How Our Instant Quote Prices a Job
The quoting system at quote.calwestmfg.com opens your CAD file in SolidWorks, measures the actual geometry and prices it while you wait. The price it shows is an estimate; a person at CalWest reviews every quote and confirms it before anything runs. Knowing what the system counts lets you send a file that quotes right the first time.
One rule applies to everything: setups are charged once per unique part per run and do not scale with quantity. Cutting, bending and material do. That is why the price per piece falls as quantity rises.
Tube parts
| What is counted | How it is priced |
|---|---|
| Stock | 20 ft sticks. Round tube is billed at 22 ft per stick to cover the tube laser's 2 ft drop; square and rectangular sticks carry about 8 in of drop. |
| Cutting | By the stick of stock the parts nest on. |
| Bending | By bends, by bent tubes and by setups. |
| Material | Per foot of stock. |
| Nesting | Only within one uploaded file. Send every tube part of one material in a single multibody file so they share sticks. |
A tube that will be bent must be modeled to a centerline radius we tool for; see the CLR chart and the tube bending rules.
Flat plate and sheet parts
| What is counted | How it is priced |
|---|---|
| Stock | Quoted by the sheet; standard plate stock is 48 × 120 in. |
| Cutting, piercing, bending, material | Per-piece operations that scale with quantity. |
| Nesting | Only within one uploaded file. One multibody file per material lets every part share the sheet and the setups. |
Sheet sizes, the mild steel grade at each thickness and the laser limits are on the plate stock and grades page.
Machined parts
| What is counted | How it is priced |
|---|---|
| Each part | Priced per piece from its own stock. Machined parts do not nest, so one part per file is fine. |
| Quantity | A quantity change reprices instantly on the quote page without a re-run. |
| Tolerance | ±0.020 in standard on a part with no drawing. Threads, press and slip fits, surface finishes and tighter tolerances are not read from the model: put them on a PDF drawing with the upload and they are priced in review. |
Files that quote cleanly
- Upload solid parts as SolidWorks (.sldprt) or STEP. Export an assembly as STEP.
- A DXF alone cannot be quoted because it carries no thickness. Import it into a sketch, extrude it to the plate thickness and save it as a part.
- Put every part of one material in a single multibody file. Parts uploaded one at a time each get their own stock and setup and price high.
- ITAR or export-controlled files should not go through the instant quote. Email them to sales@calwestmfg.com.
Common questions
Why did the price per part drop when I raised the quantity?
Setups are charged once per unique part per run and do not change with quantity, while cutting, bending and material scale with it. Spread over more pieces, the setup share of each part shrinks.
Why do parts quoted together cost less than the same parts sent separately?
Parts nest only within the file they arrive in. Sent together in one multibody file per material they share sticks or sheets and setups; sent one at a time each part carries its own stock and setup.
Why does the quote not see my threads or finish callouts?
The system measures geometry only. Threads, press and slip fits, surface finishes and tight tolerances are not read from the model, so they go on a PDF drawing attached to the upload and are priced when a person reviews the quote.
Is the instant price final?
No. It is an automated estimate. A person at CalWest reviews every quote, including any drawing you attached, and confirms the price before anything runs.