6 ways to reduce CNC part cost

Most of the unit price comes from machine time. A few decisions at the design stage cut costs considerably.

• Avoid unnecessarily tight tolerances: apply them only to functional surfaces.
• Add radii to inner corners: sharp inner corners need EDM or tiny tools.
• Avoid deep, narrow pockets: keep depth under 3–4× the tool diameter.
• Use standard hole and thread sizes.
• Reduce setups: parts machinable from one side are cheaper.
• Combine quantities: set-up cost is spread over the batch; ask for prices at several quantities.

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