by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Every shop gets the call: “We need this by Friday — can you do it?” The instinct is to say yes and figure out pricing later. That’s how margins evaporate.Rush jobs carry hidden costs: overtime, expedited shipping, schedule disruption, quality risk,...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Digital manufacturers regularly receive RFQs where the customer wants to supply their own hardware — threaded inserts, PEM nuts, custom fasteners, specialty washers, or even electronic components. On paper it looks like less work for you: fewer materials to source,...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Digital manufacturers increasingly see RFQs that combine CNC-machined aluminum brackets, 3D-printed polymer housings, and laser-cut sheet metal enclosures in a single assembly. These multi-material jobs often carry higher margins, but they also introduce quoting...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most digital manufacturers don’t ignore the digital thread because they don’t see the value. They ignore it because their current systems make it feel impossible. Quoting lives in a spreadsheet or a standalone tool. Production runs on a whiteboard, a paper...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
You’ve built a solid quoting process. Your templates cover 90% of incoming RFQs. Your team knows the drill. Then comes the part with five different materials, a custom heat-treat spec, and a customer who wants it shipped to three locations.Exception quotes are...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most digital manufacturers know the drill: a customer comes back with the same part, same material, same finish — and you’re rebuilding the quote from zero. Maybe you dig through old emails, hunt for the last PDF, or worse, re-run the entire calculation because...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Your scheduling board shows 70% utilization. Your production manager says the floor is maxed out. Your sales team keeps promising two-week lead times because “we have bandwidth.” Someone is working with bad numbers — and it’s probably...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
More shops are running hybrid workflows — printing near-net shapes on a metal AM machine, then finishing critical features on a CNC mill or lathe. The parts are faster to make and often lighter, but quoting them is a different beast than pricing a pure print or a pure...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Inserts — heat-set, press-fit, ultrasonic, or molded-in — are standard in 3D printing, CNC machining, and injection molding. Yet many shops still quote them as a simple line item: hardware cost plus a flat labor adder. That approach leaves money on the table and...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops can quote the machine time for a CNC part or a 3D print within a few percent. Where quotes go sideways is everything that happens after the machine stops: support removal, heat treatment, tumbling, bead blasting, anodizing coordination, CMM inspection,...
