Cost Iceberg Of CNC Machining

A design engineer once pushed back on our quote for 10 CNC parts.  “Why is the unit price almost the same as 100?”

Because the expensive part of machining usually happens before the machine even starts.
- CAM programming.
- Fixture setup.
- Tool offsets.
-First article adjustment.
-...

Cut >> Measure >> Adjust..... Repeat.

Those hours don’t change whether you make 10 parts or 100.  Production spreads the setup cost. Prototypes can’t.  That’s why prototype CNC parts often look expensive per piece.