It may take months to develop a die casting design concept and validate it. After validating the design, the next thing that you need to do is to select a die caster to make the concept a reality. Finding the best metal die caster to manufacture your product will be a difficult task, unless you have a relation with some reputable die casting company.
There are some important things, which need to be considered while selecting the die caster, no matter whether it is for Magnesium, Aluminum, or Zinc. It is true that the cost of die casting tooling and production will affect the decision, but you should understand that a good die caster would be offering much more than a competitive price.
If you are just comparing the price, you should understand that some other additional services would be included in the cost for tooling and production as well. In such cases, one quote might go higher than that of the other, and you will not be comparing apples to apples.
It is important to have a good and complete understanding of all the things that are included in the quote. Moreover, a quote that includes additional services will cost more upfront, but it would save you many dollars down the line. This is the reason why it is vital to consider many areas while choosing a good metal die caster and understand all the details that are included in the quote.
Choosing a Die Caster
Before making expensive tool for your die casting design, it is imperative to request a description of the engineering consultations that are to be held. The die casting engineers should understand your requirements and concept completely. This will help the die casters to optimize your design for maximum performance in the die casting process as well as its function in the finished product. Besides, the preplanning and analysis of the die casting engineers can also recommend measures for cost savings and help you avoid costly mistakes over the life of the die casting project.
You should also check if the supplier has the ability to use advanced technology like process simulation software before building the tool. Making use of the CAD design file that you supply, the die caster should run the simulation software to predict and optimize the flow of metal, air entrapment, metal velocity, hotspots, thermal balance, etc. This will ensure quality die casting design, decrease the lead time, and lower the cost of production.