Norfran — Metal Foundry
Norfran Ltd is one of the UK’s premier independent metal foundry, specialising in high pressure die casting in both aluminium and zinc alloys. Founded to serve a wide variety of industries and end products, Norfran has grown into a trusted foundry partner for customers across the UK and beyond.
Our 70,000 square foot foundry in North Shields (North East England) is ideally located on the A1 corridor, providing straightforward access to all areas of the UK. From this single site, we manage the full production process — from initial design and tooling through to finished, ready-to-ship components — giving customers one reliable, responsive foundry partner at every stage.
A Full-Service Metal Foundry
What sets Norfran apart from many foundries is the breadth of capability available under one roof. Our core die casting operation is supported by in-house CNC machining, finishing, and outsourcing and logistics services, with design and project management expertise available from the earliest stages of a project.
Rather than simply supplying raw castings, Norfran operates as a complete manufacturing partner — managing quality, finishing, and delivery so that components arrive ready for assembly or use. This integrated foundry approach means fewer handoffs, tighter quality control, and greater flexibility across both short prototype runs and high-volume production.
Our Metal Foundry Services
Design and Project Management
Early collaboration with our foundry engineering team ensures components are optimised for the die casting process from the outset, reducing cost and lead time while maximising casting quality.
Aluminium Die Casting
High pressure cold chamber aluminium die castingAluminium Die Casting, producing lightweight, strong, and corrosion-resistant components. Our foundry houses 17 cold chamber machines ranging from 180 to 800 tonne, with extensive automation supporting high-volume production.
Zinc Die Casting
High pressure hot chamber die casting in zinc, delivering complex, precision components with excellent surface finish and fine detail. Ideal for intricate parts where tight tolerances and high repeatability are essential.
CNC Machining
In-house CNC machining allows our foundry to apply precision finishing to cast components where tighter tolerances or additional features are required post-casting.
Finishing
A range of surface treatments and protective coatings to meet both aesthetic and functional requirements, with minimal surface preparation needed thanks to the quality of our foundry output.
Outsourcing and Logistics
We manage supply chain complexity on your behalf, ensuring components leave our foundry and arrive on time, to specification, wherever they are needed.
Technical Expertise
For customers with specific engineering requirements, our technical resources cover the finer details of die casting design and tolerancing, including linear tolerances, concentricity tolerances, pressure tightness, surface finish, cored holes, and ejector pins and draft.
Our Commitment
As an independent UK metal foundry, Norfran is built on a philosophy of anticipating customer needs and delivering a total service to meet them. We are committed to continuous improvement, waste reduction, and an ethos of unrivalled dependability and agility — values that have underpinned our growth into one of the UK’s leading high pressure die casting foundries.
