What to charge for bending? Air bending in press brake.

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Deezl Smoke
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What to charge for bending? Air bending in press brake.

Post by Deezl Smoke »

In a one man, low overhead fab shop, with a new cnc 140 ton 13' press brake, what might one expect to charge for the usage with a complete fab project scenario?
Shop is reasonably equipped with cnc plasma table and universal welding capacity, (mig, stick tig etc.). Equipped to most fab work that does not require machining, but can do hydraulic installation etc.

Because there is no real CAD/CAM time involved, nor much in the line of consumables, other than punch and die wear, would you simply include it in the hourly fab time as time? Or.....?
Thank you for any help.
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acourtjester
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Re: What to charge for bending? Air bending in press brake.

Post by acourtjester »

I think you should place a value on the cost of your brake, maybe like twice the hourly labor rate. I built a 4'X8' water table and went to a fab shop to have the sides bend. I supplied the sheet with the corners notched so the only thing they did was bend the 4 side up. I was charged $40. Another way to look at it is if you working on a job and stopped to do the press brake work for a customer and it took you 15 minutes. What was the cost of the 15 minutes on the other job, that could give you the idea of the cost of you doing the press brake work. Many auto shops have a flat rate book that says job A cost X as a standard price.
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Deezl Smoke
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Re: What to charge for bending? Air bending in press brake.

Post by Deezl Smoke »

Very good points. I guess I should have a minimum charge for brake work. As you say, I stop work that may be making $100/hr or more. If I have to change the die, it can take a fair bit of time just to do that and change it back. Then to have one small bend done, it would be a loss.
Of course we all have customers or friends that we trade with or will do favors for, but that aside, you're right, a look at opportunity is in order.
Thank you for your quick reply.
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Re: What to charge for bending? Air bending in press brake.

Post by adbuch »

Deezl Smoke wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:02 am Very good points. I guess I should have a minimum charge for brake work. As you say, I stop work that may be making $100/hr or more. If I have to change the die, it can take a fair bit of time just to do that and change it back. Then to have one small bend done, it would be a loss.
Of course we all have customers or friends that we trade with or will do favors for, but that aside, you're right, a look at opportunity is in order.
Thank you for your quick reply.
Perhaps a minimum set-up charge + the additional hourly cost pro-rated in 1/4 hr. increments.
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cstroke
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Re: What to charge for bending? Air bending in press brake.

Post by cstroke »

I do hourly rates.
Shop rate through. If its a 5 minute job I might charge for 10.. Always in my head a buck a minute.
Usually bigger customers pay a bit more, smaller customers a little less but I dont drop what I'm doing for them either. Big customers everything stops for them.
I dont do a 15 minute min. either. I'm a one man show, as well.
hope this helps..
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