Measurement, Test & Control Equipment worked example

Enclosure Machining Cost at 86% custom machining scope: a worked example

What does the result look like when custom machining scope reaches 86%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use when quoting custom enclosures for test stations, budgeting control panel builds, or comparing fabricated vs. off-the-shelf NEMA/IP-rated enclosures for instrumentation.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Number of instrument enclosures: 24 enclosures (unchanged)
  • Machining cost per enclosure: 185 $ / enclosure (unchanged)
  • Custom machining scope (share requiring cutouts): 86 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 75)
  • Tooling and NRE cost: 1,200 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable machining cost = number of enclosures x machining cost per enclosure x custom machining scope / 100) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 5,018 $ for total enclosure machining cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 209 $ / piece for effective cost per enclosure.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 3,818 $ for variable machining cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,200 $ for tooling and nre cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where custom machining scope sits at 75% and the headline result is 4,530 $, this scenario comes in 10.78% above the baseline at 5,018 $.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when custom machining scope is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. A single custom-scope percentage blends simple and complex panels, so a run with a few heavily-machined enclosures and many light ones may be mis-estimated unless you split them.

Results at a glance

  • Total enclosure machining cost: 5,018 $ (headline result)
  • Effective cost per enclosure: 209 $ / piece
  • Variable machining cost: 3,818 $
  • Tooling and NRE cost: 1,200 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Enclosure Machining Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.