{"id":8063,"date":"2026-10-20T02:06:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T02:06:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/?p=8063"},"modified":"2026-10-20T02:06:05","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T02:06:05","slug":"casting-quality-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-quality-agreement\/","title":{"rendered":"Casting Quality Agreement: Acceptance Criteria, AQL and Defect Claims"},"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;\">\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 quality agreement is the document that decides who pays when a part gets rejected \u2014 and most buyers sign one without reading it. Everything else in the sourcing file (the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-rfq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RFQ<\/a>, the tooling quote, the price clause) only matters up to the moment something arrives wrong. After that, one paragraph of acceptance criteria and one sentence of liability cap decide whether you recover $144.50 or eat it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">This guide is written for buyers who machine, assemble or resell castings. It covers the 12 clauses a casting quality agreement needs, how to write acceptance criteria a foundry can actually measure against (ISO 8062-3, ASTM E446, MSS SP-55, EN 10204), what ISO 2859-1 sampling really protects you from, and how the claim window and liability cap move real money. Every number below is worked out, not quoted, so you can rebuild the same casting quality agreement arithmetic on your own part and volume. Standards references follow <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.afsinc.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AFS<\/a> e <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.astm.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ASTM<\/a> practice; the cost model comes from a 2,400-piece-per-year <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/solucoes\/iron-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ductile iron housing<\/a> programme.<\/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\/p238-agreement-cover.webp\" alt=\"casting quality agreement documents with inspected casting and calipers on a bench\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size: 13px; color: #7e7e7e; text-align: center; margin-top: 8px;\">The agreement is not paperwork \u2014 it is the set of rules that turns a reject into a credit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\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 Quality Agreement Actually Decides<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">A casting quality agreement is not a quality manual and not a marketing certificate. It answers four questions that no drawing answers: <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">what counts as a defect<\/strong>, <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">how many parts get checked<\/strong>, <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">who decides when a defect is the foundry&#8217;s<\/strong>, and <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">how much the foundry pays when it is<\/strong>. Get those four right and disputes settle in days. Get them wrong and every claim becomes a negotiation you lose, because you are arguing about definitions instead of facts.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0 0 18px; padding-left: 22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">&#8220;Passed inspection&#8221; is not an acceptance criterion.<\/strong> It describes an activity, not a limit. If your agreement says the foundry &#8220;inspects 100%&#8221;, you have no standard to reject against.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Defects found after machining are the expensive ones.<\/strong> A casting that fails at the foundry gate costs its own price; the same casting that fails after you have machined it costs roughly three and a half times that. The agreement has to allocate that difference explicitly.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Silence defaults to the seller.<\/strong> Where the agreement is silent on evidence, retention or time limits, the outcome defaults to whoever holds the parts \u2014 usually the foundry, once the goods are paid for.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\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;\">Clause<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">What it must say<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">The vague version that costs you money<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">1. Scope &amp; identification<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Drawing number + revision, alloy and specification with year, heat-lot marking<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Per drawing&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">2. Dimensional acceptance<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">ISO 8062-3 DCTG grade, datum scheme, which features are measured<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Per print tolerances&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">3. Internal soundness<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">ASTM E446 \/ E186 \/ E280 category with severity level and the zones it applies to<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Sound castings&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">4. Surface acceptance<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">ASTM A802 or MSS SP-55 visual level, reference photos, Ra where machined<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Good surface finish&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">5. Material evidence<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">EN 10204 3.1 certificate tied to heat number: chemistry, tensile, hardness<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Material certificate provided&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">6. Heat treatment record<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Furnace chart or batch record, hardness results by lot, not by &#8220;typical&#8221;<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Heat treated&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">7. Sampling plan<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">ISO 2859-1 level II, AQL per defect class, switching rules named<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Random inspection&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">8. First article gate<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Full layout plus material and NDT reports before production release<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Samples approved&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">9. Defect classification<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Critical \/ major \/ minor with definitions and disposition