QuotedPartCost guides · Updated 2026-10-30
How much does CNC turning cost per part?
Price one of your own parts: Drop a STEP model or PDF drawing — about 90 seconds, no account.
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A turned part price starts with bar or a saw-cut blank, then adds setup, programming, turning time, drilling, deburr, inspection, and markup. This worked stepped shaft uses a 65-minute setup on the US catalog's $90/hour CNC lathe. Quantities 1, 10, 100, and 1,000 show the fixed setup falling per part while the cut time remains tied to the geometry.
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What the lathe workholding assumes
The reference part is 4 inches long with 1.25 and 0.90 inch turned diameters, one end bore, one groove, and a ±0.001 inch diameter tolerance. The stock form is round bar. `the routing calculation` generates CAM programming, turning, deburr, and inspection; the catalog supplies a 65-minute lathe setup.
A saw-cut blank may cost more per piece than continuous bar but can reduce cutoff and handling. The table does not silently choose between those purchasing routes; it gives the estimator a visible place to change the stock assumption.
- Confirm bar diameter and remnant policy.
- Separate cutoff, deburr, and secondary milling.
- Check whether the tolerance needs a finishing pass or inspection plan.
Setup is why quantity matters
At one shaft, the setup and programming lines are a large share of the quote. At 1,000 pieces, that lot work is spread across the run and the per-part price approaches material plus turning time. The pricing model's quantity curve is visible in the run minutes and lead days rather than hidden in a blanket discount.
Use the lot total when comparing vendors. A lower unit price can still be the higher order total if it assumes a different blank, outside process, or minimum charge.
- Show unit and lot numbers together.
- Ask whether the quote includes bar remnants.
- Do not bury a first-article inspection in run time.
Bar stock versus saw-cut blanks
Continuous bar suits repeat work and lets the lathe feed material through a guide bushing or collet. Saw-cut blanks can make short runs easier to stage, but each blank carries a cut and handling decision. For a real quote, enter the supplier's price and the actual blank length instead of using a generic percentage.
The pricing model table is intentionally a starting point. A live tool, cross-hole, thread, knurl, or off-machine finish changes the route and should be added as an explicit operation.
- Confirm material condition and diameter tolerance.
- List threads, grooves, and cross-holes from the print.
- Add plating, heat treat, or grinding as dated outside work.
Use the result as an estimator's starting point
For this cnc turning cost per part at 1, 10, 100, and 1,000 pieces example, an estimator can challenge every cnc turning input. Replace this fictional geometry with the customer's STEP file or drawing, then replace the catalog stock price, work-center rate, setup minutes, and markup with the shop's current cnc lathe values.
Keep the lot setup visible when you send this quote for cnc turning cost per part at 1, 10, 100, and 1,000 pieces. Confirm stock form, material condition, tolerances, inspection, deburr, and outside-process timing before promising a ship date. If one of those inputs changes, rerun the calculation and show the buyer what moved.
- Show both unit and lot totals.
- Label illustrative values clearly.
- Have the estimator review access, tooling, and first-piece risk.
Engine output for a 4 in stepped shaft from round bar
- • Material: Aluminum 6061-T6; the US catalog input is $9.50/lb and machinability 1.00 relative to 6061-T6.
- • Process: CNC turning; the pricing model includes CAM programming, Turn, 2 ops, Deburr, Inspect and calculates the quantities shown.
- • Geometry: 4 × 1.25 × 1.25 in; Fictional stepped shaft with one end bore; saw-cut round bar is assumed.
- • Markup: 30% catalog default. Taxes, freight, customer-specific rates, and unlisted outside services are excluded.
- • Every dollar and minute in the table is a reproducible example from the stated inputs, not a market average or supplier promise.
| Quantity | Setup min (lot) | Run min (part) | Material / part | Machine + labor / part | Outside / part | Quoted / part | Lot quote | Lead days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 126.3 | 3.6 | $15.05 | $4.92 | $0.00 | $266.29 | $266.29 | 9 |
| 10 | 126.3 | 3.6 | $5.49 | $4.94 | $0.00 | $37.58 | $375.80 | 9 |
| 100 | 126.3 | 3.6 | $3.82 | $4.93 | $0.00 | $13.78 | $1378.00 | 10 |
| 1000 | 126.3 | 3.6 | $2.60 | $3.33 | $0.00 | $7.94 | $7940.00 | 15 |
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.
- The stock price input is taken from the US catalog, which records an Online Metals check on 2026-10-21. — source (checked 2026-10-21)
Questions
Is this a guaranteed 6061-t6 aluminum quote?
No. It is a transparent estimating example. Replace the example inputs with the customer's drawing, stock quote, current shop rates, and inspection or finish requirements.
Why does quantity change the unit price?
Setup and programming are lot costs. The pricing calculation spreads those costs across the stated quantity and keeps the per-part run time and material inputs visible.
Price one of your own parts
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