--- title: "Making One, Making Thousands" description: "Making many copies can spread upfront tooling costs across a larger run. Compare total costs and flexibility before choosing a method. Tolerances, jigs and templates help parts meet a repeatable speci" canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/design-and-technology/making-one-making-thousands-mt_0wbzsY10cQ source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/design-and-technology/making-one-making-thousands-mt_0wbzsY10cQ.md retrieved: 2026-11-12 --- > **Agent view.** This is the Markdown twin of the page, for tools and assistants. > When to use this site, and the call that answers each job: https://lightmysky.com/agent-instructions.md > API description (OpenAPI 3.1): https://lightmysky.com/openapi.json · Authentication: https://lightmysky.com/auth.md > Pricing: https://lightmysky.com/pricing.md · Catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms.txt · Full catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms-full.txt > Every machine-readable file on this domain: https://lightmysky.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json > Ask for Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`, a `.md` address, or `?mode=agent`. # Making One, Making Thousands Making many copies can spread upfront tooling costs across a larger run. Compare total costs and flexibility before choosing a method. Tolerances, jigs and templates help parts meet a repeatable specification. Subject: Design & Technology · Area: Designing & Making · Ages 14 to 16 Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/design-and-technology/making-one-making-thousands-mt_0wbzsY10cQ ## Ready when they can - Explain how production volume affects tooling cost per item and compare total costs before choosing a mould - Say what a size tolerance permits and why parts that fit together need compatible limits - Distinguish a drilling jig that holds and guides from a template that provides a repeated outline - Compare one-off, batch and mass production on cost per item and flexibility ## Lesson: How production volume changes cost You have seen how machine limits affect a CAD design. The number of copies also affects the making method. A mould may have a setup charge paid before production starts. Average cost per item includes that charge divided by the number made. One item carries it all; more items share it. Materials and labour still cost money. **Example.** Suppose a badge mould costs £200 and making each badge then costs £1. Hand making costs £6 per badge with no setup charge. Total cost = setup cost + (cost per badge × number made). For 20 badges, moulding costs £220 and hand making £120. For 200, the totals are £400 and £1,200. These are invented quotes for equal quality. Compare actual quotes before choosing. *(drawing: These totals include setup. Hand making costs less for 20 badges; moulding costs less for 200.)* A size tolerance gives the permitted variation in a dimension. If a spacer may be 29 mm to 31 mm long, including both limits, a 30 mm spacer meets that tolerance. Parts that fit together need compatible limits. For example, a pin must fit its hole across the permitted sizes. A tolerance allows variation; it does not demand identical copies. A drilling jig holds a part and guides the drill so holes repeat in the required position. A template provides a pattern for marking or cutting a repeated outline. It need not hold the part. These tools help reduce variation, but the finished parts still need checking against their specification. One-off production makes one item, often using adjustable tools. Batch production makes a set, then may change the setup for another set. Mass production makes many copies of a standard design. Dedicated tooling can lower cost per item at high volume, but design changes may be costly. Compare unit cost with flexibility: how easily and cheaply can the method accommodate changes? **Recap.** Compare setup and per-item costs. Match the method to the quantity, likely design changes and required specification. *Lesson, questions and flashcards written for this dataset about production costs, compatible tolerances, jigs and templates. Cost examples use invented quotes.* ## Practice 8 questions on this page, each with its working shown. ## Needs first - [CAD and making by machine](https://lightmysky.com/learn/design-and-technology/cad-and-making-by-machine-mt_jNf8g85YbY) ## Opens up - [The Whole Life of a Product](https://lightmysky.com/learn/design-and-technology/the-whole-life-of-a-product-mt_hyBZiDvDoX)