Primary process: Continuous Casting. The full route, materials, tolerances and design tips for an ingot, with an indicative cost.
Continuous CastingPrimary process
CastingFamily
8Route steps
+/-1mmTypical tol.
An ingot is primarily made by Continuous Casting. Continuous casting solidifies metal as it is drawn steadily from a water-cooled mould, producing a long billet, bloom or slab of uniform cross section. Below is the full route to make an ingot, the materials it suits, the tolerances to expect and the main design points. The route is free, from the finder.
Step by step
How an ingot is made
The usual route, raw material to finished part. The amber step is where the ingot gets its basic shape.
Alloy and tooling
Choose the casting alloy for the ingot and make the pattern or metal die that forms the cavity.
Continuous Casting
Melt the metal and pour it into the mould, then let the ingot solidify and cool.
Tooling Very high (plant) Tolerance stock grade Lead n/a (stock)
Fettling and cleaning
Cut off the gates and risers, grind away the flash, and clean the raw casting.
Machining
Machine the mating faces, bores and datum surfaces to final tolerance: the as-cast surface is too rough for close fits.
Tooling None Tolerance ±0.125mm, to ±0.025mm Lead 1 to 10 days
Hole making
Drill, ream and tap the fixing and functional holes.
Tooling None Tolerance ±0.05 to 0.2mm Lead hours to days
Heat treatment
Stress-relieve or harden the ingot to reach the strength and hardness the design needs.
Tooling n/a Tolerance can distort Lead days
Surface finish
Plate, anodise or powder coat for corrosion resistance and appearance.
Tooling Low Tolerance adds 0.05 to 0.2mm Lead days
Inspection
Check critical dimensions and, for any part that holds pressure, leak-test before it ships.
Need the real cost for an ingot? The free route above is yours. Unlock the full dossier to quote and source it.
Where this process typically lands. Tighter is possible with extra operations like grinding, at higher cost.
Materials
Materials for an ingot
Grade
Why it suits this
Carbon steel billet
Stock for rolling/forging
Aluminium billet
Stock for extrusion
Copper/brass stock
Electrical, plumbing
Design
Design tips
General pointers. The full design-for-manufacturing list for an ingot is in the dossier.
Over-specifying stock size.Buy nearest standard section.
No cert traceability.Require mill certs.
Cost
What an ingot should cost
This is how billet/bloom/slab stock is made; you buy it per tonne, not per part. Price tracks the metal market.
PER-PART COST vs VOLUME
Per-part cost drops as volume spreads tooling and setup over more parts. The exact figures for an ingot at your volume, in your currency, are in the dossier.
MODEL EST.
$1.4 to 2.3per part at 1,000 off
A rough ballpark only. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency, with the full breakdown.
GET THE FULL DOSSIER
Everything you need to quote and source it
The free route above is yours. To actually put a number on an ingot and buy it well:
Should-cost at your exact volume in 12 currencies, with the material, processing, tooling and overhead breakdown
Who to source from, typical MOQ and lead time, and the exact RFQ checklist to send
A quote checker that tells you if a supplier quote is fair, and the red flags to watch
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An ingot is primarily made by continuous casting. The route is: Alloy and tooling; Continuous Casting; Fettling and cleaning; Machining; Hole making; Heat treatment; Surface finish; Inspection.
What does an ingot cost?
It depends on size, tolerance and volume. As a rough ballpark it starts around $1.4 to 2.3 per part at 1,000 off and falls with quantity. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency. A model estimate, not a quote.
What material is an ingot made from?
Common choices are Carbon steel billet; Aluminium billet; Copper/brass stock.
What is the main process for an ingot?
Continuous Casting. Feedstock: bar, billet and slab for downstream rolling, forging and machining.
See the exact route and should-cost for your part
The free finder maps your part to its process and full route. Pro adds should-cost at your volume, sourcing and an RFQ draft.
