Tool & Die
G.AL® Cast Plate for Die Sets, Jigs and Fixtures
The part that has to stay where you put it
Tool and die work and mold making use much the same material, but they buy it for different reasons. A mold is bought for heat transfer and cycle time. A die set, a check fixture or a gauge is bought for one thing: it must hold size through heavy material removal and then stay there.
That is where rolled plate disappoints, and it disappoints on the second setup rather than the first - which is precisely what makes it expensive. The figures below are GLEICH measurements on the exact comparison that matters.
The core problem
It holds size after you open it up
A die set, a check fixture and a gauge have one thing in common: a lot of metal comes off, and what is left has to stay exactly where it was put. That is a different requirement from strength, and it is the requirement rolled plate most often fails.
Rolled plate is reduced between rolls under pressure, which stores residual stress through the section. In heat-treatable alloys the quench adds more. While the section is intact those stresses balance. Rough a pocket and they stop balancing, so the plate relaxes into a new shape.
GLEICH measured it. Specimens of each material were tested for deviation from flat over a 10 in. length.
| Material | Route | Distortion |
|---|---|---|
| G.AL® C250 | Cast, sawn and milled | 0.010 in. |
| G.AL® C330 | Cast, sawn and milled | 0.026 in. |
| EN AW-5083 | Rolled | 0.055 in. |
| EN AW-6061 | Rolled | 0.072 in. |
| EN AW-7075 | Rolled | 0.100 in. |
Distortion from flat over a 10 in. length. GLEICH test data. These are our own measurements and we have an obvious interest in the result - ask us for the test conditions if the absolute numbers matter to your decision.
The row worth pausing on is rolled 5083 at 0.055 in. That is the same alloy as C250 - same chemistry, same magnesium content - and it still moved five and a half times as far. The stability comes from the production route and the heat treatment, not from the alloy on the certificate.
What it saves
Less time on the machine, and no rough-and-rest cycle
Shops manage stress in rolled plate with rough-and-rest cycles, an intermediate stress-relief step, or by machining oversize and coming back for a finish pass. All of that is spindle time and handling.
GLEICH costed the same part out of five materials: a 2.4 x 15.7 x 39.4 in. base plate. Converted to a CAD 125 per hour shop rate with setup at one machine hour.
| Material | Machine time | Machining | With setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rolled 7075 | 3.25 h | CAD 406.25 | CAD 531.25 |
| Rolled 6082 / 6061 | 2.75 h | CAD 343.75 | CAD 468.75 |
| G.AL® C210R / C330R | 1.74 h | CAD 217.50 | CAD 342.50 |
| G.AL® C250 / C330 | 1.22 h | CAD 152.50 | CAD 277.50 |
Read this as machining economics, not the price of the job. It covers machine time and setup only. Material is not included, and cast plate costs more per pound than rolled 6061. The decision rule follows directly: cast plate wins outright whenever the price premium on the plate is less than the machining saving, which here is about CAD 191 per part against 6061. Ask us for the plate price and do that arithmetic on your own job.
Grade selection
Three grades, one question each
Almost every tool and die job in Canada starts with C210R. The other grades exist for the cases where it is not the right answer.
| Grade | Alloy and temper | Yield Rp0.2 | Specify it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| G.AL® C210R | EN AW-5083, O3 | 16 – 19 ksi | You are machining both faces anyway. The default. |
| G.AL® C250 | EN AW-5083, O3 | 16 – 19 ksi | The plate goes straight on the machine, or a face is a datum you do not want to touch. |
| G.AL® C330R | EN AW-7021, T79 | 42 – 49 ksi | The tool carries load or takes wear. Not weldable, not for food contact. |
A note on aerospace and defence
Aerospace tooling, with the limits stated up front
Aerospace and defence tooling is a legitimate application for this material and it comes up from time to time: drill and assembly jigs, layup and bond tools, inspection and check fixtures, ground support equipment and test rigs. The requirement is the same one the rest of this page is about - a fixture that still measures what it measured on the day it was signed off.
