{"id":8024,"date":"2026-10-19T02:14:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T02:14:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/?p=8024"},"modified":"2026-10-19T02:14:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T02:14:38","slug":"casting-supplier-audit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/casting-supplier-audit\/","title":{"rendered":"Casting Supplier Audit: How to Qualify a Foundry Before You Award"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"sc-article\" style=\"max-width: 820px; margin: 0 auto; font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #7e7e7e; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.7;\"><!-- \u5f15\u8a00\uff1a\u6d45\u7070\u5706\u89d2\u659c\u4f53\u5361\u7247 --><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-intro\" style=\"background: #F5F5F5; border-radius: 20px; padding: 22px 24px; font-style: italic; color: #3a3a3a; margin: 0 0 26px; line-height: 1.6;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0;\">A casting supplier audit is the only reliable way to tell whether a low quote is a real capability or one lucky sample. A certificate describes a quality system; a casting supplier audit shows whether that system ever touched your part.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">This guide is written for buyers qualifying a new foundry or re-qualifying one that has drifted. It sets out the ten documents to request before you travel, twelve floor checkpoints, how to read process-capability evidence instead of certificates, and the arithmetic that decides whether you need a second source. Practice notes follow published guidance from the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.afsinc.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">American Foundry Society (AFS)<\/a> and the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nadca.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">North American Die Casting Association (NADCA)<\/a>. Every number below is worked from a single running example so you can substitute your own.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \u914d\u56fe 1\uff1a\u5c01\u9762 --><\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin: 24px 0;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; display: block; border-radius: 4px;\" src=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/p235-audit-cover.webp\" alt=\"Casting supplier audit on an inspection bench: a gray iron pump housing being measured with a vernier caliper beside a closed document folder and a stamped inspection tag\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size: 13px; color: #7e7e7e; text-align: center; margin-top: 8px;\">A qualification review is a measurement and a paper trail, not a handshake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- H2 1 --><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">What a Casting Supplier Audit Should Answer<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Most visits fail because they measure the wrong thing. A tidy shop tour, a framed ISO certificate and a good lunch do not predict whether next quarter&#8217;s shipment will machine. A casting supplier audit should end with four answered questions:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0 0 18px; padding-left: 22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Can it be made repeatedly?<\/strong> Not once \u2014 on the line that will actually run it, with the shift that will actually run it.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Is the capacity mine?<\/strong> Promised capacity and allocated capacity are different numbers.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Does the system produce evidence for my part?<\/strong> Records that exist for auditors are not the same as records that drive decisions.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">How long until I am running again if this fails?<\/strong> That is a number, and it decides whether you dual-source.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">If a casting supplier audit does not produce four numbers, it was a tour. The first three are foundry-specific. The fourth is arithmetic, and it is the one most buyers skip \u2014 then discover during a shortage that a <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/casting-lead-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting lead time<\/a> of eleven weeks applies to a supplier they can no longer use. If you are still building the shortlist, settle the process fundamentals in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/metal-casting-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">metal casting guide<\/a> before you book any travel.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 26px 0 8px; text-transform: capitalize;\">Capability and capacity are not the same thing<\/h3>\n<hr style=\"width: 100px; height: 4px; background: #EF890D; border: none; border-radius: 2px; margin: 0 0 14px; line-height: 0; opacity: 1;\" \/>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">A foundry that poured a beautiful sample in week one can still miss your schedule in month six. Capability asks whether the process window exists. Capacity asks whether your program gets a share of it. Here is the check, using one real program:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">The part is a 32 kg ductile iron bracket \u2014 routine work for an <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/soluzioni\/fusione-di-ferro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fusione di ferro<\/a> line, but only if that line is the one you get. Poured weight including runner and riser is 41 kg, so process yield is <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">78%<\/strong>. At 6,000 pieces a year the program needs 6,000 \u00d7 41 kg = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">246 tonnes poured per year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">The foundry runs one 1.5 t coreless induction furnace at three heats per shift, two shifts, 250 working days. That furnace moves 3 \u00d7 2 \u00d7 250 \u00d7 1.5 t = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">2,250 t a year<\/strong>. Your 246 t is <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">10.9%<\/strong> of that furnace \u2014 a healthy share. But the shop&#8217;s total output is 9,000 t a year, which makes your program <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">2.7%<\/strong> of the shop.