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Our prices are based upon the following:
- Setup time
- Material
- Machining time
Setup time
includes the time to load the stock material on the waterjet or laser
cutting machine,
process and transfer the cutting program to the computer controlling
the machine,
and so on.
Material
is the type of stock from which your part is made. Some materials
simply cost more for us to obtain.
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Generally more expensive per square inch
<
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Generally less expensive per square inch
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| stainless steel |
aluminum |
steel |
acrylic |
Thicker material generally costs more than thinner material per square
inch. The harder and thicker the material is, the take longer it takes
to cut.
Machining time is
just the amount of time that we have to run the machine in order to
make your part. The longer the cutting time, the more wear and tear on
our machines, and the more electricity and other consumables we have to
use.
Factors affecting machining time
Keep in mind that it takes a lot longer to cut through 1/2
inch steel than it does 1/4 inch steel. 2.3 times as long, in fact, not
twice as long as you might expect. So thinner parts will be cheaper.
Softer materials cut more quickly than harder ones.
| < Generally hardest to cut |
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Generally easiest to cut >
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| stainless steel |
steel |
aluminum |
acrylic |
Sharp inside (concave) corners and tight arcs are take longer to cut and
will drive up the cost of your part. The sharper the corner and tighter
the arc, the harder it is to make. Note that sharp outside (convex) corners are
generally faster to cut than outside curves or arcs.
More expensive: sharp
inside corners
Less expensive: rounder
inside corners
Every internal hole you add to your part means that the
machine has to do extra work to cut each one out, particularly for
waterjet cutting.
More expensive: more
internal holes
Less expensive: fewer
internal holes
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