3 ms·
This question comes up in every one of these threads and this is the correct response. If you look at the line items on a build, you might see something like a
by bumby 5y ago
This question comes up in every one of these threads and this is the correct response.
If you look at the line items on a build, you might see something like a $200 bolt. It’s not that there was $198 of R&D going into the design of the bolt, it’s that quality management drives the cost. Chain-of-custody, bonding, material testing, witnessing etc. are all part of that effort and they don’t scale like a design spec does.
- WalterBright 5y agoIf it's a one-off bolt with a custom design, it will likely cost thousands of dollars.
- bumby 5y agoThe GPs point was that subsequent builds would make it no longer a one-off design. My point is that there are other substantial cost drivers that break their assumptions. My analogy of a $200 bolt was not meant for a custom design, but the point stands regardless. (I’ve worked in a custom machine shop for aerospace, and depending on the tolerances, the actual build is typically not thousands until you factor in all the aspects in my previous post)