Assembly Cost Calculator
Assembly time falls with volume.
Assembly cost now
$2.20
$1.50 at 4,000 units
Assembly time falls with volume, 12% per doubling is a common rate. Comparing today's in-house cost against an outsourced quote ignores that improvement, which is why early outsourcing decisions often prove premature.
How the Assembly Cost Calculator works
Assembly time falls with volume, around 10% to 15% per doubling is a common rate. Comparing today's in-house cost against an outsourced quote ignores that improvement, which is why early outsourcing decisions often prove premature.
Also known as: kitting cost calculator · assembly labour per unit · cost to assemble a product
Not financial advice. Marketplace fees change, and they vary by country, plan and seller status. Every rate here is an editable default, not a quoted price, check the platform's current fee schedule before you price a product against it. This is not tax or business advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is a learning curve?
The observed tendency for time per unit to fall by a consistent percentage each time cumulative volume doubles. It is well documented across manufacturing and applies to hand assembly too.
Should I outsource assembly?
Compare the outsourced quote against your in-house cost at expected volume, not at current volume. If the curve closes the gap, outsourcing now locks in a cost you would have beaten.
What limits the learning curve?
Process design. Repetition improves execution within a given method; a different method is what produces step changes, and no amount of practice finds it.
Does it apply to kitting and packing?
Yes, and often steeply, because those tasks are highly repetitive. New staff on a packing bench improve markedly within the first few hundred units.