spectral testing.
OBB sand
Prototype manufacturing with high dimensional stability for complex geometries.
NC/CNC machining from CAD data
Mechanical post-machining of castings with external specialised partners.
Heat treatment (annealing, hardening and tempering, straightening)
Setting strength, toughness and dimensional stability of the castings.
Metzingen site
Metzingen
DEFoundry/production and administration
- Part weight / size
- 10 g to 800 kg
- Lot size
- Prototype, small, medium and large series
- Materials
- Aluminium alloys
- HWS-Wagner Sinto air impulse moulding machine (900x700x250/250 mm)
- 2 jolt-squeeze moulding machines (320x420x120/160 mm)
- Hand moulding up to 2000x1500x500/500 mm, continuous mixer 5 t/h
- 3 Laempe core shooters (2x20 l, 1x25 l)
- WEBAC moulding sand preparation 30 t/h
- 4 electric melting/holding furnaces up to 1000 kg
- 4 oil-fired crucible furnaces up to 500 kg
- Gas pre-melting furnace 1.2 t
- Blasting facility
- ABUS crane system
Components made of aluminium sand casting
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium sand castingCasting | – | – | 10 g – 800 kg | Prototypes – Large series | Aluminium alloys |
| Prototypes in OBB sandCasting | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Small series - moulding machinesCasting | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Medium series - moulding machines, moulding systemCasting | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Large series automotive - moulding systemCasting | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| SF6 casting (high-pressure-tight castings)Casting | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| NC/CNC-controlled machining of castings from CAD dataMachining | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Tooling manufacture for castings / CAD patternmaking (casting-technological preparation, externalEngineering | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| AnnealingHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Hardening and temperingHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Straightening / straightening with fixturesHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| 3D coordinate measurement (CNC-controlled)Testing | – | 1200 mm × 1000 mm | – | – | – |
| Tensile testing, roundness measurement, hardness testing (HBS, HV), X-ray, leak/pressure testingTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Surface treatment and assembly (external, offer via partners)Surface | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
16 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic moulding system (air impulse) | HWS-Wagner Sinto | 1 | Box size 900x700x250/250 mm | – | Metzingen |
| Semi-automatic jolt-squeeze moulding machines with shuttle system | – | 2 | Box size 320x420x120/160 mm | – | Metzingen |
| Hand moulding shop | – | – | max. box size 2000x1500x500/500 mm, continuous mixer 5 t/h | – | Metzingen |
| Core shooters | Laempe L 20 | 3 | 2x20 litres, 1x25 litres | – | Metzingen |
| Automatic moulding sand preparation system | WEBAC | 1 | 30 t/h | – | Metzingen |
| Mechanical/thermal core sand reclamation | – | – | – | – | Metzingen |
| Electrically heated melting and holding furnaces (up to 1000 kg) | – | 4 | – | – | Metzingen |
| Oil-fired crucible furnaces (up to 500 kg) with mechanised pouring line | – | 4 | – | – | Metzingen |
| Gas pre-melting furnace 1.2 t | – | 1 | – | – | Metzingen |
| Blasting facility | – | – | – | – | Metzingen |
| 3D measuring device | – | 1 | 1200 x 1000 mm | – | Metzingen |
| Spectral analysis device | Spectro Spectrocast | 1 | – | – | Metzingen |
| Ultrasonic testing equipment | – | – | – | – | Metzingen |
| Leak testing equipment | – | – | – | – | Metzingen |
| Hardness testing device (HBS, HV) | – | – | – | – | Metzingen |
| Hardening and tempering furnaces (heat treatment systems) | – | – | – | – | Metzingen |
Additional services
Quality assurance and certification
In the company's own testing laboratory, melting and production processes are monitored: 3D coordinate measurement (1200x1000 mm), spectral analysis (Spectrocast), thermal analysis, hardness testing (HBS, HV), ultrasonic and leak testing equipment as well as X-ray and crack testing via partner companies. Quality certificates in accordance with EN 10204 and initial sample inspection reports in accordance with VDA are documented.
| Evidence | Metzingen |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 |
Company history
- 1969
Start of production; customers from the vehicle industry, motorcycle industry and mechanical engineering
- 1971
Move into the expanded production facilities; production of aluminium sand and gravity die castings
- 1981
New building in the Metzingen industrial area; specialisation in aluminium sand casting (jolt-squeeze and hand moulding)
- 1989/1990
Extension building; installation of a fully automatic air impulse moulding machine (HWS) and investment in core shooting systems
- 1992
Installation of a mechanical-thermal sand reclamation system
- 1995/1997
Extension building for hand moulding and fettling; expansion of melting capacity; setup of a testing laboratory with spectral analysis system
- 1998/1999
Fully automatic moulding sand preparation (WEBAC); implementation of a PPS/ERP system
- 2000/2001
Setup and certification of the QS system DIN/ISO 9001:2000
- 2002 - 2003
Investments in the melting operation and expansion of the machine park
- 2004/2005
Investments in capacity expansion, automation as well as measuring and testing equipment
- 2006 - 2007
Renovation of the administration building; new construction of a pattern storage hall; expansion of melting operation, extraction system, IT production control
- 2008 - 2009
Ongoing investments in machine equipment, measuring and testing facilities
- 2010 - 2011
Investments in core shooting systems, core sand preparation, testing laboratory and PPS/RPS system
- 2012
Investments in machine park and melting operation; expansion of the hand moulding shop
- 2013 - 2014
Investment in core shooting system L 20 (Laempe); expansion of sand preparation, moulding systems, fettling and logistics
- 2015 - 2017
Investments in automatic moulding system, quality and energy management, machine park and melting operation
- 2018 - 2020
Investments in moulding sand/thermal sand preparation, fully automatic moulding system, sand silos and lump breakers
- 2021 - 2022
Investments in machine park, building technology and vehicle fleet; new ABUS crane system; introduction of a new PPS software system