GLC’s new 6-axis Robotic Molding Cell is built for the programs hard tooling economics have been pricing out.

At the AFS Metalcasting Congress in Grand Rapids, one conversation came back to Booth 540 again and again: medium-to-large iron parts at low volumes, where hard tooling math turns a sound design into a program that won’t get built.

That wall is the exact problem GLC’s new Robotic Molding Cell is built to remove. It produces gray and ductile iron castings up to 200 lbs. at prototype and low-volume quantities, without the hard tooling commitment that has historically blocked this work. Installed now, coming online in 2026.

What This Opens Up for Your Program

• No hard tooling required. Validate your design without a major capital commitment upfront.

• Faster path to prototype. Move from CAD to a real iron casting without the traditional tooling timeline.

• Wide size envelope. Medium and large castings often have the fewest low-volume options. This fills that void.

• Minimal labor, lights-out operation. Robotic automation keeps costs competitive even at low quantities.

GLC has been producing USA-made gray iron castings since 1946, backed by IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 14001 certifications. The Robotic Molding Cell extends that capability to programs that have historically fallen through the cracks of the supply chain.