How we work
From drawing to delivered component
Every project follows the same eight stages. Here is what happens at each one, what we need from you, and what to expect.
Everything under one roof
Most manufacturers buying a casting deal with two or three suppliers. A foundry pours the part, a machine shop finishes it, and when a dimension is out, each points at the other.
Cheras casts and machines in the same building. The engineer who assesses your drawing for castability is working alongside the CNC team who will machine it, so machining stock is planned into the casting before any tooling is cut. That removes the handover where most casting projects lose time.
The eight stages
1. Initial enquiry
Send us drawings, your contact details and your project requirements. Our team reviews the information and comes back to clarify alloy selection, quantities and any special considerations.
You do not need CAD files to start. A dimensioned sketch or a photograph of an existing part is enough to begin a conversation.
2. Technical review
We assess your drawings and specifications for manufacturability. That means looking at draft angles, shrinkage allowances, gating, machining stock and overall suitability for gravity die casting.
This is where most problems are found and most money is saved. A wall section that is too thin, a radius that is too tight, or a feature that traps gas costs far less to fix on a drawing than in a mould.
3. Design optimisation
If the review turns up anything, we tell you and recommend changes. Improving castability, reducing defects, or streamlining the machining that follows.
The engineering decisions stay with you. We tell you what the casting process needs to produce the part reliably.
4. Tooling development
Permanent mould tooling is produced in house or through trusted toolmakers.
Tooling is the largest single cost in a gravity die casting programme and the longest lead item. It is also why the process suits medium to high volumes, since that cost spreads across every part the mould produces.
The tool belongs to you once it is paid for, including the material.
5. Casting production
We cast in aluminium using our primary alloys, EA401, DA401 and CA401. Molten alloy is poured into permanent moulds, held for around ninety seconds to cool and solidify, then trimmed and inspected.
Depending on the part, we pour automatically or by hand. Both routes are described on the gravity die casting page.
6. Machining and finishing
Castings move to our CNC department for drilling, tapping, boring, milling and surface finishing, held to ±0.1mm typical tolerance and tighter on request.
We work to a machining allowance of 0.5 to 1.5mm on machined surfaces.
7. Quality assurance
Every batch undergoes spectrographic alloy analysis, dimensional checks and visual inspection, with batch traceability throughout. Tooling is maintained and reviewed regularly.
Additional testing is available on request.
8. Delivery
Finished components are packed securely and prepared for dispatch. We quote ex-factory and can ship using our preferred transport partner or your nominated freight provider. We deliver Australia-wide.
What we need to quote
You do not need all of this. Anything you can tell us shortens the conversation.
A drawing or a sketch. Dimensioned if you have it.
Roughly how many. Annual volume changes the process, the tooling and the price more than anything else.
What the part does. Load, environment, whether it is structural or cosmetic.
Alloy, if you know it. If you do not, we will recommend one.
Critical dimensions and tolerances.
When you need it. Including whether this is a prototype or a production programme.
Frequently asked questions
Can you produce a single prototype?
Yes. We produce single prototypes through to large volume production runs, with no fixed maximum.
Do you need CAD files to quote?
No. To protect your intellectual property and project designs, CAD drawings are only required once you have engaged with one of our specialists.
Can you machine parts you did not cast?
Yes. We offer standalone CNC machining for customer-supplied components and materials.
Do you deliver outside Queensland?
Yes. We quote ex-factory and deliver Australia-wide.
What alloys do you work with?
EA401, DA401 and CA401 for casting. Our ingot operation covers a wider range, including AA601, and assesses custom blends on request.
Can castings be heat treated?
Yes. Gravity cast parts can undergo heat treatment to improve hardness and strengthen the component.
Ready to start?
Send us a drawing and we will assess it for manufacturability.
We acknowledge every quote enquiry within one business day, then give you an estimated quotation turnaround once we have reviewed the part.