How much does a machined aluminum bracket cost?

The bracket behind the estimate

Start from 1.125-inch 6061-T6 plate and finish to a 4 × 3 × 1-inch envelope. Four quarter-inch mounting holes pass through the top. Two 1/4-20 side holes are drilled 0.65 inch deep, requiring access after the top work. A 2 × 1.25 × 0.35-inch pocket has 0.125-inch internal corner radii. General dimensional tolerance is ±0.005 inch; there is no positional tolerance or CMM requirement.

This is a fictional reference design, not a customer's part. Its dimension schedule is downloadable so another estimator can reproduce the input. A real bracket with a thin upright, a curved profile or a bolted assembly could need a different stock blank and workholding. Do not scale its price purely by outside dimensions.

Follow the routing before judging the price

Programming and initial setup are lot costs. Milling and handling repeat on every piece. The table separates those contributions from stock and outside finishing. The routing below shows the center rates and minutes used before the pricing model's quantity-related run reduction. That reduction is an estimating assumption, not a promise that every repeat takes less time.

Top features and side holes justify a second orientation, but the example assumes ordinary workholding rather than a dedicated production setup. A custom plate, soft jaws or a difficult datum relationship would add money before the first part. Four ordinary mounting holes also cost less to verify than four holes tied to a tight positional tolerance.

Anodize changes a one-piece order

Clear Type II anodize uses a $125 lot minimum and a $3.50 size-scaled piece allowance, with a $0.55 piece floor. The minimum is compared with the piece total; it is not added on top. The finishing charge gets the same 30% shop markup as the rest of this example. Freight to the anodizer and special masking are excluded.

DMF publishes a $125 Type II lot minimum and a $0.55 piece minimum, checked October 30, 2026. Those support the minimum structure, not the complete example piece price or a promised delivery. Confirm whether threads need masking, whether rack marks are acceptable and whether the cosmetic face needs extra handling.

If the buyer needs only a functional prototype, quote an uncoated alternative with the specification clearly changed. For a repeat production order, keep the drawing revision, saved program and workholding information together. That gives a defensible way to reduce repeat setup while retaining first-piece verification.

• Anodizing minimums and quantity breaks