by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Heat treatment and finishing are where quotes quietly lose money. They’re often treated as afterthoughts — a single line item with a flat markup — but they carry distinct cost drivers: furnace time, fixturing, masking, racking, inspection, and shipping. If...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most 3D printing quotes assume planar slicing — flat layers stacked on the Z axis. But non-planar printing, whether on a 5-axis machine or through curved-layer slicing on 3-axis hardware, changes the geometry of the job and the economics of the quote. If you’re...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops handle one-off parts without much trouble. The CAD comes in, the estimator runs the numbers, and a quote goes out. But when a customer sends a parametric family — a bracket that scales across five sizes, three materials, and two finishes — the workload...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops know how to quote a part they’re making from scratch. But digital inventory — where a customer stores approved CAD files with you for on-demand production — introduces different variables. You’re not quoting design time or first-article risk....
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most digital manufacturers know the scenario: a customer sends an RFQ for a complex part, and within minutes you spot three design choices that will double machining time, require expensive EDM work, or make the part impossible to print without extensive supports. You...
