We work with no minimum quantity: order one part to validate a design, ten for a pilot run or hundreds for production. That is a real difference from a traditional job shop, where a single part often is not even quoted.
Why one part costs more per unit
The cost of a machined part is not just cutting time. Some work is done once whether you make 1 or 100: programming the machine, preparing tooling, fixturing and aligning the part, and approving the first one. That setup is spread across every part in the batch.
- 1 part: the whole setup falls on that single part.
- 10 parts: the setup is split ten ways and the unit price drops sharply.
- 100 parts: the setup almost disappears from the unit cost and cycle time dominates.
In 3D printing, the build plate rules
In 3D printing, preparation is charged per build plate, not per part. If dozens of small parts fit on one plate, ordering five costs far less per part than ordering one. The quoting platform shows quantity pricing instantly.
How to use it
If you know you will need more parts later, change the quantity in the quote and compare. Seeing the price jump between 1, 10 and 25 helps you decide whether to pull volume into the same run.