Sourcing Giga Casting Tooling: What Buyers Need to Know

The Stakes Just Got Higher

When Tesla installed its first IDRA 6,000-ton Giga Press in 2020, it wasn't just experimenting with a new process—it was rewriting the economics of automotive manufacturing. Six years later, the Model Y rear underbody—a single aluminum casting that replaced approximately 70 stamped and welded steel parts—is one of the most produced structural castings in automotive history.

But this isn't just a Tesla story anymore.

For die casters investing in giga and mega casting capacity, the tooling decision has become one of the highest-leverage choices you'll make. The dies are larger, the thermal management is more demanding, and when a $20 million press sits idle because tooling isn't ready, the cost is measured in vehicles not produced.

If you're evaluating tooling suppliers for giga casting applications, here's what you need to know.

The Market Landscape: Who's Actually In Production

The adoption curve has moved well past early adopters. Here's where the major OEMs stand as of early 2026:

Already in production:

• Tesla — Giga presses across four factories. Heat-treatment-free aluminum alloys developed in-house.
• BYD — 10,000-ton press replacing 74 welded stampings with single castings.
• NIO — 6,800T and 12,000T machines. ET5 consolidates 54 parts into one rear underbody.
• Xpeng, Xiaomi, Chery, GAC, FAW, Geely/Zeekr, Li Auto — All in production across multiple models.

Launching in 2026:

• Volvo — Two 8,400T Buhler machines plus two 9,000T IDRA machines. First EV with gigacastings by year-end.
• Rivian — R2 crossover eliminating 50 stampings and 300+ joints.
• Honda — 6,100T-class machines at Anna Engine Plant, Ohio.

Committed for 2027-2028:

• Toyota — Lexus LF-ZC with front and rear gigacastings.
• Ford — "Unicasting" program as part of Universal EV Production System.
• Hyundai — "Hypercasting" program (delayed to 2028).
• Volkswagen/Audi — Project Trinity battery frame.

The takeaway: This is not a niche technology. It's a structural shift in automotive manufacturing, and the tooling requirements are fundamentally different from traditional die casting.

What Giga Casting Requires from Tooling Suppliers

1. Large-Format Machining Capacity

Giga casting dies can weigh 50,000+ kg. The inserts and components that go into them are proportionally larger than anything in traditional die casting. Your supplier needs:

• 5-axis CNC machines with travel exceeding 1,500mm in X, Y, and Z
• Workpiece capacity of 3,000–5,000 kg
• Experience machining H-13 tool steel at scale—not just prototypes

Question to ask: "What's the largest hot work tool steel component you've machined in the last 12 months, and what equipment did you use?"

2. Hot Work Tool Steel Expertise

Giga casting dies run hotter and longer than traditional dies. The inserts are typically made of advanced hot work tool steels—derivatives of H-13 engineered for extreme thermal conditions. Material selection and heat treatment directly impact:

• Die life (number of shots before replacement)
• Casting quality (thermal consistency across the cavity)
• Downtime (frequency of insert changes)

The heat management challenge is ongoing. Creating extremely large inserts that maintain structural integrity at operating temperatures remains an evolving learning opportunity across the industry.

Your supplier should understand heat treatment specifications, material certifications, and failure modes specific to high-pressure die casting—not just general machining.

Question to ask: "What hot work tool steel grades do you work with for high-temperature applications, and what's your process for heat treatment verification?"

3. Additive Manufacturing for Strategic Cooling

This is a transformational—but strategically limited—capability. Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) can produce conformal cooling channels in tool steel inserts, but size constraints mean AM inserts are small and strategically placed, not large-scale replacements.

The reality:

• AM inserts are engineered into specific high-heat areas where complex cooling channels provide maximum benefit
• You cannot 3D print an entire giga casting insert—LPBF build envelopes are typically 250-400mm
• The technology excels at localized thermal management, not structural sections

The result when properly applied:

• More uniform die temperatures in critical areas
• Longer die life for strategic components
• Faster cycle times
• Better casting quality

The key distinction: the AM material matters. Maraging steel inserts have been used in some applications, but hot work tool steel AM inserts—properly heat-treated—deliver better service life under aluminum HPDC conditions.

