Request for Quotation to a Foundry: What Data and Documents to Prepare to Get an Accurate Casting Quote

An accurate casting quote starts with a complete request: a 3D model, a drawing with tolerances, the alloy grade, realistic quantities and quality requirements. Below you will find a list of the data a foundry needs, an explanation of why each item matters, and an RFQ template you can copy. The text is intended for design engineers, buyers and business owners who order aluminum castings.

In brief

• The minimum is a 3D model (STEP), a 2D drawing (PDF) with tolerances, the alloy per PN-EN 1706 with temper, annual demand and batch size, the scope of machining and finishing, and the required documents and tests.
• Annual quantity largely determines the process (sand mold, permanent mold, high-pressure die casting), and therefore the tooling cost and the price per part.
• Mark the machined surfaces and critical dimensions: the foundry can then position the casting in the mold so that these dimensions are formed in a single mold half.
• Specify as-cast tolerances using the casting standard (ISO 8062-3), not machining tolerances.
• State quality requirements up front, because anything added after the quote changes the price and lead time.

The minimum without which a quote is guesswork

Every gap in an RFQ must be filled by the foundry with something: an assumption, a question or a safety margin in the price. The following information saves the most questions and assumptions:

Information	Why the foundry needs it
3D model of the part (STEP)	tooling quote, mold filling analysis, placement of cores and the parting line
2D drawing (PDF) with tolerances	critical dimensions, surface roughness, datums and machined surfaces that the model does not show
Alloy grade and temper	metal price, melting process, possible heat treatment
Annual demand and batch size	process selection and spreading of the tooling cost
Number of prototypes or samples	whether to start with a sand mold before the permanent mold is made
Scope of work	as-cast part, CNC machining, coating, insert installation
Quality requirements and documents	scope of inspection, testing and acceptance documentation
Lead times, packaging, delivery location	production planning and logistics

The handbook "Odlewnictwo" (WNT) lists largely the same data as input for selecting a casting process: mechanical properties, part dimensions and shape, tolerances, material, time to start of production, and production volume and rate. Without them, a foundry cannot select a technology; it can only guess.

3D model and drawing: what they should include

Today, the 3D model is the basis for quoting. Even the handbook points out that a spatial record is a prerequisite for machining tooling on CNC machines and for process simulation. The safest exchange format is STEP; attach the drawing as a PDF with a revision number matching the model.

On the drawing or in the model, mark:

• machined surfaces together with the required roughness. Machining allowances and the locations of gating system and riser contacts depend on this; they are best placed where a milling cutter will be going anyway (as with flash at the mold parting line),
• critical dimensions and datums – dimensions crossing the mold parting plane carry an additional deviation (in a permanent mold, the handbook gives an extra ±0.3–0.8 mm), so the foundry will try to place them in one mold half,
• general tolerance of the as-cast part – per ISO 8062-3, in the grade realistic for the process; more in the article on how to specify tolerances and machining allowances per ISO 8062-3,
• special zones – sealing surfaces, areas where no porosity is allowed after machining, and visible surfaces that must not show gating marks.

Finished part drawing vs. as-cast drawing

You usually have a drawing of the finished, machined part. Based on it, the foundry prepares a drawing or model of the as-cast part: with machining allowances, draft angles, radii and the marked mold parting line. It is worth approving this document before tooling is made, because it is the basis for accepting the as-cast part. If you already have your own as-cast drawing, attach it, but expect proposals for changes.

Material: how to specify the alloy

The word "aluminum" is not enough. Specify the grade per PN-EN 1706, preferably in both numerical and chemical designation, and the condition in which the casting is to be delivered, e.g. as-cast (F) or heat treated (T6). If an old drawing shows a symbol such as AK7 or AK11, ask about the equivalent: we explain this in the article on how to read cast aluminum alloy designations.

Describe the required mechanical properties together with the measurement location: values differ between separately cast test bars and specimens cut from the casting. The same alloy also has different properties in sand molds, permanent molds and high-pressure die casting molds, so requirements and technology must match.

