- Seven drivers: material, cycle time, setups, tolerance, finish, quantity, inspection
- Machinability is the quietest cost driver — pick a free-cutting grade
- A usable quote itemizes; a blended number cannot be compared
The seven drivers, from the shop floor
1. Material and stock form. 2. Cycle time — how long metal is being cut. 3. Setup count — every re-clamp is labour and drift. 4. Tolerance band. 5. Surface finish. 6. Quantity breaks. 7. Inspection and documentation. Seven levers, and most of them you control before the drawing is sent.
Why two quotes differ by 3x
The same drawing, two shops, three times the price — for five normal reasons: material assumption, setup strategy, inspection depth, whether finishing is included, and the quantity break. None of these means the cheap shop is lying. Ask both to show their assumptions side by side.
Machinability is the quiet lever
A free-cutting grade can run at double the feed of a gummy one, with better finish and less tool wear. Before you spend a tolerance zero, check whether the material is doing the job any alloy could do — the savings are often bigger than a DFM tweak.
Lead time is four numbers
Setup, run, finish, inspect. Finishing is usually the bottleneck because it often leaves the building. We quote a 3 / 7 / 30-day ladder and state which leg dominates.
What makes machining expensive?
Tolerance is the most expensive line item you can add by accident — spend the zeros only on the features that earn them.
How do I get an accurate price?
Send the 3D plus 2D with GD&T, material, quantities and finish. You get a quote you can compare line by line.
Send the checklist and get a quote you can compare line by line.
Send a 3D file to [email protected] · +86 13126536955
Continue reading: Machining Applications · Machining Materials · Machining's Services
Standards referenced on this page
- ISO 9001 — Quality management systems — Requirements
- ASTM E8/E8M-21 — Standard Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials