CNC Machining Company: what it costs and who makes it

How cnc machining is quoted

1. Cutting time is the price. Every feature costs the minutes the machine spends on it. Deep pockets, small internal radii and thin walls all mean slower cutting or a smaller tool, and both show up in the quote.
2. Tolerance is not free. A tolerance tighter than the shop's standard adds passes, inspection and scrap. Tolerancing every dimension to the tightest one you need is a common and expensive habit.
3. Setups multiply. Each side the part has to be re-fixtured for is another setup. A part that can be cut in two operations rather than five is materially cheaper before anything else changes.

What changes the price, and what does not

What moves the number: cutting time, number of setups, tolerance, internal radii, material machinability and surface finish. What moves it less: the raw material's own price, on most parts, and the part's overall size on its own.

Common questions

Capacity data by state