---
title: "Die Casting Services | Aluminum & Zinc Cast Parts | OpenSpindle"
description: "Get die casting quotes from independent shops. High-volume metal casting in aluminum, zinc, and magnesium, hot-chamber and cold-chamber. Net-shape metal parts at low per-part cost once tooling amortizes."
canonical: https://openspindle.com/capabilities/die-casting
---

# Die casting from independent shops

Molten metal is forced under high pressure into a hardened steel die, producing strong, dimensionally stable metal parts with tight repeatability, shot after shot. Once the tooling is paid off, die casting is the lowest per-part cost way to make a metal part at volume, in aluminum, zinc, or magnesium. Upload your part and hear back from independent die casters with tooling and per-part pricing.

## Die casting companies on OpenSpindle

Real die casting manufacturers, from prototype and low-volume casters to full-production metal parts companies. See their press tonnage, alloys, and certifications and get a competitive quote for tooling and parts.

[Browse all die casting shops](https://openspindle.com/manufacturers?capability=Die%20casting)

## How to design for Die Casting

Die cast parts live or die by wall design and how cleanly metal flows and fills the die. These rules keep parts free of porosity, sink, and short shots.

| Design rule | Typical spec | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimum wall thickness | 0.030 to 0.060 in (alloy-dependent) | Zinc can run thinner than aluminum; thinner walls fill faster but need more precise gating. |
| Draft angle | 1 to 3 degrees per side | Lets the part release cleanly from the die; deeper cavities and textured surfaces need more. |
| Standard tolerance | +/-0.004 in for the first inch, plus roughly +/-0.001 in per additional inch | Tighter features are held with secondary CNC machining after casting. |
| Fillet / corner radius | >= 1x wall thickness | Sharp internal corners restrict metal flow and concentrate stress, driving porosity and die wear. |
| Rib thickness | <= 0.75x adjacent wall | Thicker ribs cool slower than the wall and pull a visible sink mark on the opposite face. |
| Section thickness for porosity | Keep sections under about 0.25 in where possible | Thick sections cool slower and trap gas, causing internal porosity; core out mass where the part allows it. |
| Maximum part size | Alloy- and machine-dependent, typically limited by press locking force | Larger projected area needs a higher-tonnage press to hold the die shut against injection pressure. |

Exact limits depend on the alloy and the part geometry. Send your drawing and a shop tunes gates, wall thickness, and draft to it.

## Die and process options

The die is the biggest driver of your cost, lead time, and per-part price, and the casting method depends on your alloy. These are the choices die casters weigh, from a single-cavity die to a full production tool.

### Casting method

- **Hot-chamber die casting** -- The melting furnace is built into the machine, so the injection mechanism sits directly in the molten metal. Faster cycles, used for zinc, magnesium, and other low-melting-point alloys.
- **Cold-chamber die casting** -- Molten metal is ladled into a separate shot sleeve each cycle rather than held in the machine. Slower per cycle, but required for aluminum and other alloys that would corrode a hot-chamber system.

### Die layout

- **Single-cavity die** -- One part per shot. Lowest tooling cost, the right starting point for prototype and low-volume runs.
- **Multi-cavity die** -- Several identical cavities in one die so each shot produces multiple parts, raising output and lowering per-part cost at volume.
- **Family die** -- Different parts of one assembly cast together in a single die and shot, useful for matched-set components.

### Trim and tool life

- **Trim dies** -- A separate die or trim press removes flash, runners, and overflow wells after the part comes out of the casting die.
- **Tool steel and shot life** -- Dies are typically cut from H13 hot-work tool steel. Life ranges roughly from 100,000 shots for a demanding aluminum die up to 1,000,000+ shots for a zinc die, since aluminum runs hotter and wears steel faster.

