Low Volume Die Casting -From 50 Pieces Upward

Die casting's economics favor volume -tooling amortization improves with every additional part. But many programs cannot wait for volume. Development programs need cast prototypes before production commitment. Specialty equipment is built in hundreds, not millions. Service parts must be produced in small batches for years.

KastMfg supports low-volume programs with the same process discipline and quality documentation as high-volume production.

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Volume Tiers

Tier	Annual Qty	Tooling	Economics
Prototype	50-100	P20 soft tooling	Low tooling cost; unit cost relatively high
Development	500-1,000	P20 or light H13	Evaluate tooling vs unit economics
Low production	2,000-10,000	H13 production	Tooling amortizes meaningfully
Medium production	10,000-20,000	H13, multi-cavity option	Strong economics

No formal MOQ. KastMfg accepts programs from 50 pieces. The question is process selection -is die casting the right method for this volume?

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When Low-Volume Die Casting Makes Sense

Geometry die casting produces that machining cannot: Thin walls (1.2- mm over large areas), integrated fin arrays, complex internal geometry requiring 10+ machining hours per part. At 200 pieces, the geometry justifies the tooling.

Production alloy validation: Development programs often need to validate that the production process meets specification -not that a machined 6061 block passes a structural test. Only cast prototypes validate pressure tightness, as-cast surface, and shrinkage behavior.

Defined production pathway: Programs starting at 500 pieces/year with a clear path to 10,000+ pieces/year in 18 months should invest in production tooling now -economics work on total program volume, not first-year volume.

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Practical Minimums

• Prototype / P20 tooling: Minimum 50-100 pieces per order
• Production / H13 tooling: Minimum 300-400 pieces per run (below this, setup cost per part becomes very high)
• Ocean freight: Below ~50 kg net weight per shipment, air freight is often more economical than ocean LCL

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P20 vs H13 for Low Volume

For programs under 15,000 total lifetime pieces, P20 tooling saves 30-40% on upfront investment with no penalty in dimensional quality. P20 is the correct risk-managed choice for:

• Uncertain lifetime volume
• Frequent design changes expected
• Prototype-phase programs before production commitment

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Cost Example: Die Casting vs CNC Machining at Low Volume

For a medium-complexity aluminum part:

• Die casting tooling: $12,000 | Unit: $4.00
• CNC machining tooling: $0 | Unit: $22.00
• Crossover volume: $12,000 / ($22.00 -$4.00) = 667 pieces

Above ~700 pieces total lifetime volume, die casting becomes economical. Below that, CNC machining is the right choice.

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Low-volume inquiry: yaoqingpu1983@gmail.com | +86 138 1403 4409 | No.6, Rungu Road, Nanjing, China