Metal Casting: a buyer's sourcing guide
Everything a procurement team should know before opening an RFQ for metal casting: materials, tolerances, certifications and red flags.
Recent RFQs in metal casting
Overview
Casting pours molten metal into a mould to obtain near-net-shape parts. Sand casting suits small batches and big sizes, gravity die fits mid-size aluminium parts, investment casting handles complex steel geometries.
When to choose this process
Use casting for heavy or geometrically rich parts where machining from solid would be wasteful.
Typical materials
- Grey/ductile iron GJL/GJS
- Carbon and alloy steel
- Aluminium AlSi
- Bronze, brass
- Stainless steel
Typical tolerances
Sand CT11–CT13, gravity die CT8–CT10, investment CT5–CT7; finish-machine critical features.
Certifications to ask for
- ISO 9001
- EN 1559
- PED 2014/68/EU for pressure parts
Frequently asked questions
Casting + machining: one supplier or two?
Foundry + machine shop in one cluster is faster and reduces tolerance stack. Many EU foundries have integrated machining; in Asia they're often two separate vendors.
Do I need an X-ray test?
For pressure, safety or aerospace parts yes (ASTM E155). For standard structural parts a visual + dye-penetrant test on critical zones is enough.
Sourcing countries covered
Editorial market guide. Supplyria is a marketplace; we don't list private suppliers on this page. Cost ranges and lead times are indicative and based on public industry benchmarks.