Question to ask: "What are the size limitations of your AM capabilities, and how do you determine where AM inserts provide the most value versus conventional machining?"

4. Hybrid Manufacturing Capability

The most cost-effective approach for many applications: 3D-printed cooling sections (strategically sized for AM build envelopes) integrated onto conventional hot work tool steel bases. This approach delivers thermal management benefits in critical areas while using conventional machining for larger structural sections.

Your supplier should be able to advise on where AM cooling channels provide the most value versus conventional drilled cooling.

Question to ask: "How do you determine which die sections benefit from AM cooling channels versus conventional approaches?"

5. Replacement Component Speed

When a giga press is down for tooling, the cost is measured in vehicles not produced. Your supplier's ability to deliver replacement inserts, cores, and wear components quickly becomes a competitive advantage.

Look for:

• Programming data retention from previous orders
• Multiple 5-axis machines (capacity for urgent jobs without pushing timelines)
• In-house heat treatment (no external delays)

Question to ask: "What's your typical lead time for a replacement insert from PO to delivery? Can you handle emergency turnaround?"

The Parts Consolidation Reality

The scale of this shift is tangible:

Every one of those consolidated castings requires a die. Every die requires inserts, cores, and components that wear and need replacement. The tooling demand isn't shrinking—it's concentrating into fewer, larger, more technically demanding applications.

Market Trajectory: Why This Matters Now

The global die casting market is projected at approximately $88 billion in 2025, growing at 6.2% CAGR toward $119 billion by 2030. The giga casting segment specifically is growing at 13-33% annually—two to seven times faster than the overall market.

S&P Global forecasts that 15-20% of traditional body-in-white stampings are at risk from gigacastings by 2030. In China, vehicles with mega castings are projected to grow from 0.7 million in 2023 to over 2 million by 2030.

The window for tooling suppliers to build giga casting capabilities is closing. For die casters, the window for choosing the right tooling partner is equally critical.

How Palcam Approaches Giga Casting Tooling

At Palcam Technologies, we've built our operation around the exact requirements giga casting demands:

Large-format 5-axis CNC capacity. Our DMU 200P handles workpieces up to 5,000kg with 1,800 x 2,000 x 1,100mm travel. We operate 20+ 5-axis machines. We have the capacity to machine the components that go into large-format dies.

Hot work tool steel specialization. We've machined die casting tooling components in advanced hot work tool steels since 1995. Cores, cavities, inserts, slides, backup blocks—the parts that contact molten aluminum and need periodic replacement. We understand the material grades, heat treatment, and failure modes specific to high-temperature applications.

Strategic additive manufacturing capabilities. Our SLM 280 produces conformal-cooled tool steel inserts for strategic locations where complex cooling channels provide maximum thermal benefit. We engineer AM inserts for specific high-heat areas—not large structural components. Not maraging steel. Not prototypes. Production tool steel AM inserts sized for strategic placement within larger die assemblies.

Fast turnaround on replacement components. We maintain programming data from previous orders. When you need a replacement insert, we don't start from scratch. With 25+ CNC machines and a 60-person team, we have the capacity to respond to urgent tooling needs.

The Bottom Line

Giga casting is a fundamental change in how automotive structures are manufactured. For die casters investing in this technology, tooling supplier selection isn't a commodity decision—it's a strategic one.

The suppliers who can deliver large-format H-13 components with advanced thermal management, including conformal cooling through additive manufacturing, will be the ones keeping your giga presses running.

Ready to discuss your giga casting tooling requirements? Contact our team or call 905-853-1675.

Palcam Technologies Ltd. — Precision aluminum die casting tooling since 1995