Die casting · Partner foundries we manage
Die casting coordinated from Vietnam: ADC12 aluminum and Zamak 3 zinc from partner foundries.
Saola Manufacturing sources ADC12 aluminum and Zamak 3 zinc housings, bases and covers from partner foundries it manages, on dedicated production tooling, and machines them at its lead CNC plant in Binh Duong, Vietnam. Finishing is done by partner plants, all under one PO; the quote names the production site and country of origin.
- Alloys
- 2
- ADC12 aluminum and Zamak 3 zinc, no others
- Machining
- CNC
- At our lead CNC plant; casting and finishing at partner plants
- Purchase order
- 1
- Cast, machined, finished and packed
- Hours
- 48
- Quote returned from your drawing
01 — What we actually run
Housings, bases, covers — parts that get machined after.
The die-cast work we manage is small to mid-size structural and enclosure parts: the kind that gets a bore, a thread or a datum face cut in after casting. If a part is purely decorative or paper-thin, it is usually a better fit for another process than for a die-cast tool.
Typical parts
Housings, bases, covers and lamp heads for equipment cabinetry — parts that carry a machined bore or a mounting face on an otherwise cast body.
ADC12 aluminum is the default where weight matters. ADC12 is not a good anodizing alloy — specify powder coat for a protective or cosmetic finish. Zamak 3 zinc is the better call where wall sections are thinner and the as-cast dimensional stability needs to be tighter — zinc alloys hold detail and flatness better at low wall thickness than aluminum alloys generally do.
Drawing calls out A380 or EN AC-46000? Read how ADC12 compares with A380 and EN AC-46000, with the registered composition limits and draft guidance.
Still choosing the alloy family? Compare zinc vs aluminum die casting. Sealing faces or tapped holes machined into the casting? Read why die-casting porosity shows up after machining.
Designing the casting? Start with minimum wall thickness for aluminum and zinc and the zinc die casting design rules. Moving an existing die from China? Read who owns your die casting tooling overseas.
Die-cast parts by industry: housings and valve bodies for gas and water distribution, and equipment covers and housings for medical, dental and veterinary equipment. Moving a cast part out of China? Read how US tariffs and country of origin apply to cast and machined parts.
02 — Process parameters
Alloys, tooling and terms.
The numbers a buyer actually needs before a first RFQ.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Alloys | ADC12 aluminum, Zamak 3 zinc |
| Tooling investment | Set per part in the written quote, depending on part size and cavitation |
| Minimum order quantity | Set per part in the written quote |
| Machined bore tolerance, post-cast | ±0.001 in. (0.025 mm), GD&T concentricity to Ø0.003 in |
| Where each step is done | Casting at a partner foundry · machining at our lead CNC plant · finishing at a partner plant; the quote names the production site and origin |
| Finishes (partner plants) | Powder coating, electroplating, zinc plating, RoHS-compliant blue trivalent chromate, pad printing |
| Terms | FOB Ho Chi Minh City · DDP, tooling and payment terms confirmed in the written quote |
03 — Take cost out of the drawing
Where die-casting cost actually comes from.
Die-cast cost is set mostly at the tooling stage. These are the drawing choices that move tooling price, cycle time and scrap rate.
1. Add draft to every wall that leaves the tool
A wall with no draft angle drags on the core when the mold opens, which scars the surface and shortens tool life. Generous draft on non-cosmetic walls is the single cheapest change on most drawings we see.
2. Keep wall thickness even across the part
A thick section next to a thin one cools at a different rate and pulls porosity toward the thick side. Even wall thickness is what actually gets you a sound casting, not extra material where you think you need "strength."
3. Put the parting line where nobody will look for it
Every parting line leaves a trace of flash, however light. Decide up front which face is cosmetic and let the tool designer route the parting line to the back or bottom of the part instead.
4. Cast a feature instead of machining it, where the tolerance allows
A boss or a rough hole can often be cast directly instead of added as a milling operation afterward. Reserve the ±0.001 in. (0.025 mm) machined tolerance for the bores and faces that genuinely need it.
5. Choose the alloy for the wall section, not out of habit
ADC12 aluminum suits larger, thicker-wall parts where weight matters. Zamak 3 zinc suits thinner, more detailed sections. Specifying the alloy that matches your wall thickness avoids a tooling rework after first samples.
04 — Where this is the wrong process
What die casting does not do here.
Not for large structural castings or one-off runs
Die casting only pays for itself once tooling is amortized over real volume. MOQ is set per part in the written quote, and when a run is too small for tooling to pay back we will say so instead of quoting a tooling cost you cannot justify.
For a brass or bronze body — a valve or fitting, typically — sand casting is the right process, not die casting. See sand casting.
05 — One supplier, one PO
A casting is a raw part until it is machined and finished.
This is the routing we manage most: die cast at a partner foundry, machine and deburr at our lead CNC plant, coat at a partner finishing plant, then inspect and pack — five operations, one part number, one invoice.
CNC milling
Datum faces, bores and threads cut to print on the casting after it comes off the tool.
See CNC millingSurface finishing
Powder coat or plate the same casting at a partner finishing plant before it ships.
See the finish menuCNC turning
A turned bushing or shaft pressed into a die-cast housing before final inspection.
See CNC turning
Who owns the tooling?
Tooling ownership is confirmed in the written quote, together with the tooling cost and payment terms. If you need a specific ownership arrangement, say so on your RFQ.
ADC12 or Zamak 3 — how do I choose?
Weight and corrosion needs usually point to ADC12 aluminum; thinner walls and tighter as-cast detail usually point to Zamak 3 zinc. Send the drawing and we will tell you which alloy fits the wall sections you have drawn, not the one that is easiest to quote.
Can you cast and machine the same part?
Yes — that is the routing we manage on most die-cast programs. The casting comes from a partner foundry to our lead CNC plant for datum faces, bores and threads, then goes to a partner plant for finishing, all under one part number. The quote names the production site and origin of each step.
Die casting guides
Send a die-cast drawing. See the tooling cost first.
STEP or PDF. You get the tooling investment, a unit price at your volume, the lead time, and a short note on anything we would change to take cost out.