by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Prototype work is the lifeblood of many digital manufacturing shops. A customer comes in with a concept, you print or machine v1, they test it, and suddenly you’re on v3, v5, or v12. Each iteration consumes machine time, material, engineering review, and...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Engineering change orders (ECOs) are a fact of life in digital manufacturing. A customer revises a critical dimension, swaps a material, or adds a feature after you’ve already quoted, scheduled, or even started production. The request lands in your inbox with an...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops know their machine hourly rate. Fewer know exactly how much setup time each job really consumes. That gap is where margin disappears — especially on low-volume and prototype work where setup can exceed run time.Why Setup Time Gets UnderestimatedEstimators...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Digital manufacturers increasingly operate across multiple sites — whether that’s a network of partner shops, company-owned facilities in different regions, or a hybrid model. Quoting these distributed jobs introduces complexity that single-site quoting...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops can quote a single process — CNC milling, laser cutting, or an SLS build — with confidence. The trouble starts when a part needs two, three, or four different operations before it ships. A bracket that gets printed, then machined for tolerance, then...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Every digital manufacturer knows the feeling: a Friday afternoon email with “URGENT” in the subject line. A customer needs parts by Tuesday, and they’re willing to pay a premium. The question is — how much premium is enough?Rush orders are a...
