How to Price Post-Processing Time

Most shops can quote the machine time for a CNC part or a 3D print within a few percent. Where quotes go sideways is everything that happens after the machine stops: support removal, heat treatment, tumbling, bead blasting, anodizing coordination, CMM inspection,...

How to Quote Parts With Inserts

Inserts — heat-set, press-fit, ultrasonic, or molded-in — are standard in 3D printing, CNC machining, and injection molding. Yet many shops still quote them as a simple line item: hardware cost plus a flat labor adder. That approach leaves money on the table and...

How to Quote Hybrid Manufacturing Jobs

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...