QuotedPartCost guides · Updated 2026-10-30
How much does it cost to machine plastic?
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The milled Delrin plate in this example costs $427.05 for one, $68.55 each at 10, and $34.27 each at 100 pieces. Low material weight and fast cutting help, but setup, workholding, chip control and inspection set the short-run price; PEEK and UHMW need their own assumptions. Soft jaws and sharp tools help prevent distortion and burrs.
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The Delrin (acetal) example part
The example uses a 4 × 3 × 1 inch plastic block and a ±0.005 inch general tolerance. Delrin’s low density makes the material line small, while its 1.5 machinability factor shortens the cutting portion. Thin walls, heat from dull tools and chips trapped in a pocket can reverse that advantage on a real part.
How the quantity break works
Plastic workholding deserves its own plan. Soft jaws or a vacuum plate may be needed, and clamping can distort a thin section. Our pricing engine example does not include a special jig, post-machining anneal or a certified material lot; list those as separate assumptions when they apply.
What the material or process changes
The quantity table makes setup economics clear. One sample pays for programming and the first setup; a hundred parts spread that fixed work while deburring and inspection repeat. If the buyer asks for a different polymer, rerun the geometry because density and removal rate affect both material and time.
How to turn this into a firm quote
Quote the resin grade, color, tolerance, packaging and any clean-room or traceability requirement. QuotedPart is useful when you want to run the same plastic geometry against your own rates and keep those assumptions with the estimate.
Questions to settle before release
Plastic quotes benefit from a material sample and a clamping discussion. Confirm whether the part may be machined warm, whether a stabilizing soak is required, and how chips will be kept out of a bore. Ask for color, filler and certificate language. A polymer that looks cheaper per pound can need more fixturing or inspection. Keep those practical constraints beside the computed table when presenting the price.
For this cost to machine plastic estimate, when the job is urgent, show the schedule impact separately from the price. A rush setup, outside-service expedite or second machine may change lead days and cost in different ways. Naming those choices lets the buyer decide what to trade. The base table remains useful because it records the ordinary US small-shop route before urgency is added.
Pricing engine output for the stated Delrin (acetal) CNC milling example part
- • Material: Delrin (acetal); the US catalog stores its small-lot price and machinability factor.
- • Process: CNC milling; setup, machine time, deburring and inspection are generated from the example-part geometry.
- • Markup: 30% default US catalog markup; quantities are 1, 10, 100.
- • Fictional 4 × 3 × 1 in milled block; no finish or outside process.
- • No outside finish, tax, freight, or customer-specific rate is included.
- • These are computed examples, not supplier quotes or market averages.
| Qty | Setup min (lot) | Cycle min (part) | Cost / part | Quoted / part | Lot price | Lead days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 191.0 | 12.0 | $328.50 | $427.05 | $427.05 | 11 |
| 10 | 191.0 | 12.0 | $52.73 | $68.55 | $685.50 | 11 |
| 100 | 191.0 | 12.0 | $26.36 | $34.27 | $3427.00 | 14 |
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 figures are computed from the stated example part and US catalog assumptions.
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