To calculate casting cost, start from the weight of metal poured, not the weight of the finished part, and then add the processes that turn a rough casting into the part you ordered. A casting price per kg from India is a convenient way to quote, but it only works if you know what the kilogram covers.
We do not publish prices here. What follows is how the cost is built, so you can read a quote and ask the right questions.
Net weight, gross weight and yield
The net weight is the weight of the finished casting. The gross weight, or poured weight, adds the gating and risers that feed metal into the mould and are cut off later. The ratio of net to gross is the yield.
A simple, compact part may have a high yield. A complex part with thick sections that need large risers has a low one. The foundry melts more metal than you receive, and that extra metal is a real cost even though it is recycled.
The cost lines in a casting
A foundry builds the cost from several lines. Not all quotes show them separately, so ask.
- Metal: scrap, pig iron, alloys and the melt loss in the furnace. See how scrap and pig iron prices affect casting costs.
- Melting energy, which is electricity for induction furnaces or fuel for others.
- Moulding and core making, including sand, binders and labour.
- Fettling and finishing: cutting off gates, grinding and shot blasting.
- Heat treatment, if the grade or the drawing requires it.
- Rejections: castings that fail inspection are scrapped, and the foundry prices in an expected rate.
- Testing and certificates, including chemistry and mechanical tests.
- Packing and loading.
Machining and the pattern
If you buy the casting machined, the machining cost often exceeds the cost of the casting itself for precision parts. Ask for rough and machined prices separately, so you see what each stage adds. Machined castings also need an allowance on the as-cast dimensions, so the design must leave enough material.
The pattern or tooling is a one-time cost, normally quoted apart from the piece price. Agree who owns it and where it is kept. Pattern cost and ownership explains the points to put in writing.
Per kilogram or per piece?
Per-kilogram quotes work for simple, high-volume castings where weight drives most of the cost. Per-piece quotes are fairer for complex or machined parts, because weight tells you little about the labour in them. Our guide to how castings are priced compares the two.
Whichever you use, check that the kilogram basis is stated: net or gross, as-cast or machined. A quote that is lower per kilogram can cost more per part if the basis differs.
How to get a quote you can trust
Send a drawing, the grade, the annual volume and the tolerance class, and ask each foundry to state its basis. Compare on the same footing, and see how to compare quotes from different engineering suppliers. Metal costs move with the scrap and pig iron market, so ask how long a quote stays valid and whether it carries a metal price adjustment clause.
Book a free sourcing review and we will obtain comparable quotes from audited foundries for your part. A real quote comes from the foundries, not from a rule of thumb.