How much does die casting and metal forming cost per unit?
Confidence 4/5 Established practice · review by 2026-12-31
Unit cost for die casting and metal forming:
Roughly USD 0.80–8.00 per part at 5,000 units for a small to medium aluminium die casting, with metal price passed through and fluctuating.
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
Want this priced for your specification?
Send the requirement and any drawings. You get a supplier shortlist and one landed price, with the cost breakdown shown.