Determine the components of mold cost:
- Split cost components;
- Formulas for determining cost components;
- Determine the source and accuracy of the data;
- Modeling based on the previous steps.
From the point of view of the cost of mold processing, whether it is the design costs, material costs, profits and management costs, or debugging transportation costs and standard parts costs, as long as the patient collection of data, careful accounting, relatively easy to identify and account for.
The most difficult part of the mold processing costs for the processing fee, which is also let die-casting manufacturers more troubled part. Processing from the initial roughing to the subsequent finishing, and then the back of the EDM, wire cutting, polishing, etc., the labor paid and mold on the investment.
If you do not have the relevant work experience, it is difficult to identify the corresponding cost, but you can learn from the experience of different die-casting service providers, summarize and thus know the general cost composition of the part.
Standardized tooling costing methods:
Determine the cost components of the mold → Determine the cost components disassembled → Determine the cost components formula → Determine the cost components data sources → Formation of the mold costing model
Mold supply chain model:
There is a corresponding time cycle in the mold manufacturing and processing, through the time cycle and combined with the manufacturing process, looking for the average price on the market to make an estimate, you can get rid of a certain amount of water. For example, some positions are double shifts and some positions are single shifts, according to the breakdown given by the supplier to see if the processing time matches, so as to push back the supplier’s cost composition.
Understand the supplier’s supply chain, know his supplier’s cost level in order to know the cost level of this supplier. Usually there are three profit points in a traditional mold factory: material cost, processing cost and management cost; therefore, you must know the price of raw materials.
Die casting mold cost consists of the following pieces:
- Design costs;
- Material costs;
- Processing costs;
- Management and labor costs;
- Inspection costs;
- Trial mold cost;
Material costs and design costs are relatively visible, and other costs such as manufacturing costs, debugging, transportation, validation, management costs, profits, and other costs belong to the black box, which should be established as a mechanism for mold costing. The supply chain information sharing level needs to be further strengthened: such as design change information, demand forecasting,etc..
The cost of a mold basically contains the above 6 parts of the cost, the general mold factory will also be counted on the auxiliary costs of about 5% of the cost of the mold, the rest is the profit part of the mold.
1. Design costs:
It is closely related to the labor cost, so it is necessary to know the wage level of the supplier’s region in order to better estimate the labor cost. Mold design generally includes CAD structural design & 2D drawings, CAE mold flow analysis and CAM programming. However, when considering the cost of mold design, we usually only consider the cost of CAD and CAE.
Design costs generally depending on the size of the mold, the complexity of the degree of difficulty, in fact, the mold factory quotes are different. Ningbo area generally large mold accounted for 2% of the total cost, small mold design cost 2.5% ~ 3%. Design generally includes CAD structural design & 2D drawings, CAE mold flow analysis, CAM production department programming.
2. Material costs:
The material of die-casting mold mainly includes the cost of die frame (frame) and die core (kernel). Die frame is divided into self-made die frame and standard die frame. Because the larger the tonnage of the mold, the larger the processing equipment stroke requirements for the mold frame, so most of the mold factory purchase outsourcing mold frame, buy standard mold frame.
The larger the tonnage of the mold, the larger the mold carrier. Generally the larger the mold frame, the lower the cost, accounting for the cost according to the weight of direct accounting, but to remove the gap part of the mold feet. Mold frame material is generally 45#, 50#, 55# steel, 50# steel.
According to the design life of die-casting mold to choose the material of the die frame, due to the aluminum alloy die life is generally in 8~100,000 die times, the die frame can be reused to meet the life of 30W~40W. So we need to consider the reuse of the die frame in the daily copy mold.
Soft molds have very low die times, only a few hundred die times, and can be replaced directly with core material without using a mold frame.
The major part of the material cost is the cost of the mold frame and the core. It should be noted that if the mold life has come, ready to open the duplicate mold, need to go to identify whether the die frame can be reused; If can be reused, then the duplicate mold cost can be greatly reduced. Heat treatment cost, for die casting die, heat treatment cost is also a big head, including tempering, vacuum quenching, nitriding and other steps of the cost. The specific cost of the high and low depends on the size of the supplier.
3. Manufacturing costs:
Including the cost of equipment such as machine tools, spark machines, wire cutting and other equipment and labor costs such as mold matching and polishing. Generally the processing cost of the mold should not exceed 20% of the whole mold cost.
4. Labor costs:
Process automation also determines die casting costs. Labor can be used either directly for the process or for process setup. You can reduce setup labor costs and direct labor costs.
5. Inspection costs:
Mainly for the key dimensions of the mold, electrode, mold core process inspection and subsequent factory inspection, inspection costs account for 1-2% of the total costs.
6. Trial mold transportation and packaging costs:
General mold company internal constant is 2 times trial mold index, 800T mold below trial mold cost 1-1.5%; 800T above trial mold cost 2%. Aluminum alloy die casting trial mold cost is cheaper, and magnesium alloy die casting trial mold cost will be higher, because magnesium alloy on the material safety performance requirements are higher; magnesium alloy material unit price is higher; plus magnesium alloy die casting furnace and aluminum alloy is not the same.
It should be noted that the general trial mold should not be more than 3 times, if more than 3 times, the cost of the trial mold should be borne by the mold factory, because it is due to their mold itself has a problem that led to the need for multiple trial mold. In addition, the parameters of the equipment must be adjusted accurately to ensure that the trial mold smooth.
FAQ
1.What parameters are used to determine whether a molded box can be reused?
It is necessary to evaluate the die frame. For example, whether the die frame is deformed during normal use, if so, what is the amount of deformation, and to do an assessment of the reuse life; normally if the process parameters of the press are within the normal range, then the die frame can certainly be reused; if the process parameters of the press are set incorrectly, resulting in a very serious deformation of the die frame, which can not be reused, then you need to invest in a new die frame.
2.How much of a difference will there be between materials of different qualities, apart from the difference in service life?
For magnesium alloys, the difference in service life is small. For aluminum alloys, since the early cracking and erosion of aluminum alloys is more serious, so in the selection of mold steel, you need to confirm with the mold engineer whether you can accept this early cracking and erosion, but for the quality of the product itself is not affected. In general, whether to use high-quality materials, need to consider a variety of aspects, such as the purchase volume, part quality requirements, the later use of conditions, machining accuracy requirements and so on.
3.Is there any difference between vacuum casting and normal casting other than the need for a vacuum valve?
Vacuum die casting sometimes need mold point cold, and ordinary casting do not need. Vacuum die casting is still mainly to eliminate fine holes, in order to prepare for the subsequent process; but the use of vacuum die casting or ordinary die casting is still mainly with the mold itself processing accuracy, not vacuum die casting out of the parts is necessarily better than ordinary die casting out of the parts.
