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.
To try to
simplify the matter, it may be useful to consider three main factors: raw materials, production times, "fixed" and additional
costs. Let's see how each of these elements affects the price.
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