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">That second number is the one that matters when a larger customer calls. Before you accept it, ask which route they intend to run: <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/fusione-in-sabbia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fusione in sabbia<\/a>, <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/fusione-a-cera-persa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fusione a cera persa<\/a> or <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/servizi-di-pressofusione\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fusione a pressione<\/a> carry very different fixed batch costs, and the route they pick is usually the one that is free that week rather than the one that suits your part. As a working rule, ask what share you are of the <em>cell<\/em> that will make your part and aim for 8\u201325%. Below roughly 3% of total shop output, your order is the one that moves. Ask the question directly during the casting supplier audit and write the answer down; &#8220;we have capacity&#8221; is not an answer.<\/p>\n<p><!-- H2 2 --><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">The Document Pack to Request Before You Travel<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Two-thirds of a casting supplier audit can be done from a desk. Send the list below with the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/casting-rfq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting RFQ<\/a> and give ten working days. What you are testing is not the documents themselves but the speed and completeness of the response \u2014 that turnaround is a fair proxy for how the foundry will behave when you have a problem.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 18px 0 24px; font-size: 15px; color: #333333;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Document<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">What good looks like<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Red flag<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Quality certificate with scope<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Scope names casting, and machining if you need it<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Scope reads &#8220;manufacture of metal parts&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Last surveillance audit report<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Within 12 months; findings closed with evidence<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Only the certificate, never the report<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Material test reports, two recent heats<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Heat number ties to charge record and spectrometer result<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Template printout with no heat traceability<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Mechanical test records<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Tensile, hardness and \u2014 for iron \u2014 microstructure per heat or lot<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">One sheet of &#8220;typical values&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Process control records, last 3 months<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Sand tests, melt temperature and chemistry on control charts with reaction notes<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Blank forms kept for the auditor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Gauge calibration status<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Caliper, CMM and microscope listed and in date<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">No gauge list; mixed due dates<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Nonconformance and 8D log, 12 months<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Trended by root cause; recurrence falling<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Log exists with zero entries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Tooling record<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Owner named, shot or mold count tracked, refurbish trigger defined<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Tooling included&#8221; with no count<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Capacity plan for your program<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Named molding line, shift pattern, weekly piece target<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;We have capacity&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Subcontractor list<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Heat treatment, machining, coating and NDT each named with their own certificates<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Off-the-record subcontracting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Tooling is worth a second pass. Ownership, shot counts and refurbishment responsibility are where most disputes start, and they are cheap to settle on paper before you pay. The amortization math is set out in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/casting-cost-breakdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting cost breakdown<\/a>, and you should ask whether the pattern is built in-house \u2014 a foundry running its own <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/casting-molds-making\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pattern and mold shop<\/a> can usually show you the build record for a comparable part, which is worth more than a certificate.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \u914d\u56fe 2 --><\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin: 24px 0;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; display: block; border-radius: 4px;\" src=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/p235-audit-evidence.webp\" alt=\"Casting supplier audit evidence: a hardness test block with an indentation, a machined tensile test specimen and a polished mounted section sample on a laboratory bench\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size: 13px; color: #7e7e7e; text-align: center; margin-top: 8px;\">Certificates describe a system. These three objects are what the system produced.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- H2 3 --><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">Certificates Versus Evidence: Read the Capability, Not the Frame<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Every shortlisted foundry will have a certificate, and a casting supplier audit that stops at the frame has learned almost nothing. None of the common ones tell you whether your part will hold size. This is where a casting supplier audit earns its cost \u2014 by replacing a wall of certificates with one number you can act on.