Originally Posted by
MichaelW
Cost of metal to create the Tubus Tara front rack: $5.
Consultancy fees to know which bits of metal to remove from traditional racks $125.00
My guess,
Material: $1.50 (carbon steel tube is around $0.70/lb for heavy wall seamed tubing)
Labor, (handling, fixturing, welding, paint, packaging etc...): 1/2 to 3/4 hr (I'm assuming these are run assembly style with bending done on a CNC type bender) No idea how automated the rest of process is though. Looking at the poor alignment and welds on the lower mounting tabs on my Logo Evo rack I'd guess it's done rather quickly by hand as the welds aren't that nice and the tab alignment wouldn't pass QC in our shop.
Assuming a $70/hr rate would put tubus' selling price at around $35 to $50. Add to that shipping and retail markup. I'm sure Asian hourly selling rates are much much lower and $70 may be a little low for EU???