How much will it cost me? How much does it cost to do it? These are common questions. We are all drawn to the idea of getting a good deal! And we are also all good at giving a price to what we buy: "5 euros for a liter of milk? But not even for an idea!". However, when it comes to bespoke components, whether they are slight slanting bed CNC lathe machine, 3D printed or injection molded, things get a little complicated.
Raw material
Metals: gold, silver, bronze ... It is known that the scarce availability of minerals and the costs of refining (including those of energy and processing techniques) affect the cost of raw materials. The relative metal cost chart holds few surprises: steel and aluminum are plentiful (Al6082 is the most common type) and are the lowest cost raw materials per kg. The central part of the graph shows the more specialized types of aluminum and stainless steel, which contain expensive alloy components. Finally, titanium, which is surprisingly abundant but difficult to refine (which also contributes to increasing its price, as well as giving it properties such as corrosion resistance).
Plastics : While they may look quite similar, they feature an even wider price range.
Lowest cost per kg: nylon (PA6), acrylic and ABS. They are widely used materials, mainly used for injection molding and CNC components. However, there is a material that can be cheaper and perform better. Acetal (often referred to as Delrin®) is a widely used technical plastic with good stability.
Average cost: fiberglass-reinforced nylon costs 50% more. The characteristics of hardness and brittleness together of the fiberglass, combine with the hard plastic to create a composite material, which is stronger and more resistant to wear.
Specialized materials: these raw materials have a higher price than titanium (they can exceed 100 euros / kg), so it is worth checking first if it is possible to use an alternative! Generally they are required to meet specific needs: PC (polycarbonate) is so strong that it is used for bulletproof glass! PEEK, the best choice for F1 and the aerospace industry, is more robust than some metals, resists UV and flame and can meet almost any application need. PSU, PPSU and PEI are generally used in the food and medical fields. Finally, the POM-ESD is modified in order to give it a conduction capacity to prevent electrostatic discharges.
Cost of
manufacture
It is determined by the machining time (as well as the wear of the associated tools) and the time it takes to make the fixtures to firmly support the components, as well as the configurations where machining occurs in multiple directions.
We don't manufacture a cost, we manufacture the piece (digitally) and factor it into the price. That's why we know with certainty that it can be manufactured and how long it will take: we offer same-day delivery service for less complex parts, while most of our quotes have a delivery time of 3 days. This process is mostly automatic, but all quotes are also signed by an experienced engineer, as part of a process that typically takes no more than an hour.
Of course, the complexity of the piece plays a major role: small, more detailed features require smaller tools and therefore take more time. The second factor is workability.
In general, plastics are softer and easier to work with, even if excessive softness can represent a challenge: among them PVC and PP (polypropylene is particularly suitable for making ropes due to the properties it presents when cut) . The next materials in the ranking are the 'soft' metals, namely brass and 6082 aluminum. In general, the harder the metal, the harder it is to cut. Finally, copper is very malleable, so it should be avoided for the creation of thin elements.
Fixed and
additional costs
There are always additional costs, which are often not "added value" because they do not directly contribute to the manufacture of the piece, but are still necessary and important: packaging, measurements and inspections, calibration and fine-tuning of the equipment, work organization , preparation of estimates and communication with customers.
To minimize these costs, automation, robotics and automated machinery for large volume production can be used. These resources allow you to lower the price, but incur a Non-Reoccurring Engineering (NRE) cost. In other words, they take some time to set up and can be inflexible. Therefore ideal for the manufacture of thousands of pieces, but not very useful for prototyping and for the first production batches.
That's why our automation focuses on the cost of NRE, through a digital supply chain. We don't need a 2D drawing, because we automatically generate the machine code, inspection requirements and part support directly from the customer upload. The main advantage is that we can start making the 3D drawing within minutes of placing the order. The second advantage is that there are no setup costs. Sure, there is a price reduction for each additional piece, but we are very flexible in making complex pieces, small batches and unique pieces.
You are
comparing products of the same characteristics, but what else does the price
include?
So far we have talked about physical attributes: materials, dimensions and quantities. But there are other invisible attributes included in our manufacturing service, namely speed and reliability.
All European CNC components are manufactured in the UK, those made by additive manufacturing in Germany. The average time for CNC Lathe Machining is 3 days.
It's the miracle of modern transportation and global trade - if you can wait 3 weeks or 3 months there is a whole world of options. Just make sure you compare "price and delivery" on an equivalent basis. Which brings us to the conclusion.
Focus on
value rather than cost
As the saying goes, "time is money" and your time is especially valuable. Whatever you are planning will have an impact and your customers want it right away. We have helped prototype and manufacture everything from the best medical devices and most efficient electrical equipment to the best transportation solutions.
Spending 10% more on robust prototyping and testing is likely to be paid off by a better product, while arriving 10% late (or let's say 10 days after a major product launch!) Is a costly issue. .
"Fail quickly, fail often" was Thomas Edison's phrase (and he has done it with more than 9,000 prototypes!). Dyson is known to have produced more than 5,000 prototypes to perfect the cyclone vacuum cleaner. Thanks to 3D CAD and digital tools, designers no longer need to carry out so many tests, but perhaps this balance has moved much further? It's really quick and easy to upload a project.
Finally, it
is necessary to consider:
Quality factors: the components respect and exceed the declared tolerance
Service: protolabs.it offers information on the properties of materials, design advice and selection of the supply chain
Advice: Each quote has 3D design feedback and our customer service team is ready to offer advice and information on the best manufacturing solution
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