by Chris Anjel | Sep 2, 2026 | Uncategorized
Post-processing is where quotes go wrong. A flat $15 “finishing fee” covers the simple FDM part but loses money on the SLA lattice structure that needs three hours of support removal, or the DMLS component requiring heat treatment, HIP, and CNC machining...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most digital manufacturers hit a point where capacity sits idle. Machines wait between jobs. Printers run partial builds. CNC spindles spin air. The instinct is to chase more marketing, cold-call prospects, or discount rates to fill the gap. But there’s another...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Material costs often represent 40 to 60 percent of a job’s total expense in CNC machining and sheet metal fabrication. Yet many shops still rely on manual nesting or basic CAD tools that leave significant scrap on the table. The difference between a good nest...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
You quoted the part at $45 each based on material and machine time. The customer ordered 50 pieces. You ran the job, shipped it, and realized you lost $800 because the setup took 6 hours — not the 90 minutes you estimated.Setup costs are the silent margin killer in...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
More shops are running hybrid workflows — printing near-net shapes on a metal AM machine, then finishing critical features on a CNC mill or lathe. The parts are faster to make and often lighter, but quoting them is a different beast than pricing a pure print or a pure...
