What Does a Custom Gear Cost? Price Drivers and the RFQ
There is no price list for custom gears, but the price is not a mystery either. Eight factors explain almost all of it. Know them and you can compare quotations fairly and take cost out of a design before it is ordered.
- 8price drivers
- 1 pcto repeat series
- 2 – 3 daystypical quotation time
- PDF · STEPdrawing formats
Why Is There No Standard Price for a Custom Gear?
A catalogue gear is made in thousands and sold from stock. A custom gear is made for one drawing: the blank is bought for it, the machine is set up for it and the inspection is planned for it. The price is the sum of those steps.
Two gears of the same size can differ widely in price. A through-hardened, hobbed gear needs few operations. The same gear case hardened and ground to a fine accuracy grade needs several more, and each one is slower.
The good news for buyers: most of the price is fixed by the drawing, and the drawing can be discussed.
Where the money goes
- Materialforging, bar or bronze
- Gear cuttinggrows with module and width
- Heat treatmentby process and weight
- Grindingwhen hardened and accurate
- Toolingspecial hobs and cutters
- Inspectionby report scope
- Packing, freightby size and route
What Drives the Price of a Custom Gear?
| Factor | Effect on price | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Size and weight | Material, machine size and handling grow with diameter and face width | Check whether hub and web can be lighter |
| Module | Larger modules mean more metal removed and longer cutting | It follows from the gear design |
| Quantity | Set-up is shared across the batch; one piece carries it alone | Order pairs and spares together; state yearly demand |
| Accuracy grade | Fine grades on hardened gears need grinding and more measuring | Specify the grade the duty needs |
| Heat treatment | Case hardening costs more than quench and temper, and adds grinding | Choose the process by load, not by habit |
| Special tooling | A non-standard module, pressure angle or spline may need a new hob or cutter | Use standard modules and spline sizes where you can |
| Blank type | Forgings cost more and take longer to supply than bar | Allow bar or plate where the load permits |
| Documents | Each report takes inspection time | Ask for the reports your incoming inspection uses |
Related guides: gear accuracy grades and gear materials and heat treatment.
What Should You Send to Get a Firm Quotation?
A complete enquiry is answered faster and priced more exactly.
- DrawingPDF and, if you have it, STEP. Include the gear data table.
- Material and heat treatmentSteel grade, process, hardness and case depth.
- Accuracy and reportsGrade and standard, plus the reports you need with the parts.
- QuantityPieces now, expected yearly demand, and whether you want spares.
- DeliveryDestination, delivery term and the date you need the parts.
How Do You Compare Two Gear Quotations?
Check the scope first
Make sure both offers include the same things: material with certificate, heat treatment, grinding where the drawing needs it, the measurement reports, packing and the delivery term. A lower price that leaves out the gear measurement report is not the same offer.
Look at lead time honestly
For custom gears, lead time is driven by the blank, heat treatment and grinding. Ask what the supplier is waiting for, and whether bar stock instead of a forging would shorten it.
Ask what would make it cheaper
When we review a drawing we point out the features that drive the price, and you decide whether they are needed.
One piece or a series
We quote single gears and repeat series alike. Special tooling is bought once and used again, so repeat batches cost less than the first.
Questions About Gear Prices and RFQs
How much does a custom gear cost?
It depends on size, module, quantity, accuracy grade, heat treatment and documents, so there is no list price. Send the drawing and you get a quotation, normally within 2–3 working days.
Is there a minimum order quantity?
No. We quote single gears, pairs and repeat series. The unit price falls with quantity because set-up and tooling are shared across more parts.
Why is one gear so much more expensive per piece than ten?
Setting up the gear cutting machine, the heat-treatment batch and the inspection takes about the same time for one part as for ten. On a single gear that time sits on one piece.
Do I pay for a special hob?
Not for standard modules and pressure angles in most cases. If a gear needs a special hob or cutter, a quotation should show that clearly.
What do you need for a quotation?
The drawing in PDF or STEP, material, heat treatment, accuracy grade, quantity and delivery address. Without a drawing, send photos and the main dimensions of the old part.
Ready to send the drawing?
First answer within 24 hours on working days, quotation normally in 2–3 working days.
Send a gear drawing. Get an answer within 24 hours.
Include the PDF or STEP file, material, heat treatment, accuracy grade and quantity. We reply with questions or a quotation.