How much does it cost · casting
Short answer: it depends on the process and the volume. Sand casting needs a cheap pattern, $500 to $5,000, but each part costs more; die casting needs a die of $15,000 to $50,000, then cheaper parts. The break-even point sits between 500 and 2,000 units for most parts (source: Hotean).
By the RFQdecoder team · updated 27 September 2026
Scrap is paid for by the good parts: at 10% scrap, each part delivered carries 1.11 parts poured. That is one reason sand casting costs more per part.
| Benchmark | Sand casting | Die casting |
|---|---|---|
| Tooling | $500 to $5,000 | $15,000 to $50,000 |
| Tooling life | shorter | over 100,000 parts |
| Scrap rate | 5 to 15% | 2 to 5% |
| Cycle time | hours, cooling included | 30 to 90 s |
Source: Hotean. Sand-cast parts also need more machining than die-cast parts.
In the case published by Hotean, the sand pattern costs $4,500 and the die $38,000; the part costs $36.00 in sand and $14.00 in die casting, before tooling. The break-even point falls at 1,523 parts.
| Quantity | Sand, tooling included | Die casting, tooling included |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | $45.00 | $90.00 |
| 1,523 | $38.95 | $38.95 |
| 5,000 | $36.90 | $21.60 |
Calculated from the published figures: price per part + tooling ÷ quantity. Below the break-even point, sand is cheaper; above it, die casting wins.
Hotean publishes $15,000 to $50,000 for a die casting die, with a life of over 100,000 parts, against $500 to $5,000 for a sand casting pattern.
According to Hotean, the break-even point is between 500 and 2,000 units for most parts. In its published housing case, it falls at 1,523 parts.
Hotean gives 5 to 15% scrap in sand casting and 2 to 5% in die casting, in controlled production.
Hotean says a die casting machine cycles every 30 to 90 seconds.
Add poured metal, casting time and finishing, divide by the share of good parts, then add tooling divided by the quantity.
Upload your PDF, DXF or STEP drawing: material, process, machining and cost of each step, with every assumption shown.