What You Pay for in CNC Aluminum Parts

Aluminum is the most common material that comes through our shop. It machines fast, it's affordable, and it's strong enough for a huge range of applications. But the price of CNC aluminum parts still varies a lot depending on what grade you choose and how complex the part is.

Grade matters. 6061-T6 is our baseline. It's what most general-purpose parts are made from. It costs about $3-5 per kg and machines predictably. 7075-T6 costs 20-35% more on material, but it's significantly stronger — closer to mild steel in tensile strength. 2024 is common for aerospace structural parts. 5052 is better for forming and welding applications. If strength and weight targets allow, sticking with 6061-T6 keeps costs low.

Geometry determines cycle time. A simple bracket with four holes takes 10-15 minutes. An enclosure with milled pockets, threaded inserts, multiple tapped holes, and a contoured face can take 45-60 minutes. Each machining minute at our shop runs against an hourly rate that covers machine cost, tooling, coolant, and operator time.

I had a client who designed a thin-walled aluminum housing with 1mm wall thickness. The part needed facing cuts on both sides and the thin walls caused vibration. We had to run slower feeds and take lighter passes. That added 30% to the cycle time. We discussed a design change — increasing the walls to 1.5mm — and the client approved it. The part was stronger and cheaper. That's the kind of feedback we include in every DFM review.

Post-Processing Costs

Anodizing is the most common finish for aluminum CNC parts. Clear anodize adds roughly 15-20% to the base machining cost. Black anodize is slightly more. Hard anodize (Type III) is 25-35% more but gives much better wear resistance. We also offer bead blasting, powder coating, chem film, and bright dip. We don't mark up finishing — we use trusted local partners and pass the cost through at their rate.

Volume Discounts

We start volume pricing at 100 pieces. At 1000 pieces, the per-unit price typically drops 30-40% from prototype pricing. At 5000+, it drops further. The savings come from reduced setup time per part, bulk material pricing, and optimized toolpaths that run unattended.

We provide transparent quotes with line items for material, machining, finishing, and packaging. No hidden fees. No surprises.

Send your CAD files to chen@aoomtech.com for a quote within 24 hours.