Transparent Pricing
Understand what drives manufacturing costs and get competitive quotes for your projects. No hidden fees, no surprises.
What Drives Manufacturing Costs?
Understanding these key factors helps you optimize your design for cost and manufacturability.
CNC Machining
Precision Manufacturing
Primary Cost Factors
- Setup Time: Machine programming, fixturing, and tool setup
- Material Cost: Raw material price and waste factor
- Machine Time: Actual cutting time and tool changes
- Complexity: Tight tolerances, fine finishes, and difficult geometries
Typical Price Ranges
Simple Parts
$50-200
Complex Parts
$200-1000+
3D Printing
Additive Manufacturing
Primary Cost Factors
- Material Volume: Amount of material used (including support structures)
- Technology: SLS, SLA, FDM, MJF have different material costs
- Build Time: Layer height and print speed affect duration
- Post-Processing: Support removal, sanding, and finishing
Typical Price Ranges
Small Parts
$20-100
Large Parts
$100-500+
Sheet Metal
Forming & Assembly
Primary Cost Factors
- Material Cost: Sheet metal price per square foot
- Cutting Operations: Laser cutting, punching, or waterjet
- Bending Operations: Number of bends and complexity
- Finishing: Powder coating, anodizing, or other surface treatments
Typical Price Ranges
Simple Parts
$30-150
Complex Parts
$150-800+
Injection Molding
High-Volume Production
Primary Cost Factors
- Tooling Cost: Mold design and manufacturing (one-time)
- Material Cost: Plastic resin price per pound
- Cycle Time: How long each part takes to mold
- Quantity: Higher volumes reduce per-part cost
Typical Price Ranges
Tooling
$5K-50K
Per Part
$0.50-10
Volume Pricing
Higher quantities typically result in lower per-part costs due to setup amortization and bulk material pricing.
Prototype
1-10 pieces
Perfect for concept validation and initial testing
- Fastest turnaround
- Design flexibility
- Material options
- Basic finishes
Pilot Run
10-100 pieces
Ideal for field testing and small production runs
- Optimized processes
- Consistent quality
- Inspection reports
- Surface finishes
Production
100+ pieces
Cost-effective for larger production volumes
- Lowest per-part cost
- Process optimization
- Full documentation
- Custom finishes
Cost Optimization Tips
Follow these design guidelines to reduce manufacturing costs while maintaining quality and functionality.
Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
- Simplify Geometry: Reduce complex features and unnecessary details
- Standard Tolerances: Only specify tight tolerances where absolutely necessary
- Material Selection: Choose readily available materials in standard sizes
- Surface Finishes: Use standard finishes unless specific requirements exist
What to Include in Your RFQ
- Complete Specifications: Process, material, quantity, and lead time requirements
- Technical Drawings: 2D drawings with critical dimensions and tolerances
- 3D Files: STEP or IGES files for accurate quoting
- Quality Requirements: Inspection needs, certifications, and documentation