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Offshore sourcing in Steel 4140 (annealed)
Steel 4140 (annealed) is a proven choice for offshore sourcing: deep hardenability: quench and temper to 28–50 hrc in sections of 2–3 in (50–75 mm). On a representative housing at 20,000 pieces it estimates at about $3.59 per part plus $15,428 tooling, with a lead time of 11–16 weeks.
- Per part
- $3.59
- Tooling
- $15,428
- Lead time
- 11–16 weeks
Price it in 4140
Housing · Offshore sourcing
Order total $88,231
- Tooling
- $15,428
- one-time, spread over the order
- Piece price
- $3.59
- before setup + tooling
- Lead time
- 11–16 weeks
- to first production
Size
Drag a row to adjust · click to type
Length140140 mm
Width90.090.0 mm
Wall2.202.20 mm
Quantity
Price per part falls as volume rises
Exact quantity2000020000 pcs
Duty + tariff25.025.0 %
Material
Design checks pass
Open in builderBudgetary estimate for a representative part. Firm quotes come from principals after drawing review.
4140 vs other offshore sourcing materials
The same housing at 20,000 pieces, priced in every material the process runs. PP is the lowest all-in cost.
| Material | Per part | All-in | Weight | Tensile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polypropylene (PP) | $0.39 | $1.22 | 66 g | 33 MPa |
| High-density polyethylene (HDPE) | $0.41 | $1.23 | 69 g | 26 MPa |
| ABS | $0.59 | $1.41 | 76 g | 43 MPa |
| Acrylic (PMMA) | $0.65 | $1.47 | 86 g | 70 MPa |
| Nylon 66 (PA66) | $0.74 | $1.56 | 83 g | 83 MPa |
| Polycarbonate (PC) | $0.75 | $1.57 | 87 g | 65 MPa |
| PC/ABS blend | $0.75 | $1.57 | 83 g | 55 MPa |
| Acetal (POM) | $0.75 | $1.57 | 102 g | 62 MPa |
| PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) | $0.78 | $1.60 | 95 g | 55 MPa |
| TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) | $0.78 | $1.60 | 72 g | 7 MPa |
| Nylon 66, 30% glass-filled (PA66-GF30) | $0.88 | $1.70 | 99 g | 190 MPa |
| EPDM rubber | $0.88 | $1.70 | 83 g | 12 MPa |
| Nitrile rubber (NBR) | $0.91 | $1.73 | 87 g | 14 MPa |
| Aluminum A380 (die cast) | $1.28 | $2.10 | 196 g | 324 MPa |
| Neoprene (CR) | $1.44 | $2.26 | 98 g | 14 MPa |
| Silicone rubber (VMQ) | $1.74 | $2.56 | 83 g | 8 MPa |
| Polyester 600D | $1.76 | $2.58 | 100 g | — |
| Steel 1008 cold-rolled (CRS) | $1.99 | $2.81 | 570 g | 330 MPa |
| Aluminum 6063-T5 | $2.00 | $2.82 | 196 g | 186 MPa |
| Steel A36 (structural) | $2.07 | $2.89 | 569 g | 450 MPa |
| Aluminum 5052-H32 | $2.13 | $2.95 | 194 g | 228 MPa |
| Aluminum 6061-T6 | $2.43 | $3.26 | 196 g | 310 MPa |
| Steel 1018 (cold drawn) | $2.75 | $3.58 | 570 g | 440 MPa |
| Steel 1045 (cold drawn) | $2.92 | $3.74 | 570 g | 625 MPa |
| Steel 12L14 (leaded free-machining) | $3.09 | $3.91 | 570 g | 540 MPa |
| Steel 4140 (annealed) | $3.59 | $4.41 | 569 g | 655 MPa |
| Zinc Zamak 3 | $3.61 | $4.43 | 478 g | 283 MPa |
| Cordura nylon 1000D | $3.70 | $4.52 | 83 g | — |
| Zinc Zamak 5 | $3.75 | $4.57 | 478 g | 331 MPa |
| Stainless steel 430 | $3.80 | $4.62 | 561 g | 483 MPa |
| Stainless steel 304 | $6.06 | $6.88 | 580 g | 505 MPa |
| Stainless steel 303 | $6.49 | $7.31 | 580 g | 620 MPa |
| Stainless steel 316 | $7.78 | $8.60 | 580 g | 580 MPa |
| Brass C360 (free-cutting) | $10.10 | $10.90 | 615 g | 400 MPa |
4140 at a glance
- Tensile strength
- 655 MPa89th pct
- Yield strength
- 415 MPa75th pct
- Density
- 7.85 g/cm³72th pct
- Elongation
- 25.7 %57th pct
- Relative cost
- $$$$$
Bars are relative to the strongest, densest or hottest material in the SSG library. Percentile vs all 48 materials.
Strengths
- Deep hardenability: quench and temper to 28–50 HRC in sections of 2–3 in (50–75 mm)
- High fatigue strength and toughness after heat treat
- Pre-hard 28–32 HRC stock eliminates heat treat for many parts
- Nitrides well for a hard, wear-resistant surface with little distortion
- Forges well for high-strength closed-die parts
Watch for
- Welding requires preheat around 400–600 °F (200–315 °C) and post-weld stress relief
- Costs about 30% more than 1045
- Plated parts at 31 HRC or harder need hydrogen embrittlement relief baking per ASTM B850
- Machining above about 35 HRC is slow; rough before hardening
Offshore sourcing design rules
Move offshore only after first article approval of a stable revision
Freeze the design first
Include freight, duty, tariffs, brokerage, inspection, and 20–30% annual carrying cost
Compare total landed cost, not piece price
Plan about 4–8 weeks of safety stock beyond transit time
Hold safety stock
Expect 2–4 weeks of reduced output in late January to February
Plan around Lunar New Year
ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 with AQL 0 critical, 2.5 major, and 4.0 minor is common
Write inspection criteria down
Full GD&T, material spec (ASTM or UNS), finish spec, and packaging requirements
Put everything on the drawing
Questions
How much does offshore sourcing in 4140 cost?
For a representative part (open housing 140 mm × 90 mm × 36 mm, 2.2 mm wall, 1° draft, 4 bosses, 2 ribs), SSG's estimator gives about $3.59 per part at 20,000 pieces, plus about $15,428 one-time tooling. All-in with tooling and setup that is $4.41 per part. It is budgetary; principals quote firm prices from your drawing.
Is 4140 a good material for offshore sourcing?
It is when you need deep hardenability: quench and temper to 28–50 hrc in sections of 2–3 in (50–75 mm) and high fatigue strength and toughness after heat treat. Watch for welding requires preheat around 400–600 °f (200–315 °c) and post-weld stress relief. Of 34 materials run in offshore sourcing, it ranks 26 on all-in cost for the same part.
What finishes work on 4140 offshore sourcing parts?
Common options are bead blasted, vibratory deburr (tumbling), wet paint (liquid coating), zinc plating, zinc-nickel plating, electroless nickel (en). The builder adds each finish's lot charge, per-part cost and days to the estimate.
Quote offshore sourcing in 4140.
Upload your CAD or start from a template. The DFM check applies the rules above to your geometry.