What does tooling cost for die casting and metal forming?
Confidence 4/5 Established practice · review by 2026-12-31
Tooling for die casting and metal forming:
USD 2,000–15,000 for a die-cast die depending on size, number of cavities and whether slides are needed. Stamping dies range from a few hundred dollars for a simple blank to USD 10,000+ for progressive dies.
Sources
- Die casting tooling and unit cost ranges — Industry practice; ranges vary widely with part geometry
- Aluminium and zinc castings under HS 7616 and 7907 — World Customs Organization HS nomenclature
- Section 232 derivative tariff extensions — US Department of Commerce
What goes wrong with die casting and metal forming
- Ordering a die before confirming the design is frozen.
- Accepting "aluminium" without an alloy designation such as ADC12 or A380.
- Not agreeing how metal price movement is handled between quote and production.
- Skipping a trial run and going straight to full production from the die.
- Assuming porosity control is automatic; it depends on process and is worth specifying for pressure-tight parts.
Related questions people ask
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