Optimizing the Cost of CNC Machining: 5 Key Factors You Should Know

The cost of CNC machining involves a variety of factors, including labor, machine complexity, materials and so on.

Our company Componing co., ltd have been pursuing to control the cost of CNC machining as much as possible, but we have also found that the same product from different manufacturer given totally difference price.

Why these differences and How? Let’s find out together.

Obviously, the price of different production equipment is not the same, thus causing a difference in the cost of labor hours. Usually, milling machines and lathes are used to manufacture parts. Three-axis milling machines, CNC lathes,5-axis machines, and various other machines charge differently.

As an easy example, the price difference between a $200,000 piece of specialized equipment and 2 million piece of production machining equipment is certainly quite large. The application of a variety of special equipment to finish a product and the application of a special equipment to apply a variety of functions to complete a product, because the special equipment production and processing functions are not the same, the price will also be different. So before sending the design to the machine shop, the design should be optimized as much as possible.

For example, the cost of using high-precision milling and turning parts, the application of lathes and CNC machining centers is obviously higher than the cost of economical milling and turning machine tools to produce machine tools. There are also some products require high-precision measuring instruments to assistance, which invariably also raises the application of special equipment costs.

The specification size and appearance of the parts themselves, the high-precision parts with large size and complex appearance, the production and processing part will be quite large, the application of raw materials will of course, and the scraps formed by production and processing will also increase, so the cost will also increase.

Also for parts with complex features, more programming time, running time, and setup time are required.  Complex hardware parts may also require specialized tools, complex programming and multiple machines to produce.

Therefore, it is beneficial to simplify the design as much as possible to reduce the cost per part. Simplify design by eliminating unnecessary functionality. So, we suggest it might be more cost-effective to break the design down into multiple parts and reassemble it.

The cost and processability of the material will be the main factors that determine the cost. Careful selection of material size can make a significant difference in the calculation of CNC machining costs. If rapid prototyping is required, aluminum and plastic are produced faster and at a lower cost. The general rule of thumb is to choose the cheapest material without sacrificing form, fit, or function.

Labor costs are highest at the beginning of a project, but can usually be absorbed in mass production CNC machines require little to no human intervention once set up.

Post-processing: Part assembly, cleaning, support removal and surface preparation typically require manual intervention.

Surface treatment improves the final surface of the part, removes any tool marks or roughness, achieves aesthetic purposes and provides wear resistance. Since the industry sectors involved in the products are different, the surface finish depends on the application of the part. Machining workshop for different materials to provide a variety of surface treatment, such as oxidation, sandblasting, spraying, heat treatment and so on, such a process is also a factor to increase the cost of products,

In summary, Choosing the right precision manufacturing processing technology and special equipment, raw materials, partner cooperation, is a reasonable and effective cost control. We can’t just choose one because its costs are very cheap.

Send us an inquiry now to start a communication with our experienced CNC machining specialists.