Anyone have any parts cast in aluminum or in the casting business?

[502ss]

Looking to have 2 parts sand casted in aluminum. Pretty simple parts and no tight tolerances. Anyone ever had any parts cast using sand molds? Just trying to get an idea if we are talking hundreds of dollars or thousands? I can provide the template (made out of wood). This is what the part will look like with dimensions. All dimensions are in inches.

 

Thanks

Jim

 

[Spurshot]

I've had cast iron parts made. Most of the money is in the pattern. Looks like about 40 lbs ea from here. For 2 pieces, I'd just cut them from plate. Call it 100 lbs with scrap. ~$6/lb = $600 in material. A lot of how much this will cost in labor depends on finish quality and tolerances. Neither of which your drawing specifies. Also, while the outside 103* angle feasible, there is something funky going on with the 10" dia counterbore at 103*. The bottom of the counterbore is parallel with the outside plate and the 6" bore and 10" bore are at 103. This makes for a very unusual and difficult feature to produce. Looks like a CAD error to me. Something you'll have to work out before it can be quoted. But assuming that feature gets squared away, I think $600-1000 in labor is in the park.

 

Aluminum plate will commonly come in 3" and 4", with other thicknesses being much less common. If you can live with 4", it saves machine time. It may save you an hour or so of machine time.

 

Look into waterjet cutting the periphery and 6" hole

[Carder09]

I've had cast iron parts made. Most of the money is in the pattern. Looks like about 40 lbs ea from here. For 2 pieces, I'd just cut them from plate. Call it 100 lbs with scrap. ~$6/lb = $600 in material. A lot of how much this will cost in labor depends on finish quality and tolerances. Neither of which your drawing specifies. Also, while the outside 103* angle feasible, there is something funky going on with the 10" dia counterbore at 103*. The bottom of the counterbore is parallel with the outside plate and the 6" bore and 10" bore are at 103. This makes for a very unusual and difficult feature to produce. Looks like a CAD error to me. Something you'll have to work out before it can be quoted. But assuming that feature gets squared away, I think $600-1000 in labor is in the park.

 

Aluminum plate will commonly come in 3" and 4", with other thicknesses being much less common. If you can live with 4", it saves machine time. It may save you an hour or so of machine time.

 

Look into waterjet cutting the periphery and 6" hole

I approve this suggestion because none of it made sense to me and it seems smart.

[502ss]

I've had cast iron parts made. Most of the money is in the pattern. Looks like about 40 lbs ea from here. For 2 pieces, I'd just cut them from plate. Call it 100 lbs with scrap. ~$6/lb = $600 in material. A lot of how much this will cost in labor depends on finish quality and tolerances. Neither of which your drawing specifies. Also, while the outside 103* angle feasible, there is something funky going on with the 10" dia counterbore at 103*. The bottom of the counterbore is parallel with the outside plate and the 6" bore and 10" bore are at 103. This makes for a very unusual and difficult feature to produce. Looks like a CAD error to me. Something you'll have to work out before it can be quoted. But assuming that feature gets squared away, I think $600-1000 in labor is in the park.

 

Aluminum plate will commonly come in 3" and 4", with other thicknesses being much less common. If you can live with 4", it saves machine time. It may save you an hour or so of machine time.

 

Look into waterjet cutting the periphery and 6" hole

Thanks for the feedback! Unfortunately 6061 is a lot more expensive then you think. I have received several quotes for 2 pieces 4"x12"x24" being in the neighborhood of $1200-$1400. I received one quote from a company who priced the material and to machine it. The total was $3500 for both pieces!! This is why I think it would be cheaper to cast the parts especially if I am making the pattern!

 

With regards to the angles, without seeing how the part is used and how other components mate up to it it's difficult to understand why it is designed as it is. Trust me, there is no error with the CAD!

[RyanbabZ71]

Wow that seems really high for machining. We make aircraft engine parts (tight tolerances), some complex parts and they arent that high.

 

With only having 2 parts made that will also increase the price as most shops want to deal in a higher quantity. There is a local place here that does custom fabrication work (http://www.fab2order.com/) Not sure their prices

 

Have you contacted any 3D printers to see what they could do? I assume it will still be high?