Calculation · casting
Short answer: in die casting, part cost adds up three terms: alloy (price per kg × shot weight), machine time (hourly rate × cycle time ÷ number of cavities) and the die spread over its life. Boothroyd Dewhurst publishes this formula and a full example, rebuilt below.
By the RFQdecoder team · updated 27 September 2026
Two cavities, 42-second cycle, cold-chamber machine at $110 per hour, $18,000 die for 100,000 shots. Source: Boothroyd Dewhurst.
| Item | Calculation | Per part |
|---|---|---|
| Alloy | $2.20/kg × 0.120 kg | $0.264 |
| Casting machine | ($110/h × 42 s ÷ 3,600) ÷ 2 | $0.642 |
| Trim and deburr | 30 s per part | $0.180 |
| Tumbling and finish | batch operation | $0.095 |
| Die amortisation | ($18,000 ÷ 100,000) ÷ 2 | $0.090 |
| Cost per part | $1.271 |
The same housing, with the $18,000 die spread over the ordered quantity and other items unchanged (RFQdecoder calculation from the published example):
| Quantity | Cost per part |
|---|---|
| 5,000 | $4.781 |
| 20,000 | $2.081 |
| 100,000 | $1.361 |
| 200,000 | $1.271 |
| Benchmark | Value |
|---|---|
| Aluminium | $1.50 to $3.50 per kg |
| Cold-chamber machine | $80 to $150 per hour |
| Hot-chamber machine | $35 to $60 per hour |
| Aluminium die | $5,000 to $25,000, for 50,000 to 150,000 shots |
Source: Boothroyd Dewhurst. For short runs, sand casting remains cheaper: in the case published by Hotean, the break-even point is 1,523 parts.
Alloy × shot weight, plus machine rate × cycle time divided by the number of cavities, plus die cost divided by die life, plus trimming and finishing.
Boothroyd Dewhurst gives $5,000 to $25,000 for an aluminium die, with a life of 50,000 to 150,000 shots.
According to Boothroyd Dewhurst, $80 to $150 per hour for a cold-chamber machine, used for aluminium, and $35 to $60 for a hot chamber.
The die is a fixed cost. In the published example, it weighs $3.60 per part over 5,000 parts and $0.09 over 200,000.
Sand casting needs much cheaper tooling but costlier parts. In the case published by Hotean, die casting becomes cheaper beyond 1,523 parts.
Upload your PDF, DXF or STEP drawing: alloy, cycle, die and machining priced line by line.