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How to Select the Right Die Caster

When you’ve designed a part and are ready to partner with a die caster, you need to know that you’re working with the best. Unfortunately, unless you have an existing relationship with a reputable die casting supplier already established, finding the right partner to cast your part can be difficult.

When choosing a die caster, whether for aluminum, magnesium, or zinc die cast metals, most believe it simply comes down to cost. While cost carries a great deal of weight in the decision-making process, a good die caster will offer much more than a competitive price. They’ll provide you with a full range of services and post-production capabilities that can save you time and money in the long run.

Services like design engineering, mold flow simulation, and a wide variety of post-casting processes such as CNC machining, deburring, painting, plating, assembly, and total quality management, can sometimes be overlooked, but these services can prove very valuable. So when you work with a full-service die caster, make sure that these additional services and operations are part of the quote – that way, there are no surprises when you’re ready to move forward with the production of your part.

Benefits of working with a Full-Service Die Caster

Choosing to go with a single full-service die caster versus managing multiple processes and vendors on your own helps free up your company’s resources, decrease lead times, streamline logistics and inventory management, and saves money. In addition, it can result in improved designs and lower total cost because the full-service die caster will look for ways to add value across all of the processes.  

Before building a tool for your metal die casting design, be sure that your engineering team and the die caster are on the same page. At Chicago White Metal, our die casting engineers will engage with you to fully understand your product, its cosmetic and performance requirements, and its intended environment. With that understanding, our engineers can help optimize your design for maximum performance and overall value. In addition, the die casting engineer’s preplanning and analysis can recommend cost-saving measures — or prevent costly mistakes over the project life.

Another important question to ask during this process is whether or not the die casting supplier utilizes advanced technology such as process simulation software (e.g., Magmasoft®) before the tool is built? Using your CAD file, CWM can use the software to predict and optimize metal flow, air entrapment, metal velocity, thermal balance, hotspots, etc., during the die casting process. This will assure a quality die casting design, shorten lead times, and lower production costs.

Trust is the Name of the Game

The final question that your team should ask before choosing a die casting partner is whether or not you can trust that they will be there for you and your team throughout the process to produce the best possible part. Many factors contribute to the success of your project. Even the alloy choice (CWM offers aluminum, zinc, and magnesium) is an important decision because each has its unique properties with advantages and disadvantages. If your product requires post-finishing, it’s even more important to choose the right alloy because the physical properties of each alloy may or may not work with each type of finish.

While alloy recommendation is crucial for the success of your project, finishing options are equally important. It’s vital to ensure that your die casting supplier understands all the finishing options available and can guide you to the right finish. The die casting engineer must know all these variables from the project onset, avoiding costly quality issues later. These are things that our team at CWM takes into consideration with every project.

Experience matters, and with 84 years of experience and counting, CWM sets the industry standard for excellence. If you have any questions about the high-pressure die casting process, don’t hesitate to contact Chicago White Metal today. One of our experienced team members will be happy to help guide you in the right direction!