Two limits are worth raising before you specify it. Both are quicker to settle now than to discover during a supplier audit.
- G.AL® cast plate is not an airframe material. It is excluded from bending, forming and pressure vessel construction, and we do not offer it for flight-critical hardware. Tooling and ground equipment only.
- GLEICH Aluminum Canada holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 and ships an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate with every order. We are not AS9100 or AS9120 registered. For tooling that is usually not required, since a jig is not a flight part - but if your quality system demands an AS-registered supplier for raw material, we are not it, and that is better known on day one.
Where it does fit, the service temperature usually decides the grade. C210R and C250 are rated to 356 °F long term and 536 °F short term, so they are the ones for anything running a cure cycle. C330R and C330 are limited to 248 °F long term.
Read this before specifying
Where cast plate is the wrong answer
These are hard exclusions rather than preferences, and we would rather you heard them from us than found them out on the floor.
- Bending and forming. Cast plate has insufficient reserve ductility. Use rolled plate.
- Pressure vessel construction. A regulatory exclusion regardless of measured properties.
- Hand welding in C250. C210R welds acceptably by TIG and MIG; C250 does not suit hand welding. C330R and C330 are not weldable at all.
- Sustained heat above 356 °F for C210R and C250, or above 248 °F for C330R and C330, in long-term service.
If the part is welded, formed or structural, buy rolled plate. We will tell you so rather than sell you the wrong material and deal with it later.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a die set machined from rolled plate go out of flat?
Rolled plate carries residual stress from the rolling reduction and, in heat-treatable alloys, from the quench. While the section is intact those stresses balance each other. Rough a pocket into it and they no longer balance, so the plate relaxes into a new shape. It shows up on the second setup rather than the first, which is what makes it expensive: the part measured fine when you put it down. In GLEICH testing over a 10 in. length, rolled 6061 deviated 0.072 in. from flat while cast G.AL C250 deviated 0.010 in.
Which G.AL grade should I use for die sets and fixtures?
C210R for most work. It is EN AW-5083 in O3 temper, precision sawn on both faces with a finishing surplus, and it suits any job where you are machining both faces anyway. C250 is the same alloy milled to a tighter as-supplied thickness, for plate going more or less straight onto the machine or where a face is a datum. C330R is EN AW-7021 in T79 temper at 42 to 49 ksi yield, for tooling that has to carry load or resist wear.
Can G.AL aluminum plate be used for aerospace tooling?
Yes for tooling and ground equipment: drill and assembly jigs, layup and bond tools, inspection fixtures, ground support equipment and test rigs. No for airframe structure or flight-critical hardware - G.AL cast plate is excluded from bending, forming and pressure vessel construction and is not offered as an airframe material. On certification, GLEICH Aluminum Canada holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 and ships an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate with every order, but is not AS9100 or AS9120 registered. That is usually not required for tooling, since a jig is not a flight part, but if your quality system demands an AS-registered raw material supplier we are not one.
Can I weld a G.AL aluminum fixture?
C210R welds acceptably by TIG and MIG. C250 is not suitable for hand welding. C330R and C330, the EN AW-7021 grades, are not weldable at all. For a welded fixture sub-assembly specify C210R or rolled 5083. Cast plate is also excluded from bending, forming and pressure vessel construction; those are hard exclusions rather than preferences.
Building a die set or a fixture right now?
Tell us the plate size and the grade you are considering. We will confirm what is on the floor at Oldcastle, quote it, and tell you honestly if rolled plate is the better buy for that job.
Last reviewed 2026-08-24
Prototype tooling or a small fixture? Browse G.AL® C210R off-cuts in stock - exact dimensions listed, reduced prices, ships next day from Oldcastle. Full comparison of the material against rolled plate in cast 5083 vs 6061 and C210R vs 7075.
Building a die set or a fixture right now?
Tell us the plate size and the grade you are considering. We will confirm what is on the floor at Oldcastle, quote it, and tell you honestly if rolled plate is the better buy for that job.