How much does it cost · turning
Short answer: the price of a turned part is built from four lines: the bar stock consumed, the cycle time multiplied by the lathe hourly rate, the setup spread over the batch and the secondary operations. In an example published by QuoteBuddy, a 20 mm stainless shaft costs €7.73 at 50 parts and €5.03 at 200 parts.
By the RFQdecoder team · updated 27 September 2026
The length consumed is not the part length: add the parting-off width (2 to 4 mm), the facing allowance (0.5 to 2 mm) and the share of bar remnant. In the example below, an 80 mm part consumes 88 mm of bar (source: QuoteBuddy).
Example published by QuoteBuddy: 303 stainless shaft, 20 mm diameter, batch of 50, lathe at a burdened rate of €72/h.
| Line | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Material | 88 mm of bar at €6.20/m | €0.55 |
| Machining | 2.4 min × €72/h | €2.88 |
| Setup | €180 ÷ 50 parts | €3.60 |
| Secondary operations | deburring, inspection | €0.70 |
| Cost per part | €7.73 | |
| Price at 35% margin | €11.89 |
The lathe setup is paid once per batch. In the example it costs €180: on a single part it is almost the whole price; over 200 parts it weighs only €0.90.
| Quantity | Setup per part | Cost per part | Price at 35% margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €180.00 | €184.13 | €283.28 |
| 10 | €18.00 | €22.13 | €34.05 |
| 50 | €3.60 | €7.73 | €11.89 |
| 200 | €0.90 | €5.03 | €7.74 |
Setup per part: QuoteBuddy. Cost and price calculated with the other lines of the example, which do not change with quantity.
| Machine | Published hourly rate |
|---|---|
| 2-axis CNC lathe | €45 to €80/h |
| Mill-turn lathe with live tooling | €70 to €120/h |
| Swiss-type sliding-head lathe | €60 to €110/h |
Source: QuoteBuddy. To build the rate of your own machine (depreciation, energy, tooling, operator), use the Machine hour rate.
What the tool applies: RFQdecoder costs the CNC lathe at €72/h, the all-in shop rate published by Altior for French machining subcontractors (€60 to €85 an hour excluding VAT), without adding the operator or a share of overheads on top (source: Altior, June 2026).
Sandvik Coromant gives the two basic formulas: spindle speed n = vc × 1000 ÷ (π × Dm) and cutting time Tc = lm ÷ (fn × n). With example values (20 mm diameter, 200 m/min cutting speed, 0.2 mm/rev feed, 80 mm machined length), the spindle turns at 3,183 rpm and one pass takes about 7.5 seconds.
The real cycle time adds the other passes, tool changes, approaches and parting off: that is why the 50-part example counts 2.4 minutes and not a few seconds.
Add the material (bar length consumed × price per metre), the cycle time multiplied by the lathe hourly rate, the setup divided by the quantity and the secondary operations, then apply the margin.
QuoteBuddy publishes €45 to €80 per hour for a 2-axis CNC lathe, €70 to €120 for a mill-turn lathe with live tooling and €60 to €110 for a Swiss-type sliding-head lathe.
Because the lathe setup is paid once per batch. In the published example the setup costs €180: it weighs €180 on a single part and €0.90 per part over a batch of 200.
Sandvik Coromant gives the cutting time Tc = lm ÷ (fn × n), where lm is the machined length, fn the feed per revolution and n the spindle speed, itself equal to vc × 1000 ÷ (π × Dm).
The part length plus the parting-off width (2 to 4 mm), the facing allowance (0.5 to 2 mm) and the share of remnant at the end of the bar.
Upload your PDF, DXF or STEP drawing: bar, routing, time and cost of each step, with every assumption shown.