by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Post-processing is where digital manufacturing quotes either win or lose margin. For a one-off prototype, you can estimate sanding, dyeing, or heat treatment time with a rough multiplier. But when a customer asks for 500 dyed MJF parts with threaded inserts and a...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Multi-material 3D printing opens new design possibilities — dissolvable supports, color changes, functional gradients — but it also introduces quoting variables that single-material workflows don’t have. If you’re still applying a flat markup to these...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most RFQs don’t ask for a single quantity. They ask for three: prototype, pilot, and production. Or they request a price break at 10, 50, and 200 units. Answering with a flat per-part price across all tiers is a fast way to lose money on the low end and leave...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
When a request for quote includes non-destructive testing (NDT) requirements, many estimators either pad the price with a wide safety margin or push the line item to an outside lab without fully understanding the scope. Both approaches hurt win rates and margins. The...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
When a customer asks for full serialization, material certifications, and first-article inspection reports on every unit, the quoting math changes fast. Miss one requirement and you’re eating the cost of extra documentation, segregated inventory, and audit-ready...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops know how to price material, machine time, and labor. Fewer know how to price the risk that a part fails in the field six months later and the customer comes back for a replacement, a refund, or worse.Warranty and liability exposure is a real cost of doing...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Tight tolerances don’t just change how you machine or print a part — they change the economics of the entire job. A ±0.005″ callout might look routine, but when that tolerance stacks across three features and triggers a CMM inspection routine, your quote...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops quote machining or printing time down to the minute, then slap a flat “inspection fee” on the line item and hope it covers the CMM run, the first-article report, and the occasional gauge R&R study. It rarely does. Inspection is where margin...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops can quote a CNC part or a 3D print with confidence. Material, machine time, even post-processing — those variables are visible. Assembly labor is different. It hides in bench work, fastener counts, alignment steps, and the “it only takes a...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Iterative prototyping is a staple for digital manufacturers. A customer needs a part, you build it, they test it, changes come back, and you build it again. The problem? Most shops quote each revision as a standalone job, missing the cumulative engineering, setup, and...
