Mild steel — cost and pricing guide
Cheapest metal per kg, but slower cutting and heavier tool wear than aluminum roughly double machining time per volume.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Material price | $1.5-3/kg |
| Density | 7.85 g/cm³ |
| Process | CNC Milling |
| Typical uses | structural parts, weldments, tooling |
What drives the real part cost
Material price is only one input. The full per-part cost adds machine time at your all-in hourly rate, hands-on labor, a failure or scrap allowance, and your margin. On most Mild steel parts, machine time and labor outweigh the material itself — which is why per-kg price comparisons alone mislead.
Pro tip
Halve your aluminum removal rate when estimating steel cycle time - and add tool wear per part.
Price a Mild steel part in seconds — upload your file to the CNC Milling calculator, set your material price at $1.5-3 and your rates, and get a defensible quote with a market comparison.
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