What forging costs in Canada (die, per-part and when to forge)

Forging is a die plus a per-part price plus machining, quoted per job. Open-die vs closed-die cost, the break-even for a die, and when forging beats casting.

Quick answer (CAD, as of November 2026): Forging is quoted per job in Canada, not off a price list, and the cost is a die (one-time) plus a per-part price plus finish machining. Open-die forging needs little or no tooling and is priced by weight and press time, so it suits one-offs and large parts; that is what most Canadian forge shops do. Closed-die (drop) forging needs an expensive die that only pays off in the thousands of parts, but gives a near-net shape with far less machining. Forge, rather than cast or machine, when the part is safety-critical or takes fatigue and impact, because forging aligns the grain and is stronger.

Forging cost is a die plus a per-part price

A forging quote has three pieces: the die (one-time), the per-part cost (material, press time, heat treat, finishing), and the finish machining almost every forged part needs. Unit cost is roughly the die divided by your volume, plus the per-part price. The die is the swing factor, and whether you need an expensive one depends on which kind of forging the part calls for.

Open-die vs closed-die

Open-die forging shapes the metal between simple flat or contoured dies, so there is little or no custom tooling. It is priced by weight and press time, suits one-offs, large shafts, rings and discs, and tolerates design changes, but it leaves more stock to machine off. The largest Canadian forge shops (Patriot Forge in Brantford, IMT PC Forge in Port Colborne) are open-die and rolled-ring houses.

Closed-die, or impression-die, forging squeezes the metal into a shaped cavity, giving a near-net part with far less machining, but the die is expensive and must be amortized. Offshore and US figures put open-die tooling around $5,000 to $20,000 and a closed-die die around $25,000 to $150,000 (USD, labelled), with simple drop-forge dies from about $2,000 to $3,000. The crossover from open-die to closed-die lands in the low hundreds to low thousands of parts, depending on the die cost and the machining saved.

Why closed-die needs volume

The die is a fixed cost. One supplier illustrates it cleanly: a $20,000 die over 100,000 parts adds just $0.20 to each; over 100 parts it adds $200. So a per-part cost that looks low is not low until the volume is there. An indicative industry cost index (normalized, lowest is cheapest) shows closed-die forging most expensive at 100 units, roughly level with casting at 1,000, and cheapest at 10,000, which is the shape to keep in mind: forging rewards volume.

When forging is worth it

The reason to forge is strength. Forging aligns the metal's grain with the shape and leaves no internal voids, so a forged part is stronger and handles fatigue and impact better than a cast one (industry data puts forged steel roughly a quarter higher in tensile strength and better again in fatigue). For a lifting hook, an axle, a connecting rod or a high-pressure flange, forge it. For a complex shape where strength is adequate, casting is often cheaper. The full trade-off is in forging vs casting.

Buying across the border

Canada has few closed-die drop-forge shops, so Canadian buyers often forge open-die at home and import closed-die parts or dies from the US or offshore. If you import, the quoted price is not the landed cost: add the exchange rate, freight on heavy parts, duty and lead time. The border math is in reshoring to Canada.

What to send for a quote

The part and its material and grade, the weight, the annual and total volume, the strength or spec requirement, and the finished tolerances so the shop can quote the machining. Send it once and request quotes from Canadian forge shops.

FAQ

How is forging priced?

A die (one-time) plus a per-part price (material, press time, heat treat, finishing) plus finish machining. Unit cost is the die divided by volume, plus the per-part price. Canadian shops quote per job, not off a list.

How much does a forging die cost?

Open-die needs little or no custom tooling; a closed-die die runs roughly $25,000 to $150,000 (USD, offshore and US figures), with simple drop-forge dies from about $2,000 to $3,000. No Canadian shop publishes a die price; convert and get a quote.

Open-die or closed-die, which is cheaper?

Open-die is cheaper at low volume (little tooling) but leaves more to machine. Closed-die is cheaper per part at volume (near-net shape) but needs an expensive die. The crossover is in the low hundreds to low thousands of parts.

How many parts justify a closed die?

Enough to amortize the die: a $20,000 die over 100,000 parts is $0.20 each, over 100 is $200 each. The open-to-closed crossover is usually the low thousands.

Is forging cheaper than casting or machining?

At low volume, no; casting or machining usually wins. At high volume and for strength-critical parts, forging wins, and it is far stronger than casting. See forging vs casting.

How do I reduce forging cost?

Raise volume to amortize the die, use open-die or near-net shapes to cut machining, simplify the geometry, substitute a cheaper grade where it meets spec, and compare total delivered cost, not just the piece price.

Last reviewed: November 2026. No Canadian forge shop publishes a price, so this guide states the mechanic and labels its figures: the die-cost ranges, amortization example and cost index are US and offshore industry data in USD, flagged as converted benchmarks, not Canadian quotes. Canadian shops (Patriot Forge, IMT PC Forge) quote per job. Related reading: forging vs casting and casting cost.