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 18px 0 24px; font-size: 15px; color: #333333;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Certificate<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">What it actually covers<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">What it does not tell you<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">ISO 9001<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">A documented quality management system, externally audited<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Whether the controls were applied to your part on your last order<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">IATF 16949<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Automotive system discipline: APQP, PPAP, change control<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">The capability of one bore on one part<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">ISO 14001<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Environmental aspects are identified and managed<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Nothing at all about casting quality<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">PED \/ AD 2000<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Pressure-equipment material and personnel qualification<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Whether your wall is sound in the riser zone<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">NADCA membership<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Access to die casting standards, training and benchmarking<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Anything about this supplier&#8217;s actual output<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 26px 0 8px; text-transform: capitalize;\">One bore, two suppliers<\/h3>\n<hr style=\"width: 100px; height: 4px; background: #EF890D; border: none; border-radius: 2px; margin: 0 0 14px; line-height: 0; opacity: 1;\" \/>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Here is the cut that a casting supplier audit should make early, because it is cheap and it decides the award. Take a \u00d862.000 +0.030\/\u22120.000 mm bore \u2014 a 30 \u00b5m band \u2014 measured on a 32-piece first-article sample from each of two foundries. Both hold ISO 9001.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0 0 18px; padding-left: 22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Supplier A:<\/strong> mean 62.012 mm, standard deviation 0.0045 mm. Cpk = min(62.030 \u2212 62.012, 62.012 \u2212 62.000) \u00f7 (3 \u00d7 0.0045) = 0.012 \u00f7 0.0135 = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">0.89<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Supplier B:<\/strong> mean 62.015 mm, standard deviation 0.0032 mm. Cpk = 0.015 \u00f7 (3 \u00d7 0.0032) = 0.015 \u00f7 0.0096 = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">1.56<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Now convert to expected fallout. For A, the lower tail sits at z = 0.012 \u00f7 0.0045 = 2.67 (about 0.38%) and the upper tail at z = 4.00 (about 0.003%), so roughly <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">3,800 ppm<\/strong> outside the band. For B, both tails sit at z = 4.69, roughly <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">3 ppm<\/strong>. On 6,000 pieces a year that is about 23 rejects against 0.02 rejects.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Both quotes reference the same drawing, so make sure the tolerance class you specified is the one being quoted \u2014 the relationship between band width and quoted price is set out in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/casting-tolerances-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting tolerances guide<\/a>. Supplier A is not a bad foundry; it is the wrong foundry for a 30 \u00b5m band. A casting supplier audit that stops at the certificate would not have caught it. The sample gate would \u2014 which is why the visit and the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/casting-first-article-inspection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting first article inspection<\/a> belong in the same decision, not in sequence months apart.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Put a number on the gap. If A&#8217;s real running process puts 2.8% of parts outside machinable limits, then on 6,000 pieces a year: 168 pieces \u00d7 (piece price $46.50 + $38.00 of machining already performed) = $14,196, plus four sorting campaigns at 60 hours \u00d7 $55 = $13,200. Total <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$27,396 a year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">A casting supplier audit that finds this before award costs about 20 engineer hours \u00d7 $95 = $1,900, plus regional travel of $1,850 \u2014 <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$3,750<\/strong>. Against $27,396 a year, payback is about <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">1.6 months<\/strong>. Note that the $38.00 of machining is not recoverable, which is why the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/casting-machining-allowance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting machining allowance<\/a> on the drawing belongs in the same review as the audit \u2014 and why a supplier that also runs <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/cnc-machining-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lavorazione CNC<\/a> can usually tell you where the allowance is too tight before you cut metal.<\/p>\n<p><!-- H2 4 --><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">The Floor Walk: Twelve Checkpoints<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Walk the route your casting takes, in order, and check one thing at each station. Do not accept a conference-room slide deck in place of the route. The point of the floor walk is not to find dirt \u2014 foundries are dirty by nature \u2014 it is to see whether the controls you were shown on paper exist where the metal is. A casting supplier audit that stays in the meeting room has not started. Know which route you are standing in, because a <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/resin-sand-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">resin sand<\/a> line, a <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/shell-mold-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shell mold<\/a> cell and a <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/lost-foam-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lost foam<\/a> line fail in different places.