by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops can quote a production part in their sleep. Material, machine time, tooling, overhead — the variables are familiar and the process is repeatable. But when a customer asks for a custom jig, fixture, or inspection gauge, the same confidence often...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Customer-furnished material (CFM) sounds like a win: the client buys the stock, you just run the job. In practice, CFM introduces inspection burden, liability exposure, scheduling uncertainty, and hidden labor that can erase margin if you don’t account for them...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Digital twin programs are becoming a standard request from OEMs and tier-one suppliers who want virtual replicas of their production lines, tooling, or even entire factories. For a job shop or service bureau, these projects look attractive — higher value, longer...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Rush orders are a fact of life in digital manufacturing. A customer needs parts yesterday, and they’re willing to pay a premium — but only if you can deliver without blowing your schedule or your margins.The challenge isn’t saying yes. It’s pricing...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Digital manufacturers increasingly operate across multiple facilities — whether that’s a primary shop with overflow partners, a network of specialized sites, or a distributed production model. Quoting these jobs isn’t just about adding shipping costs. Each...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Parametric part families are standard in digital manufacturing. A single CAD model drives dozens of configurations — different sizes, hole patterns, wall thicknesses, or material grades — each technically a unique SKU. When a customer sends an RFQ for 15 variants of...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops still quote using static rate cards and tribal knowledge. But the machines themselves know exactly how long a setup takes, what the real cycle time is, and when a spindle actually cuts versus when it idles. If you’re not feeding that data back into...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most digital manufacturers don’t have the luxury of single-process jobs. A typical order might start on a 5-axis mill, move to a wire EDM for finishing, then hit a CMM for inspection before shipping. Each handoff adds variables — setup time, queue depth,...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops have a good handle on machine time. They know their hourly rates, their cycle times, and how to amortize equipment costs across a build. What trips them up is everything that happens after the part comes off the machine.Support removal, heat treatment,...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Every shop gets the call: a customer needs a replacement part for equipment built twenty years ago. The original drawings are lost, the OEM is gone, and all they have is a worn-out sample sitting on a pallet. For digital manufacturers, these legacy part requests are...