Quantities: why the foundry asks about annual demand

The first order may be small and the series large, or the other way around. The foundry needs both figures, because annual demand determines whether a sand mold, a permanent mold or a high-pressure die is cost-effective, and batch size determines changeover and storage costs. Please provide:

• annual demand (estimated, but realistic),
• batch size and delivery frequency,
• number of prototypes or samples for approval,
• expected product lifetime in years.

We show how quantity translates into per-part and tooling cost in the article on what makes up the price of an aluminum casting.

Quality requirements and documents

These are items that often appear only after the quote has been submitted, and they change its scope:

• first article inspection report and scope of measurements in series production,
• inspection document per EN 10204, e.g. 3.1 inspection certificate,
• non-destructive testing (radiography, dye penetrant) and acceptance criteria,
• leak test with parameters: medium, pressure, time, permissible leakage,
• marking and batch traceability.

If you do not have your own requirements, ask for the foundry's terms. Ours are described in the document technical acceptance conditions for castings.

If you have no documentation

A missing model does not rule out an inquiry. An existing part is enough, even a worn or cracked one: it can be scanned, the CAD model recreated, and only then the casting quoted. We describe this service on the page modeling and prototyping, and the whole process step by step in the article on recreating an aluminum part without documentation.

Most common mistakes in quote requests

Mistake	Consequence
2D drawing only, no 3D model	longer quoting time, risk of misinterpreting the shape, price with a safety margin
"Aluminum" with no alloy or temper specified	the foundry assumes a default alloy, so quotes become incomparable
Only the quantity from the first order	wrong process selection and incorrect tooling cost
Machining tolerances on as-cast surfaces	requirements that cannot be achieved in a casting, or additional, unnecessary machining
Machined surfaces not marked	machining allowances in the wrong places, gating marks on a visible surface
Testing requirements added after the quote	change in price and lead time
No information on coating or heat treatment	quotes from different foundries calculated for different scopes

What you will get in response

A complete request allows the foundry to respond with a quote that can be compared with others. It should include:

• the proposed process and the reasoning behind the choice,
• tooling cost as a separate line item,
• unit price for the stated batch size, with a clear scope (casting, machining, coating, inspection),
• lead time for tooling and samples, and production lead time for the series (more about the stages in the article on how long it takes to make a casting),
• technical comments on the model, e.g. suggested changes to wall thickness, draft angles or the number of cores,
• assumptions: machining allowances applied, tolerances, quote validity.

RFQ template to copy

1. Subject: Request for quotation – aluminum casting, part name, drawing number and revision.
2. Attachments: 3D STEP model (revision …), PDF drawing (revision …), optionally a drawing of the as-cast part.
3. Alloy and temper: EN AC-… per PN-EN 1706, temper … (e.g. F or T6); required properties and measurement location: ….
4. Quantities: annual demand … pcs; batch … pcs; prototypes or samples … pcs; expected production period … years.
5. Scope: as-cast part / machining per drawing / powder coating RAL … / insert installation / other: ….
6. Quality: first article inspection report (yes/no), document per EN 10204 type …, testing: …, leak test: ….
7. Deadlines: samples by …, series start ….
8. Packaging and delivery: packaging type …, delivery terms …, delivery location ….
9. Contact: name, phone, e-mail; information about a non-disclosure agreement, if required.

Frequently asked questions

Send your aluminum casting inquiry

Do you have a model and a drawing? Send them via the quote request form together with the alloy grade and quantities. We will respond with a quote that lists the tooling cost separately, the unit price and technical comments on the model, and if anything is missing, we will ask about the specific point instead of making assumptions.

Sources and standards

• M. Perzyk (ed.), Casting, WNT, Warsaw – ch. 3.2.2 (manufacturability rules, tables 3.12 and 3.16, pp. 169–179), 3.2.3 (use of CAD systems, pp. 180–182), 3.3 (table 3.21 – dimensional tolerances, pp. 186–187), 3.4 (selecting the casting process, fig. 3.32, pp. 190–194).
• PN-EN 1706:2020+A1:2021 – Aluminium and aluminium alloys – Castings – Chemical composition and mechanical properties.
• ISO 8062-3 – Geometrical product specifications (GPS). Dimensional and geometrical tolerances for molded parts. Part 3: General dimensional and geometrical tolerances and machining allowances for castings.
• EN 10204 – Metallic products. Types of inspection documents.