How much does it cost · vibratory finishing
Vibratory finishing is priced per load: parts are poured in bulk with abrasive media into a vibrating bowl, and the load time is shared between the parts it holds. A cycle runs from 20 to 30 minutes for light deburring to 4 to 8 hours for a bright polish (JLCCNC). RFQdecoder prices bowl occupancy at €5 to €12 per hour and loading, unloading and inspection labour at €30 to €45 per hour, all-in rates published by QuoteBuddy in 2026. Below the published minimum of €30 to €80 per batch, the price is raised to €30 and the quote says so; market benchmark: €0.25 to €1.20 per kilogram of parts (QuoteBuddy).
In vibratory finishing, parts are not processed one at a time. They are immersed in an abrasive mixture set in motion inside a bowl, and the friction between the parts and that mixture deburrs, rounds edges or polishes (source: Mtec Technica, January 2024). One operator loads the machine, starts the cycle and comes back when it is done; during the cycle the machine works without supervision (source: JLCCNC, May 2026).
RFQdecoder therefore prices vibratory finishing per load: parts are poured in bulk with abrasive media into a vibrating bowl, and the load time is divided by the number of parts in the load. Two all-in rates published by QuoteBuddy apply: unattended bowl occupancy, €5 to €12 per hour, and loading, unloading and inspection labour, €30 to €45 per hour (source: QuoteBuddy, September 2026).
The gap between the two rates is the operator: the bowl runs for hours with nobody standing at it. QuoteBuddy counts ten to twenty minutes of actual operator time to load the parts, set the timer, later separate parts from media, rinse, dry and inspect a sample (source: QuoteBuddy, September 2026).
The load time depends on the finish required. The tool uses the cycle times published by JLCCNC:
Other sources give similar orders of magnitude. MiNi GmbH, a subcontract vibratory finishing specialist in Velbert, Germany, gives about 30 to 60 minutes for simple deburring, 1 to 3 hours for smoothing and 4 to 8 hours for high-gloss polishing (source: MiNi GmbH, July 2026). Kramer Industries puts a cycle anywhere from half an hour to eight hours depending on the job (source: Kramer Industries, October 2025). Mtec Technica states that the cycle time is adjusted to the desired effect and can range from a few minutes to several tens of hours (source: Mtec Technica, January 2024).
The number of parts per load is either given or derived from the bowl volume. In the second case, the tool assumes that parts take up 20 to 40% of the volume, with media filling the rest: this is the standard loading ratio published by JLCCNC, which advises staying below 25% for precision parts with tight tolerances (source: JLCCNC, May 2026). Kramer Industries gives a parts-to-media ratio of 1:3 to 1:5 by volume (source: Kramer Industries, October 2025), which works out at roughly 17 to 25% parts in the mix.
Since 4 October 2026, the tool applies the minimum published by QuoteBuddy for subcontract work, €30 to €80 per batch (source: QuoteBuddy, September 2026). If the calculation comes out lower, the price is raised to the bottom of the range, €30, and the quote shows it on a separate line for the subcontractor’s minimum order.
Two benchmarks help place a price. QuoteBuddy publishes €0.25 to €1.20 per kilogram of parts for standard subcontract deburr-and-clean work (source: QuoteBuddy, September 2026). MiNi GmbH gives, as a rough guide, €0.05 to €2.50 per part depending on part size and process, and stresses that these are not binding prices (source: MiNi GmbH, July 2026).
Assumptions (chosen for illustration, not taken from a source): turned steel parts weighing 0.2 kg, production deburring, 2 h cycle, 250 parts per load (number given), batches of 1,000, 250 and 100 parts.
Published values used: bowl occupancy €5 to €12 per hour, labour €30 to €45 per hour, minimum of €30 to €80 per batch of which the tool uses €30 (source: QuoteBuddy, September 2026); production deburring cycle of 1 to 3 h (source: JLCCNC, May 2026). For labour, the example counts 15 minutes per load, the figure in QuoteBuddy’s own worked example (source: QuoteBuddy, September 2026).
Without the minimum, the price per part does not depend on the quantity ordered but on the number of parts per load: at 125 parts per load instead of 250, it doubles. On small batches, the minimum sets the price: €0.30 per part at 100 parts, against €0.07 to €0.141 at 1,000 parts.
The calculation counts only two items: bowl occupancy and labour. QuoteBuddy publishes other items separately, which are added depending on the part and the shop (source: QuoteBuddy, September 2026):
MiNi GmbH cites two further cost factors: parts that must not knock against each other are fixed in individual holders, and degreasing beforehand or preservation afterwards adds cost (source: MiNi GmbH, July 2026).
For subcontract work, QuoteBuddy publishes €0.25 to €1.20 per kilogram of parts, with a minimum of €30 to €80 per batch. MiNi GmbH gives a rough guide of €0.05 to €2.50 per part depending on size and process. RFQdecoder calculates the price from the load time, bowl occupancy (€5 to €12 per hour) and labour (€30 to €45 per hour).
According to JLCCNC: 20 to 30 min for light deburring, 1 to 3 h for production deburring, 2 to 4 h for preparation before coating and 4 to 8 h for a bright polish. That time is shared between all the parts in the load.
Because subcontractors apply a minimum per batch, published at €30 to €80 by QuoteBuddy. Since 4 October 2026, RFQdecoder raises any price below €30 and shows it on a subcontractor minimum order line. In the example above, 100 parts come to €0.30 per part, against €0.07 to €0.141 at 1,000 parts.
JLCCNC publishes a standard loading ratio of 20 to 40% parts by volume and advises less than 25% for precision parts. Kramer Industries gives a parts-to-media ratio of 1:3 to 1:5. When no number is given, RFQdecoder derives the number of parts from the bowl volume, with 20 to 40% parts.
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