---
title: "Behind the Part: The Foundry"
description: Discover how K&H Precision Products transforms designs into consistent sand castings through a meticulous process that combines experience, technology, and preparation.
---

[K&H Precision | Blog](https://info.kandhprecision.com/blog)

# [Behind the Part: The Foundry](https://info.kandhprecision.com/blog/behind-the-part-the-foundry)

 Written by [Colin Hogarth](https://info.kandhprecision.com/blog/author/colin-hogarth) | Oct 9, 2026, 6:27:02 PM

> *Summary*
> 
> 
> *K&H Precision Products’ foundry turns prepared part designs and patterns into sand castings using a defined process informed by earlier design and simulation work. Before pouring, the team reviews a process sheet and uses simulation information to guide parameters such as metal temperature. Castings typically remain in their molds overnight before a shakeout machine uses vibration to separate the casting from the sand. Much of the sand is reclaimed, monitored, and blended with virgin material according to mold size and surface-finish requirements. With more than 50 years of combined experience, K&H’s foundry team brings practical judgment to the planned process, helping produce consistent castings before gating removal and Casting Cleanup.*

## **Where Preparation, Experience and Process Come Together**

By the time a new casting reaches the foundry at K&H Precision Products, a considerable amount of work has already happened.

The part has been reviewed and designed for manufacturability. The gating system has been developed and simulated. The pattern has been machined, assembled and prepared for production.

Now it’s time to pour the metal.

But successful sand casting takes more than simply filling a mold. It requires a combination of preparation, process control and experience, and K&H’s foundry team brings more than 50 years of combined experience to that process.

## **Starting With a Defined Process**

For a new part, the foundry team begins by reviewing a process sheet that outlines how the casting should be produced.

The first molds are then made from the completed pattern, assembled and prepared for pouring. Importantly, the pouring parameters aren’t determined in isolation. Information gathered during the earlier simulation stage helps guide the process, including the temperature used when the metal is poured.

That connection between design and production helps carry what was learned digitally into the actual foundry process.

## **From Mold to Casting**

Once poured, sand castings typically remain in the mold overnight.

When they are ready to be removed, the mold is lifted by crane and placed into K&H’s shakeout machine. Vibration breaks the mold apart and returns the sand to individual grains, allowing the newly formed casting to be removed.

The sand itself doesn’t simply go to waste. Much of it can be reclaimed and returned to the molding process. K&H monitors the condition of reclaimed sand and blends it with virgin material according to different recipes based on factors such as mold size and required surface finish.

For many parts, the material closest to the casting contains a high percentage of virgin sand. This helps protect against problems such as gas porosity while also supporting a better surface finish.

## **Experience Still Matters**

Technology and process controls are important, but casting remains a manufacturing discipline where experience matters.

Different geometries, mold sizes and surface requirements can require different approaches. The foundry team has to understand not only the documented process, but also how those variables interact during actual production.

That is one reason K&H views the foundry as a team operation rather than the work of a single person.

## **Why It Matters to the Customer**

A successful casting depends on consistency.

The preparation performed upstream, the simulation results, the pattern, the sand mixture, the pouring process and the experience of the foundry team all contribute to what ultimately comes out of the mold.

Once the casting is removed, the gating that carried metal into the mold cavity is cut away and the part moves on to Casting Cleanup for the next stage of production.

For the customer, the value is straightforward: the foundry isn’t starting from scratch when your part arrives. It is executing a process that has already been planned, analyzed and prepared, with an experienced team responsible for turning that preparation into a successful casting.

## **Frequently Asked Questions:**

**Q: What happens before a new part reaches K&H’s foundry?**

**A:** Before a new part reaches K&H Precision Products’ foundry, it has been reviewed and designed for manufacturability, its gating system has been developed and simulated, and its pattern has been machined, assembled, and prepared for production. The foundry team then reviews a process sheet outlining how the casting should be produced.

**Q: How does casting simulation guide the pouring process?**

**A:** At K&H Precision Products, information from the earlier simulation stage helps guide pouring parameters, including the temperature of the metal when it is poured. This connects digital analysis with foundry production so the team executes a process informed by work completed before pouring begins.

**Q: How are sand castings removed from their molds at K&H?**

 

**A:** Sand castings at K&H typically remain in their molds overnight. When ready, the mold is lifted by crane into a shakeout machine, where vibration breaks it apart and returns the sand to individual grains so the casting can be removed. The gating is then cut away, and the part moves to Casting Cleanup.

**Q: Does K&H reuse sand from the casting process?**

**A:** Yes. K&H reclaims much of the sand and monitors its condition before blending it with virgin sand. The blend varies according to factors such as mold size and required surface finish. For many parts, the sand closest to the casting contains a high percentage of virgin material to help protect against gas porosity and support a better surface finish.

**Q: Why does foundry team experience matter for casting consistency?**

**A:** Casting consistency depends on how part geometry, mold size, sand mixture, surface requirements, and pouring conditions interact during production. K&H’s foundry team has more than 50 years of combined experience and uses that knowledge alongside documented processes and simulation results. This helps the team adapt its approach to each part while carrying out the preparation completed upstream.

[View full post](https://info.kandhprecision.com/blog/behind-the-part-the-foundry)

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