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A die casting quotation is only as good as the information behind it. When something is missing, a supplier either asks and you wait, or assumes and adds a margin for the risk. Either way you lose time or money. The checklist below is what we look for in every RFQ.
Send a 3D model and a 2D drawing, the annual volume, the alloy, and a note on which features are critical. Those four items let a die caster choose the process, size the tool and price the part. Everything else on this list sharpens the number.
Why incomplete RFQs cost you more
A casting price is built from a handful of decisions: which process, which machine, how many cavities, how much machining, what inspection. Each decision depends on something in your RFQ. If the volume is missing, the supplier cannot decide between a single-cavity and a two-cavity die. If the critical features are not marked, they cannot tell which surfaces need machining or air gauging and which can stay as-cast.
Faced with a gap, most suppliers quote the safe option. Safe usually means more machining, tighter inspection and a bigger tool, which is a higher price you never needed to pay.
The RFQ checklist
| Send this | Why it changes the quote | If you don't have it yet |
|---|---|---|
| 3D model (STEP or IGES) | Drives die design, projected area, machine tonnage and cycle time | Send photos of a sample part with key dimensions |
| 2D drawing (PDF) | Carries tolerances, datums, finish notes and general tolerance standard | Mark up a screenshot of the model with critical dimensions |
| Annual volume and batch size | Sets cavity count, tooling investment and the HPDC vs gravity decision | Give a range, e.g. 5,000 to 15,000 pieces a year |
| Alloy or specification | Affects melt cost, castability, machinability and test requirements | Describe the function: strength, pressure-tight, corrosion, heat treatment |
| Critical features | Decides what is machined, gauged or leak tested, and what stays as-cast | Tell us what the part mates with, seals against or carries |
| Machining scope | Machining can be a large share of a finished part's cost | Say whether you want raw castings or ready-to-fit parts |
| Surface finish | Shot blasting, powder coating and plating each add a process step | Describe where the part lives: indoors, outdoors, cosmetic or hidden |
| Quality documents | PPAP level, X-ray and inspection reports change the sampling effort | Name your industry; we will suggest a sensible level |
| Delivery and Incoterm | Packaging, freight and duty responsibility differ by Incoterm | Give the destination city; we can price EXW and a delivered option |
| Timeline | Sample date and start of production decide tooling priority | Tell us the event you are working to, such as a trade show or a launch |
Drawings: the details that change the price
Most quoting problems start on the drawing, not in the model. Three things are worth checking before you send it.
As-cast tolerances
Many drawings carry a single title-block tolerance written for machined parts, such as ±0.1 mm on everything. Applied to as-cast surfaces, that forces machining or 100% sorting on features that never needed it. Quote a general casting tolerance standard such as ISO 8062-3 for as-cast features, and keep tight tolerances for the surfaces that actually need them.
Datums that exist on the casting
Datums should sit on surfaces that are stable in the die, ideally on one die half and away from the parting line and ejector pins. A datum scheme built around a machined bore that does not exist yet makes the first machining operation hard to fixture and harder to repeat.
Draft and radii
If the model has zero draft on walls or sharp internal corners, the supplier has to add draft and radii before building a die. Say whether that is acceptable and where draft must not change the function. Our die casting design guide covers sensible starting values.
Ballooning three to five features as critical tells the supplier where to spend inspection effort. It also gives both sides an agreed list for process capability studies at PPAP, instead of arguing about every dimension on the drawing.
Volume: give a range, not a guess
Annual volume is the single biggest lever on piece price because it decides the tool. A few hundred parts a year usually points to gravity die casting or a simple single-cavity HPDC die. Tens of thousands justify a multi-cavity HPDC die with a lower piece price.
If the programme is new and the forecast is uncertain, give a realistic low and high figure. We can then quote a tool that suits the likely volume and show what changes if demand reaches the high case. That is better than a single optimistic number that leads to an oversized die.
Alloy: specify the requirement, not just a name
"Aluminium" is not enough, and a named alloy is sometimes the wrong one. If your part needs to be pressure-tight, heat treated or highly corrosion resistant, say so, because that can push the choice between alloys such as ADC12, A380, LM6 and LM25, or between HPDC and gravity. Our alloy selection guide compares the common options.
If you buy to a national standard, include the designation as written, for example EN AC-46000 or A380, so the material test certificate can be matched to it.
Quality documents: ask for what you will use
Documentation takes engineering time, so asking for everything raises the price without improving the part. As a guide:
- Automotive programmes usually need PPAP, often at Level 3. See our guide to PPAP for die castings.
- Industrial and general engineering parts are usually well served by first article inspection, a material test certificate and a dimensional report.
- Pressure-containing parts should state the leak test method, pressure and acceptance rate, and any X-ray or porosity requirement.
Delivery: Incoterm and packaging
For export orders, the Incoterm decides who pays freight, insurance and import duty, and so it changes the price you compare. If you already have a freight forwarder, EXW or FOB lets you use them. If you would rather receive the goods at your door, ask for a DAP or DDP figure. Our guide to sourcing castings from India explains the options for UK and US buyers.
Mention any packaging requirement too: returnable crates, part separation, corrosion protection or a maximum carton weight.
Confidentiality
If your design is sensitive, ask for an NDA before you send files. We sign NDAs as routine, and your drawings are used only to quote and make your part.
What you get back from us
A quotation from Alcast separates the decisions so you can see where the money goes:
- Recommended process and machine, with the reason if it differs from your request.
- Tooling price, cavity count and tooling lead time.
- Piece price for the casting, machining and finish, at your stated volumes.
- Assumptions, such as alloy, tolerance standard and inspection plan, written down so nothing is hidden.
- DFM notes where a small design change would lower cost or reduce risk.
If something is missing, we reply within 24 hours with the specific questions we need answered, rather than a padded number.
Have a part you need quoted?
Send us the drawing and expected volume. We reply within 24 hours with a quotation or the questions we need answered first.
Request a quote
The people who run melting, casting, machining and inspection across our four units in Satara, Maharashtra, making aluminium die castings since 2009. Ask us a question.
