CAD-to-Cost

CAD-to-cost: turn a 3D model into a manufacturing cost

Matterize is CAD-to-cost software that turns a 3D CAD model into a manufacturing should-cost, process plan and carbon estimate in minutes. Upload a part, and the AI reads the geometry, picks the optimal process across 50+ options, and returns a defensible cost - backed by manufacturing simulation and DFM feedback. No manual feature tagging.

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What is CAD-to-cost?

CAD-to-cost is the automated path from a 3D model to a manufacturing cost estimate. Rather than handing a drawing to a cost engineer or waiting on supplier quotes, the geometry itself becomes the input: the software infers how the part is made and what it should cost.

Matterize closes that loop in minutes and adds two things legacy tools struggle with - an embodied-carbon estimate alongside cost, and manufacturing simulation that generatively designs the tooling behind the estimate, with DFM feedback on what to fix.

Built for design & R&D engineers

Catch cost and manufacturability at the design stage

70-80% of a part's cost is locked in during design. Matterize puts cost and DFM in front of engineers while the design can still change.

The challenge today

  • Cost feedback arrives after the design is frozen, when changes are expensive.
  • Quoting every iteration is too slow to guide concept decisions.
  • Manufacturability problems surface late - at the supplier or on the line.
  • No fast, objective way to compare material or process options.

With Matterize

  • A should-cost the moment a CAD model exists - design to a target.
  • Re-cost design iterations in minutes, not days.
  • DFM issues flagged early, before tooling is committed.
  • Compare materials, processes and design options side by side.
How it works

The CAD-to-cost pipeline

Five automated steps from upload to a sourcing-ready cost.

  1. 1

    Upload 3D CAD

    Drop in a STEP, STL, Parasolid or native CAD file. Matterize reads the geometry automatically - no manual feature tagging.

  2. 2

    AI process planning

    The AI selects the optimal manufacturing process and routing across 50+ options - stamping, casting, injection molding, forging and CNC.

  3. 3

    Should-cost engine

    A line-item breakdown of material, machine time, labor, tooling and overhead, benchmarked against real-time material prices.

  4. 4

    Carbon estimate

    Embodied CO₂ per part is calculated alongside cost, so you can trade off price and emissions in one view.

  5. 5

    Optimize & source

    Act on DFM manufacturability feedback and export a supplier-ready quote package to negotiate with confidence.

Why it's accurate

Physics-based simulation, not a lookup table

Matterize doesn't guess from rough analogies. It simulates how each part is actually made, then combines that with live cost and material data for a validated, bottom-up should-cost.

Matterize produces accurate should-cost by combining geometry analysis, physics-based process simulation, and regional cost and material libraries into one validated estimate.

3D CAD model

STEP / native

Geometry analysis

Features, tolerances, mass and removed material read straight from the model.

Process simulation

Physics-based simulation of forming, machining and cycle time per operation.

Cost & material libraries

Regional machine rates, labor and live material prices across 200+ materials.

Validated should-cost

Defensible, line-item, repeatable

Supported CAD platforms

  • STEP
  • IGES
  • SOLIDWORKS
  • CATIA
  • NX
  • Creo

Processes costed

  • Sheet metal stamping
  • Die casting
  • Sand casting
  • Investment casting
  • Welding
  • Injection molding
  • Forging
  • CNC machining
Beyond the number

Simulation-driven tooling and DFM feedback

A cost number tells you where you are. Matterize also generates the tooling behind it and flags what to fix - so the estimate is realistic and actionable.

Generative tooling from simulation

Manufacturing simulation generatively designs the tooling - gating, runner systems and cores for casting and molding - so cost reflects a realistic tool rather than a rough assumption.

DFM manufacturability feedback

Design-for-manufacturability checks flag process-specific issues - thin walls, draft, tolerances and hard-to-make features - so they are resolved before tooling is committed.

See also: Should-Costing, cost and carbon and the processes we model.

Frequently asked questions

What is CAD-to-cost?

CAD-to-cost is the process of automatically turning a 3D CAD model into a manufacturing cost estimate. Software reads the part geometry, determines how it would be made, and calculates a should-cost - removing the need to build cost models by hand.

How does Matterize turn CAD into a cost?

Matterize reads the geometry of an uploaded CAD model, selects the optimal manufacturing process, and computes a bottom-up should-cost - material, machine, labor, tooling and overhead - plus an embodied-carbon estimate, in minutes.

Which CAD formats does Matterize accept?

Matterize accepts common neutral and native CAD formats including STEP, STL, Parasolid and IGES, as well as native files from SOLIDWORKS, CATIA, NX and Creo.

Does Matterize generate tooling and runner systems?

Yes. Matterize uses manufacturing simulation to generatively design tooling - including gating, runner systems and cores for casting and molding - so cost reflects a realistic tool, not a rough assumption.

What DFM feedback does Matterize provide?

Matterize provides design-for-manufacturability (DFM) feedback that flags manufacturability issues for the chosen process - such as thin walls, draft, tolerances and features that are hard or costly to produce - so engineers can resolve them before tooling is committed.

Do I need to tag features manually?

No. Matterize reads geometry automatically, so there is no manual feature recognition or tagging step before you get a cost estimate.

Turn your CAD into a should-cost now

Upload a 3D CAD model and get a manufacturing process plan, cost breakdown and carbon estimate - free.

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