CNC/Machining costs

[heathy]

This is more of a generic question but I know there's a lot of people who work with metal on this forum.

What's it cost to have something machined or CNCed? I know tolerance and material change the costs but I'm looking for more of a ball park.

 

[The Rusty Gear]

This is more of a generic question but I know there's a lot of people who work with metal on this forum.

What's it cost to have something machined or CNCed? I know tolerance and material change the costs but I'm looking for more of a ball park.

ummm how big? A gear will cost a lot less than a transmission housing regardless of materials or tolerances . . . . Amount of material removed needs to be considered. Can a lathe be used? Mill? combination of both? Very design dependant.

 

[heathy]

Say a piston or a gear a differential.

 

[ears]

$27.98 should cover it.

 

[nate379]

Ok... I'll just say it. YOU ARE WAY TO FAWKIN VAGUE!!

What exactly do you need?

I have had work done for free, $5, lunch... or a couple hundred $$s... all depending on what it was and who it was that did the work.

 

[heathy]

I'm looking into is there really a cost savings of making a part in a plastic form(3d printing) or having it just CNC'ed out of a real the material. It appears simple parts already in a CAD format is cheap enough to CNC.

So the vagueness isn't really on purpose it's just I'm trying to stay general.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I'm looking into is there really a cost savings of making a part in a plastic form(3d printing) or having it just CNC'ed out of a real the material. It appears simple parts already in a CAD format is cheap enough to CNC.

So the vagueness isn't really on purpose it's just I'm trying to stay general.

I think it depends on whether you want 10, or 10,000 of the part in question. If you are looking for a few then like as not it will be something for conventional machines. If it is a very complex part or the volume justifies turning to CNC then there is a good reason to run the parts on CNC instead of conventional machines.

 

[35mastr]

Heath, If you want I use a guy in Union City. He makes all of our parts for all of our plant machinery and his work is flawless. If you want I can get you in touch with him.

L&E Machine. Guys name is Tuong. He knows his chit .
It is on Western St. Off of Alvarado Niles BLVD.

If you have it on CAD. It will be a know brainer for him.

 

[X1 Mike]

I think it depends on whether you want 10, or 10,000 of the part in question. If you are looking for a few then like as not it will be something for conventional machines. If it is a very complex part or the volume justifies turning to CNC then there is a good reason to run the parts on CNC instead of conventional machines.

The number of parts does not have as much imact as the complexity of the parts. I can make many of the same parts conventionally that I can with CNC but there comes a point when it's showing off. I have done plenty of 1 off CNC work, it is way faster than conventional when you start getting complex. As far as what the cost is, it all depends on what machine time goes for in your area.

 

[Diesel_Crawler]

They bought the program for one at out other shop it was around 500,000 and they gave us the machine, Go figure. Don't ask me the name it's something German made and I have only seen it on paper.

 

[hydramatic]

what is it you want..we have the most high end machine shop in the south eastern USA..hell, what`s wrong with buying it new !!!! Hurst products has it if jegs dosn`t ..

 

[G1K]

$60-90 an hour, you supply the material.


R

 

[-B-]

one off parts via CNC (NC) is a lot of money as it has to be designed and coded ( unless a shop uses matsercam or the like that automatically code)

CNC is for producing vast quantities of parts unless you hav very deep pockets.


Even DRO on mills and lathes are for repetitive work producing parts by batches

 

[Kevin54]

This is more of a generic question but I know there's a lot of people who work with metal on this forum.

What's it cost to have something machined or CNCed? I know tolerance and material change the costs but I'm looking for more of a ball park.

It's very hard to determine a cost without seeing a basic idea of what you want. The complexity of the shape determines the cost along with the material. What you may be considering CNC'd could maybe be done on a 2 axis mill. I run 2 axis and 3 axis CNC's on a daily basis. Some things can be programmed in a few minutes, to a few hours, to a few days. It all depends on what it is that determines the cost.

 

[X1 Mike]

one off parts via CNC (NC) is a lot of money as it has to be designed and coded ( unless a shop uses matsercam or the like that automatically code)

CNC is for producing vast quantities of parts unless you hav very deep pockets.


Even DRO on mills and lathes are for repetitive work producing parts by batches

Today CNC is very cost effective for one offs, if they are complex enough to warrant its use. Mastercam is very nice and preferred but you can get a lot done just using a machines stock conversational programming. If I can do something using only 1 setup on a CNC it will save tons of time over something I need to make a bunch of setups and get out say a rotary table for. Even if you are stuck G-code programming, if you are smart you save previous jobs that may be alike so you can steal parts of it to save time.