The cheapest way to fix a $400 part is to not design it that way. The most expensive way is to find out from the quote. CADABRA's Ask Mode pulls cost information and DFM guidance into the design phase, so the conversation happens before the file leaves your machine, not after.
What "DFM at design time" actually looks like
You're modeling a bracket. Before saving the part, you ask Ask Mode:
You: "Rough cost estimate for this part in 6061 aluminum, 3-axis CNC, quantity 50."
Ask Mode: "Estimated machining cost: ~$45–65 per part at qty 50. Material is ~$8/part based on current 6061 rates ($X/kg from [source]). The biggest cost driver is the deep narrow pocket on the back face, 18 mm deep with a 4 mm minimum corner radius forces a small end-mill and slow feeds. If you can open the corner radius to 6 mm, expect a 15–25% reduction in machining time. Second driver: the four threaded holes are M3, small taps are fragile; M4 or M5 would be more standard and cheaper to inspect."
That answer combines three things: a live web lookup for material cost, generic machining rate heuristics, and DFM reasoning from inspecting the geometry. None of it replaces a real quote from your shop, but it tells you what your shop is going to flag before they see the file.
The kinds of questions worth asking
Cost ballpark
- "What's a rough cost estimate for this part in stainless 304, 3-axis CNC, qty 10?"
- "How does the cost change if I make this from aluminum instead of steel?"
- "Is sheet-metal cheaper than machining for this geometry at qty 100?"
- "How much material does this part actually consume, including the stock waste?"
DFM checks
- "What are the most expensive features on this part to machine?"
- "Are any of these holes too deep relative to their diameter?"
- "Are there any sharp internal corners that will force a small end-mill?"
- "Is the wall thickness consistent enough for injection molding?"
- "Are the tolerances I've called out reasonable for this process, or are they pushing the shop?"
Process selection
- "At qty 5, qty 50, and qty 500, which manufacturing process is cheapest for this part?"
- "What's the crossover point where injection molding beats machining for this part?"
- "Could this be made on a 3-axis machine, or does it need 5-axis?"
Where the numbers come from
Ask Mode is transparent about its inputs. When it returns a cost figure, it tells you:
- The material rate it used and where it came from (cited URL).
- The machining rate assumption (typically a regional average, named).
- The process and setup assumptions (3-axis vs. 5-axis, single setup vs. multiple).
- The quantity assumption.
If any of those assumptions are wrong for your situation, you can correct them in the next prompt, "redo the estimate with $X/hr machining rate", and Ask Mode re-runs the calculation.
What this is not
It is not a quote
It's an estimate built from public rate data and DFM heuristics. Your actual shop will have different rates, fixtures, and capacity, and they're the only people who can give you a real number. The point of the estimate is to not be surprised when the quote comes back, and to catch the obvious cost drivers before that happens.
It is not a substitute for DFM review
For high-volume parts, you still want a real DFM review with your manufacturer. Ask Mode is the first pass, not the last.
It is not opinion-free
"Is this design good?" is a hard question, and Ask Mode will tell you what the model can defensibly answer and where it's making heuristic guesses. Use the citations.
The compounding effect
One DFM iteration before the file goes out for quote saves a quote cycle. One quote cycle is typically a week. Multiply that across the dozen parts in an assembly and the schedule impact is real, not because the AI is replacing the engineer, but because the engineer now has a fast feedback loop on the cost consequences of design choices.
This is one of the most common reasons our pilot users keep Ask Mode open all day. For the rest of what Ask Mode does, see Ask Mode: a SolidWorks expert that knows your model. To see it run on one of your parts, book a demo.