Every Knights Foundry job follows one controlled production pipeline. The route starts with the customer order and internal production ticket, then moves through pattern control, bay allocation, moulding, metallurgy-controlled melting, casting, finishing, any required heat treatment or machining, final inspection and dispatch. Key production stages are captured on the internal app so authorised users can view live job status and traceability.
The sections below are the production process itself — not separate standalone departments. Each stage flows into the next and retains the technical controls used by Knights Foundry.
The process begins with the castings ordered by the customer. A production ticket is created on the internal app and becomes the controlled job record that follows the order through production.
The correct pattern is identified and pulled for the production ticket before moulding begins. The Pattern app is used to locate the pattern in the store so it can be pulled. Patterns can also be viewed through the Pattern Store record so the production team can confirm the correct pattern and its stored information. Batch numbers are placed on the pattern based on the production ticket, linking the physical pattern to the job before it is issued to a moulding bay.
The job is allocated to the moulding area that best suits the pattern’s weight and physical size. This puts the pattern onto the correct production route before moulding starts.
Using the alkaline phenolic sand process, moulds are produced to the geometry defined by the pattern. Moulding progress is captured against the job on the internal app and can be viewed live.
The installed sand-mixing capacity supports moulding across Bay 4, Carousel, Bay 3 and Bay 2.
| Bay / Moulding Area | Mixing Capacity | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Bay 4 | 20 tonnes per hour | Handles a wide range of casting sizes. |
| Carousel | 10 tonnes per hour | High-volume production; up to 150 moulds per 24-hour cycle. |
| Bay 3 | 10 tonnes per hour | Ideal for complex geometries. |
| Bay 2 | 6 tonnes per hour | Versatile for diverse casting requirements. |
Sand reclamation supports the moulding process by recovering used sand for reuse, reducing waste while helping maintain consistent moulding quality.
After moulding, the mould surfaces are coated as required. This preparation stage protects the mould surface, supports the required casting finish and prepares the mould for closing. Cores are put into the moulds before or after coating, depending on the job, so the internal form is set before the boxes are closed.
The mould boxes are aligned to a perfectly flat surface, then closed. The completed closing quantity is recorded against the job. Closing status is captured on the internal app so the production team can see which moulds are ready to move into the melting and pouring stage.
Metal is melted for the scheduled jobs. Metallurgy checks composition against the customer specification and holds the melt until that check is passed.
The foundry’s six furnaces:
Once metallurgy has released the melt, approved molten metal is poured into the closed moulds. The casting activity is captured against the production job on the internal system for tracking.
The casting method is designed to minimise defects and improve consistency through controlled solidification, feeding and metal flow.
After solidification, the casting is removed from the mould, allowed to cool and enters the initial fettling stage. This prepares the casting for heat treatment or machining.
Where heat treatment is required by the material grade, production route or customer specification, the casting is heat treated on one of our four heat treatment furnaces to achieve the required properties. Heat-treatment activity is captured on the internal app and can be viewed live. After heat treatment, the casting continues to machining where machining is specified.
If heat treatment is not required, the job can move directly from initial fettling to machining. Machining is used to achieve the dimensional and finished requirements specified for the casting.
Depending on the casting requirements, machining operations can include turning, boring, milling, grinding, gear hobbing and CNC machining.
After the required heat-treatment and/or machining route is complete, the casting returns for final fettling. This stage always occurs before the job moves to final release and dispatch, ensuring the casting is clean, finished and ready for inspection against the prescribed requirements.
Final inspection verifies the casting against the prescribed requirements before dispatch. Inspection and NDT methods are selected according to the casting, applicable standard and customer specification. If a non-conformance is identified, an internal NCR can be captured in the app and controlled before release.
Once the casting has completed final fettling and has been released through the required quality checks, the job moves to dispatch. The production history captured through the internal system remains linked to the job for traceability.