What is "low volume" in CNC?
Industry definitions vary, but for CNC machining:
|
Volume tier |
Quantity |
Typical customer |
|
Prototype |
1–10 |
R&D validation |
|
Low volume |
10–500 |
Market testing, bridge production |
|
Medium volume |
500–5,000 |
Early production |
|
High volume |
5,000+ |
Mature production (usually injection molding) |
CNC is most competitive from 1 piece to about 5,000 pieces. Above that, injection molding or die casting usually wins on unit cost - unless the part is too complex, low-volume, or requires frequent design changes.
MOQ: there is no real minimum
A good CNC factory does not enforce a minimum order quantity. We ship single-piece prototypes and 5,000-piece batches on the same machines. The difference is unit cost, not eligibility.
|
Quantity |
Relative unit cost |
|
1 piece |
100% (baseline) |
|
10 pieces |
55–65% |
|
50 pieces |
35–45% |
|
200 pieces |
25–35% |
|
1,000 pieces |
15–20% |
Setup cost is the dominant factor at low volume. The machine setup, program and fixture cost roughly $100–300 regardless of whether you make 1 piece or 100. Spread across 1 piece, that is expensive. Spread across 200, it is trivial.The minimum purchase quantity for Jingcheng is 1.
Lead times by volume
|
Volume |
Production lead time |
|
1–10 prototype pieces |
7–10 working days |
|
10–50 pilot pieces |
10–15 working days |
|
50–500 low-volume batches |
12–20 working days |
|
500–2,000 medium batches |
15–25 working days |
Add 3–5 days for express shipping (DHL/FedEx) or 25–35 days for sea freight.
Bridge production: the bridge between prototype and injection molding
This is the most common low-volume use case. A product team has validated the design, but:
Tooling for injection molding costs $10,000–50,000 and takes 4–8 weeks
The market demand is uncertain
The design will change in v2
CNC bridge production fills the gap: you run 500–2,000 CNC parts while you test the market and build the injection mold. Once demand is proven, you switch to molding. No inventory risk.
When to transition from CNC to injection molding
|
Factor |
Stay with CNC |
Switch to injection molding |
|
Monthly volume |
<500 pieces |
>1,000 pieces/month |
|
Design stability |
Frequent changes |
Mature design |
|
Unit cost target |
$20–200 |
$2–20 |
|
Part size |
Any |
Usually smaller parts |
|
Material |
Any |
Thermoplastics |
A general rule: if you expect to make more than 5,000–10,000 pieces over the product's life, injection molding tooling pays for itself. Below that, CNC wins.
How to keep low-volume CNC cost down
Batch orders together. If you need 50 pieces now and 50 in 3 months, order 100 now and store them - the unit cost drop is dramatic.
Lock the program. Once the first article is approved, future reorders run the same CNC program and fixture. No re-engineering cost.
Use standard materials. 6061-T6, 304 stainless, Delrin are stocked. Custom materials require lead time and minimum stock.
Keep tolerances tight only where needed. Over-tolerancing doubles the price.
Use the same factory. Switching factories means re-quoting, re-fixturing and re-validating. A stable supplier relationship is cheaper than re-sourcing every quarter.
FAQ
Q: Q: What is the minimum order quantity for CNC machining?
A: There is no hard MOQ. We machine single-piece prototypes. Unit cost is highest at 1 piece but there is no minimum order.
Q: Q: How much does a 50-piece CNC batch cost?
A: For a typical aluminum bracket, expect $15–40 per piece at 50 pieces, depending on complexity, finish and tolerance.
Q: Q: When should I switch from CNC to injection molding?
A: At roughly 5,000–10,000 total lifetime pieces, or when monthly volume exceeds ~1,000 units and the design is stable. Below that, CNC is cheaper.
Q: Can you do bridge production while I build my injection mold?
Yes. This is a common use case: we run 500–2,000 CNC parts while your mold is built, so you never stop shipping to customers.
Q: Q: How do reorders work?
A: Send us the PO. The CNC program, fixture and inspection plan are locked from the first article. Reorders typically ship in 7–12 days at the same unit price.
Q: Q: What is the most economical batch size?
A: For most parts, the cost-per-piece curve flattens around 200–500 pieces. Ordering 200 instead of 50 usually cuts unit cost by 30–40%.
Need a low-volume CNC batch? Send us the STEP file and quantity. We will give you a unit price ladder across 10 / 100 / 1,000 pieces so you can plan the most economical batch size. Contact Bella at yaqingliang277@gmail.com or WhatsApp +86 147 7554 0498.