## Die casting vs other processes

Die casting wins on per-part cost and repeatability for metal parts at volume, once its tooling is paid off. When your volume, material, or geometry points elsewhere, here is the better-fit process.

| Process | Best for | Typical volume | Choose it over Die Casting when |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Injection Molding](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/injection-molding.md) | Plastic parts | 1,000 to 1,000,000+ | Your part is plastic, not metal. Injection molding shares the same tooling logic (steel mold, multi-cavity, runner systems) but processes thermoplastics instead of molten metal. |
| Sand Casting | Large or very low-volume metal parts | 1 to 500 | You need a handful of large or one-off metal parts where a hardened die is not worth the tooling spend. Sand casting tooling costs far less, but the process is slower and holds looser tolerances per part. |
| [CNC Machining](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/cnc-machining.md) | Low-volume metal / tightest tolerance | 1 to 1,000 | You need a few to a few hundred metal parts with no tooling lead time, or tolerances tighter than as-cast surfaces can hold. Die casting takes over once volume justifies the die. |
| [Metal Stamping](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/metal-stamping.md) | Flat or formed sheet metal at volume | High | Your part is flat or sheet-formed rather than a true 3D net shape. Stamping tooling is typically cheaper than a casting die and runs faster for simple sheet geometries. |

## Industries Served

- Automotive
- Consumer products
- Electronics enclosures
- Industrial / OEM
- Aerospace & defense
- Lighting

Die casting shops on OpenSpindle make parts for everything from automotive brackets and housings to consumer electronics enclosures and lighting fixtures.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is die casting?

Die casting is a metal casting process where molten metal, typically aluminum, zinc, or magnesium, is forced under high pressure into a hardened steel die (mold). The metal solidifies quickly in the shape of the cavity, producing a strong, dimensionally stable net-shape or near-net-shape part. Because the die is reusable, the process is well suited to producing thousands to millions of identical metal parts once tooling is cut.

### Aluminum vs zinc die casting, which should I use?

Aluminum is lighter, stronger per pound, and more corrosion-resistant, making it the default for structural brackets, housings, and automotive parts. Zinc is denser but has a lower melting point, casts thinner walls and finer detail, holds tighter tolerances, and typically costs less per part and wears the die more slowly. If your part is small, thin-walled, and cosmetic, ask about zinc; for structural or weight-sensitive parts, aluminum is the usual choice.

### How much does a die casting mold cost?

Die casting tooling generally runs higher than injection molding tooling for a comparable part, because the die has to withstand molten metal instead of plastic. A simple single-cavity die often starts around $5,000 to $15,000, with multi-cavity or complex production dies running $20,000 to $100,000 or more. Cavity count, part complexity, undercuts, and expected shot life all drive the number. Upload your part to see real tooling and piece pricing from independent die casters.

### Hot-chamber vs cold-chamber die casting, what is the difference?

Hot-chamber machines keep the injection mechanism submerged in a built-in furnace of molten metal, giving faster cycle times. They are used for zinc, magnesium, and other low-melting-point alloys that will not corrode the machine. Cold-chamber machines ladle molten metal into a separate shot sleeve for each cycle and are required for aluminum, since aluminum would corrode a hot-chamber system. Cold-chamber cycles run slower, but it is the standard method for aluminum die casting.

### What tolerances can die casting hold?

A common as-cast tolerance is roughly +/-0.004 in for the first inch of a dimension, with an additional allowance per inch beyond that, though the exact figure depends on the alloy, part size, and die design. Features that need tighter tolerances than that are typically held with a secondary CNC machining operation after casting rather than by the die alone. Flag the few features that are truly critical on your drawing and the shop can machine those to spec.

### Die casting vs injection molding, which do I need?

Die casting produces metal parts (aluminum, zinc, magnesium); injection molding produces plastic parts. The two processes share a lot of tooling logic, hardened steel tooling, multi-cavity dies, similar draft and wall-thickness rules, but die casting handles far higher pressures and temperatures because it is casting molten metal rather than injecting molten plastic. Choose based on what your part needs to be made of, not on volume alone, since both processes scale to high volumes once tooling is cut.

## Other Capabilities

- [Injection Molding](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/injection-molding.md)
- [CNC Machining](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/cnc-machining.md)
- [Metal Stamping](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/metal-stamping.md)
- [Sheet Metal Fabrication](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/sheet-metal-fabrication.md)

## Get die casting quotes

Upload your part once and compare tooling and per-part pricing from independent die casting shops for aluminum, zinc, and magnesium.