by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Every shop has been there: a hot RFQ lands, the margin looks great, and the instinct is to say “yes” to the customer’s aggressive timeline. Two weeks later, the job is stuck behind three higher-priority orders, the machine goes down for maintenance,...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Ask ten estimators how they calculate shop rate and you’ll get ten different answers. Some use a single blended hourly number. Others separate machine time from labor time but apply the same overhead multiplier to both. Few actually track them independently from...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Every shop has taken a job where the drawing shows a handful of dimensions with tight tolerances — ±0.005 mm, ±0.001”, true position callouts — and the quote came back based on standard machining rates. Two weeks later, the parts are on the CMM, half are scrap, and...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops can quote a single-material CNC part or a standard 3D print in their sleep. But when a customer sends an RFQ for a part that combines metal inserts with overmolded plastic, or a sheet metal enclosure with bonded composite panels, the quoting template breaks...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Statistical process control (SPC) requirements show up in RFQs more often as customers tighten quality expectations. For digital manufacturers — especially CNC shops and 3D printing service bureaus — these requirements add real cost that’s easy to underestimate....
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
You quoted five days. The anodizer took twelve. Your customer is angry, your shop looks unreliable, and the margin you fought for just evaporated in expedite fees and overtime.Outsourced finishing — anodizing, plating, powder coating, passivation, heat treatment — is...
