Our prices are based upon the following:

1. Setup time
   
2. Material
   
3. 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.

 

Generally more expensive per square inch <			Generally less expensive per square inch >
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			Generally easiest to cut >
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