Who owns the tooling
A mould or pattern paid for by you should be yours, and that includes being able to move it to another shop. We put it in writing before the tooling is cut, because afterwards is too late.
What we can help you buy on 1688
Cast housings and structural parts
Last updated
Castings carry a one-off tooling cost, which changes the arithmetic completely: the first piece is expensive and the hundredth is cheap. Deciding the process is therefore the first real decision.
The second is porosity — gas voids inside the metal that appear when a face is machined and cannot be repaired.
Request a quote for cast housings and structural parts
What we check before you pay
Which casting process fits
Sand, gravity die, high pressure die casting and investment casting differ in tooling cost, minimum quantity, surface finish and achievable wall thickness. The right answer depends on your volume as much as your part.
Alloy specification and certificate
Cast alloys vary widely in strength and machinability. We ask for the specification and the material certificate rather than "aluminium".
Porosity and where it shows
Gas voids inside a casting surface when a face is machined or a part is pressure tested. For anything that holds pressure we specify testing rather than hoping.
Machining allowance and datums
A casting that will be machined needs stock left on the right faces and clear datums. Getting that wrong scraps the casting at the machining stage.
Welds on load-bearing structures
For a welded frame, the weld procedure and whether the welders are qualified matter more than the steel. We ask, and we say plainly when a shop cannot answer. A load-bearing part supplied into the EU as a safety component carries requirements of its own.
How an order runs
- Send the drawing or the sample A dimensioned drawing, a 3D model, or the part itself. For castings the wall thickness and draft matter as much as the outline.
- Process and tooling decided We recommend the casting process for your volume, price the tooling separately, and agree the ownership in writing.
- Alloy and testing specified Material grade, heat treatment, and any pressure or radiographic testing written into the order.
- Quote and approval Tooling, per-piece casting, machining, treatment, testing, our service fee, inspection and freight, each as its own line.
- First article from the tooling The first casting measured and, where required, sectioned or pressure tested before the run continues. You approve it.
- Production inspection and shipping Sampled castings measured and inspected for porosity and finish, then crated for the weight they actually are.