by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Heat treatment is one of those line items that quietly erodes margin. A shop quotes the machining or printing cleanly, then realizes the hardening, annealing, or stress relief step wasn’t priced right — or worse, wasn’t quoted at all. For digital...
by Chris Anjel | Jul 13, 2026 | Materials & Pricing, Quoting & Estimating
Every shop owner knows the moment: material costs climb, labor gets tighter, and the margins that used to feel comfortable start to shrink. You need to raise prices. The question is how to do it without watching your best customers walk to a competitor.The...
by Chris Anjel | Jul 13, 2026 | Quoting & Estimating
Most shops track their quote win rate. Fewer know what to do when it moves. A rising rate feels good — until margins erode. A falling rate triggers panic — until you realize you’re dodging unprofitable work. The number itself isn’t the insight. The insight...
by Chris Anjel | Jul 13, 2026 | Materials & Pricing, Quoting & Estimating
You open an RFQ, spend 45 minutes analyzing wall thicknesses, draft angles, and tolerances, then send a quote — only to hear nothing back. Or worse, the buyer asks why there is a $150 “engineering review” line item they never expected. Why the Conversation...
by Chris Anjel | Jul 13, 2026 | Industry Guides, Materials & Pricing
Turning and milling live under the same CNC roof, but they don’t price the same way. Cost drivers, setup logic, and material usage differ enough that a single flat formula leaves margin on the table — or scares off good work. Here’s how to build repeatable...
