Introduction
Stainless steel water bottles are one of the best ways to store and carry your water. They’re durable and reusable, and they look good while doing it.
But before buying them in bulk for your business or organization, make sure you know how much they cost to manufacture!
This article will give you the information to budget appropriately for your new purchase.
Why do we need to know the cost of Manufacture Stainless Steel Water Bottles?
As a business owner, you need to know how much it costs to make your product. This is especially important if you’re looking into manufacturing stainless steel water bottles. You need to know the cost of manufacturing stainless steel water bottles because:
- The cost of manufacturing stainless steel water bottles is crucial for companies that want to start selling them. Knowing how much it costs to make your product will help you determine whether or not the market can support it and how much profit you can make from selling it.
- It’s also essential for those who want to start their own business. The more expensive it is for a company to manufacture their product, the higher price they’ll have to charge their customers to make enough money on each sale, so they don’t lose money overall. It will help determine whether or not making this investment is worth it for your company.
- You will want to know the cost of manufacturing stainless steel water bottles as you may think about creating your line. Knowing how much it costs and your profit margin will help determine if this is a good investment.
- It is also essential to know how much your product costs to charge reasonable prices. If they sell the bottle at too high of a price, people will not buy them, but if they are too cheap, then others may think that it isn’t of good quality or value and not buy them.
It would help if you also considered whether there are any costs associated with selling your bottle that might eat into your profit margin (like having someone brand it with their logo).
You can find out the cost of your product in various ways.
- The first way is to calculate the cost by adding all the costs associated with manufacturing a particular product and dividing that amount by how many units you plan to sell.
- The second way is to contact your supplier directly, who may provide you with an estimate of their costs and pass on any savings they receive from vendors or other suppliers.
- A third option is to hire an outside firm like ours so that we can conduct research on our behalf and get back to you as soon as possible with accurate information about what it takes to manufacture Stainless Steel Water Bottles.
The cost of material
Material cost is the most significant part of the manufacturing process and is about 70% of total costs. Materials refer to the raw materials used in creating your product, such as stainless steel, silicone, and plastic. The price tag for these items can vary depending on their materials and where they come from.
Stainless steel itself is not inexpensive. Raw steel prices have increased over time due to increased demand, so your company has likely had to increase its costs.
From a factory’s perspective, the material is one of the highest costs because it makes up most of what goes into making your product.
For example: if you use 10 pounds of steel to make ten bottles (or 1 pound per bottle), that will be your main expense when manufacturing stainless steel water bottles—regardless of how much labor or other costs you have!
The cost of different order quantity
The cost will be higher if you order a few water bottles. This is because it’s more expensive for the manufacturer to set up the equipment and labor for one bottle than it is to do it for thousands.
You can get discounts if you order in bulk quantities, however. It may take longer for you to receive your product, but the savings on each bottle will be worth it.
For example, if you ordered five stainless steel water bottles on Amazon and paid $40 per bottle, that would cost about $200.
However, if you ordered 100 at once and got them for $32 each instead of all at once for $40 each, your total would only be about $3200. You can save a ton of money by ordering in bulk!
The timing of your order
When planning a big project, it can be tempting to start small and then add more as you go along. But this is one area where starting big may be the best approach regarding stainless steel water bottles.
The time of year you place your order will impact the cost of your product—not only in terms of price but also regarding shipping costs and lead times.
Depending on whether or not your company needs an immediate delivery or if there’s a long gap between placing an order and receiving it (like during summer break or winter holiday shutdowns), ordering ahead may save you money overall.
- The sooner you order, the less expensive your order will be.
- The longer you wait to place your order, the more expensive it will be (and vice versa). This is because of how shipping costs are calculated.
- When ordering just a few bottles or even one bottle, they can be shipped via ground delivery at no cost;
- however, things get pricey if you need to send large quantities of them via air freight or other methods (such as an expedited service).
Molding cost
Molding costs are a significant part of the stainless steel water bottle manufacturing process, but they can vary based on the bottle type and decoration you’re using.
Molding costs for stainless steel water bottles are dependent on three main factors: material, quantity, and decoration. The price can vary widely depending on what you’re looking to create, but generally speaking, it will be highest if you want to go custom with a more complex design than the norm.
The cost of molding depends heavily on the complexity of your product’s design. If your bottle is straightforward (such as an essential plastic bottle), expect to pay around $200 to $300 per piece in tooling costs alone (materials included).
That figure goes up if you want something more intricate—in which case, we’d recommend considering injection molding instead so that you don’t spend an arm and a leg on tooling alone!
- The cost of molding depends on the size and complexity of the product, as well as the material. The more complex or intricate a design, the higher your molding costs. You also have to consider quantity—if you’re ordering hundreds or thousands of units at once, your price per unit will decrease because you’ll only be paying for one mold instead of multiple ones.
- The shape of your bottle can affect its cost. If it has curves or angles that require extra work to manufacture, that’ll cost extra money. Decorations may also affect the price. Suppose you want something highly decorative (like custom logos). In that case, this could considerably increase your final price tag due to its high production costs later in production (more on below).
- The complexity of your design can also influence your final product price. For example, designing a bottle with a unique shape or configuration (think curved sides) might require more work during manufacturing than something simple and streamlined.
A single mold can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000, depending on the complexity of the product and its size. An essential bottle is around 6 inches tall and 3½ inches in diameter, which will run about $8,000 for one mold.
