How to Handle RFQs With Incomplete Files

Every shop gets them: RFQs with a STEP file but no material callout, a 2D drawing missing tolerances, or a quantity field left blank. Incomplete RFQs are the norm, not the exception. The shops that win the work aren’t the ones waiting for perfect data —...

Reducing RFQ Back-and-Forth

Every digital manufacturer knows the cycle: an RFQ lands in your inbox, you open the file, spot missing specs or geometry issues, fire off a clarification email, wait a day or two for a reply, then repeat. Multiply that by dozens of quotes a week and the time lost...

Should You Quote by Weight or Geometry

Most shops start quoting by weight. It’s simple: take the part volume, multiply by material density, add a markup, and send the number. For early-stage 3D printing bureaus running one or two machines, that works fine. But as soon as you add processes, materials, or...

Turning Scrap Into Savings

Every shop produces scrap. The difference between shops that protect their margins and shops that watch them erode is whether they treat scrap as a cost of doing business or as a feedback loop for better quoting.If you’re quoting off ideal cycle times and...