10 Ways to Reduce Die Casting Part Costs
Practical guide to reduce die casting cost: design optimization, alloy selection, volume strategy, and fewer secondary operations, with savings.
Mike Yao
Technical Director, Die Casting Engineering
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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. For baseline pricing drivers and quoting logic, see our die casting cost guide.
1. Eliminate Slides Through DFM
Each side-pull slide adds $3,000-10,000 to tooling and 2-5 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 15-60 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 (1-2 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 | +50-80% | ~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 15-30% 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.
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 | 15-30% machining |
| Single-source (cast + machine + finish) | $0.50-2.00/part logistics |
Free cost review with every RFQ: casting@kastdiecast.com | +86 138 1403 4409
About The Author
Mike Yao on die casting cost reduction
Technical Director, Die Casting Engineering
Technical Director at KastMfg with 20+ years in high-pressure die casting, leading engineering and program management across aluminum, zinc, and magnesium programs for automotive, EV, electronics, and medical OEMs worldwide.
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