The best tip for this project I can give, is to know is to practice the operation of the machine on the training computer. Getting familiar with the operation of the interface can do a lot in terms on operating the machine. I find the best way to learn is by doing and this is no different.
Assuming that the raw stock is the price provided at the bookstore and it takes about 1 hour to produce a part from scatch
Aluminum: $7.25
Machinist Hourly: 1 hours x $21 = $21
Total: $28.25
Running more than one coaster at a time can help cut down on setup time. This can be done by a larger number of fixtures in the machine. If the CNC was horizontal, a tombstone fixture could be used to maximize the number of operations that can be accomplished on a single operation.
To create 10,000 units using an automated process subtracting labor cost, we can assume that the total cost would be $28.25 X 10,000 units = $72,500
To create 10,000 units using the processes done in the EMEC one could expect the costs to be $28.25 X 10,000 units = $282,500