Edouard Tavernier, Business Development Director Europe at Saint Jean Industries, and Eren Koc, Team Leader OEM Sales at DISA, outline why they see the combination of DISA’s green sand molding technology and Saint Jean Industries’ bottom-pouring aluminum casting process as a promising alternative to conventional aluminum die casting. Building on a successful cooperation spanning many years, the two companies are bringing together their respective expertise to improve the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of aluminum foundry production.
Central to their approach is a highly productive manufacturing process that can reach output levels of up to 300 molds per hour, with actual production rates of as much as 350 molds per hour. Despite this high throughput, the process requires significantly fewer machines and just three to four operators. Comparable production volumes in die casting generally require considerably more equipment and personnel. The partners estimate that this can reduce part costs by 10–15 percent while also delivering substantial savings in tooling costs. The technological foundation of the concept is the combination of DISAMATIC green sand molding with the so-called Bottom Pouring or EPGS (Enhanced Pressurized Gating System) process.
Looking Beyond Conventional Die Casting
The partners do not regard green sand technology as a universal substitute for other casting methods. Instead, they see it as an economical option for a broad range of applications. Aluminum castings produced using the process are already used in the automotive, agricultural, machinery, energy, and various other industrial sectors. A particular advantage is the ability to produce complex, core-intensive components with short cycle times while keeping tooling costs considerably lower.
Sustainability is another important benefit of the approach. The process does not require mold coatings or cooling water for the molds and can substantially reduce energy and resource consumption compared with conventional die casting and other aluminum casting technologies. This allows manufacturers to address environmental impact and production costs at the same time. For Saint Jean Industries and DISA, however, a major obstacle is the established view that sand casting cannot match die casting in productivity, surface quality, or precision. Their joint experience challenges this assumption. The process can achieve surface roughness values of only 6–7 microns, comparable to low-pressure die casting, while offering high process stability, excellent mechanical properties, and significantly improved cost efficiency.
The development partnership is focused on combining the high output of automated DISAMATIC green sand molding lines with the strong mechanical performance of high-quality aluminum castings. The aim is to give foundries access to a solution that combines economic efficiency and sustainability with the performance required for demanding applications.
For both companies, the potential of the technology lies precisely in this combination. DISA’s automated green sand molding technology, together with the bottom-pouring process, brings high productivity, reduced costs, and lower resource consumption into a single manufacturing concept. Saint Jean Industries and DISA consequently see aluminum green sand casting as a competitive option for a wide range of industrial applications.
About Saint Jean Industries
Saint Jean Industries is an internationally operating French industrial group specializing in high-precision aluminum castings for demanding industrial applications. The company develops and manufactures complex lightweight components primarily for the automotive industry, as well as for the commercial vehicle, energy, and general industrial sectors. With production facilities in Europe, North America, and Asia, Saint Jean Industries combines state-of-the-art foundry technologies with comprehensive expertise in materials engineering, process development, and component design. A particular focus lies on innovative aluminum sand casting technologies that combine outstanding mechanical performance with cost-efficient and sustainable manufacturing. Through continuous investment in automation and process innovation, Saint Jean Industries has established itself as one of the technological leaders in aluminum casting.
About DISA
DISA is one of the world's leading suppliers of foundry equipment and molding machines for the high-volume production of metal castings. The company develops and manufactures highly automated green sand molding systems, melting and pouring technologies, as well as complete production lines for iron and aluminum foundries. With its globally recognized DISAMATIC technology, DISA has been setting industry benchmarks for productivity, precision, and process reliability for decades. Its equipment is characterized by high output, short cycle times, and efficient resource utilization. As part of the Norican Group, DISA supports foundries worldwide in making their operations more productive, sustainable, and future-ready.
