Manufacturing process choice: cost per part and break-even from your rates
Describe the part: material, quantity, size, accuracy, budget. The AI assistant EDi Process Advisor compares 3D printing, CNC machining, laser cutting, casting and sheet metal, works out cost per part from the rates you give and says at what quantity one process overtakes another. The screen and answers are in Bulgarian.
Part of Ultra, 39 EUR a month, with 1500 credits each month.
- 5 processes3D printing, CNC, laser, casting, sheet metal
- Cost per partat 1, 10, 50 and 100 pieces, or up to 6 quantities
- Break-even quantitywhere one process overtakes another
- 3 filesPDF and CSV with the comparison, SVG with the chart
3D printing vs CNC machining: choosing the process
3D printing vs CNC machining is a question of process choice: at what quantity does one overtake the other? EDi Process Advisor is an AI assistant on EduFacturing that compares 3D printing, CNC machining, laser cutting, casting and sheet metal for your material, quantity, size, accuracy and budget.
The tool works out cost per part and the crossing points from the rates you give, not from an AI guess. The EduFacturing data holds no market prices, so a missing rate enters as an assumption.
Part of the Ultra plan. One question costs 15 credits; credits are shared by all assistants, so 1500 a month cover 100 questions only if you spend them nowhere else. If a request fails with no file, the credits are returned; a clarifying question also spends credits.
What the assistant compares for your part
Compares the processes in a table
In the PDF: cost per part at 1, 10, 50 and 100 pieces (or up to six other quantities), lead time and accuracy when given, and the cheapest process in each range. In the CSV: only the cost table.
Draws where one process overtakes another
An SVG chart: cost per part against quantity, up to five processes, with the crossing points marked. By default it covers up to 200 pieces.
A recommendation with a threshold by quantity
The assistant is instructed to word the recommendation as “up to N pieces one process, above N pieces another”, then why, and when accuracy or lead time matters more than cost.
Shows its assumptions
A rate you do not give enters the document as an explicit assumption. The assistant may also add a reference sheet as PDF and CSV, but does not have to.
Which parts and quantities it is for
The choice matters for large runs, for customer parts, or when you are unsure whether to print or order.
A run of identical parts
“500 aluminum plates 80x40x5 mm: how do I make them?” (translated screen example).
A prototype, then a run
“A prototype enclosure for electronics, then a run of 50” (translated screen example): compare the processes for both cases.
Print it or order it
“A gear for 3 Nm load: print or order?” (translated screen example).
Before a quote to a customer
After the answer the screen offers a next step without a new upload: EDi Quote prices the job for the customer (20 credits).
How the break-even is worked out
The calculation is simple and lives in the code, not in the AI's judgment: the AI only passes the rates.
You describe the part
Material, quantity, size, accuracy and budget, as far as given.
Rules for the processes
The assistant is instructed to check the accuracy and limits of the processes in the EDi Brain rules.
Calculation from rates
For each process the code works out total cost and cost per part at each quantity, and the crossing points.
Files and recommendation
Table and chart come together; the assistant is instructed to put the threshold in the first sentence of the recommendation.
| Applies to | Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Total cost | total(q) = setup + cost per piece · q | setup is one-off (tooling, preparation); q is the quantity |
| Cost per part | per part(q) = (setup + cost per piece · q) / q | falls with quantity because the setup is spread |
| Crossing point | q* = (setup B − setup A) / (cost per piece A − cost per piece B) | for two processes A and B; if q* ≤ 0 or the costs are equal, one is cheaper everywhere: no threshold |
The threshold is worked out from your rates
The threshold is worked out
The crossing point is solved by a formula in the code. The input is your rates (or an assumption if missing), so the result is only as true as they are.
You see the curve
The chart shows the cost per part of each process and the points where another one wins.
It is told to compare honestly
3D printing is not always the answer, and the assistant is instructed not to defend it.
The EduFacturing data holds no market prices: the comparison is only as true as the rates you give, for example supplier quotes. If you give none, the assistant may put in its own estimate (declared as an assumption) or a placeholder of 50 lev for setup and 8 lev per piece for every process; with equal numbers the comparison does not show which is cheaper.
The cost model is linear: cost = setup + cost per piece · quantity. Discounts, scrap and freight count only if they are in the rates. The table and chart are labelled in lev per piece; with rates in euro, check which currency the answer used.
It compares the five processes it is set up for, does not check whether the part is printable (EDi DFAM Review does) and makes no quote. The screen and answers are in Bulgarian and may contain mistakes.
Questions about choosing a manufacturing process
When is 3D printing cheaper than CNC?
It depends on quantity. If one process has the smaller setup and the other the smaller cost per piece, there is a threshold: below it the first wins, above it the second.
How to choose between 3D printing and CNC for a part?
Describe the material, quantity, size, accuracy and budget. The assistant compares the five processes and returns a recommendation with a threshold by quantity.
Which files do I get?
A comparison sheet as PDF and CSV (the CSV holds only the table) and a cost chart as SVG; a reference sheet may be added.
Does it answer in English?
No. The screen and answers are in Bulgarian. In our test on 10 October 2026 an English question to a sister assistant also got a Bulgarian answer.
How much does choosing a process cost?
Part of Ultra at 39 EUR a month with 1500 credits. One question costs 15 credits; credits are shared by all assistants.
The manufacturing process assistant is part of Ultra
Ultra costs 39 EUR a month: everything in Pro (45 tools), the EDi assistants and 1500 credits each month. Every run of an assistant spends credits.
In the Idea & selection group:
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Describe the part and compare processes
Part of Ultra, 39 EUR a month, with 1500 credits each month.