QuotedPartCost guides · Updated 2026-10-30
How much does it cost to machine Delrin (acetal)?
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A Delrin guide block about 6 × 1.5 × 1 in, with a full-length slot and three counterbored holes, prices at $326 for one, $52.39 each at 10, $25.64 at 100 and $17.77 at 1,000, at US small-shop rates and a 30% markup. A small turned Delrin roller runs from $248 for one to $5.58 at 1,000. Acetal is cheap per pound and cuts faster than aluminum, so on these parts the material is a few dollars and setup is 91% of the one-piece cost. The quantity is what sets the price.
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Two typical Delrin parts
The guide block is a wear strip for a conveyor or a slide: 6 × 1.5 × 1 in, a 1/2 in wide slot 3/8 in deep running the full length, and three 0.266 in holes counterbored for 1/4 in socket head screws. It is cut from 1-1/8 in plate on a 3-axis mill in two setups, with ±0.005 in tolerances.
The roller is Ø1.5 × 1.25 in with a 0.5 in through bore held to +0.002/-0.000 in and one groove, turned from 1.5 in rod in two operations on the lathe.
| Operation | Work center | Rate | Setup min (lot) | Run min (part) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAM programming, 9 toolpaths | CAM programming | $95/h | 61 | 0.0 |
| Mill, 2 setups | 3-axis VMC | $95/h | 68 | 5.8 |
| Deburr | Deburr / bench | $55/h | 5 | 2.4 |
| Inspect | Inspection | $75/h | 17 | 0.7 |
Price at 1, 10, 100 and 1,000
Programming and setup on the guide block total 150 minutes, which is $228.67 at our rates and the bulk of a one-piece price. At 10 pieces that is $22.87 a part, and by 1,000 it is cents. Run time per part drops a little past 100 pieces, as the program is tuned and the operator settles into the lot.
Delrin is priced in our catalog at $7.50/lb, a little below one-bar 6061, and is rated at 1.5 times 6061's removal rate. The aluminum version of the same block costs $21.53 more at one piece and $3.17 more each at 1,000.
| Part | 1 pc | 10 pcs | 100 pcs | 1,000 pcs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guide block, 6 × 1.5 × 1 in (milled) | $326.13 | $52.39 | $25.64 | $17.77 |
| Same guide block in 6061 aluminum | $347.66 | $65.07 | $32.14 | $20.94 |
| Idler roller, Ø1.5 × 1.25 in (turned) | $248.31 | $30.38 | $9.56 | $5.58 |
Where the guide block's price goes
At 1,000 pieces, the guide block is $5.17 of plate, $8.27 of machine and bench time and $0.23 of setup per part. The roller at 1,000 is $1.10 of rod and $3.01 of lathe and bench time. There is no outside process on either.
| Quantity | Material each | Setup + programming each | Machine + labor each | Outside services each | Cost each | Price each (30% markup) | Lead days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $9.95 | $228.67 | $12.25 | $0.00 | $250.87 | $326.13 | 11 |
| 10 | $5.17 | $22.87 | $12.26 | $0.00 | $40.30 | $52.39 | 11 |
| 100 | $5.17 | $2.29 | $12.26 | $0.00 | $19.72 | $25.64 | 13 |
| 1,000 | $5.17 | $0.23 | $8.27 | $0.00 | $13.67 | $17.77 | 25 |
What makes a Delrin part cost more than this
Delrin is easy to cut and hard to hold. The extra cost on real jobs usually comes from the drawing, not the material:
- Tolerances tighter than ±0.002 in. Acetal grows with heat and moisture (several times as much as steel per degree), so tight parts need to be finished cool, measured at room temperature, and sometimes rough-cut, rested and finished.
- Thin walls and long thin parts. They flex under the cutter and spring after unclamping. Plan lighter passes and soft jaws or vacuum workholding.
- Black vs natural, homopolymer (Delrin) vs copolymer acetal. Copolymer is cheaper, has less centerline porosity in thick rod, and is often what a print really needs. Ask before you substitute.
- Food-contact or FDA grades, and glass- or PTFE-filled acetal, cost more than natural Delrin and wear tools faster.
- Burrs: acetal makes stringy burrs on cross holes. Budget bench time for any hole that breaks into a bore.
Engine assumptions
- • Guide block: fictional 6 × 1.5 × 1 in, from 1-1/8 in plate; full-length 0.5 × 0.375 in slot; three Ø0.266 in holes counterbored Ø0.438 × 0.27 in; ±0.005 in.
- • Roller: fictional Ø1.5 × 1.25 in from 1.5 in rod, Ø0.5 in through bore +0.002/-0.000 in, one groove.
- • Delrin (acetal): $7.50/lb for a small lot; removal rate 1.5 × 6061-T6.
- • Aluminum 6061-T6: $9.50/lb for a small lot, falling toward $4.50/lb from about ten full bars; removal rate 1 × 6061-T6.
- • 3-axis VMC: $95/h, 45 min standard setup (US catalog default, editable).
- • CNC lathe: $90/h, 65 min standard setup (US catalog default, editable).
- • CAM programming: $95/h (US catalog default, editable).
- • Deburr / bench: $55/h (US catalog default, editable).
- • Inspection: $75/h (US catalog default, editable).
- • Stock: at least one 1 ft cut piece per lot.
- • Markup: 30% on cost; $65 minimum line charge. No freight, tax, certs or expedite.
| Part | 1 pc | 10 pcs | 100 pcs | 1,000 pcs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guide block, 6 × 1.5 × 1 in (milled) | $326.13 | $52.39 | $25.64 | $17.77 |
| Same guide block in 6061 aluminum | $347.66 | $65.07 | $32.14 | $20.94 |
| Idler roller, Ø1.5 × 1.25 in (turned) | $248.31 | $30.38 | $9.56 | $5.58 |
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.
- Prices, minutes and the material split are computed by QuotedPart's pricing engine from the stated parts and the US catalog defaults.
- Delrin's price is the catalog's starting price for acetal rod and plate, not an audited distributor list price; check your supplier's quote.
Questions
Is Delrin cheaper to machine than aluminum?
Slightly, on most parts. It cuts faster and costs a little less per pound in small lots. The 6 in guide block here is $25.64 each in Delrin and $32.14 in 6061 at 100 pieces. At one piece the difference disappears into setup.
What's the minimum a shop should charge for a Delrin part?
The same as any other part: programming and setup don't care what the material is. Our engine also applies a $65 minimum per line, but a programmed part like this one is already well above that.
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