Decorating cost
Decorating is the process of applying decoration or printing on the product. The cost of decorating includes decals, printing, and laser engraving. The price depends on the number of decorated units and the cost per unit. Decorating costs are calculated by multiplying the units to be decorated with their respective cost per unit.
For example, if you want to print your logo on 100 bottles, multiply 100 by $3 (cost per unit). The result is $300 for decorating alone.
Decorating costs are the same for both stainless steel and plastic water bottles. The only difference is that you can use laser engraving on metal bottles, which is impossible with plastic because it would damage the material.
Decorating the bottle might be a good option to make your product stand out, but it is also an expensive part of manufacturing. T
You can also use this formula to estimate how much you will spend decorating a water bottle. However, other factors affect your decoration’s cost, including the design’s size and complexity, the color scheme used, and the printing process (in-house or outsourced).
Logo and label cost
You can include the cost of printing your logo and label as part of your manufacturing costs. This will depend on whether you want to use a stock or custom logo or if you’ll have an eye-catching label printed for the exterior of your bottle.
If this interests you, be sure to talk with the manufacturer about the options for branding. They may even be able to help with designing a customized logo or label design at no extra cost!
Logo and label cost is usually included in the manufacturing cost. Most companies will design logos and labels for you, but several options are available if you’d like to create one.
The cost of the logo and label depends on the design and the material used. A custom-made stainless steel bottle will be more expensive than a plastic or glass one, as it involves more time to produce. The material you choose also makes a price difference, as some materials are more complex to work with than others.
For example, labels made from vinyl will be less expensive than metal ones because they are easier to install onto the bottle.
Engraving and Embossing
Engraving and embossing are two different processes, but they both involve creating a design on the surface of the metal.
Engraving is a process where you cut or etch a design into the surface of a metal using tools like drills and end mills. Embossing is raising a design on the surface of a metal by pressing it with dies. The two processes are very different, so knowing their difference is essential when ordering stainless steel water bottles online.
Both engraving and embossing processes can be used to create many different designs, depending on what you’re looking for!
Both engraving and embossing can be done in-house at your manufacturer, or you or they can contract them out after manufacturing. If you decide on in-house engraving and embossing, you’ll need equipment for this type of customization, like CNC (computer numerical control) machines, lasers, etc.)
Caps, brushes, boots, and other Accessories cost
- Caps: As the name suggests, caps are the bottle part that covers the mouthpiece. They come in many shapes and sizes, but they all have the same primary function of protecting you and your water bottle from germs. Caps come in various materials, including stainless steel, plastic, and BPA-free silicone (which is what we use).
- Brushes are also essential to keep your cap clean! These tools help remove harmful bacteria from your drinking water by cleaning out any debris that might be collected under or inside your cap.
- Boots can be helpful if you’re not looking to drink from a straw—but they’ll usually cost extra money over time because they wear down quickly with frequent use.
- Other Accessories: You may want some additional accessories like lanyards or keychains, which will set you back anywhere between $5-$10 each, depending on what type of material it’s made out of (plastic vs. leather)
Packaging cost
A packaging cost is the total cost of packaging your product, including the container, labels, and other materials used to protect and transport it.
Packaging costs are typically calculated per product unit (e.g., per bottle) or item (e.g., five bottles). The pricing will vary depending on the material used in packaging (glass vs. plastic) and how much space you need to ship your product safely.
The packaging costs for your stainless steel water bottle are significantly lower than the cost of the actual product. While the materials used in packaging are often more expensive than those used in manufacturing, they’re still around half as expensive as the final product. That’s because the packaging is usually a one-time-use item that needs to be disposed of after each use.
You should carefully consider packaging costs before launching a new venture because they can impact your profit margins and sales volume.
The exact price per unit depends on how many products you order and how large your order is (larger orders will generally have lower per-unit costs). Your first step should be finding out what size box you’ll need; then, you can talk with potential suppliers about pricing options based on the quantity and type of material used for each piece of packaging material for your bottles (e.g., boxes)
Labor cost
Labor cost is the most critical factor because it is the most variable.
Labor costs are the most variable because they can be adjusted to meet demand. A company with access to cheaper labor can lower its prices and undercut competitors who don’t have this luxury.
If you’re trying to stay competitive, knowing what your competitors are charging for their bottles is helpful. This will give you an idea of the reasonable price point for your product and how much markup you can afford without losing money on each bottle sold.
Logistics cost
Logistic costs are a significant part of your price for any product. These costs can be divided into three categories: shipping cost, time, and method.
Shipping Cost: The main reason for the high cost of air freight (in addition to its shorter transit times) is that it’s more expensive than many other modes of transportation. Because it’s so fast, this mode may be ideal if you need something delivered immediately or within a specific time frame that another mode of transportation, like ocean freight, cannot meet.
If you have time, shipping by sea will cost less than airfreight per pound weight due to its lower fuel requirements than airplanes, resulting in cheaper rates over longer distances.
Shipping insurance – It’s not uncommon for shipped products to be damaged during transit or lost at sea (or worse). Ensure everyone knows exactly what steps to take if something goes wrong with the delivery. Hence, there’s no confusion about who pays for replacement parts or refunds.
Shipping time – Shipping can take anywhere from one day to six weeks, depending on where the product is delivered. The location of your factory, size, the weight of the item being shipped, availability of transportation options (trucks vs. planes), etc., will affect how long your products take to reach their destination.
Conclusion
We know that the cost of your stainless steel water bottle is essential in determining whether you can sell it at a profit. We hope this post has given you insight into how much each part of the manufacturing process will cost and what parts of production might be more expensive than others, depending on how many bottles you order.