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
Mid-run setup changes are a silent margin killer. A customer calls at 2 PM requesting a tolerance tweak on the next 50 parts. The machine stops, the operator re-fixtures, the programmer adjusts the CAM, and the inspector re-checks first articles. Meanwhile, the clock...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Heat treatment is one of those manufacturing steps that looks simple on a drawing — a single line item like “harden to 50 HRC” — but quietly derails quotes if you don’t account for the full picture. For CNC shops, 3D printing services, and sheet...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Most shops know the feeling: a quote goes out for a seemingly straightforward CNC or sheet metal part, but once the job hits the floor, fixturing eats half a day. Custom soft jaws, vacuum tables, modular clamps, or welded fixtures — they all take design time,...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
You track part revisions religiously. Every drawing, every CAD file, every BOM has a revision letter or number. But when a customer asks for a quote update, do you version the quote the same way?Most shops don’t. They overwrite the old quote, email a new PDF,...
