Heat transfer between a solidifying aluminium alloy casting and a mould is dominated by the thermal resistance created by the interface. Interfacial heat transfer occurs by conduction through the atmosphere between the two surfaces and by conduction through the points of actual contact. ( Heat transfer by radiation is probably significant only for ferrous castings.) The extent of real physical contact between two surfaces is difficult to quantify. This paper explains a method, using ultrasonic flaw detection techniques, whereby an estimate of the propagation of an ultrasonic signal through a casting-chill interface is used to infer the degree of actual contact occurring between them.In experiments involving casting and solidification of an aluminium alloy onto a copper chill the technique was found to give information for the first two seconds of the casting process only. In this time a peak in ultrasound transmission was observed, correlating to a maximum in the area of casting-chill contact, followed by a decrease in the ultrasound transmission that corresponded to actual contact areas between the casting and the chill in the region of 5 to 10%. (C) 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers.