Cost Reduction

Often the cost of manufacturing can be reduced substantially if you put the time into thinking creatively. Here are a few approaches:

• Check pricing on different materials and use the Job | Material | VRCost field to help select economical materials.
  
• For high quantities consider splitting a job to two orders - a small run with faster delivery and the main run with slower delivery.
• Use 2D parts made from sheet material instead of 3D parts made from block material.
  
• Bend 2D sheet parts to make 3D shapes.
• Bolt together a stack of 2D parts or bent 2D parts to make 3D shapes.
  
• Instead of machining text use a pressure sensitive label.
• Make your parts simpler or smaller.
• Make parts multi-functional so you can have less different parts in your product or project.
• Increase quantity to substantially reduce cost per part.
• Use the loosest possible tolerance.
• Use common materials.
• Use common and simple finishes.
• Avoid multiple finishes.
• Create multiple parts as one object and saw apart as a secondary process.
• Design shapes that don't waste much material. For example, a large U shaped part might be more efficient in three separate sections to avoid wasting the material in the center.
• Avoid sharp inside and outside corners.
• Increase the radius of inside and outside corners.
• For 3D parts minimize the number of different hole diameters.
• Avoid fine details in shapes.
• Avoid shapes with long protrusions, thin shapes, shapes with lots of material removed, etc.
• Avoid the need for complex work-holding. Rectangular parts are the most practical. Round parts requiring milling are a little more difficult. Shapes with complex outer shapes are the most time consuming to setup for holding.
• Imagine the smallest block of material that will fit your part. A shape that removes a large amount of the material in the block starts to weaken the part and special jigging is needed to maintain strength against during machining.
  
• Convert single complex parts into multiple simpler parts that are bolted or press fit together.
  
  

• For parts cut from sheet material, get several different part shapes out of the same sheet.
  
• For larger runs in metals minimize the number of different hole sizes.
• Create bends by making slots that decrease strength at the bend location and then bend the parts manually after delivery. (Simply remove the bend lines and in place of each bend line draw a few thin rectangles.)
  
• Design bent parts to pack efficiently. For example, in designing a large box consider making the sides of the box separate with bolted flanges. Packing efficiency is more important with larger parts. Parts with one bend generally pack much better than parts with two bends. Bends with angles greater than 90 may pack better than those with 90 degree bends.

See cost reduction tips that apply specifically to eMachineShop.