QuotedPartCost guides · Updated 2026-10-30
How much does a machined aluminum enclosure cost versus sheet metal?
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For a 6 × 4 × 2-inch open housing, the milled 6061 example is $138.75 each at ten, compared with $38.74 for the bent 5052 alternative. The machined version has quarter-inch walls; the formed version uses 0.063-inch sheet. This is a construction comparison, not a claim that the two bodies have identical stiffness, sealing or thermal performance.
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Match the useful envelope and name the difference
The milled body starts at 2.25-inch plate thickness and pockets a 5.5 × 3.5 × 1.75-inch cavity, with quarter-inch internal corner radii. It leaves a quarter-inch bottom and walls. The formed alternative starts as a 10 × 8-inch developed blank with four bends and a twenty-minute corner-welding setup plus eight minutes of welding and cleanup per part.
Both examples are open trays. Neither includes a lid, threaded standoffs, gasket, connectors, coating or hardware. Bend deductions, corner reliefs and the precise flat pattern require production design work. Holding the envelope constant helps compare cost drivers, but the sheet body gives a larger cavity because its walls are much thinner.
| Construction | Qty | Setup min/lot | Run min/part at qty | Stock | Setup | Machine/labor | Outside | Markup + floor | Sell/part |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milled 6061 | 1 | 144.5 | 26.10 | $106.04 | $220.46 | $38.30 | $0.00 | $109.44 | $474.24 |
| Milled 6061 | 10 | 144.5 | 26.10 | $46.39 | $22.05 | $38.29 | $0.00 | $32.02 | $138.75 |
| Milled 6061 | 100 | 144.5 | 26.10 | $26.09 | $2.20 | $38.29 | $0.00 | $19.97 | $86.55 |
| Bent 5052 | 1 | 72.0 | 9.90 | $2.42 | $121.00 | $15.27 | $0.00 | $41.61 | $180.30 |
| Bent 5052 | 10 | 72.0 | 9.90 | $2.42 | $12.10 | $15.28 | $0.00 | $8.94 | $38.74 |
| Bent 5052 | 100 | 72.0 | 9.90 | $2.42 | $1.21 | $15.27 | $0.00 | $5.67 | $24.57 |
The pocket buys removal time and usable features
A solid block ties up more purchased aluminum than a thin flat blank. Its cavity also creates roughing and wall-finishing time before the part becomes a housing. At one piece, CAM and workholding are important; at 100, material yield and every repeated machine minute matter. Our pricing engine separates those terms instead of using a blanket 'machined enclosure' factor.
Machining can leave integral bosses, thick gasket lands and accurate connector datums. Those features are absent from this simple cavity and would need to be added to the model. Deep, narrow cavities or thin walls may also require a smaller tool and extra support. Do not extrapolate this relatively open cavity to a complicated RF housing.
Formed construction carries a different risk list
Laser cutting, brake setup and corner closure replace most chip removal on the sheet route. Forming access, springback, corner gaps and weld appearance need review. A bare formed shell with visible seams should not be compared with a sealed, cosmetically finished machined body as though the only difference were supplier price.
The quoted rates are $95/hour for milling and CAM, $175 laser, $80 brake, $90 weld, $55 bench and $75 inspection where used. Both routes add 30% markup and a $65 line floor. Stock allocation and quantity-adjusted run time come from the pricing model; entered corner-weld allowances remain explicit assumptions.
Before choosing the cheaper route, ask what the housing must do. A conductive joint, a flat thermal interface or a leak requirement may call for work absent from either base estimate. Get the design owner to approve a construction change, then price the revised lid, hardware and finish scope together.
Housing inputs
- • Milled:6 ×4 ×2 in, raw2.25 in plate; cavity5.5 ×3.5 ×1.75, R0.25, ±0.005 in; 6061 $9.50/lb small lot/$4.50 volume.
- • Formed:5052, 10 ×8 ×0.063 in flat, four bends; $3.80/lb; corner weld20 setup +8 min/part at $90/h. Flat-pattern deductions not validated.
- • Both use engine stock/quantity models, 30% markup, no automatic rules, $65 floor. Open bodies only; no lid, gasket, surface finish, hardware, tax or freight.
| Construction | Qty | Setup min/lot | Run min/part at qty | Stock | Setup | Machine/labor | Outside | Markup + floor | Sell/part |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milled 6061 | 1 | 144.5 | 26.10 | $106.04 | $220.46 | $38.30 | $0.00 | $109.44 | $474.24 |
| Milled 6061 | 10 | 144.5 | 26.10 | $46.39 | $22.05 | $38.29 | $0.00 | $32.02 | $138.75 |
| Milled 6061 | 100 | 144.5 | 26.10 | $26.09 | $2.20 | $38.29 | $0.00 | $19.97 | $86.55 |
| Bent 5052 | 1 | 72.0 | 9.90 | $2.42 | $121.00 | $15.27 | $0.00 | $41.61 | $180.30 |
| Bent 5052 | 10 | 72.0 | 9.90 | $2.42 | $12.10 | $15.28 | $0.00 | $8.94 | $38.74 |
| Bent 5052 | 100 | 72.0 | 9.90 | $2.42 | $1.21 | $15.27 | $0.00 | $5.67 | $24.57 |
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