Have you heard of a paperless job shop MRP/ERP system? This is one of the silver bullets on the job shop floor. Imagine not needing to print routers or travelers for every job going through the shop floor. Imagine bringing up the job documents, including design documents and blue prints, on a computer next to a…

Job shops, including MTO, ETO, and the different variations, deal with RFQs on a daily basis. An RFQ is a Request for Quote. There are various terms that describe a similar process; for instance, an RFP or Request For Proposal.   RFQs have a dual meaning based on the hat you wear. If you are a…

As technology has improved over the years, paint lines have become more commonplace throughout job shops. The ability to estimate how much a part costs is now more complicated due to the batch process and automation of paint lines. This entry will show you a sample formula for estimating “time per part”. Variables FeetPerMinute VerticalParts…

What is a paint line? Paint lines comprise equipment that cleans, dips, sprays paint, and ovens to dry the parts. Paint lines are very capital-intensive and often take up hundreds to thousands of square feet of space. They can be both wet paint or powder coat systems.     Why do we need a formula…

Do you wonder what your shop’s burden rates are for working 8-hour days but having only 4 hours of work to do? Do you charge your customer for all 8 hours? There are some companies that will charge for 8 hours of work even when there was only 4 hours of labor on a job. This…

Here are some key aspects to quoting and estimating. 1. Material costs This includes both raw material and purchased components like nuts, bolts, screws, etc. 2. Tooling costs 3. Welding fixture costs and other fixture costs 4. Burden rate of the machine(s) the part runs on 5. Overhead (Indirect Labor) 6. Insurance 7. Depreciation 8. Labor…

Punch press estimating is a very common way to put wholes in sheet metal parts. Punch presses have been around since 1955.  The Wiedemann Machine Company was established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1916 and over the years developed and produced a variety of machines. Wiedemann unveiled the world’s first NC turret punch press at a machine…

Laser cutting sheet metal parts is very common in the industry.  Not too many years ago laser cutting was new and estimating the costs was new.  Now, laser cutting estimating has become much more accurate through software simulations. The simplest way to estimate laser cutting time and material is using the actual laser programming software…

The standards for estimating saw operations includes both the actual sawing operation and the setup of the jig, clamps, etc.  The times below are in seconds.  These process times may change based on the machine and if its a manual process, etc.  In your software you should enter the different processes into the saw operation…

Engineering standards for estimating is critical in order to come up with a consistent way of quoting.   Standards are based on time and not dollars because shop rates are different based on each individual company.  Standards are different based on machines and skill which are relatively consistent. Engineering standards shown are for the metalworking…