Aluminum foundry · Chaska, Minnesota
Aluminum castings for the Upper Midwest.
Green sand, air-set and permanent mold aluminum castings with CNC machining, heat treatment and finishing under one roof. From a one-off prototype to production runs in the tens of thousands.
Capabilities
One plant for the casting and everything after it.
Fewer hand-offs means fewer surprises on cost, quality and lead time.
Sand casting
Green sand for repeat parts and air-set (no-bake) for larger, complex or low-volume castings.
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Permanent mold
Gravity-fed die casting for repeat parts with tighter tolerances and a better finish than sand.
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CNC machining
In-house CNC turning and milling, planned together with the casting.
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Heat treatment
Certified furnaces bring castings to the strength your print calls for, in-house.
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Finishing
Castings cleaned, ground and blasted, ready for machining, coating or assembly.
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Prototypes & tooling
Cast aluminum prototypes in about a week, and tooling built and maintained in-house.
Learn more →Where are you starting?
New part, or moving an existing casting?
Most buyers come to us with one of two problems. Both start the same way: send what you have.
A new casting
3D CAD, a print, or a sketch on a napkin. We review it for castability, recommend the process and alloy, and take it from prototype to production.
Start a new part →Moving an existing casting
Changing foundries, domestic or overseas? We work from your existing tooling and history to get you running quickly, without re-learning your part from scratch.
Move a casting to Ermak →What customers say
Customers who stay for decades.
“Ermak has supplied us with our aluminum pump housings on a continuous basis since 1973, the longest period of any of our suppliers for any product. Their customer care and the quality of their products has resulted in our long-term loyalty.”
Bill, a customer for 55 years
“From project start to finish your employees know what to do and when to do it, with consistency. The phone is answered immediately and everybody we have dealt with is friendly, professional and helpful.”
Bob, a customer for 32 years
“We consider Ermak a true partner. Quality parts at a competitive price, with a focus on meeting our delivery requirements.”
JD, a customer for 21 years
How it works
From drawing to production.
- 01
Review
We learn your part, from existing tooling to napkin sketches, and check it can be cast well.
- 02
Tooling
We run your tooling, build new tooling, and maintain it so it is ready when you are.
- 03
First articles
Prototypes and first articles, judged on purpose, geometry, alloy, finish and turnaround.
- 04
Production
Repeatable runs, with ongoing work on cost, lead time and quality.
Insights
Straight answers on casting and sourcing.
3 Types of Sand Casting
Over 70% of the world’s metal castings are produced via the sand-casting process. Sand casting is highly efficient and cost-effective.
Read the article →What Is The Metal Solidification Process?
Different casting methods employ various equipment and techniques, all methods observe the metal solidification process. It takes an experienced and skilled foundry to control this process and avoid casting defects that result from improper handling of the solidification process.
Read the article →The Certain Benefits of Prototype Casting
Designers/engineers can gain tangible proof of the component's quality, find unexpected flaws and perform testing that delivers invaluable data. Marketers can use prototypes to gain feedback from customers or investors before full-scale production begins.
Read the article →
Part of CaneKast
Backed by a national network of foundries.
When a part fits another CaneKast plant better, we route it there. You still get one conversation and one quote.
About CaneKastHave a drawing? Get a quote.
Tell us about your part, or just send the file. A real person reviews every request.