[brand97]

I am trying to learn more about quotes or maybe a good program to help aid me in getting this down to a science if it possible... Thanks for any help I appreciate it..

[DAVEHAUN]

If you don't have one already, a spreadsheet is essential. One that you can enter shop rate, # of parts,material costs,programming time, setup time, and run time. Then it should calculate " (prog time + setup time + material cost) + (shop rate X run time X # of parts)" at a minimum. Someone with a decent understanding of Excel should be able to do this for you in a few minutes. Make sure you learn how to make minor edits to the formula, and keep an eye out for changes unique to your situation the can help customize it to your shop. Building one from the ground up will often be a better option than purchasing one, as you will know why it does what it does, and you won't be paying for features you don't use. Feel free to email me if you need more help.

[JimBoyce]

Make sure that tight tolerances are quoted higher. Gathering the inspection instruments needed will often amount to another setup.