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 18px 0 24px; font-size: 15px; color: #333333;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">#<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Station<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Look for<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Fail signal<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">1<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Charge material<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Scrap and returns sorted and labeled by grade<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">One mixed pile, no charge make-up record<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">2<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Melting<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Melt log per heat with temperature and chemistry<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Log completed at end of shift from memory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">3<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Molding line<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Sand test results posted at the line and in date<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Tester present, log blank<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">4<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Core room<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Core boxes labeled, cores dated, bake record kept<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Undated cores stacked on the floor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">5<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Pattern storage<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Patterns racked, identified, repair history tagged<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Cracked plates stored on the floor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">6<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Pouring<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Temperature taken at the ladle; slag skimmed<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">No pyrometer at the spout<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">7<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Shakeout<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Defined minimum cooling time before shakeout<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Castings knocked out while still glowing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">8<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Cleaning<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Blast media and cycle time specified per part<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Over-blasting to hide surface defects<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">9<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Weld repair<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Written procedure, qualified welder, re-inspection<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Welds ground smooth with no record<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">10<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Trattamento termico<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Furnace chart per load; thermocouples in calibration<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Chart recorder installed, no charts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">11<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Final inspection<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Last FAI file retrievable by part number in under five minutes<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Nobody can find the last FAI<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">12<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Shipping<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Heat or lot number on the part and on the packing list<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Mixed lots in one crate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Checkpoint 11 is the fastest discriminator in the whole visit. A foundry that can pull your last inspection file in five minutes keeps records to run the shop. One that cannot keeps records to pass audits. Ask the same question of the tooling: the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/casting-mold-design-patterns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mold and pattern design<\/a> file, the repair history and the current shot or mold count should be retrievable in the same five minutes.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \u914d\u56fe 3 --><\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin: 24px 0;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; display: block; border-radius: 4px;\" src=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/p235-audit-furnace.webp\" alt=\"Casting supplier audit at the melting bay: an induction furnace with a ladle beneath the spout and a row of finished gray iron castings on the floor\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size: 13px; color: #7e7e7e; text-align: center; margin-top: 8px;\">Furnace size sets the batch; batch size sets the schedule you will actually get.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- H2 5 --><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">Scoring the Visit: A Worked Example<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Score on the day, while you are standing there, and weight the criteria before you see the results \u2014 otherwise a casting supplier audit weighted afterwards simply confirms the answer you already wanted. Here is the casting supplier audit scorecard applied to our two shortlisted foundries.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 18px 0 24px; font-size: 15px; color: #333333;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Criterion<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Weight<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Supplier A<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Supplier B<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Capability fit: process, size range, alloy<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">25<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">22<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Quality system depth<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">25<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">24<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Process-control evidence for my part<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">20<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">11<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Capacity allocated to my program<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">15<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">13<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Commercial stability<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">15<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">12<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Total<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">100<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">82<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">82<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">A tie. A wins capability and paperwork; B wins the only line that predicted the bore data \u2014 process-control evidence, 18 against 11. When a casting supplier audit ties, award on the evidence line. Capability tells you the part can be made once; the evidence line tells you how often.