QuoteEstimator - MNMUK Quoting Support

Purpose: Rapid rough-order-of-magnitude estimates for quoting. Not a replacement for proper process planning, but gets you in the ballpark fast.

When to Activate

• "How long to make this part?"
• "Rough quote for [part description]"
• "Estimate cycle time for..."
• "What would it cost to make 500 of these?"
• "Quick estimate for quoting"

Disclaimer

These are rough estimates for quoting purposes. Actual times depend on:

• Specific geometry complexity
• Tolerance requirements
• Surface finish specs
• Fixturing approach
• Tooling availability
• Operator experience

Always add contingency and verify with experienced estimator for critical quotes.

---

Machine Hourly Rates

MNMUK Rate Card (Adjust to your actual rates)

Machine Category	Machine	Rate (£/hr)	Notes
5-Axis Mill	NMV3000, DMU50, NHX500	£85-95	High capability
4-Axis Mill	Vertical VMC	£65-75	Standard work
CNC Turning	NLX2500, ALX2000	£60-70	Live tooling adds £5
Precision Turning	HARDINGE	£75-85	±0.003mm work
Swiss	CITIZEN	£80-90	High volume, precision
Wire EDM	MITSUBISHI	£55-65	Slow but precise
Spark EDM	MITSUBISHI	£50-60	Electrode cost separate
Fast Response	Haas	£45-55	Prototypes

Rate Factors

Base Rate × Material Factor × Tolerance Factor × Complexity Factor = Effective Rate

---

Material Factors

Material	Factor	Reasoning
Aluminium (6061)	0.8	Fast cutting, easy
Aluminium (7075)	0.9	Slightly harder
Brass/Bronze	0.85	Free machining
Mild Steel (1018)	1.0	Baseline
Carbon Steel (4140)	1.1	Harder, more wear
Stainless 303	1.2	Free machining SS
Stainless 304/316	1.4	Work hardening, gummy
17-4PH	1.5	Tough stainless
Tool Steel (pre-hard)	1.3	Abrasive
Tool Steel (hardened)	2.0+	EDM only typically
Titanium (CP)	1.6	Slow speeds required
Titanium (6Al-4V)	1.8	Very slow, careful
Inconel 718	2.2	Extreme tool wear
Hastelloy	2.5	Worst case scenario
Delrin/Acetal	0.7	Easy, watch heat
PEEK	1.3	Expensive material
Nylon	0.75	Easy, flexible

---

Tolerance Factors

Tolerance Band	Factor	Notes
±0.25mm (±0.010")	0.9	Loose, fast
±0.125mm (±0.005")	1.0	Standard
±0.05mm (±0.002")	1.2	Careful work
±0.025mm (±0.001")	1.4	Precision
±0.012mm (±0.0005")	1.7	High precision
±0.005mm (±0.0002")	2.0	Grinding territory
±0.003mm	2.5	Swiss/HARDINGE only

---

Complexity Factors

Complexity	Factor	Examples
Simple	0.8	Round part, few features
Standard	1.0	Typical machined part
Moderate	1.3	Multiple setups, tight tolerances mixed with loose
Complex	1.6	5-axis, multiple operations, thin walls
Very Complex	2.0+	Extreme geometry, exotic material + tight tolerance

---

Cycle Time Estimation

Turning Operations

OD Turning

Time (min) = (Length × Passes × π × Diameter) / (Feed × Speed × 1000)

Simplified:
Rough: Volume removed (cm³) × 0.5 min/cm³
Finish: Surface area (cm²) × 0.02 min/cm²

Quick Estimates - OD Turning:

Part Size	Rough	Finish	Total
Ø25 × 50mm	0.5 min	0.3 min	0.8 min
Ø50 × 100mm	2 min	1 min	3 min
Ø100 × 150mm	6 min	2.5 min	8.5 min
Ø150 × 200mm	12 min	4 min	16 min

ID Boring

Multiply OD time × 1.5 (slower, less rigid)
Deep bores (L/D > 4): × 2.0

Threading

Single-point: 0.3 min per 25mm thread length (standard pitch)
Thread milling: 0.5 min per thread
Tapping: 0.1 min per hole (standard)

