Rely Precision Castings, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest investment casting foundry from a capabilities and product range perspective, is integral to re-industrialisation and localisation. This powerhouse and veteran of South African manufacturing has the capability to produce rapid prototyping using additive engineering: casting a vast range of components and products out of complex alloys in small or large quantities – and providing reliable solutions for local companies challenged by international supply chain delays.
“Rapid prototyping can come to the rescue when supply chain restraints mean mission-critical components are out of reach, compromising safety and resulting in costly downtime. As the supplier of high-integrity precision-cast components to a wide range of industry sectors – from rail and transportation to defence, petrochemicals, mining, energy, glass, general engineering, automotive, paper and pulp, pumps and valves, fine art and more – Rely is a viable go-to alternative for local manufacturers, and a centre of investment castings excellence,” says Managing Director Giancarlo Carrozzo, who also heads up the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Manufacturing Cluster.
“Rely combines decades of local investment castings expertise, advanced metallurgical capability and comprehensive technical support to locally manufacture castings solutions: complex components to near-nett shape, where quality, consistency and performance are critical,” Carrozzo advises.
Originally established as a sand-casting facility in 1953, Rely acquired investment casting capabilities in 1974, followed by a robotics upgrade and an automated dipping line in 2007.
“Our strong track record and loyal customer base has enabled us to weather some challenging times – culminating in Rely’s acquisition by a forward-thinking consortium of investors in 2023, including the GeT Metal Group,” Carrozzo outlines.
A ‘rapid’ manufacturing solution
His vision for Rely reflects that of Commercial Director Ian Barratt-Gibson: “Any shape, any size – we can make it!”
As such, Rely is focusing on investment in equipment, skills development, automation and sustainability – as well as further vertical industry integration – to enhance its value offering.
However, what really sets this expert investment castings business apart is its rapid prototyping capability, which comprises a large percentage of production: “This makes Rely, as the country’s largest investment casting foundry, flexible enough to undertake small-scale manufacturing – in line with specific customer needs and tight tolerances – as well as one-offs or larger production runs,” Barratt-Gibson explains, adding that Rely has 5 power packs and 13 furnaces, casting in all grades of air-melted alloys (including copper-based, cobalt, carbon /alloy steels, aluminium, nickel-based and stainless steel) to international standards.
Carrozzo describes Rely as a one-of-a-kind facility that can produce a one of a kind casting from a special alloy in four weeks for prototypes, and six to ten weeks for longer runs: “Ultimately, this allows businesses to consider any kind of casting using any material, in any quantity.”
This means that a specific component – for example an impeller for a pump – that is either not available or too expensive to order offshore, no longer brings a production facility to a halt.
Furthermore, companies frequently need a replacement part but do not have the design or drawings: “We will use 3D drawing and printing to render a replica prototype, laser scanning when only a sample is available. Then, we take that prototype through our process and create a mould, which is used to create a casting,” Barratt-Gibson explains.
Alternatively, rapid prototyping can be used for new designs: “In this scenario, the designer may not want to manufacture a costly aluminium tool for a single sample. We can create a prototype which can be tested by a prospective customer – and even returned to us for modifications. The design can be altered and a further prototype created,” he adds.
Rapid prototyping is also particularly useful when a customer requires components in small quantities due to low demand, or when facing supply chain delays:
“Now, more than ever, local companies need local suppliers, especially if an international supplier lets them down, or there is a shipping delay. Without Rely, local companies are totally unprotected and may even resort to manufacturing substitutes using sub-standard technology and materials,” Carrozzo points out.
His vision is to extend this from supporting localisation to exporting investment casting products, by providing larger multi-nationals with a reliable repository of spares to sell to their counterparts worldwide: “As we can produce specialised components at any volume, local companies can assist their counterparts overseas who are experiencing international supply chain constraints. We could ultimately become a conduit for South African companies to grow their own businesses,” he enthuses.
Do not machine away your profits
‘Do not machine away your profits, Rely casts the finished product’ is the key message that Rely took to Electra Mining Africa (EMA) 2026 in September. Sales Manager Rob O’Connor says EMA was a golden opportunity to increase market visibility, strengthen relationships, engage directly with potential new customers and position the company as a credible supplier of precision and investment casting solutions.
“Exhibiting at Electra Mining provided us with an opportunity to place the brand in front of decision-makers, engineers, procurement professionals and businesses operating within key sectors relevant to the company’s growth strategy.”
O’Connor and Barratt-Gibson believe that by visiting the Rely foundry, customers can experience first-hand just what Rely has to offer, learning how vastly superior lost wax / investment casting is in comparison with sand casting – and about the company’s rapid prototyping capabilities.
O’Connor elaborates: “As Rely is a near-nett casting foundry, manufacturing intricate component shapes with tight tolerances and specific design criteria to near-nett shape – with only minimal machining needed post-casting – we can offer customers a far more time- and cost-efficient manufacturing process. When they are machining from rolled products or fabricating, the process is costly and time-consuming. That is why we educate companies not to machine away their profits, but to rather consider investment casting!”
National keystone manufacturer
At Electra Mining Africa, O’Connor says Rely encountered interest from large corporates, multi-nationals and small businesses. The latter, he says, could develop into an important niche as they have small machine shops and did not realise what Rely could do for them. Furthermore, farmers for example still use ageing pumps, which could be repaired using recreated components manufactured by Rely.
For large- or small-scale orders, Rely works closely with customers from product development and material selection through tooling, rapid prototyping, casting, heat treatment, testing and final quality assurance.
Carrozzo describes Rely as a national keystone manufacturing facility, and one which South Africa’s economy cannot afford to lose: “There is no other investment casting manufacturer in South Africa with the same capacity and capability. Without Rely, South Africa would not have a major contributor to its ongoing industrial growth and development,” he concludes.
