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What is the Advantage and Disadvantage of Custom Metal Shapes

Aug. 11, 2025

The Pros and Cons of Custom Fabrication Over Casting

Should a metal component or product be cast versus fabricated or machined? Neither method is necessarily right or wrong depending on the volume, application, precision, and desired outcomes. Each has its benefits and drawbacks that need to be considered.

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In this article, we’ll explain the difference between metal casting and fabrication along with factors that need to be considered when determining which method is most appropriate.

What is Metal Fabrication?

Metal fabrication uses a combination of methods to manipulate various metals or alloys into their final design using raw materials in their solid form (metal sheeting, plate, tubing, blocks, etc.). Methods used to achieve desired dimensions include CNC machining, milling, bending, forming, cutting, and welding.

Fabrication and milling are subtractive methods, resulting in more metal scrap since raw materials are removed to create the desired geometric shapes.

What is Metal Casting?

Casting uses molds to form molten metals or alloys into their desired shapes and is similar to the plastic injection molding process. In die casting, the metal is heated to very high temperatures until it becomes a liquid which is forced into the die (mold) under high pressure. Then, it is allowed to cool and solidify. Once hardened, the die is removed and the component is cleaned to produce the desired finish.

Another casting method is sand casting. Unlike die casting which uses a metal mold, sand casting uses a mold made of sand and fixtures. Molten metal is simply poured into the sand mold and allowed to fill the cavities without being pressurized. Sand casting is generally a more crude method than die casting, resulting in more inclusions and post-production work.

Both die and sand casting have less metal scrap than machining, and any removed materials can usually be remelted for use in other components.

It should be noted that forging is sometimes confused with casting, but they are very different methods. Forging manipulates metal into shape while it is still in solid form versus in a liquid state. Forging has higher tensile and fatigue strength than casting.

Custom Metal Fabrication vs. Casting Considerations

It’s not unusual for an end product to include a combination of fabricated and cast parts. So, which factors help determine the best method to use?

Volume

One of the first considerations an engineer contemplates when choosing between metal casting vs. fabrication is the quantity of components needed. In general, lower quantities are conducive to fabrication and CNC milling whereas high volumes are typically cast. That’s because there’s considerable time and tooling expense to create a die. Once it’s created, however, tens of thousands of parts can be produced quickly.

If you need a dozen or so products, or even a couple hundred, CNC milling and metal fabrication is usually in order. At some point, economies of scale come into play and it is more economical to use casting.

Components produced for niche industries like the Department of Defense (DoD) may only require a handful of components, making machining and fabrication the logical choice. That said, there are always exceptions to the rule, and other factors will come into play.

BOTTOM LINE: Lower volume orders generally lean toward machining and fabrication. Higher volume orders are often cast.

Design Application

Design complexity and cosmetics may indicate whether to use custom fabrication over casting. With the aid of advanced computer software, highly complex and intricate 3D components can be milled on many axes using CNC equipment. Because the method is computerized, it is also a highly repeatable process that can produce multiple identical parts. That said, metal casting also allows for repeatable processes.

Some hollow parts with internal cavities may not allow CNC tooling to reach inside, making them a good candidate for casting. Additionally, items that are cast may not require as much concern over their cosmetic appearance, making it more suitable.

Designs that require a large amount of material to be removed from a metal block may also be more suited to casting, such as engine blocks or large industrial equipment. A massive bulkhead or structural components on a submarine, for example, might be cast or forged. More intricate items like latches, locks, and hinges used on doors and hatches will likely be machined.

BOTTOM LINE: Design for Manufacturability (DfM) plays a major role in whether to cast or machine a part. Work with a metal fabrication engineer to determine the best method of production.

Precision

Machined parts typically have a better finish and smoother surface whereas casting can produce textured surfaces. In fact, sometimes machining is performed on pre-produced metal castings to refine certain details, add threading, or smooth surfaces.

If design flexibility is important to you, then machining is definitely the preferred method. Improvements and design iterations can be programmed into the CNC machine easily to fine tune geometries whereas once a mold is tooled for casting, the design is pretty much set in stone.

Complex assemblies that have many parts and need to be welded, riveted, or joined together in other ways are also more suited to machining. An example is complex electrical enclosures for the DoD. These large units — sometimes 10-feet across or more — have numerous braces, vents, doors, hinges, racks, and other components, all requiring extremely tight geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).

BOTTOM LINE: The tightest tolerances and precision can typically be achieved with machining and custom fabrication.

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As mentioned, there is a time and place for using either or both metal forming methods. If there’s uncertainty, it’s best to consult with a metal fabrication engineer to determine which elements of your completed project should be machined or cast. If you’ve got a complex project and would like guidance, contact our team of experts today.

When the time comes to request a quote, use our helpful RFQ checklist below with additional considerations.

Custom Metal Etching and Laser Cutting Pros and Cons

Which Industries and Types of Parts are Suitable for Advanced Metal Etching's Capabilities?

In today's competitive landscape, finding the right manufacturing partner and process for your thin metal part designs is crucial to the success of your business. With a wide range of industries and manufacturing processes available, it's essential to understand which type of parts and companies best fit the services provided by Advanced Metal Etching which offers metal etching and laser cutting services. This blog post will outline our capabilities and highlight situations where alternative manufacturing methods might be more suitable.

