by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Quoting the print is the easy part. Most shops have dialed in their machine hour rates, material markup, and build-plate nesting logic. But the work that happens after the part leaves the printer — support removal, media blasting, vapor smoothing, heat treatment,...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most 3D printing quotes assume planar slicing — flat layers stacked on the Z axis. But non-planar printing, whether on a 5-axis machine or through curved-layer slicing on 3-axis hardware, changes the geometry of the job and the economics of the quote. If you’re...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing is no longer a niche capability. Shops running machines like the DMG MORI Lasertec 65 hybrid, Mazak Integrex i-400 AM, or hybrid cells pairing a metal 3D printer with a 5-axis mill are winning work that pure-play additive or...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Powder bed fusion (PBF) — whether laser or electron beam — is the workhorse of metal additive manufacturing. But every shop running DMLS, SLM, or EBM knows the sinking feeling when a 40-hour build crashes on hour 38. A recoater blade hits a curled edge. Supports...
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...
