Kimura Foundry
Operates advanced 3D sand printing foundry producing rapid prototype and small-lot metal castings (iron, steel, aluminum, specialty alloys) via Direct Molding Process (DMP) technology with proprietary ceramic sand, enabling 5-day lead times vs. 40+ days for conventional tooling.
- CEO / Founder
- Kazutoshi Kimura
- Team Size
- 501-1000
- Stage
- Active
- Latest Round
- Corporate Round
- Key Investors
- Sumitomo Corporation (35% of Kimura Foundry America)
Technology & Products
Key Products
Full Mold Casting (FMC); Direct Molding Process (DMP) 3D sand printing for rapid prototype/small-lot castings (iron, steel, stainless, aluminum, copper alloys) with proprietary ceramic/artificial sand; reverse engineering; Kimura Design Works (EPS monuments); Advanced Aluminum HQ Plant capabilities (low-pressure sand casting, V-Process, T6 heat treatment, large thin-wall/giga-cast style Al parts from Feb 2026); in-house machining/finishing/QC.
Technological Advantage
DEFENSIBLE: Proprietary ceramic sand formulation with USA and Japan patents; patented low-expansion chemistry reduces thermal distortion defects below 1% vs. industry standard 2-5%; superior surface finish reduces post-casting machining by 30-40%; complete in-house process control (design→simulation→print→pour→finish) creates switching costs and differentiation vs. outsourced pattern + foundry workflows.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Reduces prototype casting lead time from 40+ days to 5 days; eliminates pattern tooling costs and NRE; achieves superior part quality (zero veining defects) through proprietary low-expansion ceramic sand and optimized binder chemistry; delivers complete in-house A-to-Z service (design, simulation, 3D print, pour, finish, QC).
How They Differentiate
Kimura is 3x-5x larger than typical sand casting service providers by equipment count (11+ printers vs. competitors' 2-4); proprietary ceramic sand eliminates defects that plague competitors; A-to-Z service delivery (in-house simulation, casting, finishing, inspection) vs. competitors requiring external pattern shops; Grunewald partnership provides exclusive cold-cure phenolic binder technology; proven rapid lead times (5 days vs. 7-14 for competitors using commodity binder systems).
Market & Competition
Target Customers
OEMs and component suppliers in automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery, energy sectors requiring rapid prototypes and small-batch production castings
Industry Verticals
Automotive; Aerospace; Industrial Machinery; Construction Equipment; Pumps & Compressors; Power Generation; Oil & Gas; Renewable Energy; Agricultural Equipment
Competitors
ExOne (foundry sand 3D printing systems & services); Velo3D (metal AM, different process/market); Humtown Products (sand tooling for foundries)
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
856 group employees (April 2026 official profile); ¥20.7B sales FY2025; multi-site Japan network + Kimura Foundry America (Shelbyville) + VIP Tooling (acquired Jul 2025) + India Bengaluru office (Nov 2024); Advanced Aluminum HQ Plant at Shizuoka HQ began operations Feb 2026 (LPSC, V-Process, thin-wall Al); multiple ExOne sand 3D printers (DMP); nearly 100 years continuous operation.
Major Milestones
Founded 1927 (Shizuoka); 1982: Hirohiko Kimura 3rd-gen president; 2009: 3D sand mold experiments; 2011: Kazutoshi Kimura becomes president; 2014: Hirohiko Honorary Chairman; 2016: Asahi Medal; KFA path opens (Shelbyville); 2018: Grunewald DMP partnership; Sumitomo 35% of KFA (Aug 2020); 2024: Kimura Foundry India Pvt. Ltd. (Bengaluru, Nov); 2025: VIP Tooling acquisition (Jul); 2026 Feb: Advanced Aluminum HQ Plant starts ops; 2026 Jul: 100th-anniversary project launch and aluminum plant public announcement.
Notable Customers
Customers across industries, including automotive and Tier 1 suppliers, large and small engine manufacturing.
Official records
Filings, certifications, and programme counts AMPulse can show for this company.
- [C] ISO_9001 · claimed
Equipment deals on record
Publicly disclosed purchases or installs only.
- S-MaxBuyer: Kimura Foundry Group · Supplier: Desktop Metal / ExOne
- S-MaxBuyer: Kimura Foundry America · Supplier: ExOne