10 Ways to Reduce Die Casting Part Cost

Die casting unit cost is 70-80% locked in at the design stage -by geometry, material specification, tolerance requirements, and secondary operations. This guide covers ten actionable decisions that reduce per-unit cost, applicable at new program launch or during existing program cost review.

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1. Eliminate Slides Through DFM

Each side-pull slide adds $3,000-10,000 to tooling and 2- seconds to cycle time. At 100,000 parts/year, a 3-second cycle reduction saves ~80 machine-hours, or $3,000-5,000 in production cost annually -on top of the tooling saving. KastMfg's DFM review specifically identifies which undercuts require slides and proposes alternatives.

2. Match Alloy to Requirement

• Replacing A380 with A413 on hydraulic programs (3% more expensive) eliminates rework costs from pressure test failures
• Specifying T6 without VADC creates guaranteed blistering failures -address at alloy/process selection, not at inspection

3. Right-Size Wall Thickness

Reducing average wall thickness from 4 mm to 3 mm on a medium-complexity aluminum part reduces shot weight 20-25%, directly reducing material cost and cycle time. Ribs provide equivalent stiffness at lower mass.

4. Consolidate Parts

Assembly costs money. Two die cast parts fastened together cost more than a single casting -even if the single casting needs a more complex die. Evaluate consolidation whenever parts are always used together with a shared interface.

5. Reduce Machined Feature Count

Every machined feature adds 15-20 seconds at the CNC. Review: Does this threaded hole need to be in the casting? Can these milled faces be combined into one operation? Can this bore be replaced by a cast-near-net feature?

6. Increase Order Volume

Per-unit cost includes a setup amortization component. Setup time (1- hours) divided over 500 pieces costs $0.60/part; divided over 5,000 pieces costs $0.06/part. Consolidate orders into larger runs where inventory carrying cost allows.

7. Use Multi-Cavity Tooling at Volume

Cavities	Tooling premium	Unit cost reduction	Crossover volume
2	+50-60%	~40%	~40,000 pieces
4	+100-150%	~60%	~80,000 pieces

At 200,000 pieces/year, a 4-cavity tool pays back its cost premium in under 6 months.

8. Accept As-Cast Tolerances on Non-Critical Features

A general tolerance of ±0.05 mm on a die casting drawing requires machining every dimension. Specifying ISO 8062 CT5 for non-critical features and tight tolerances only where functionally required eliminates 15-20% of machining cost on typical programs.

9. Match Steel Grade to Production Volume

• Under 20,000 shots: P20 prototype steel saves 30-40% on tooling
• Over 80,000 shots in aluminum: H13 is mandatory for die life
• Using H13 at 5,000 shots wastes tooling budget that P20 would serve

10. Single-Source to Reduce Logistics Cost

Separate casting, machining, and finishing suppliers each add purchase order cost, incoming inspection, inter-supplier freight, and coordination overhead. At 10,000 parts/year, this can add $0.50-2.00/part -which single-sourcing at KastMfg eliminates entirely.

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Summary -Cost Savings by Action

Action	Typical Saving
Eliminate one slide	10-20% tooling
P20 vs H13 (short run)	30-40% tooling
Multi-cavity (4-cav vs 1-cav)	60% unit cost
AS-cast tolerances on non-critical features	15-20% machining
Single-source (cast + machine + finish)	$0.50-2.00/part logistics

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