Custom casting or buying a standard part?

The short answer: if a standard part exists that meets the geometry, material and performance you need, it is best to buy it —it is cheaper and immediate. Custom casting is worthwhile when no standard meets the requirement, or when adapting one costs more than making the right part from scratch.

Custom casting wins in several cases: when the part needs a specific alloy —abrasion-, heat- or corrosion-resistant— that does not come off the shelf; when the geometry does not exist as a standard; when a discontinued or unavailable part must be replaced; or when the closest standard would need so much machining and adaptation that the initial saving disappears.

Volume also matters: the pattern cost is amortized with quantity, so the more parts, the more casting pays off. But the rule is simple: the right part is not the easiest one to source, it is the one that meets the requirement without compromises. CYM Materiales assesses each case and, if a standard solves it, says so —it does not push casting when it is not needed. (If the doubt is between casting, welding or machining, that is covered in the corresponding article.)