Ideal Industries for Metal Etching and Laser Cutting Services

Electronics Industry

The capabilities of fiber laser cutting and photo chemical etching make it an excellent choice for companies in the electronics industry. Electronic components requirements for precision and intricacy often require advanced manufacturing techniques. We specialize in delivering high-quality results for these complex parts. Our experience, from circuit boards to connectors and shielding components, ensures low tolerances and excellent repeatability.

Since most electronic parts require burr-free edges and surfaces, the etching process is an excellent option with many advantages. The lack of hard tooling eliminates metal deformations from blunt force. Part outlines and details are etched with an acid that will dissolve any unwanted metal—the acid wash results in a smooth surface and clean edges. And with our in-house nickel flash and tin plating, parts can be shipped complete at a lower cost.

Medical Industry

The medical industry relies heavily on custom metal parts that meet strict quality standards. AME's capabilities align well with the medical sector's needs, as our manufacturing processes can produce intricate and biocompatible details. Applications include surgical instruments, medical implants, micro fluidic devices, and components for diagnostic equipment. Our company's wide range of available materials including stainless steel, titanium, and nitinol, ensure that a wide range of medical applications can be accommodated.

Automotive, RF Microwave, Energy, and Aerospace Industries

Advanced Metal Etching's expertise extends to the automotive, RF microwave, energy, and aerospace industries. These sectors demand lightweight and high-performance parts, often requiring precise manufacturing techniques. Fiber laser cutting and photo chemical machining can produce smaller apertures with intricate designs, such as gaskets, shims, filters, waveguides, heat sinks, and fuel cell components. These industries benefit from the precision, quick turnaround times, and cost-effectiveness of our services and metal thicknesses ranging from .002" to .250".

Metal Fabricators and Engineering Services

In addition to serving specific industries, our capabilities are well-suited for companies involved in other custom metal fabrication processes. Often, fabricators such as stamping, water-jet, wire EDM, and even additive manufacturers will receive orders requiring metal thicknesses or part requirements outside their capabilities. By partnering with AME, they access specialized manufacturing processes that meet their customer's needs. We work with stamping, CNC, and other types of manufacturers often to help them keep their orders on schedule and complete to print.

Engineering services companies often contact us for quick prototyping and design consultation to fit their part designs into our machining processes. For those hard-to-design parts that may require lower tolerances with greater metal thicknesses, we offer a two-step process with our Hybrid Etch-Laser Process (HELP.) that can achieve these desired results.

Limitations of Photo Metal Etching and Laser Cutting

Larger Dimensional Components

Our manufacturing processes, such as fiber laser cutting and photo chemical etching, are better suited for producing smaller, thinner parts rather than larger significant structural components. For example, our etching equipment can only accommodate 24" wide sheets and thicknesses up to .050". On the other hand, the fiber laser processes parts up to 48" wide and thicknesses up to .250". If your project involves large-scale metal structures or heavy-duty components used in equipment machinery, alternative manufacturing methods like stamping, water jet cutting, or CNC machining may be more appropriate.

Machined Parts

We specialize in photo chemical etching, a cutting-edge process that allows us to produce intricate and precise parts from metal sheets. While this method is highly effective for creating complex designs with fine details and tight tolerances, it's important to note that it is unsuitable for working on pre-existing three-dimensional parts.

The reason behind this limitation is the etching process itself. Photo chemical machining relies on a photoresist coating to protect specific metal surface areas from being etched away. Unfortunately, applying a uniform and consistent photoresist coating to machined parts, which often have intricate shapes, features, and surface finishes, can be challenging. That is why etching can only occur on a blank metal sheet before any other machining operation. It is important to note that some chemical etching companies have processes that specialize in the selective etching of aerospace machined parts.

Moreover, machined parts typically possess existing geometries such as holes, threads, or contours that cannot be easily modified or removed through the chemical etching process alone.

Attempting to etch such parts chemically may result in unpredictable and undesirable outcomes, potentially causing damage or distortion to the existing features.

The chemical etching process makes parts from sheet metal stock. In this process, the entire sheet can be uniformly coated with a photoresist, allowing for selective etching to achieve the desired design. Alternative manufacturing processes such as CNC machining or precision grinding are typically utilized for machined parts to achieve the necessary dimensions and surface finishes.

Pre Plated Metal Sheets

The first step in the etching process is to ensure the metal sheets are clean from dust and oils. Such debris can compromise the surface smoothness of the completed part. This rule applies to any plating adherence as well. Chemical etching would dissolve the metal plating and compromise the precision.

On the other hand, pre-plated sheets can be laser-cut. Each type of plating may have its advantages/disadvantages. For example, galvanized/zinc-plated steel cuts great. Others may have some melt back from the cut edges and require a secondary process to clean up any debris.

High-Volume Production Runs

While our machines are capable of large quantity runs, other manufacturing processes such as stamping, injection molding, or die casting may be more efficient and cost-effective with certain types of parts with lower complexity.

If a part has numerous features such as holes, slots, or other geometries, then photo etching is more cost-effective because all the part features are etched simultaneously without additional costs. One example is an electronic lead frame. The time it would take to laser cut or machine each component feature would be extensive and not as cost-effective.

Prototypes and smaller production runs are ideal with etching and laser cutting because the tooling is inexpensive. There are always parts that are exceptions, and speaking with a member of our team can provide you with the best solutions.

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