Grooving/Parting

Grooving: 0.2 min per groove
Part-off: Diameter (mm) × 0.01 min

Milling Operations

Face Milling

Time = (Area / (Width of Cut × Feed Rate)) + Approach

Quick: Area (cm²) × 0.02 min/cm² for roughing
       Area (cm²) × 0.01 min/cm² for finishing

Pocket Milling

Volume (cm³) × 0.8 min/cm³ (aluminium)
Volume (cm³) × 1.5 min/cm³ (steel)
Volume (cm³) × 3.0 min/cm³ (stainless/titanium)

Add 50% for finishing passes

Drilling

Standard drill: Depth (mm) × 0.02 min/mm
Peck drilling: Depth (mm) × 0.04 min/mm
Deep hole (>5xD): Depth (mm) × 0.08 min/mm

5-Axis Contouring

Surface area (cm²) × 0.15 min/cm² (aluminium)
Surface area (cm²) × 0.3 min/cm² (steel)
Surface area (cm²) × 0.5 min/cm² (titanium)

Complex surfaces: Add 50-100%

Swiss Operations

Small precision parts (Ø3-10mm):
- Simple: 30-60 sec/part
- Standard: 60-120 sec/part
- Complex: 120-300 sec/part

Medium parts (Ø10-25mm):
- Simple: 60-120 sec/part
- Standard: 120-240 sec/part
- Complex: 240-480 sec/part

EDM Operations

Wire EDM

Cut length (mm) × thickness (mm) × 0.003 min/mm² (roughing)
Add 50% per skim pass (typically 2-4 skim passes)

Example: 100mm perimeter × 25mm thick
- Rough: 100 × 25 × 0.003 = 7.5 min
- 3 skims: 7.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 = 25 min total

Spark EDM

Volume to remove (cm³) × 30-60 min/cm³
Roughing faster, finishing much slower
Electrode making: Add 1-4 hours depending on complexity

---

Setup Time Estimates

Operation Type	First Setup	Repeat Setup
Simple turning	30 min	15 min
Complex turning (live tooling)	60 min	30 min
Swiss	90 min	45 min
3-axis milling	30 min	15 min
4-axis milling	45 min	20 min
5-axis milling	60-90 min	30 min
Wire EDM	30 min	15 min
Spark EDM	60 min + electrode	30 min
Multiple operations	Sum of each	Sum × 0.7

---

Quick Quote Formula

Total Cost = (Setup Cost) + (Run Cost × Quantity) + (Material Cost) + (Secondary Ops)

Where:
- Setup Cost = Setup Time × Hourly Rate
- Run Cost = Cycle Time × Hourly Rate × Material Factor × Tolerance Factor
- Material Cost = Weight × £/kg × Waste Factor (typically 1.3-1.5)
- Secondary Ops = Finishing, heat treat, plating, inspection (get quotes)

Quantity Breaks

Quantity	Multiplier	Notes
1-5	1.5	Prototype pricing
6-25	1.2	Small batch
26-100	1.0	Standard
101-500	0.9	Efficiency gains
500+	0.8	Volume pricing

---

Estimation Workflow

Step 1: Feasibility (Use PlantCapability)

• Can we make it?
• Which machine?
• Any showstoppers?

Step 2: Operation Breakdown

| Op# | Description | Machine | Setup | Cycle |
|-----|-------------|---------|-------|-------|
| 10 | | | min | min |
| 20 | | | min | min |
| 30 | | | min | min |

Step 3: Apply Factors

Base cycle time: X min
× Material factor (Y): X × Y = Z min
× Tolerance factor (T): Z × T = A min
× Complexity factor (C): A × C = B min
Adjusted cycle time: B min

Step 4: Calculate Costs

Setup: [time] × £[rate] = £____
Run: [cycle] × [qty] × £[rate/60] = £____
Material: [weight] × £[per kg] × 1.3 = £____
Secondary: £____
Subtotal: £____
Margin (25-40%): £____
**Quote: £____**

