What sets the tool price
A die casting or squeeze casting tool is a one-time cost, usually the largest one in a new project. Its price is set by the part, the production plan and the scope of what the quotation includes.
| Driver | Why it moves the price | What you can decide |
|---|---|---|
| Part size and projected area | Larger inserts, larger mould base, larger machine | Split a large part only if the assembly allows |
| Slides and undercuts | Each slide adds mechanism, machining and maintenance | Remove undercuts that machining or a design change can avoid |
| Cavitation | More cavities, higher tool price, lower piece price | Set from annual volume, not maximum capacity |
| Tool steel and life | Steel grade, heat treatment and cooling built for the shot count | State realistic lifetime volume |
| Design and trials | Gating and venting design, trial rounds, corrections | Freeze the drawing before tool design |
| Associated tooling | Trim tools, machining fixtures, leak-test fixtures, gauges | Ask which are included |
What the tooling quotation should state
- Tool life or shot count it is built for
- Cavitation and the machine it runs in
- Trial rounds and sample quantity included
- Owner, storage location and transfer conditions
- Associated tooling included: trim, machining and leak-test fixtures
- Exclusions and how engineering changes are priced
A tool paid for by you belongs to you and is kept and maintained at the plant that runs it. Leak-test fixtures are designed and built in-house for each part.
What decides the lead time
Tooling lead time depends on geometry, number of slides, tool-shop capacity, trial rounds and how quickly approvals come back. A single number in a quotation hides those dependencies, so ask for milestones instead:
- Drawing frozen and DFM closed. The clock starts here, not at the purchase order.
- Tool design approved. Parting line, gating, slides, ejection.
- First trial samples (T1). Dimensional report and agreed checks.
- Corrections and further trials. As needed; each round adds time.
- First-article approval. Then production release.
| Milestone | Duration from previous step | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| DFM review returned | per project | CEX |
| Tool design for approval | per project | CEX, then buyer approves |
| T1 samples | per project | CEX |
| First-article report | per project | CEX, then buyer approves |
| Production release | per project | Buyer |
How to shorten it without risk
- Send the 3D model and toleranced 2D drawing together
- Answer DFM questions in one round
- Agree the first-article scope and sample quantity before T1
- Approve the tool design in writing promptly
- Keep design changes out of the tool build, or price them as changes
Transferring or second-sourcing a tool
When a tool comes from another supplier, we review its condition and records before quoting, and qualify the part again through first article. A transferred tool is not assumed to be production-ready.