Practical guides on quoting, costing and running a workshop, written by a team that runs one.
Quoting looks free because it uses no material. In most CNC and laser shops it is actually the most expensive step in the whole job — here is why, backed by real industry data.
Material cost is usually the biggest line item, not cutting time. Here is the real seven-part formula behind a defensible laser cutting quote, with a worked example.
Most shops quote off one flat 'shop rate' that ignores which machine actually ran the job. Here is the real formula for a machine's hourly cost, and why the flat rate quietly loses money.
Sheet-based fabrication wastes around 15-16% of raw material on average. Here is where it actually goes, and why treating offcuts as inventory instead of scrap recovers real money.
Spreadsheet, CAD, a supplier email, an invoicing tool, a sticky note. Here is what switching between them actually costs a CNC workshop, in real productivity research.