authority<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Nonconforming parts rejected&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">10. Claim window<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Days from receipt <em>or<\/em> from machining, whichever is later<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Claims within 10 days of delivery&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">11. Remedy &amp; liability cap<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Replace, credit or rework, with the cap stated as a multiple of casting value<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Liability limited to invoice value&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">12. Traceability &amp; retention<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Heat-lot ID on every casting, three retained samples per lot, 12 months<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Parts traceable by batch&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\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);\">Writing Acceptance Criteria a Foundry Can Measure<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">In a casting quality agreement, every acceptance criterion should be a sentence a stranger could apply to the same part and reach the same verdict. That means naming the standard, the grade or severity level, and the zone it applies to. &#8220;Free of defects&#8221; fails that test; &#8220;no Category C porosity above severity level 2 in the pressure boundary, per ASTM E446&#8221; passes it.<\/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;\">Dimensional: name the DCTG grade and the datum<\/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;\">Castings are toleranced by ISO 8062-3 using Dimensional Casting Tolerance Grades (DCTG), not by the \u00b10.1 mm habits of machined parts \u2014 and the grade belongs in the casting quality agreement as a number, not as a note in the drawing title block. Writing &#8220;DCTG 10&#8221; on the drawing and in the agreement removes the argument, because DCTG values scale with the casting&#8217;s size range \u2014 see our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/guia-de-tolerancias-de-fundicao\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting tolerances reference<\/a> for the grade tables. What buyers forget is the second half: the datum scheme. A layout report measured from a different datum than your machining fixture will pass at the foundry and fail on your machine. Put the datum order in the casting quality agreement, and check the first article against it \u2014 and read it alongside the cleanup stock you actually need, covered in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-machining-allowance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting machining allowance<\/a> guide. That gate is worth the two weeks it costs, as set out in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-first-article-inspection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">first article inspection guide<\/a>. If you are still at sample stage, the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/servicos-de-fundicao-de-prototipos-metalicos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">metal prototype casting<\/a> route shortens it further.<\/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;\">Internal soundness: severity levels, not adjectives<\/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;\">Radiographic acceptance works off reference plates: ASTM E446 for steel sections up to 2 in, E186 for 2\u20134.5 in, E280 above that, and E505 \/ E155 for aluminium and magnesium. Each defect category (A gas, B sand, C shrinkage, and so on) carries severity levels 1 to 5. Your agreement must state the category <em>e<\/em> the level <em>e<\/em> the zone \u2014 a severity 3 gas pore in a 40 mm non-pressure rib is a cosmetic note, while the same indication in a valve body&#8217;s pressure boundary is a reject. Link the criterion to a drawing zone \u2014 the same wording behaves differently in <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/fundicao-em-areia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fundi\u00e7\u00e3o em areia<\/a>, <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/fundicao-a-cera-perdida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fundi\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e0 cera perdida<\/a> e <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/servicos-de-fundicao-sob-pressao\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">high-pressure die casting<\/a> \u2014 and cross-reference the method in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-inspection-methods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting inspection methods guide<\/a>.<\/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;\">Surface: a visual standard beats a finish description<\/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;\">For steel castings, ASTM A802 gives a visual acceptance practice; for <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/valve-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">valve, flange and piping components<\/a>, MSS SP-55 is the usual reference set. Both work the same way inside a casting quality agreement: agree a level, then agree a set of reference photographs or a physical limit sample signed by both parties. A limit sample costs one hour and ends every future argument about &#8220;rough&#8221;. Blasting, coating and repairable surface conditions are covered in more depth in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-surface-finishing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting surface finishing guide<\/a>, and the furnace-side evidence is set out in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/tratamento-termico-de-pecas-fundidas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tratamento t\u00e9rmico de pe\u00e7as fundidas<\/a> guide and <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/heat-treatment-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">heat treatment services<\/a> page.