by Chris Anjel | Sep 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Custom manufacturing rarely moves in a straight line from RFQ to purchase order. Customers change quantities, swap materials, request design tweaks, or adjust tolerances — sometimes all within the same conversation. Each revision cycle burns estimator time, delays the...
by Chris Anjel | Sep 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Non-recurring engineering charges are where digital manufacturing quotes go sideways. Quote them too high and the customer walks. Quote them too low and you’re subsidizing their project with your shop’s time. The problem isn’t the number — it’s...
by Chris Anjel | Sep 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
You nailed the machine time. The material cost is locked in. The geometry checks out. Then the job ships and you realize the margin evaporated in bead blasting, thread tapping, CMM inspection, and the two hours your tech spent assembling hardware the customer forgot...
by Chris Anjel | Sep 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
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 —...
by Chris Anjel | Sep 4, 2026 | Uncategorized
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...
by Chris Anjel | Sep 4, 2026 | Uncategorized
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...
