For design engineers
Short answer: according to Boothroyd Dewhurst, 80% of manufacturing cost is determined by design decisions. Upload the STEP exported from your CAD: the routing and the cost of each step show which dimension, tolerance or setup drives the price, while there is still time to change it.
By the RFQdecoder team · updated 27 September 2026
| Design choice | Effect on cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tolerance from ±0.1 to ±0.05 mm | ×1.5 to ×2 versus standard | Clarwe |
| Tolerance of ±0.01 mm or tighter | ×4 and more; below that, grinding on top | Clarwe |
| Setups and fixtures | Sheet metal enclosure: €193.10 per part as a one-off, €70.70 in a batch of 25 | QuoteBuddy, RFQdecoder calculation |
| Finishing | Powder coating: 37% of the enclosure cost | QuoteBuddy |
Boothroyd Dewhurst compares two approaches: design to cost, carried out during design, achieves 20 to 50% reduction versus the initial concept; traditional cost reduction, carried out afterwards, achieves 3 to 8%.
Boothroyd Dewhurst states that 80% of manufacturing cost is determined by design decisions.
According to Clarwe, going from ±0.1 mm to ±0.025 or ±0.05 mm multiplies cost by 1.5 to 2; at ±0.01 mm or tighter, by 4 and more, often with added grinding.
Open tolerances where the function allows, reduce the number of setups, choose stock close to the final shape and question finishes. Each change is checked on the recalculated cost.
A STEP exported from CAD, or a drawing as PDF or DXF. Dimensions and tolerances read from the drawing feed the routing.
Boothroyd Dewhurst cites 20 to 50% reduction versus the initial concept, against 3 to 8% for cost reduction carried out afterwards.
Upload the STEP exported from CAD: the routing, the cost of each step and the line that weighs most, before design freeze.