<\/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;\">Defect class<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Standard to cite<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Enforceable wording<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">What fails<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Dimensions<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">ISO 8062-3<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">DCTG grade + datum order + measured feature list<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Per print&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Internal voids (steel)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">ASTM E446 \/ E186 \/ E280<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Category + severity level + drawing zone<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;No porosity&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Internal voids (aluminium)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">ASTM E505 \/ E155<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Grade + level per section thickness<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;X-ray sound&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Surface condition<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">ASTM A802 \/ MSS SP-55<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Visual level + signed limit sample<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Clean surface&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Chemistry &amp; mechanical<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">ASTM A536 \/ A216 \/ A148; EN 10204 3.1<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Grade + test coupon location + certificate type tied to heat number<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Cert included&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Pressure tightness<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">API 598 \/ customer test spec<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Test medium, pressure, hold time, allowable leakage rate<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Leak tested&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\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\/p238-agreement-cmm.webp\" alt=\"casting quality agreement acceptance criteria layout inspection of a machined casting\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size: 13px; color: #7e7e7e; text-align: center; margin-top: 8px;\">Layout inspection only settles anything if the agreement fixes the datum order and the tolerance grade first.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\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 AQL Sampling Really Protects You From<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Most casting quality agreements say &#8220;AQL 2.5&#8221; and stop there. AQL is an <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">acceptance quality limit<\/strong>, not a promise about the parts you receive \u2014 it is the defect rate the sampling plan will usually accept. The buyer&#8217;s real exposure sits on the other side of the operating characteristic curve, and it is larger than most people assume.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Take a 500-piece lot at general inspection level II: code letter H, sample 50, AQL 2.5 gives accept 3 \/ reject 4. If that lot actually contains 5% defective parts \u2014 double the AQL \u2014 the binomial probability of accepting it anyway is <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">about 76%<\/strong>. At 8% defective it is still around 43%. Sampling is a filter, not a guarantee; that is exactly why a casting quality agreement needs a defect classification, a claim window and a liability cap behind it.<\/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;\">Lot size<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Code \/ n<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">AQL 1.0 Ac\/Re<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">AQL 2.5 Ac\/Re<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">P(accept) if lot is 5% defective, at AQL 2.5<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">151\u2013280<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">G \/ 32<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">\u2014<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">2 \/ 3<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">79%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">281\u2013500<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">H \/ 50<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">1 \/ 2<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">3 \/ 4<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">76%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">501\u20131,200<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">J \/ 80<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">2 \/ 3<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">5 \/ 6<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">79%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">1,201\u20133,200<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">K \/ 125<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">3 \/ 4<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">7 \/ 8<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">71%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Two clauses fix this. First, <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">switching rules<\/strong>: ISO 2859-1 moves you from normal to tightened inspection after two of five consecutive lots are rejected, and back only after five consecutive acceptances. Tightened inspection for code H at AQL 2.5 drops to accept 2 \/ reject 3, cutting the chance of accepting a 5%-defective lot from 76% to about 54%. Second, <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">defect-class separation<\/strong>: run critical characteristics (pressure boundary, load path) at AQL 1.0 or on a 100% test, and cosmetic characteristics at AQL 4.0. One AQL for everything means you over-inspect paint and under-inspect the bore.<\/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 Money Clauses: Escalation, Caps and Claim Windows<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Here is the working example: a ductile iron housing, <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">2,400 pieces per year<\/strong>, FOB price <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$42.00<\/strong> per casting, inbound freight allocation $6.50, and $96.00 of <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/cnc-machining-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">machining value added<\/a> per part before it reaches your assembly line. Foundry-caused latent defects \u2014 shrinkage, gas, hard spots, core shift that only shows up once you cut metal \u2014 run at <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">2.2%<\/strong>, or about 53 parts a year. That is the population the casting quality agreement has to allocate.