Business Details
24 Years
experience
Precision Sand Casting & Machining Services
Established in 2002, Finecast Foundry has emerged as a global leader in precision sand casting and machining solutions. Our aerospace-certified facility in Littlehampton, West Sussex, houses cutting-edge technologies including 3D sand printing, CT scanning, and EN9100-certified manufacturing processes. With over two decades of expertise, we specialise in producing high-integrity components for safety-critical applications across automotive, motorsport, aerospace, defence, and energy sectors. Our vertically integrated operations span design engineering, prototype development, metallurgical testing, and full-scale production, ensuring complete quality control from concept to delivery. The company's founder, Chris Heatley, brings 50 years of industry experience to our operations, driving continuous investment in advanced manufacturing capabilities and talent development. Our technical centres for additive manufacturing, non-destructive testing, and CNC machining enable us to deliver complex components with tolerances as tight as 2.5mm wall thickness.Certified to EN9100 standards, we maintain rigorous quality assurance protocols through in-house laboratories and advanced metrology equipment. Our commitment to innovation is demonstrated through partnerships with leading research institutions and a dedicated apprenticeship programme training the next generation of foundry engineers. With 84 skilled professionals operating across 5,560m of production space, we combine traditional craftsmanship with digital manufacturing technologies to meet evolving industry demands.
Services
Sand Casting
CNC Machining
Metallurgical Testing
Non-Destructive Testing
3D Sand Printing
Details
- Year established: 2002
Highlights and features
- EN9100-certified aerospace manufacturing processes
- In-house 3D sand printing and CT scanning facilities
- 50+ years combined leadership experience in metallurgy
- Vertically integrated production from design to delivery
- Jaguar Land Rover partnership for advanced BiW components
Associations and certifications
- EN9100
- JOSCAR
Services
Sand Casting
Our semi-automated foundry produces geometrically complex sand castings in aluminium alloys and specialist iron and steel grades. Using MAGMASOFT virtual simulation software, we optimise casting feasibility through solidification analysis and defect identification. The process incorporates 3D sand printing for moulds with intricate geometries, achieving consistent wall thicknesses down to 2.5mm while maintaining structural integrity for safety-critical applications.
CNC Machining
Our aerospace-certified machining facility handles complex geometry components with tight tolerances across various material grades. Equipped with 5-axis CNC machining centres and programmable CMM verification systems, we deliver fully finished components meeting EN9100 standards. The integrated metrology laboratory ensures dimensional accuracy through 3D optical scanning and probe station validation for critical aerospace and defence applications.
Metallurgical Testing
Our in-house metallurgy laboratory conducts continual material control through spectrometry and microstructure examination. The facility features non-ferrous and ferrous spectrometers, tensile testing machines, and microscopes for quality assurance. This enables precise composition analysis and mechanical property verification, ensuring compliance with aerospace and automotive industry specifications for high-integrity cast components.
Non-Destructive Testing
We offer comprehensive non-destructive testing using CT scanning, digital radiography, and ultrasonic inspection. Our advanced NDT centre identifies internal defects without compromising component integrity, crucial for safety-critical aerospace and defence applications. The facility supports multiple testing modalities to validate casting quality through dimensional verification and structural integrity assessments.
3D Sand Printing
Our state-of-the-art 3D sand printing centre utilises Voxeljet technology for rapid mould and core production. This additive manufacturing approach enables complex geometries with undercuts and internal features previously impossible with traditional methods. The technology reduces lead times by 40% while maintaining dimensional accuracy, particularly beneficial for prototype development and low-volume production runs.
People
Chris Heatley
CEO and Founder
With 50 years' industry experience from apprentice mouldmaker to business owner, Chris established Finecast in 2002. He leads strategic development while maintaining hands-on involvement in technical operations, driving continuous investment in advanced manufacturing technologies.
Questions
What industries do you serve?
We specialise in automotive, motorsport, aerospace, defence, and energy sectors requiring high-integrity components.
What materials can you work with?
We handle aerospace aluminium alloys, stainless steels, SG iron, graphite irons, and copper-based alloys.
Are you certified for aerospace manufacturing?
Yes, we hold EN9100 certification for aerospace-grade casting and machining processes.
What size components can you produce?
Our capabilities range from 100mm to 2.5m components with wall thicknesses down to 2.5mm.
Do you offer prototyping services?
Yes, we provide rapid prototyping using 3D sand printing with typical lead times of 2-3 weeks.
What quality assurance processes do you use?
We employ CT scanning, digital radiography, and in-house metallurgical testing for complete validation.