by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
You spent time on the RFQ. You checked material availability, programmed toolpaths, factored in post-processing, and sent a detailed quote. Then… nothing. No reply, no questions, no order. Just silence.It happens to every shop. But if it’s happening often,...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Customer-supplied material jobs sound like easy margin — no material cost, no procurement lead time, no inventory risk. But experienced estimators know these jobs often hide the highest risk per hour of shop time. When the material shows up wrong, damaged, or...
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...