<\/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;\">Where the loss lands<\/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<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;\">Discovered at<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Loss per part<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Multiple vs gate<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">53 defects \/ year<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Foundry gate (scrap the casting)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$42.00<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">1.0\u00d7<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$2,226<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Your machining (casting + $96 + $6.50)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$144.50<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">3.4\u00d7<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$7,659<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Your assembly (plus $310 teardown and line stop)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$454.50<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">10.8\u00d7<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$24,089<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Field (plus $780 service, $260 logistics, $900 goodwill)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$2,084.50<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">49.6\u00d7<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$110,479<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">That 50:1 spread between gate and field is the whole argument for spending money on detection early. It does not, however, justify buying every test available. Adding 100% pressure decay testing at the foundry in this example costs about $3.20 per part, or <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$7,680 a year<\/strong>; each defect it catches before machining saves $144.50 \u2212 $42.00 = $102.50. Break-even needs about 75 catches, and if the test catches 60% of latent defects that means roughly 125 latent defects a year \u2014 a <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">5.2% latent rate<\/strong>. Below that, AQL sampling plus a real first article gate beats 100% testing on cost; above it, the test pays for itself. Run the arithmetic before you write the clause.<\/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;\">Liability cap: three structures, one winner<\/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;\">In a casting quality agreement the cap decides how much of that $144.50 comes back. Foundries price risk, so a wider cap is never free \u2014 it shows up in unit price. Working all three against the same 53 claims a year:<\/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;\">Cap structure<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Credit per claim<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">You absorb per year<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Price premium<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Total annual cost to you<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">A \u2014 casting invoice value only<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$42.00<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$5,432.50<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$0<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$5,432.50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">B \u2014 2\u00d7 casting value cap<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$84.00<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$3,206.50<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">+0.5% \u2192 $504<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$3,710.50<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">C \u2014 full documented value, 1.5% deductible<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Up to $144.50<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$1,512.00<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">+2.5% \u2192 $2,520<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$4,032.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">The middle option wins, and that is the point: the widest cap is not automatically the cheapest, because you buy it with unit price. Ask for <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">2\u00d7 casting value including documented machining value added<\/strong> plus a small annual allowance. Ask for full-value liability only on characteristics where an escape is genuinely dangerous \u2014 pressure boundary, lifting lugs, load-path sections \u2014 not across the whole part.<\/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;\">The claim window is where agreements fail<\/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;\">&#8220;Claims must be made within 10 days of delivery&#8221; is the single most expensive sentence in supplier terms, and it is standard. In the example above, castings sit in your raw store for about five weeks before machining starts, so every one of those 53 latent defects surfaces <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">after the window has closed<\/strong>. You absorb the full $7,659 a year and the clause is doing exactly what it was written to do. Rewrite it as <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">&#8220;60 days from receipt, or 30 days from the start of machining, whichever is later&#8221;<\/strong>, and add that evidence consists of photographs, the retained sample and the heat-lot record \u2014 at which point the casting quality agreement finally does the job it was written for. Rework the clause and the same defects become claims.<\/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\/p238-agreement-samples.webp\" alt=\"casting quality agreement claim evidence retained sample castings with heat lot tags\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size: 13px; color: #7e7e7e; text-align: center; margin-top: 8px;\">Retained samples with heat-lot tags turn a claim from an opinion into evidence.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\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);\">Traceability: The Cheapest Clause in the Document<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Heat-lot identification costs a few cents per casting and changes the size of a recall by an order of magnitude. Without it, a confirmed problem in one heat forces you to treat everything in the pipeline as suspect. In the example programme, three months of work-in-progress and finished stock is about 600 pieces; with heat-lot marking, only the 200-piece heat is in question. Sorting 600 pieces at six minutes each and $55 an hour costs <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$3,300<\/strong> against <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$1,100<\/strong> for the single lot, and the conservative disposition difference is <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$16,800<\/strong> of casting value (600 \u00d7 $42 vs 200 \u00d7 $42). One event a year and the clause pays for itself many times over.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Pair it in the casting quality agreement with retention: three samples per lot, held for 12 months, unpainted and un-machined. When a claim arrives eleven months later, those coupons \u2014 not emails \u2014 settle it. The same logic applies to material evidence; a certificate without a heat number is a document, not a record. Our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-packaging\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting packaging guide<\/a> covers the marking and packing side, and the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-lead-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lead time breakdown<\/a> explains why a replacement lot takes the time it does.