QuotedPartAnswers · Updated 2026-10-30
How do I quote Swiss screw machine parts?
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A Swiss part is a long setup and a short cycle: 120 minutes of Swiss setup before the first good part, then about 0.9 minutes of work per part. Our pricing engine prices a 1.0 in, 0.25 in diameter 303 stainless pin with one groove and one cross hole at $6.10 each for 100, $2.43 for 500 and $1.46 for 2,500. The same pin on a CNC lathe is $12.88, $7.94 and $5.72: the Swiss pays for itself with a short cycle once the lot is large enough.
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Bar per part
Swiss parts are cut from bar fed through the guide bushing, so the stock is the bar diameter you ground or bought. This pin is 1.0 in long, which is 25.4 mm, and each part also uses about 2 mm for the end face and 3 mm for the cut-off: 30.4 mm of bar. Take the bar from 5/16 in round (our pricing engine rounds up to a standard size above the largest diameter) and it weighs 0.018 kg per part, $0.20 of 303 at the catalog's price. The material is small on a part like this, which is why the quote is mostly machine time.
The bar's remnant (the last length the feeder can't use) is shared across the parts from that bar. At this size it's tiny per part, but it matters on a short bar of an expensive alloy.
Setup is the big fixed number
The catalog assumes a 120-minute Swiss setup, plus 15 minutes for the live-tool feature, CAM programming, bench set-up and first-article inspection: 2.9 hours before the lot runs, or $302.18 at the catalog's rates. That cost is the same for 100 pieces or 2,500, so it's the whole story at small lots. A 100-piece order carries $3.02 per part of setup alone, and a 2,500-piece order only $0.12.
Cycle time is short because the Swiss turns, drills and cuts off in one pass: 0.3 minutes of turning, 0.3 for the cross hole with a live tool, and a little deburring and inspection, for 0.9 minutes of work per part. The lathe needs 5.0 minutes for the same pin, because the cross hole becomes a second operation on a mill.
| Operation | Work center | Rate | Setup min (lot) | Cycle min (part) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAM programming | CAM programming | $95/h | 19.4 | 0.00 |
| Swiss turn | Swiss lathe | $110/h | 120.0 | 0.30 |
| Live tooling, 1 feature | Swiss lathe | $110/h | 15.0 | 0.30 |
| Deburr | Deburr / bench | $55/h | 5.0 | 0.20 |
| Inspect | Inspection | $75/h | 15.5 | 0.10 |
Swiss or lathe: what the numbers say
The Swiss wins when the lot is large, the part is small and slender, and several features can be done in one cycle. Bar-fed, with the sub-spindle taking the back end, it makes the part complete. The lathe wins when the lot is a few dozen, because it carries less setup. In our engine's routing a part goes to the Swiss for its feature count (several features, steps or a groove), or, in production lots of 100 or more, for being long and slender or cut from hex or square bar, and only if it is 31.75 mm (1-1/4 in) or less across.
| Quantity | Swiss, price each | CNC lathe, price each | Swiss lead days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $6.10 | $12.88 | 11 |
| 500 | $2.43 | $7.94 | 12 |
| 2500 | $1.46 | $5.72 | 14 |
What would change the price
Tolerances of ±0.0002 in, a ground diameter or a polished finish add grinding and inspection. Threads add a thread-whirl or die operation. Parts with both ends machined may need the sub-spindle for a back-working operation: ask your programmer for the real cycle. A part with many cross features or milled flats takes longer than the 0.3 minutes here.
Lot sizes change the answer as well. Many Swiss shops quote a minimum lot to cover setup, and a blanket with releases (see below) lets a buyer split a 2,500-piece lot into smaller deliveries without paying the setup each time.
Price breaks, Swiss pin
- • Part: 1.0 in long, 0.25 in and 0.19 in diameters, one groove, one 1/16 in cross hole, ±0.001 in.
- • Stock: 5/16 in 303 round bar, 2 mm facing and 3 mm cut-off per part.
- • Swiss lathe $110/h with a 120-minute setup; live tool feature 15 minutes of setup; CAM programming, deburr and inspection at the catalog's rates.
- • No outside finish.
| Quantity | Lot cost | Lot price | Price each |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $469.00 | $610.00 | $6.10 |
| 500 | $935.00 | $1,215.00 | $2.43 |
| 2500 | $2,800.00 | $3,650.00 | $1.46 |
Sources and limits
Claims are dated where they can change. Product calculations are examples from the stated inputs, not a promise about a customer's quote. Competitor wording is attributed to the source shown.
- All prices are from QuotedPart's pricing engine with the US starting catalog (Swiss lathe $110/h, 120-minute setup, 303 stainless at the catalog price, 30% markup). Your machine's setup and cycle will differ.
Questions
Why is the minimum order on Swiss work so high?
Because the setup is long. At 100 pieces this pin carries about $3 of setup per part; at 10 pieces it would carry about $30.
Does the Swiss run unattended?
Bar-fed Swiss machines often run with little attention for a long stretch. See the page on lights-out pricing for how to price it.
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