China castings

China cast product has long since carried a bad reputation for poor and inconsistent quality and long lead times. There is a clear cultural difference and an obvious language barrier as relatively few Chinese people speak English (or are not comfortable to do so), and even fewer English people speak Chinese! There is a common misconception that the only way companies can take advantage of low cost China casting route is if the volumes are huge, however this is not necessarily the case. DGI have well established supply relationships with a number of China castings suppliers for investment castings and other types of cast product and this enables us to offer the cost benefits with relatively low quantities, due to the large volumes of work we place with them.

The key to the successful sourcing of China castings are numerous, however building a strong, trusting relationship with your supply partners and personnel on the ground in China is fundamentally important, the controls and level of engineering input at casting and tool design stage. The initial design assessment, whether UK or China cast, involves the use of bespoke casting simulation software, in conjunction with our Solidworks 3D CAD design software. China castings are supplied with chemical analysis and inspection report as a minimum requirement which is over checked here in Manchester prior to customer delivery but any level of NDT (non destructive testing) through to full traceability can be offered. Wherever possible, China cast product is supplied in the fully finished condition, to include machining, polishing, plated or painted finish. The design, manufacturing and quality controls are fundamental to the success of China castings supply, China cast product that is produced and controlled in this way is equal to UK produced product with consistent results, built on sound engineered principles. Our strategy for China castings is simple, total manufacturing and quality controls ensures clear interpretation of requirements and provides a risk managed source for low cost sourcing for China castings, and our “right first time” philosophy, high standards and internal procedures ensure that the quality is maintained. Add to this a no cost stocking arrangement in Manchester and you have the complete “win win” supply package of low cost product, guaranteed quality and minimal lead times.