<\/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);\">Corrective Action: SCAR Timing and Who Pays for Containment<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">A casting quality agreement without response clocks produces a familiar pattern: the foundry acknowledges the problem, asks for photographs, and the conversation restarts every week. Fix the clocks, fix the deliverables, and state who carries containment cost before root cause is known.<\/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;\">Step<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Clock<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Deliverable<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Containment<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">24 hours<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Hold suspect lots by heat ID, sort or ship-safe plan in writing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Interim correction<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">5 working days<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">What changes on the next pour, and how it is checked<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Root cause<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">10 working days<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Documented cause against process parameters, not &#8220;operator error&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Corrective action &amp; verification<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">30 calendar days<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Action closed and three consecutive lots verified clean<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Closure<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">60 calendar days<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Updated control plan and FMEA, plus the cost allocation decision<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">One clause removes most of the friction: <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">containment cost is shared 50\/50 until root cause is determined, then charged to the responsible party<\/strong>. Sorting 1,200 suspect pieces at six minutes each is 120 hours, about <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$6,600<\/strong> at $55 an hour \u2014 enough to make both sides slow-walk the investigation if nobody knows who is paying. Making the default shared until proven keeps containment moving.<\/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);\">Six Red Flags in a Supplier&#8217;s Standard Terms<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0 0 18px; padding-left: 22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">&#8220;Liability limited to the invoice value of the goods.&#8221;<\/strong> Caps your recovery at $42 on a $144.50 loss. Counter with 2\u00d7 casting value plus documented machining value.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">&#8220;Claims within 10 days of delivery.&#8221;<\/strong> Time-bars every latent defect. Counter with &#8220;60 days from receipt or 30 days from machining, whichever is later&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">&#8220;Buyer shall not machine castings prior to inspection.&#8221;<\/strong> Physically unworkable at volume \u2014 internal defects are invisible until you cut. Counter with sampling plus a retained-sample evidence route.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">&#8220;Seller may repair defects at its discretion.&#8221;<\/strong> Removes your right to refuse weld repair on load-path or pressure-boundary areas. Counter with a written-waiver requirement plus ASTM A488 \/ ASME Section IX qualification.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">&#8220;Certificates available on request.&#8221;<\/strong> Request-based evidence disappears when you need it. Counter with EN 10204 3.1 shipped with every lot, tied to the heat number.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">&#8220;Conforming to industry standard practice.&#8221;<\/strong> No standard is named, so none can be enforced. Counter with the named standard, grade and severity level.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">None of these are unreasonable asks when you are building a casting quality agreement. Foundries that already run to <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.asme.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ASME<\/a>-aligned procedures and keep heat records will accept most of them without a fight; the negotiation itself is a useful qualification signal, which is why it belongs in the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-rfq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RFQ stage<\/a> rather than after the first shipment. If you need the process background behind the defect types you are writing criteria for, start with the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/guia-de-fundicao-de-metais\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">guia de fundi\u00e7\u00e3o de metais<\/a> and the defect-by-defect notes on <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/sand-casting-porosity-and-shrinkage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">porosity and shrinkage<\/a>, <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/defeitos-comuns-na-fundicao-e-como-evita-los\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">defeitos comuns de fundi\u00e7\u00e3o<\/a> e <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/aluminum-castings-vacuum-impregnation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vacuum impregnation<\/a>, plus <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/sand-casting-defects-elimination\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sand casting defect elimination<\/a>, <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-simulation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">solidification simulation<\/a> e <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-riser-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">riser design<\/a> notes. What the certificate has to prove, in turn, depends on the alloy \u2014 see <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/how-to-choose-casting-alloy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how to choose a casting alloy<\/a>, <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/cast-steel-grades\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cast steel grades<\/a> e <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/gray-iron-vs-ductile-iron\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gray vs ductile iron<\/a>, with the process notes on <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/solucoes\/fundicao-de-aluminio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">aluminium casting<\/a> e <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/solucoes\/fundicao-de-aco-inoxidavel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fundi\u00e7\u00e3o de a\u00e7o inoxid\u00e1vel<\/a>.