G.AL® Plate Production
From alloy development to certified plate - made in Kaltenkirchen, Germany
How We Make G.AL® Plates
Precision from the first pour to the final certificate
G.AL® aluminum cast plates are not simply cut from standard extrusions or rolled stock. Every plate is produced end-to-end at GLEICH's manufacturing facility in Kaltenkirchen, Germany - using proprietary casting technology and tightly controlled processes that have been refined over more than four decades.
The seven-stage production process below is what separates G.AL® from commodity aluminum plate - and why toolmakers, mold builders, and precision engineers across Canada specify it by name.
Stage 01
Developing & Engineering
Every G.AL® plate begins in the engineering lab. GLEICH's metallurgists and process engineers continuously refine alloy compositions, casting parameters, and heat treatment cycles to push the performance boundaries of precision cast aluminum. The result is a proprietary production process that consistently delivers plates with minimal internal stress, superior flatness, and uniform mechanical properties - batch after batch.
Stage 02
Casting
Molten aluminum is continuously cast into thick slabs using GLEICH's proprietary casting technology. Unlike rolled aluminum, which compresses and stresses the metal during forming, the G.AL® casting process allows the material to solidify slowly and uniformly. This results in a microstructure free of rolling residual stresses - the foundation of G.AL®'s exceptional dimensional stability during machining.
Stage 03
Heat Treatment
After casting, every G.AL® plate undergoes a carefully controlled heat treatment cycle in state-of-the-art furnace systems. The treatment relieves any remaining thermal stresses and establishes the precise temper - O3 for maximum ductility and machinability in the C250 and C210R grades, T79 for the high-strength, stress-corrosion-resistant properties of the C330 and C300R grades. Temperature uniformity and cycle repeatability are monitored and documented for every batch.
Stage 04
Sawing
Precision sawing transforms the heat-treated slabs into finished plates with exact length and width dimensions. GLEICH's high-performance saw lines cut plates to customer specification with tolerances far tighter than standard mill practice. For G.AL® Sawn Plates (C210R and C300R), the sawn surface finish is the final surface - eliminating the need for face milling and reducing your machining step count from the moment the plate arrives.
Stage 05
Milling
G.AL® Precision Plates (C250 and C330) are face-milled on both sides after sawing. Large-format CNC milling centers skim both plate faces to achieve the tight thickness tolerances and exceptional flatness that define the G.AL® Precision grade. Surface parallelism and flatness are verified at multiple points across the plate, ensuring that every plate that leaves the mill is ready for direct use in mold bases and precision tooling fixtures.
Stage 06
Quality Inspection
Every G.AL® plate is inspected and certified before dispatch. Dimensional checks confirm thickness, flatness, and squareness against the applicable tolerance standard. Material traceability is maintained from melt batch through finished plate. Every shipment to Canadian customers is accompanied by a full EN 10204 3.1 mill inspection certificate - documenting alloy composition, mechanical properties, and dimensional conformance. No certificate, no shipment.
Stage 07
Warehousing & Shipping
Finished G.AL® plates are warehoused at GLEICH's production facility in Kaltenkirchen, Germany, and at service centers across North America - including our Oldcastle, Ontario location. Canadian customers benefit from local stock on the ground, enabling same-week delivery for standard sizes and grades. When you order from GLEICH Canada, you are ordering from the manufacturer's own service center - not a third-party distributor - with full visibility into availability and lead times.
Ready to specify G.AL® for your next project?
Our Oldcastle team can confirm stock availability, recommend the right grade, and provide a same-day quote for standard sizes.
Your Aluminum Experts in Canada
Our Canadian team understands mold making. Tell us your application and we will recommend the right G.AL® grade, thickness, and format - and get you a quote fast.