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How are anodizing costs determined

2004

I am consulting with an aerospace manufacturing co. seeking to understand and manage anodizing costs from outside sources. How are costs for anodizing arrived at? What are the cost drivers related to anodizing to commercial aircraft specifications? Is it customary for quotations to be based on length of parts (these parts are aluminum, normally thin sections 6" wide ranging from 12 to 80" long) or are there more appropriate methods.

Are there any cost models available to baseline or predict costs?

Thanks for any information you can provide.

Gary Lawrence
western methods - Santa Ana, California, USA

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Gary,

Cost is arrived at by what it takes to make a profit. In many cases it is driven by what competent and reliable competitors charge. Purchasing agents normally get many quotes and then have QC start with the cheapest one and work up until they find one that they think can properly perform the task. Buying the cheapest sure sounds good until you have a failed lot that causes your firm to miss a deadline or a JIT shipment. You have to be satisfied that the company you go with is qualified and reliable or it has a good possibility of coming back and biting you. Do you want to fly your family on a plane that is built by the lowest cost vendors?

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2004