Why is rapid prototyping so expensive?

I just wanna have some parts machined. Do they really need $150 to make me a small piece of aluminum with holes in it?

Posted in Info |

Steve N.:

August 18, 2011 at 11:16 PM

Someone who has never seen your part has to read your description or blue-print, order and pick up the material, cut the piece to your size, get the proper drills, set it up to drill, drill it and clean it. All this takes time and you have to pay the guy and his overhead. You could try to find a local person with a small machine shop. Or simply buy a drill bit set and do it yourself.
Lloyd J:

August 19, 2011 at 12:09 AM

It is all about volume. With rapid prototyping they can make 1 part faster and more accurate than years ago, but it is still expensive in terms of the time involved. If you could order 1000 parts and wait a few weeks, the part might only be $1. If you have any plans to design this kind of part in the future, you should probably setup a small machine shop with band saw and drill press, so you can make the part yourself.
Starrysky:

August 19, 2011 at 12:47 AM

There are many custom shops that are eager now to do work since the economy has been so bad for so long.
Many amateur astronomers get parts made from such custom houses. http://www.preciseparts.com is one.
The other answers are correct. Setup time has a high cost for the labor. You might try asking on craigslist or similar for a hobbyist with a home machine shop.

Rapid Prototyping Machine