1-3-9 Rule of Thumb for Cost Estimating in Design
Materials Manufacturing Sales Price
(Includes raw materials, (Includes labor for mfg (Includes salary and benefits
purchased parts and and assembly and for design, finance and
scrap) related overhead, accounting, utilities and
packaging materials for building costs and all other
shipping, ) overhead needed to run the
company, plus profit margin)
This is a rough guideline for companies whose products are
manufactured primarily in house at high volume. It will vary based on
the product, the company and the production volume, but it is
important to realize that the manufacturing cost and the total cost are
always significantly higher than the cost of materials.
Ref: The Mechanical Design Process, 2003, Ullman
Some details on Cost Estimating in Design – Bike Example
Ref: The Mechanical Design Process, 2003, Ullman
Volume Discount – Electric Motor Example
Electric
Motors
Ref: The Mechanical Design Process, 2003, Ullman
Volume cost reduction for a Steel Machined Component with 3 turned surfaces and
7 other surfaces and some tight tolerances and surface finish requirements
Ref: The Mechanical Design Process, 2003, Ullman
Tolerance vs.
Manufacturing
Process
Tighter tolerance =
Higher cost
C ost
Tolerance
ME471, Dr. Kremer