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">The same logic applies to inspection depth. A foundry that can show you <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/casting-inspection-methods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting inspection methods<\/a> matched to your failure modes \u2014 not a generic menu \u2014 is telling you which defects it expects to find. Cross-check the list against the modes that actually bite on your geometry \u2014 our breakdowns of <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/difetti-comuni-di-fusione-e-come-evitarli\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">common casting defects<\/a> e <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/sand-casting-porosity-and-shrinkage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">porosity and shrinkage<\/a> are a fair starting point.<\/p>\n<p><!-- H2 6 --><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">The Second-Source Decision Is Arithmetic<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">The alloy matters here too: a single-specification program in a common grade such as those covered in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/cast-iron-vs-cast-steel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cast iron versus cast steel<\/a> comparison is easier to move between foundries than a tight-chemistry <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/aluminum-casting-alloys-a356-vs-a380\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">aluminum casting alloy<\/a> with a narrow window. Buyers often treat dual sourcing as insurance and never price it. It is a purchase, and the casting supplier audit tells you what you are buying. Using the same program \u2014 6,000 pieces a year at $46.50, so $279,000 annual spend \u2014 assume an 8% annual probability of a supplier disruption.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 18px 0 24px; font-size: 15px; color: #333333;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Line item<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">4-week delay<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">12-week outage<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Production lost<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">462 pieces<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">1,385 pieces<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Expedite premium at $9.50\/piece<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$4,389<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$13,158<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Line stoppage \/ contractual penalty<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$132,000 (6 h \u00d7 $22,000)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$180,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Total event cost<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$136,389<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$193,158<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Expected annual loss at 8%<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$10,911<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$15,453<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Now price a qualified second source \u2014 the same casting supplier audit run a second time, plus the tooling and the lost volume tier:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0 0 18px; padding-left: 22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">Duplicate pattern or die: $14,800 amortized over three years = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$4,933 a year<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">One additional casting supplier audit plus travel: $3,750 over three years = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$1,250 a year<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">Volume split penalty: splitting 6,000 into two runs of 3,000 loses the volume tier at +$3.10 a piece on 3,000 pieces = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$9,300 a year<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Total: $15,483 a year.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Read the two columns against that number. Under the 4-week scenario, expected loss is $10,911 \u2014 <em>less<\/em> than the $15,483 cost of carrying a second source, so single-sourcing with a written contingency plan is the better buy. Under the 12-week scenario, expected loss is $15,453, which is a dead heat with $15,483. Dual sourcing breaks even at an annual disruption probability of 15,483 \u00f7 193,158 = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">8.0%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">That is the real finding: the decision does not turn on the audit score, it turns on how long you stop for and what your contract says when you do. If your part is single-point and your customer agreement carries penalties, you are almost certainly above 8%. If you hold eight weeks of buffer stock, you are not \u2014 and the money is better spent on the buffer.<\/p>\n<p><!-- H2 7 --><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">What Should End the Visit Early<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Some findings are not weighting factors. They are reasons to end the casting supplier audit early and leave:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0 0 18px; padding-left: 22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Refusal to walk the route.<\/strong> If the melting or cleaning area is off-limits, there is a reason.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Weld repair without records.<\/strong> Unrecorded repair is unquantified risk; it will surface as field failures, not as scrap.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Heat records that cannot be tied to shipped parts.<\/strong> Traceability that stops at the crate is not traceability.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Undisclosed subcontracting<\/strong> of heat treatment, machining or coating. You are qualifying a chain, not a building \u2014 see how <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/casting-surface-finishing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting surface finishing<\/a> e <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/blog\/casting-heat-treatment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting heat treatment<\/a> change properties once they sit outside your supplier&#8217;s system, and ask whether the work is done under the same roof or brokered out to a third-party <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/servizi-di-trattamento-termico\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trattamento termico<\/a> or <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/servizi-di-trattamento-superficiale\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trattamento superficiale<\/a> shop.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">A quotation that will not name the route.