by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Quoting the core manufacturing step — CNC machining, 3D printing, or sheet metal fabrication — is something most shops have dialed in. But the moment a part needs anodizing, plating, powder coating, or heat treatment, the quote often turns into a guess. Vendors have...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Every quote you send makes a promise about when parts will ship. Miss that date and you lose credibility — sometimes the customer too. Yet many shops still treat lead time as a guess rather than a calculated commitment. If you’re quoting digital manufacturing...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Multi-material 3D printing opens new design possibilities — dissolvable supports, color changes, functional gradients — but it also introduces quoting variables that single-material workflows don’t have. If you’re still applying a flat markup to these...
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...
by Chris Anjel | Aug 26, 2026 | Uncategorized
Every shop has been there: a customer needs parts yesterday, the schedule looks open, and you quote three days. Two weeks later you’re running weekends, expediting material, and explaining delays to a frustrated buyer. The problem isn’t optimism —...
