Die-cast parts, machined and finished in one order

Aluminum (AlSi10Mg, AlSi12, AlSi9Cu3, AlMg3), magnesium (AM60B, AZ91D) and zinc/Zamak (Zamak 3, Zamak 5, ZA-8). Aluminum is the strength-to-weight workhorse, magnesium the lightest structural option, and Zamak the one for fine detail and a polishable, plateable finish.

It depends on the part and the quantity. A die is a one-time cost shared across every part cast from it, so the more parts you need, the less it weighs on each one; CNC machining has no die cost and tends to win for few parts. Where the crossover sits depends on the part, and we say so in the quote, with the die shown apart from the price per part.

The 3D model as a STEP file and the 2D drawing as a PDF. The model gives the geometry; the drawing carries what the model cannot say, such as tolerances, critical dimensions and the surfaces to machine. Alloy, quantity and finish are chosen when you upload the part.

Between 24 and 48 hours from the moment you upload the files, with a price per part and the lead time of each one. A mutual NDA is in place before you upload any file. If the part can’t be cast as drawn, we tell you the change it needs before anything is made.

Yes. In the quote the die is its own line, so you see what the die costs and what each part costs. The die is paid once; the price per part is the price of every part that comes off it.

The die is built for your part and it is yours; in the quote it appears as its own cost. It stays and runs in our shops and is not shipped, so every run comes from the tool you approved. If you need the terms on moving the die, ask us before you accept the quote.

Yes. Critical dimensions are machined to tolerance after casting, and finishing (deburring, polishing, plating or painting) goes in the same order, as do assembly and packaging if you need them, so the part leaves ready to use rather than as a raw casting.

For few parts CNC machining is usually the better choice; for runs, die casting, because the die is spread over more parts. We work from a single part to production runs. If die casting is not right for your part, we say so at quoting and requote under the process that fits — sand casting for a large, low-volume part, MIM for a small precise one, CNC machining if the run is short. Asking for a quote commits you to nothing.

Die casting is for thin-walled, complex metal parts at series volume, in a reusable steel die. Sand casting is for larger, lower-volume castings in a cheap, expendable sand mold, and holds looser tolerances. If the part is big or the run is short, sand casting is usually the better call.