Prototype Die Casting | P20 Soft Tooling

Prototype die casting produces genuine die cast parts -in the production alloy, by the production process, with production-representative surface characteristics. This is not CNC machined aluminum. Not 3D printed metal. It is die casting.

The distinction matters because a machined prototype validates geometry; a die cast prototype validates the manufacturing method. Parting lines, gate marks, as-cast surface texture, and the microstructure that determines pressure tightness and fatigue behavior are only present in a cast prototype.

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Prototype vs Production Tooling

Parameter	Prototype (P20)	Production (H13)
Tooling cost	$3,000-12,000	$10,000-80,000
Lead time	3-5 weeks	5-8 weeks
Die life	5,000-20,000 shots	80,000-150,000 shots (Al)
Dimensional accuracy	CT4-CT5	CT4-CT5 (same)
Part quality	Production-representative	Production

P20 prototype tooling produces the same dimensional quality as H13 production tooling. The only practical difference is die life.

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What Cast Prototypes Reveal That Machining Cannot

Parting line and draft angle feasibility: Does the design allow clean die opening? Are there undercuts requiring slides? Only a cast prototype reveals this.

Dimensional behavior as a casting: Wall thickness transitions that produce warpage, thick sections that produce shrinkage, thin sections that produce cold shuts -casting-specific behaviors invisible in machined prototypes.

Gate mark location: Gate witness marks fall on specific surfaces. Engineers need to see which surfaces are affected before cosmetic surface designation is finalized.

Pressure tightness: Testing cast prototypes for pressure tightness qualifies alloy selection before committing to production tooling. Machined prototypes are always pressure-tight regardless of alloy -they tell you nothing.

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KastMfg Prototype Timeline

Phase	Duration
DFM review + quotation	2-3 days
PO receipt + tooling start	1 day
P20 tooling fabrication	2-4 weeks
Trial + first article inspection	4- days
Air freight to USA/Europe	4- days
Total: first parts in hand	5-8 weeks

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From Prototype to Production

KastMfg manages prototype-to-production transition internally. The proven gate position, parting line, and process parameters from the prototype tool transfer directly to the production H13 design. No supplier change, no re-qualification overhead, no knowledge loss.

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Quantities

Prototype programs from 50-500 pieces. No formal MOQ on prototype tooling programs.

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Prototype inquiry: casting@kastdiecast.com | +86 138 1403 4409 | No.6, Rungu Road, Nanjing, China

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