The plant
The part does not travel between casting and machining.
Why we built new
In 2020 we asked ourselves a question: how could we become a preferred supplier beyond the fact that our raw material was already recycled?
The answer was concrete. We needed an entirely new factory, laid out for efficient production, with minimal waste and with recovery built in from the start rather than bolted on afterwards.
After a three-year process we moved into Torvstikkeren 20 in Råde.
For you as a customer, what matters most is that the whole chain from melting to machining and blasting is in the same building. The part can go from the casting machine to machining without being packed and shipped.
The alternative is that the part is cast in one place and machined in another: it is packed, shipped, waits in a queue, is machined, packed again and shipped on. Two companies, two queues, two transports and a grey zone of responsibility if something is wrong.
What is in the building
The process chain as it stands, from ingot to packed part.
- 01
Step 01 In-house
Melting
Aluminium and zinc arrive as ingots from regular suppliers. Aluminium melts at 660 °C and is cast at 680–700 °C. Zinc melts far lower. The waste heat from melting is used to heat the premises.
- 02
Step 02 In-house
High pressure die casting
The melt is injected into a steel die under high pressure. Seconds to tens of seconds per shot. Thin walls and complex geometry.
- 03
Step 03 In-house
Gravity die casting
The melt runs into a permanent mould under gravity. Slower, thicker sections — but the part survives heat treatment afterwards.
- 04
Step 04 In-house
Fettling
Runners, overflows and flash are removed. A lot of manual work sits here, and it is often underestimated in the costing.
- 05
Step 05 In-house
Heat treatment
Gravity cast aluminium parts that need higher tensile strength. Die castings are normally not heat treated — trapped gas causes blisters.
- 06
Step 06 In-house
CNC machining
Turning, milling and boring. Faces and holes needing tighter tolerance than casting delivers. Threads are cut. Programming in Fusion 360.
- 07
Step 07 In-house
Blasting
An even matte surface. Done in house.
- 08
Step 08 By a subcontractor
Surface finishing
Anodising and powder coating are done by a subcontractor and coordinated by us. We tell you about the extra lead time.
- 09
Step 09 In-house
Inspection and dispatch
The parts are inspected and packed before dispatch. If you have requirements for inspection and documentation, we agree them in advance.
Machine park
This is where make, model, clamping force and work envelope belong. We have not published them yet, and we will not insert figures we cannot stand behind. Ask us about what matters for your part.
High-pressure die casting 1
-
Die casting machine (high pressure)
- Clamping force
- Available on request
- Maximum shot weight
- Available on request
- Work envelope
- Available on request
- Axes
- Available on request
- Controller
- Available on request
Molten metal is forced under high pressure into a steel die and freezes in seconds. This is the process behind most of the parts in our portfolio, in both aluminium and zinc.
Gravity die casting 1
-
Gravity die casting
- Clamping force
- Available on request
- Maximum shot weight
- Available on request
- Work envelope
- Available on request
- Axes
- Available on request
- Controller
- Available on request
The melt fills a permanent steel mould under gravity. Used here in particular for brackets that will be heat treated after casting, because gravity cast parts take heat treatment where pressure die cast parts normally do not.
Heat treatment 1
-
Heat treatment furnace
- Clamping force
- Available on request
- Maximum shot weight
- Available on request
- Work envelope
- Available on request
- Axes
- Available on request
- Controller
- Available on request
Gravity cast aluminium parts are heat treated to raise tensile and ultimate strength. Unusual to have in house for a foundry of our size — it is often a service that gets subcontracted.
CNC turning 1
-
CNC lathe
- Clamping force
- Available on request
- Maximum shot weight
- Available on request
- Work envelope
- Available on request
- Axes
- Available on request
- Controller
- Available on request
Turning of cast parts: cylindrical faces, fits, internal and external threads. Programmed in Fusion 360.
CNC milling 1
-
CNC milling machine
- Clamping force
- Available on request
- Maximum shot weight
- Available on request
- Work envelope
- Available on request
- Axes
- Available on request
- Controller
- Available on request
Milling of seating faces, hole patterns and pockets in cast parts. This is the machine that takes the faces where casting cannot hold the tolerance.
Horizontal boring 1
-
Horizontal boring
- Clamping force
- Available on request
- Maximum shot weight
- Available on request
- Work envelope
- Available on request
- Axes
- Available on request
- Controller
- Available on request
Drilling and boring of holes with requirements on position, diameter and roundness — typically bearing seats and through-holes in brackets.
Blasting 1
-
Blasting plant
- Clamping force
- Available on request
- Maximum shot weight
- Available on request
- Work envelope
- Available on request
- Axes
- Available on request
- Controller
- Available on request
Removes cast skin and gives a matt, uniform surface. Done in house — unlike anodising and powder coating, which go out to subcontractors.
The building as a technical installation
Closed water loop
All process water is recirculated. No process water is discharged from production.
Recovered waste heat
Waste heat from melting is captured and used to heat the premises.
Solar panels
Our own solar installation on the roof. At weekends and holidays, when production is down, the surplus goes to the grid.
Prepared for energy export
The plant is built so that surplus energy can be delivered to neighbouring industry. Note the wording: prepared. We are not claiming it is in operation.
Råde, in the middle of Østfold
Torvstikkeren 20, 1640 Råde, Norway. In the middle of Østfold county, next to the E6 (exit 10) and about an hour south of Oslo.
Worth mentioning for two reasons. One is transport: a short run to the Oslo area, to Sweden and to port.
The other is that you can drop in. You are welcome to come and look at the production. Call ahead so we are here, and allow about an hour.
A buyer who has watched a casting machine run understands the rest of the conversation better.
Come and see the plant
Call, agree a time, and see the process chain for yourself. A visit often answers more questions than a data sheet.