How much does a die casting tool cost?

When seeking the answer to "How much does a die casting tool cost?", it is important to understand why a good die casting tool costs what it does. Be cautious of die casting manufacturers that offer tools at costs much lower than other die casting companies. Tools or moulds are not cheap, and choosing the cheaper option can often lead to more problematic issues later on. When it comes to die casting tooling, it is worth investing in the design and maintenance of the tool to ensure its longevity.  

Superior tool design

Excellent tool design is critical to the overall success of your project. When you have a robust part, you want to ensure your parts remain consistent from the first shot through to the last. No matter how advanced your die casting machines are, if you reduce costs by choosing a cheaper tool, you risk producing mediocre parts—which can add costs later through unnecessary secondary operations—or, worse, result in complete project failure.

Runner systems 

At Dynacast, we pay closer attention to design details and aim to create a tool that will not place us or our clients in a difficult position during production. Not only is it important to work with experienced designers, but predictive software such as MAGMA can help determine the runner system layout, how the part is gated and where the overflows will be. We could design just one runner and venting system to save engineering costs, but instead we design several runner systems and run multiple MAGMA simulations to select the best runner option together with optimal overflow placement. If we can predict where porosity and failure will occur in the part, we can design a tool that anticipates and corrects it at the outset—rather than afterwards, which can be expensive.

Cooling circuits

When creating a part using molten metal, you need to cool the part properly before removing it from the cavity. Removing the part too soon can alter its shape and compromise its structure. Some die casting companies place only a simple cooling circuit in the cavity block to reduce design and tool manufacturing costs. At Dynacast, we regulate temperature through highly strategic cooling line placement and coverage. On larger, more critical projects, additional time is invested in thermal analysis to optimise cooling lines.

Tooling inserts

Some manufacturers EDM-machine the entire cavity to reduce costs, but our engineers incorporate smaller inserts into the tool design. Designing the tool with smaller shut-offs allows us to make adjustments during production. If a tool erodes quickly, a critical feature can change with every shot. Instead of replacing the entire tool—which adds cost and slows production—only part of the tool needs to be changed. We can predict which area of the tool will wear more quickly and make it a removable insert. Our customers benefit from better dimensional stability at a lower cost because we design our tools to last longer and provide better part-to-part consistency over time. 

Proper tool maintenance

No matter how predictive your tool design is, metal-on-metal contact causes wear over time, and it is important to carry out timely repairs. Our engineers can predict how long a tool can and should be used before maintenance is performed, limiting downtime. It is much easier and faster to maintain a tool than to create a new one following failure. When your tool is not in operation, it is carefully cleaned and stored so that it is ready at the start of your next project. Most of our facilities have an in-house ultrasonic cleaning system.

Extending tool life

It is important to consider die life when designing a tool. If you produce thousands of parts each year and have to replace your die annually, how much money are you losing through downtime or tool costs? When you work with an experienced die casting manufacturer that can predict tool longevity and design it to last longer, you will achieve tenfold savings over time. Proper tool design and maintenance help avoid weld repairs that often lead to weld sink and flash.

Leader in die casting manufacturing

Over more than 80 years in business, we have built over 300,000 unique dies. Our engineers continually push the boundaries with complex part designs and take pride in the quality of work we provide. We aim to build dies that efficiently support high-volume production. For any die casting project, it is always a good idea to involve a die casting engineer during the part design phase—it can lead to major cost savings in both design and production later on. If you are interested in learning more about our in-house tooling or would like to receive a quotation for your next project, contact our engineering team today.