A changing ecosystem within the Engineering Products and Equipment market also affects the procurement process, cost dynamics and supplier attractiveness for the buyers of Die-Casting Molds. Suppliers of Die-Casting Molds are moving up the value chain - both organically as well as through M&As. Their portfolios are increasingly being diversified with the objective of offering integrated solutions that go beyond just Die-Casting Molds. Even buyers are engaging vendors who can act as a one-stop solution provider across their geographic footprint. Such strategic engagements can help buyers with savings associated with economies of scale and management of a much smaller supplier base.Several structural changes including M&As and vertical integration efforts of suppliers are characterizing the broader market. Such strategic developments can erode the strength of previously established supplier relationships due to changed realities in the supplier's ecosystem. At the same time, buyers may also find opportunities to onboard new suppliers with a wider range of offerings or better contract terms for .Volatility in the prices of key inputs is creating multiple issues that impact procurement within Die-Casting Molds category such as benchmarking and budgeting of the procurement costs.
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As market conditions become more dynamic and procurement practices get more sophisticated, category managers need to be cognizant of the best practices that work for their Die-Casting Molds category procurement. The report offers a succinct analysis of Die-Casting Molds procurement best practices. For example, Buyers should engage with suppliers that have recycling capability. Recycling capability of the suppliers will lower their production costs which will be passed on to buyers. Additionally, the recycling capability will contribute in furthering the sustainability goals of the buyers' organization. Buyers must have a clear understanding of the subcontracting policies, if any, of Die-Casting Molds suppliers. Factors such as cost incurred, service quality, adherence to timelines, and regulatory compliance of subcontractors employed by suppliers should be carefully assessed prior to engagement. Strong R&D focus is the sign of a supplier committed to enhancing the quality and cost proposition of its solutions. Buyers should collaborate with such suppliers for development of low-cost but highly efficiency products that can bring their OPEX down.
Die casting is popular because of its ability to regularly replicate patterns for parts that are highly complex and delicate, including those with thin-walled features. The process originated in the 19th century with casting printer parts like gears and bell cranks. Over the 20th century, the process was refined and became a cornerstone of metal component manufacturing. Xometry has offered custom die casting services for years; you can request a quote online from us at any time. Once your request comes in, our skilled team of engineers will review it and get back to you with pricing and lead times.
Since die casting uses salt cores, it can make complicated internal galleries without compromising the design or difficult tooling. Though it can be expensive and slightly limited in what it can do, Xometry customers in industries like aerospace, automotive, electronics, military, furniture—and many more!—swear by it. Read on to find out exactly why.
The die casting process is used to turn metal from solid to molten. Like most molding methods, the melt gets injected into a mold which is made of two parts that are put together with a hydraulic press. The metal flows into the cavity between the two parts and is either heated or allowed to cool, depending on what’s being made. Sometimes the parts are water-cooled in a process called “quenching” to speed up solidification and churn out more products in less time.
Since die casting produces low-cost and high-volume light metal components, it’s common to see fully automated and intricate production lines that can consistently repeat highly precise and strong metal components. Some other processes involve higher-cost parts, sometimes of lesser quality, and can have a slower manufacturing pace.
Xometry users in the aerospace and automotive industries use the process to make engines, interiors, and housings. Although plastic has pretty much taken over as the top toy-making material, sometimes these are made from die-cast zinc alloys (although not as much as they used to be). The military uses it for vehicles, weapons, and some system components, and it’s even used in furniture-making for things like chair legs and joiners. Other parts made with die casting include electronic enclosures, heat sinks, hardware, heat distribution chassis, and decorative and structural parts. As mentioned above, it’s an important process here at Xometry—we offer a leading die casting services.
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As previously mentioned, the molds can be either hot or cold during the casting process. Cold-chamber die casting is done with metals, such as aluminum, that have a higher melting point as well as a low volume production. In this process the metal is melted in a separate furnace, and added to the injection chamber, then a plunger moves it into the cold mold. This relies on the metal’s heat to stabilize the processing temperature. This process is cost-effective and doesn’t need as much maintenance, although there is a bigger chance of variability since it takes time for the production rate to stabilize.
Hot-chamber die casting (sometimes called goose-neck casting) is used in high-volume production. With this process, the furnace is built into the machine itself, which allows the metal to hold its temperature as it’s injected directly into the mold. Since the attached furnace eliminates the need for an injection chamber, it processes items faster. The downside is that it has a higher system cost and needs more maintenance to keep that high-quality production.
Lots of materials can be used in die casting, including alloys. Magnesium alloy die casting is one example as it can make strong and lightweight parts, as well as some of the thinnest sections possible thanks to the melt’s low viscosity. Zinc is used where strength isn’t a priority as it’s a more affordable material and easy to work with. It’s also strong enough to make parts like enclosures and toys. Copper isn’t used much in die casting because the high temperature could induce more thermal shock and it could crack. If you’re set on die-casting copper, you have to handle it very carefully and use a high-pressure process.
Pewter is a soft alloy that combines other materials. It’s mainly tin, but also has traces of copper and bismuth. It’s used for decorative objects and is easy to die cast in low-pressure equipment. In contrast, aluminum alloys are incredibly important when it comes to volume production. They do best with a hot chamber, high pressure, and more recently vacuum die casting. Aluminum provides highly precise parts that range from moderately strong to very strong.
Lead has seen a significant reduction in use, but it’s still critically important for manufacturing (ICE) automotive battery parts, particularly terminals. There’s been a lot of development in lead die casting, improving overall automation and process speeds. Similarly, tin-based alloys are seen less these days, but the need does arise from time to time. They cause very low wear and stress on tools because of the low viscosity and melting point.
The costs of starting die casting are high. It’s a complicated and expensive machine and is built to be highly durable. Since it’s so expensive, it’s not a good idea for low-volume manufacturing. That said, the happy medium for the volume to start reimbursing the higher cost of the CNC-machined parts can be as low as hundreds of parts.
There are five common methods of die casting available.
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