<\/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);\">Perguntas frequentes<\/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;\">Is a casting quality agreement the same as a purchase order?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">No. The PO says what you are buying and when; the casting quality agreement says how a reject is judged and paid for. The practical route is to keep the agreement as a standing document and reference it by revision number on every PO, so you are not renegotiating per order. The items that belong in the PO itself are the drawing revision, the quantity and the delivery date \u2014 everything covered in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-minimum-order-quantity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">minimum order quantity guide<\/a>.<\/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 AQL should I use for castings?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Separate by risk, not by convenience. AQL 1.0 (or a 100% functional test) on pressure boundaries, load-path sections and safety features; AQL 2.5 on general machined dimensions; AQL 4.0 on cosmetic surface conditions. Always state ISO 2859-1, general inspection level II, and the switching rules, because AQL without switching rules never tightens after a bad lot.<\/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 owns tooling when a part is rejected repeatedly?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Ownership and liability are separate clauses in a casting quality agreement and should stay separate. You can own the tool while the foundry carries warranty responsibility for parts it made, which is the arrangement most buyers want; the ownership question itself is covered in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-tooling-cost\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting tooling cost guide<\/a>, and the tooling itself on our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/casting-molds-making\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting molds making<\/a> page. Add a clause letting you move the tool if corrective action fails twice on the same characteristic.<\/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 do I prove a defect came from the foundry and not from machining?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Evidence, not argument: photograph the indication before further cutting, keep the part, and reference the heat-lot record. Machining-induced damage has a different signature from solidification defects \u2014 a shrinkage cavity follows the thermal centre, a chatter mark follows the tool path. Retained samples from the same lot are what close the case; the NDT routes that produce usable evidence are set out in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-inspection-methods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">inspection methods guide<\/a>.<\/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;\">Should I allow weld repair on rejected castings?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Allow it only where the casting quality agreement names the qualification: a written weld procedure, ASTM A488 or ASME Section IX qualification, post-repair NDT matching the original acceptance criterion, and stress relief where the section or alloy requires it. In the example programme, repair plus re-machining on a partially machined part runs about $54.90 against $99.60 to scrap \u2014 worth roughly $44.70 a part, but only with a signed waiver and re-inspection on the first pieces. Never allow unrepaired-record repairs on pressure boundaries; on those, <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/solucoes\/steel-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">steel casting<\/a> quality regimes generally require full documentation.<\/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 long should the claim window be for machined castings?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Long enough to cover your own machining cycle. A workable default in a casting quality agreement is 60 days from receipt or 30 days from the start of machining, whichever is later, with latent internal defects covered for 12 months where the origin can be demonstrated. Anything measured only from delivery date will exclude most of the defects the clause was meant to catch.<\/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;\">Does a stricter agreement raise the unit price?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Yes \u2014 a stricter casting quality agreement is not free, and that is normal \u2014 a 2\u00d7 casting value cap added about half a percent in the example, while full-value liability added roughly two and a half percent. The right question is not &#8220;how do I get the strictest terms&#8221; but &#8220;which characteristics deserve the stricter terms&#8221;. Load-path and pressure-boundary features warrant full-value liability; cosmetic ones do not. The cost side of that trade-off is laid out in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-cost-breakdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting cost breakdown<\/a>.<\/p>\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\">\u00c0 procura de uma fundi\u00e7\u00e3o de metal fi\u00e1vel na China?<\/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>Podemos ajud\u00e1-lo a otimizar o design de produtos e a poupar custos.<\/li><li>Podemos ajud\u00e1-lo com pe\u00e7as fundidas de alta qualidade e em grandes quantidades.<\/li><li>Podemos entregar a tempo e obter mais oportunidades no mercado de vendas.<\/li><li>Ir\u00e1 beneficiar do servi\u00e7o de fundi\u00e7\u00e3o de metais da 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\/pt\/contacto\/\">\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\">Pedir um Or\u00e7amento Direto da F\u00e1brica <\/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\n<p class=\"sc-note\" style=\"font-size: 13px; color: #9a9a9a; margin: 28px 0 0;\">*Standards referenced: ISO 8062-3, ISO 2859-1, ASTM E446 \/ E186 \/ E280 \/ E505 \/ E155 \/ A802 \/ A488 \/ A536 \/ A216 \/ A148, MSS SP-55, EN 10204, API 598. Cost model based on a 2,400-piece-per-year ductile iron housing programme.<\/p>\n<\/article>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A casting quality agreement is the document that decides who pays when a part gets rejected \u2014 and most buyers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8064,"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-8063","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\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8063"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8089,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8063\/revisions\/8089"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}