Metal Wallets: Manufacturing & Sourcing Hub

Die casting carries a higher tooling cost but a lower unit cost at volume; CNC has little or no tooling cost and a higher unit cost, with better surface quality and tighter tolerances. Below a few thousand units per colour CNC is usually cheaper overall. Above that, casting plus secondary machining often wins — the crossover depends on wall thickness and post-processing.

A standard slim frame holds four to six cards plus notes; a pop-up mechanism usually holds five to seven in the stack plus one or two in an external slot. Capacity is limited by internal stack height, not by the outer size, so adding cards means a thicker body and a longer eject stroke. Specify capacity before choosing the mechanism.

Most failures come from spring fatigue, grit entering the track, or a lever designed for a different card stack height. Ask for a cycle test of 5,000 to 10,000 eject cycles plus a dust test. A stainless spring and a sealed track cost more per unit but remove most warranty claims.

Bead-blasted matte and brushed finishes hide fine scratches far better than polished or mirror surfaces. Anodizing adds a hard oxide layer that resists wear but shows chips as lighter dots. PVD is harder and more colour-stable but costs more. For high-handling products, matte anodized aluminium or brushed stainless is the practical choice.

Existing CNC bodies with a new logo or finish start at 500 pieces. New finishes or small design changes start at 3,000 pieces. A new body that requires programming, fixtures or a die starts at 5,000 pieces, plus one-time tooling. Mixed colours can share one order if the total meets the MOQ.