NovaCast further supports global initiatives to improve access to safe water and sanitation
NovaCast has been supporting global initiatives to improve access to clean water supplies since 2017, when we supported Xylem’s Watermark initiative. In 2018 we broadened our support by starting regular donations to the Planet Water Foundation, and 2020 we signed up to the WBCSD WASH Pledge for access to safe water and sanitation and hygiene...
How cores extend the flexibility of sand casting
Creating cores is an art in itself and follows many of the principles that dictate the production of sand moulds. Without cores, the use of sand casting would be far more limited. In addition to the ability to introduce more complex designs, internal voids and structures, cores can deliver other benefits. Even where internal voids are not needed...
NovaCast invests in its reverse engineering capability with EinScan HX
The ability to accurately reverse engineer existing castings is essential to any modern foundry. Reverse engineering could be required for a variety of reasons ranging from replication of an old casting where original patterns have been lost to improving mechanical performance or learning from an existing design to replicate or improve it. Whatever the reason,...
NovaCast: Facing the challenges of a sustainable future
When Richard Phillips took over as owner and Managing Director of NovaCast Limited, based in Melksham, UK, he did so with a commitment that the business would move towards a sustainable future. Richard felt that as both owner and Managing Director, he had a responsibility to consider the company’s impact on the environment and to...
NovaCast announces the appointment of Richard Phillips as Managing Director
A new era begins at NovaCast Originally set up in 1976 by Barry Hayward, NovaCast has evolved from a small non-ferrous foundry, serving the UK market, into a substantial international business. Today, NovaCast has customers worldwide and a supply chain that encompasses partner foundries in the Far East. This broadening and deepening of its capabilities...
NovaCast supports Wiltshire Air Ambulance Night Vision Goggles Campaign
NovaCast has been a keen financial supporter of Wiltshire Air Ambulance for several years now through monthly donations and fund-raising events organised by Directors and employees. In addition to understandably high regular running costs, Wiltshire Air Ambulance requests support for specific projects that are essential to the continued operation of this life-saving service. The current...
NovaCast Donates a further $1,000 to the Planet Water Foundation
NovaCast has demonstrated its continuing commitment to supporting causes that enhance quality of life in communities around the world, particularly those where interventions can save lives. Having long been a supporter of Xylem Watermark, NovaCast has just made a further donation of $1,000 to the Planet Water Foundation, one of their partner non-profit organisations. The Planet...
A global response to a global pandemic
The global pandemic has presented manufacturing and logistical issues for companies all over the world. For NovaCast, the challenge has been to maintain the supply of componentsto critical industries at a time when its own supply chains have been under pressure. Every part of our supply chain had to perform to support an Australian manufacturer...
Finishing options for sand-cast components
Sand casting has been one of the processes at the heart of the metal casting industry for thousands of years. Despite the addition of many more casting techniques and processes over the years, sand casting still accounts for 70% of all castings today. It is a highly flexible and versatile process with casting weights at...
NovaCast invests in Synchro ERP system
As part of its ongoing programme of investment, expansion, and modernisation, NovaCast has just upgraded its business management software to Synchro ERP. Synchro is a fully integrated, flexible, and robust software suite developed specifically for foundries. For NovaCast, it was important to find an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that was capable of adaptation to...
The Investment Casting Process
The investment casting process is named after the process of ‘investing’ or surrounding the pattern with refractory material. The pattern itself is made of wax, so the process is also known as ‘lost wax casting’. The investment casting process has been used for many thousands of years to produce idols, ornaments, and Jewellery. It became...
NovaCast: A single-source solution for both ferrous and non-ferrous castings
As any Design Engineer involved in the design for cast metal components will know, the selection of the metal alloy and casting process they will specify can be a complex process. Ultimately, for the Design Engineer, the specification must take account of parameters such as weight, yield strength, toughness, ductility, weldability, elasticity, shear, and thermal...
How the metal industries can play their part in a sustainable future
It has always been widely understood that scrap metal has economic value. With ever greater focus on recycling and reducing the strain we put on our natural resources, there is also a growing appreciation of the environmental benefits metal recycling can deliver. Metals have been worked for jewellery and tools since pre-historic times and over...
Rapid Prototyping: How 3D Printing is making its presence felt in the foundry
As a long-established foundry with its roots in sand and gravity die casting, NovaCast has grown and evolved over the years to become a modern, diverse and international foundry, with customers and production partners around the world. As the business has developed, it has embraced new casting processes, such as investment casting, lost foam casting,...
Analysis and Testing of Metals: The use of Spectrometers in foundries
Over the years, technology has played an increasingly important role in metal casting foundries. NovaCast, for example, uses the latest Casting Simulation Software, 3D Modelling and 3D printing to streamline processes, raise productivity and improve quality. One such area where technology is used to great effect in foundries is the use of Spectrochemical analysis for...
The Main Alloying Elements used in Cast Stainless Steels
When considering the alloy specification for a cast Stainless Steel component, it is critical that the service environment in which the cast component will be deployed is taken into account. The chemical composition of the Stainless Steel alloy will determine its performance characteristics and suitability for each application. At NovaCast, we supply a wide variety...
NovaCast shows the way to a greener, more sustainable industry
Over the years the metal casting industry has acquired a reputation as one of the worst in terms of environmental impact, largely due to traditional production practices with high energy usage going in and highly toxic emissions coming out. Add to this the massive energy demands for the extraction and production of raw metals, such...
NovaCast signs up to the WASH Pledge
The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder that whoever you are and wherever you live, one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of a virus or other pathogens is also one of the simplest: hand hygiene, especially through handwashing with soap. For many of us, hand hygiene is as simple as remembering...
Brave Blue World Documentary
At NovaCast, we have always supported charities and initiatives set up to address the global water crisis, such as the Planet Water Foundation and Xylem Watermark. That’s why we are delighted to help promote an important new documentary produced by the Brave Blue World Foundation, narrated by Liam Neeson and featuring Matt Damon and Jadon...
The Use of Fluxes in Aluminium Casting
At NovaCast, a large proportion of our castings are produced using Aluminium alloy. The formation of Aluminium Oxide and the presence of non-metallic inclusions, collectively known as dross, is an inherent part of the casting process and one that must be managed to achieve the highest quality castings. For many years, part of the foundryman’s...
Impeller Casting Specialists
The accurate casting and balancing of impellers requires a specialist set of skills as well as a commitment to outstanding consistency and quality. For many years, NovaCast has cast and machined impellers and pump components for a wide variety of industries and applications ranging from centrifugal pumps used in the Oil & Gas, Chemical, Water...
Quality Assurance Technician Required
Following re-organisation and expansion of our engineering department, we have an immediate requirement for a Quality Assurance Technician to join the department. Reporting directly to our Design Engineer, the successful candidate will work closely with our design and engineering teams, as well as those of our customers and suppliers, to maintain the excellent quality standards...
NovaCast achieves UKAS accredited ISO9001:2015 Certification
As part of its ongoing programme of investment in the infrastructure of the business, the management team at NovaCast has been determined to drive up quality standards and expand the capabilities of the business to allow it to compete with the best foundries in the world. When its ISO9001 certification needed to be renewed, there...
The differences between Lost Foam Casting and Lost Wax Casting
In many respects, the process involved in these two investment casting methods is similar. In both cases, a sacrificial pattern is made. In lost wax casting, this is made from a tooled mould and in lost foam casting, it may be made from a mould or carved from a solid block of foam material. A...