The world's leading and most experienced supplier of continuous casting technology for non-ferrous alloys and precious metals.
World Leaders in Continuous Casting Technology
With over 45 years experience, Rautomead Limited has evolved to become world leaders in the supply of continuous casting machines for non-ferrous alloys.
Global Casting Solutions
Our continuous casting machines are used worldwide for the production of copper wire, copper cable, alloy wire, engineering alloys & precious metals to name but a few applications.
We cast at near net shape to minimise processing costs, offering an ever-increasing range of alloys for products being developed by the transport, medical & communications industries.
Innovation & Development
Our Innovations Department actively research & develop new casting techniques, offering clients the opportunity to collaborate with our experienced team on our in-house equipment, or to trial new sizes & alloys without interrupting their own on-site production.
Complete Support
We have an in-house Foundry facility which offers clients the ability to carry out small or large batch runs of specific materials.
Our After-Sales & Services Teams offer excellent support to all our customers on price, quality, delivery & flexibility, unmatched by competitors in the industry.
Our Core Values
Quality
‘We take pride in doing things well’
At Rautomead, quality is more than the end product. It's about how we show up every day, how we treat one another, and how we deliver for our customers. We believe in craftsmanship, care, and consistency in everything we do.
Learning
‘We never stop learning’
Progress doesn't happen by accident. We grow when we challenge ourselves, support one another, and turn ideas into action. Learning is a mindset—and it's at the heart of how we keep getting better.
Collaboration
‘We achieve more together’
No one succeeds alone. We are one team, strengthened by our diverse skills and experiences. We listen, share, and support each other, knowing that communication is the glue that holds us together.
How We Work
From initial consultation to long-term support — a proven process refined over four decades of delivering casting solutions worldwide.
Requirement Definition
Detailed discussions to define your production requirements and casting objectives.
Sample Casting
Trial casting at our Dundee facility to validate alloy, dimensions and quality targets.
Equipment Manufacturing
Bespoke manufacture and assembly of your casting system at Rautomead.
Pre-Shipment Testing
Clients are invited to witness factory acceptance and pre-shipment testing.
Installation & Training
On-site supervision of installation with comprehensive training for your team.
Commissioning
Full commissioning of equipment and performance verification testing.
After-Sales Support
Ongoing support, spare parts and technical assistance direct from Rautomead.
Our History
Established in 1978, Rautomead began life recycling brass bezels for Timex watches using a newly designed small-scale continuous casting machine.
Rautomead’s co-founders were Sir Michael Nairn, Chairman of Rautomead to this day, and Sandy Cochrane an ex-Timex engineer and metallurgist, who retired from the company in 1997.
Rautomead’s original business model was horizontal machines for small-scale recycling of customers’ brass scrap and initial sales of equipment were in the Midlands area of U.K. The first overseas machine was sold to a company in Malaysia in 1983 and by 1990 we had sold over 100 machines in 24 countries around the world.
The introduction of upwards vertical technology in 1990 was another major leap forwards in Rautomead technology, with over 100 upwards vertical machines now in operation around the globe, making Rautomead leading experts in the supply of continuous casting technology for a wide range of non-ferrous alloys.
What is
Continuous Casting?
Continuous casting is a process which may be used to form metal into shapes by solidification of liquid metal as it is pulled through a water-cooled die.
The cast metal may be cut into discrete lengths or formed into coils, without interruption to the casting process, according to the requirements of the alloy, shape and respective subsequent downstream processing operations.
Liquid metal is contained inside a crucible located within a heated furnace. The water-cooled casting die assembly may either be inserted into an orifice in the side or base of the crucible or lowered into the liquid metal from above depending on the respective machine model the selection of which is influenced by factors, including:
- Alloy
- Section dimensions
- Required output
- Subsequent processing operation
Benefits of Continuous Casting
Manufacture of "near net shape" semi-finished rod, strip, bar or hollow:
(a) to feed in-house processing equipment manufacturing finished product
(b) to sell to third party companies
Control of material product quality:
With uniform, consistent and continuous operation.
Control of product cost:
Casting at near net shape reduces, or eliminates, the need for intermediate processes saving time, energy and inventory costs.
Equipment & Technology
The casting furnace can be a single integrated melting and casting furnace, or a holding furnace fed with liquid metal from a separate pre-melting machine.
Production may continue uninterrupted for the duration of the lifetime of the consumable casting die.
Casting die life is a function, primarily of the metal being processed, the dimensions of the cast section and the volume of material passing through.
Casting die life can be hours, days, weeks or months depending on the product being processed. Time to change a casting die assembly can be minutes or hours depending on whether it is submerged into the liquid from above or inserted into an orifice on the side or base of the crucible.
Furnace
To melt and contain liquid metal with accurate power delivery to control the temperature of metal entering the casting die. Furnace may feature graphite or refractory crucible and resistance or induction heating depending on the application.
Die
Graphite, metal or ceramic material with an orifice machined to the dimensions of the section shape to be cast.
Cooler
Copper or copper alloy material, attached to the die, designed to contain and direct the flow of water through the cooler to extract heat from the metal as it solidifies whilst being pulled through the die.
Withdrawal Mechanism & Drive
Device to grip the “as cast” metal shape and pull it continuously with a precisely controlled pulsed motion. Specific parameters of the pulsed motion (acceleration, deceleration, length movement, time for movement etc) are controlled via Rautocast software according to the alloy and section shape being produced and the target output (kg/hr per strand).
Cutting & Coiling
In line with the continuous casting equipment, Rautomead can supply cutting (saw or shear), coiling and material handling devices designed specifically for the section shape and alloy being cast and respective requirements of the client.
Our Experience
