A Chinese contract printer, 三帝科技, has published a buyer's guide to its service covering sand moulds, wax patterns and metal parts. It explains why price per gram cannot be compared between bureaus and how quotes, files and lead times work.
How are sand moulds priced?
Sand moulds are priced by volume and complexity, not weight. Wax and metal parts depend on weight, machine time and finishing. Single pieces are accepted, and start-up cost is mostly setup, parameters and depowdering.
What about lead times and files?
Moulds alone typically take 5 to 10 working days from process confirmation. Castings add pouring and machining. Customers should send finished-size STEP files and not apply shrinkage themselves. Quotes take 1 to 3 working days.
What it means
For buyers, the useful point is that bureau quotes only compare for the same drawing and delivery state. Asking which lead time is quoted, and which assumptions are written in, avoids most disputes. This is a vendor's own guide, so figures are indicative.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a price per gram?
No. Identical weights can differ 3 to 5 times in cost depending on complexity.
What is the minimum order?
Single pieces for moulds, wax and metal. Batch binder jetting gets cheaper per part with volume.
