Ordliste
Lead time — definition
The time from order to delivery — which in casting has to be split into two entirely different figures.
Tooling lead time: from ordering the tool to the first trial part. This is a one-off cost in time, and it dominates the launch of a new product.
Series lead time: from call-off to delivery once the tool exists. This is the figure that matters day to day.
The two are often conflated in an enquiry, which creates unrealistic expectations in both directions. Always ask for both.
A third element that is easy to forget: if the part goes out for coating or anodising, that adds transport and some days to the series lead time. We state it in the quotation rather than hiding it.
We give concrete lead times per part. We do not publish a general figure we could not hold in every case.