A small batch means the manufacture of a limited number of identical parts, beyond a single prototype but far from mass production. There is no standardised threshold: a few dozen parts make a small batch in machining, a few thousand may still be one for a small cut component. The boundary depends on the process, the size and the value of the part.
It is characterised by fixed costs (programming, setup, tooling, first article) spread over few parts. It is therefore made with versatile processes, without costly dedicated tooling: machining, laser cutting and bending of sheet metal, additive manufacturing, vacuum casting in silicone moulds, sometimes injection moulding in a simple mould. As quantity increases, the calculation tips in favour of heavier tooling, such as a steel mould, whose cost is diluted.
Examples: fifty bent sheet-metal brackets for a machine, two hundred machined housings for a measuring instrument, thirty resin shells for the pre-series of a connected device. The unit price falls in quantity steps, hence the value of comparing several scenarios. Two points need attention: repeatability from one batch to the next, which assumes the workshop keeps programs, fixtures and settings, and repeat orders, that is, a later reorder of the same part.
In a quote request
Ask for a price for several quantities (for example 10, 50 and 200) and state the forecast annual volume and the reorder frequency: the workshop can then buy the material in one go and offer a framework order with staggered deliveries. Specify the level of inspection (self-inspection, report, first article only) and ask for programs to be kept for re-runs. See the guides from prototype to series and CNC machining prices, as well as the request for quotation.