<\/strong> If they cannot say which line and which alloy spec the price assumes, the price is a placeholder.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">No working gauge on the feature you care about.<\/strong> If they cannot measure it, they cannot control it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- FAQ --><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">FAQ<\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">How long does a casting supplier audit take?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Budget 20 engineer hours: four for the document review, twelve on site (a day and a half), four for the report. Add travel. For a low-risk, low-value part, a remote document review plus a sample gate is often enough \u2014 and if the volume is genuinely small, a <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/servizi-di-fusione-di-prototipi-in-metallo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">metal prototype casting<\/a> or <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/3d-printing-prototype\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3D printed prototype<\/a> route removes the qualification question altogether \u2014 the full casting supplier audit is for programs where a failure would stop a line.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">Can I audit a foundry remotely?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Partly. Document review, certificate verification and a live camera walk of the floor cover perhaps 60% of the checkpoints. What you lose is the unplanned observation \u2014 the blank sand-test log, the unlabeled core stack. For a first award on a safety or pressure part, go in person.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">Is ISO 9001 enough to qualify a casting supplier?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">No. It confirms a management system exists and is audited. It says nothing about the capability of a specific dimension on your part, which is why the Cpk data from the sample run carries more weight than the certificate on the wall.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">What Cpk should I require?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">1.33 is the common minimum for a critical characteristic on a 30-piece sample; 1.67 where the feature is safety-related or the sample is small. Treat 1.33 as a gate, not a target \u2014 a supplier sitting at 1.34 has no margin for a tooling change or a new sand batch.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">How often should I re-audit an approved foundry?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Every two years for a stable program, or immediately after a trigger: a change of ownership, a move of the molding line, a new subcontractor, or two consecutive nonconformances on the same root cause. Re-qualify on the part, not on the certificate.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">Who pays for the audit?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Usually the buyer, and it should be budgeted as cost of quality rather than negotiated away. At $3,750 against a five-figure annual escape cost, the visit pays for itself on the first miss it prevents.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">What should the audit report contain?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Weighted score, every checkpoint with its evidence reference, named findings with owners and due dates, and a clear award \/ conditional-award \/ reject recommendation. A report without a recommendation has not finished the job. If you want a second reading on a scorecard or a document pack, send it through the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/contatto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contact page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \u7ed3\u5c3e\uff1a\u56fa\u5b9a CTA \u77ed\u4ee3\u7801\uff08\u4e0d\u8981\u81ea\u521b CTA \u5757\uff09 --><br \/>\n\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"3550\" class=\"elementor elementor-3550\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-19b1acf1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"19b1acf1\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;ekit_has_onepagescroll_dot&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-56e26ed6\" data-id=\"56e26ed6\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-52c3d00c elementor-widget elementor-widget-elementskit-heading\" data-id=\"52c3d00c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;ekit_we_effect_on&quot;:&quot;none&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"elementskit-heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ekit-wid-con\" ><div class=\"ekit-heading elementskit-section-title-wraper text_left   ekit_heading_tablet-   ekit_heading_mobile-\"><h3 class=\"ekit-heading--title elementskit-section-title\">Cerchi una fonderia di metalli affidabile in Cina?<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-24c75aa0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"24c75aa0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;ekit_we_effect_on&quot;:&quot;none&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>Possiamo aiutarti a ottimizzare il design del prodotto e a ridurre i costi.<\/li><li>Possiamo aiutarvi con getti di alta qualit\u00e0 e grandi volumi.<\/li><li>Possiamo consegnare in tempo e ottenere maggiori opportunit\u00e0 di mercato per le vendite.<\/li><li>Trarrai vantaggio dal servizio di fusione di metalli di Supro MFG.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-51a20937 elementor-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-1143 elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"51a20937\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;ekit_we_effect_on&quot;:&quot;none&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm elementor-animation-grow\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/contatto\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Richiedi un preventivo direttamente dal produttore <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-note\" style=\"font-size: 13px; color: #9a9a9a; margin: 28px 0 0;\">*Data referenced from AFS \/ NADCA industry publications and Supro MFG shop-floor records.<\/p>\n<\/article>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A casting supplier audit is the only reliable way to tell whether a low quote is a real capability or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8025,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[47,50,49,42],"class_list":["post-8024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-quality-processes","tag-casting-process","tag-casting-selection","tag-manufacturing-process","tag-metal-casting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8024"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8078,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8024\/revisions\/8078"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}