Welcome to KPF Steel Foundry

Short Run Specialists & Rapid Prototyping

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About Us

The History of KPF

Keokuk Prototype Foundry Co., Inc. was founded in 1976 in Keokuk, Iowa. Operations began with 6 employees in a converted barrel factory, producing prototype and short run steel castings using the no-bake molding method. As years went by, demand for production runs increased, and so began the growth of Keokuk Prototype Foundry Co., Inc.

To keep up with customer demands, KPF added a pattern shop in 1987. “Custom Patterns” provided the ability to build patterns, mount the patterns on cope & drag boards, build the flasks, and rig the patterns on-site. This dramatically reduced the lead times, and costs for KPF customers.

The next evolution of KPF was the addition of a machine shop. In 1992 Keokuk Prototype Foundry constructed a new building to house the pattern shop, long-term pattern storage and the newly founded Keokuk Machining. The machine shop provided CNC machining of castings produced by the foundry.

By 1997 Keokuk Prototype Foundry had outgrown their facility in Keokuk, Iowa and a new building was constructed in nearby Kahoka, Missouri. Ground was broken on the new site on July 24, 1998 at Vine and Maple Streets. In February of 1999 the first “heat” was poured and full production began that spring. The new location prompted a name change and all three devisions; the foundry, pattern shop, and Keokuk Machining became incorporated under the name KPF STEEL FOUNDRY.

KPF STEEL FOUNDRY continues to grow and to fulfill customer expectations. In September of 2000, KPF STEEL FOUNDRY became ISO Certified. The following year a 12,000 sq. ft. addition was made to increase pattern storage and machining expansion. In 2002 new equipment was added that increased our casting cleaning department capabilities. In 2007 KPF STEEL FOUNDRY had made another addition to accommodate more core making equipment as well as six more CNC machines that had been added to further increase capacity.

Today KPF STEEL FOUNDRY remains a privately owned company, committed to our customers, our employees, and our community.



Services

Finishing
The product is prepared to be sent out to the customer. All parts are put through a blaster, cut, welded, and grinded as each customer specifies. Each piece is inspected and made ready to be shipped out.
Machining
We have an on-site CNC Machine Shop. Customers can save time and money by having parts poured and machined in one place. The programs that we use in our machine shop are SolidWorks, SurfCam, and CamWorks.
Furnace
Scrap metal of similar composition will be melted in one of our induction furnaces. A chemical analysis of the molten bath is taken from a preliminary test slug. Any corrections are calculated and made prior to the final casting. A final test specimen is collected from the pour and verified. All parts are poured using the ASTM material requested by the customer. We can make parts ranging in sizes up to 2000 pounds.
Heat Treat
We have two Heat Treatment ovens with the ability to heat the castings up to a maximum temperature of 2100 degrees Fahernheit, and to water quench the castings in under 30 seconds.
Molding
We use the No-Bake molding technique to produce sand molds from cope and drag patterns. Daily calibrations and sand testings are preformed to maintain the highest quality. Cores can be produced from our pep-set lines or from the Isocure core machines. The flow coat system is prefered over spraying to insure the highest quality casting.
Pattern Shop
We have the capabilities to create a pattern from a blueprint provided by you. Or we can store a pattern here at our facities for you between orders. All patterns can be updated and fixed as needed to ensure that you get the best possible product.
Core Room
The core room transforms raw materials into highly precise inserts through several key processes:
Sand Mixing
Blowing and Compacting
Curing/Baking
Finishing
Testing
KPF can quote various types of testing depending on your various needs. We primarily out-source the majority of our testing with the exception of Magnetic Particle Inspection, which we do in-house upon customer request. The facilities we use to out-source our castings requiring X-ray can provide not only the radiographic reader sheets, but the film can be sent to the customer upon request. The castings are analized by a level II, or higher, trained technician using the customer supplied or referenced specifications.

The other types of testing we can quote for include; Digital Image Analysis, ultrasonic (along the lines of MPI), Inclusion Content Analysis, Salt Spray Analysis, and Intergranular Corrosion Resistance Test. We can also out-source your castings for destructive and non-destructive testing.

Various certifications can be supplied to our customers by KPF upon request, and we'd be happy to provide you with quotations to help with your testing and certification needs.
Services
Please click the book above for a comprehensive list of the equipment used in all of our Services Departments:

Why choose us?

Reason 1
KPF is a small, family owned company, that utilizes family values in our day to day relationships with our employees and our clientele.
Reason 2
As a small company, we believe in fostering growth in other small companies. We encourage and support new start ups, offering guidance and advice when and where we can.
Reason 3
We foster and maintain long term relationships with our clients. Some of our clients have been doing business with us for over 30 years!