---

Quote Output Template

# ROUGH QUOTE ESTIMATE

**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Customer:**
**Part:**
**Quantity:**

---

## Part Summary
- Material:
- Envelope: L × W × H mm
- Weight (est): kg
- Key tolerances:
- Surface finish:

## Feasibility
- [x] Within capability
- Machine(s):
- Risks:

---

## Operations Breakdown

| Op | Description | Machine | Setup (min) | Cycle (min) |
|----|-------------|---------|-------------|-------------|
| 10 | | | | |
| 20 | | | | |
| 30 | | | | |
| **Total** | | | **X** | **Y** |

---

## Factors Applied

| Factor | Value | Reasoning |
|--------|-------|-----------|
| Material | × | |
| Tolerance | × | |
| Complexity | × | |
| **Combined** | **×** | |

**Adjusted cycle:** Y × [combined] = Z min/part

---

## Cost Calculation

| Item | Calculation | Cost |
|------|-------------|------|
| Setup | X min × £[rate]/60 | £ |
| Run (× qty) | Z min × [qty] × £[rate]/60 | £ |
| Material | [wt] × £[/kg] × [qty] × 1.3 | £ |
| Secondary ops | [detail] | £ |
| **Subtotal** | | **£** |
| Margin ([%]) | | £ |
| **Quote Total** | | **£** |

**Per Part:** £ each at qty [X]

---

## Assumptions & Exclusions

### Assumptions
-

### Exclusions
-

### Validity
- Quote valid for: 30 days
- Lead time estimate: X weeks

---

## Notes

### Risks
-

### Alternatives
-

---

*Rough estimate only. Final quote subject to drawing review and process planning.*

---

Quick Reference Tables

Cycle Time Rules of Thumb

Part Type	Quick Estimate
Simple turned (Ø25-50)	2-5 min
Complex turned (Ø50-100)	8-20 min
Swiss part (small)	1-3 min
Simple prismatic (milled)	5-15 min
5-axis component	20-60 min
Wire EDM profile	30-120 min

Setup Time Rules of Thumb

Scenario	Estimate
Repeat job, tooling available	15-30 min
New job, simple	30-45 min
New job, complex	60-120 min
New job, 5-axis or Swiss	90-180 min

Cost Sanity Checks

Part Type	£/part Range (qty 100)
Simple turned bushing	£2-8
Complex turned shaft	£15-50
Swiss precision pin	£3-15
Milled bracket (aluminium)	£10-40
5-axis aerospace part	£50-500
EDM detail	£30-200

---

Example Estimates

Example 1: Turned Shaft

Part: Ø50 × 150mm shaft, 4140 steel, ±0.025mm on bearing diameters Qty: 100

Operations:
- OP10: Face, turn OD, drill center (NLX2500)
- OP20: Flip, face to length, finish bearing seats

Cycle estimate:
- Rough turning: 4 min
- Finish turning: 2 min
- Total: 6 min base

Factors:
- Material (4140): × 1.1
- Tolerance (±0.025): × 1.4
- Complexity (standard): × 1.0
- Combined: × 1.54

Adjusted cycle: 6 × 1.54 = 9.2 min

Costs (at £65/hr):
- Setup: 45 min × £65/60 = £49
- Run: 9.2 min × 100 × £65/60 = £997
- Material: 2.3kg × £3/kg × 100 × 1.3 = £897
- Subtotal: £1,943
- Margin (30%): £583
- Quote: £2,526 (£25.26/part)

Example 2: Swiss Medical Pin

Part: Ø4 × 20mm pin, 316SS, ±0.01mm, qty 1000 Machine: CITIZEN LFV

Cycle estimate: 90 sec base (complex small part)

Factors:
- Material (316SS): × 1.4
- Tolerance (±0.01): × 1.5
- Complexity (moderate): × 1.3
- Combined: × 2.73

Adjusted cycle: 90 × 2.73 = 246 sec = 4.1 min

Costs (at £85/hr):
- Setup: 90 min × £85/60 = £128
- Run: 4.1 min × 1000 × £85/60 = £5,808
- Material: 0.02kg × £8/kg × 1000 × 1.3 = £208
- Subtotal: £6,144
- Margin (30%): £1,843
- Quote: £7,987 (£7.99/part)

---

Integration

• PlantCapability: Check feasibility before estimating
• CNCSetup: Setup times based on actual setup sheet complexity
• TribalKnowledge: Adjust factors based on captured experience
• AutomotiveManufacturing: Link to PPAP/APQP costing requirements