QuotedPartComparisons · Updated 2026-10-30
Is there quoting software for mold and die / tool shops?
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There is quoting software for mold and die work, but a useful tool must expose the costs a generic CNC estimator hides: hardened tool steel, rough and finish machining, deep cavities, EDM, fits, polish, vacuum heat treat, tryout and engineering revisions. A simple rule is to price the tool as a controlled project, not as one milling cycle. QuotedPart's pricing workflow can carry those assumptions when the shop enters them; a specialist CAM or toolroom system may be stronger when simulation and electrode planning decide the margin.
See how QuotedPart connects to your workflow with its API, MCP server, autonomous quoting and shop-specific learning.
Price the tool in phases
For a 42 HRC P20 cavity insert, separate stock and roughing from finish work. Example assumptions: 38 kg tool steel at $18/kg ($684), saw and setup 6 hours at $105/hour ($630), roughing 18 hours at $120/hour ($2,160), finish milling 22 hours at $125/hour ($2,750), two electrodes and EDM at $1,400, vacuum heat treat at $480, polish at $900, inspection at $350, and engineering/tryout reserve of $1,000. The subtotal is $10,354 before margin. That arithmetic is illustrative, but each line corresponds to a real decision.
A quantity of one does not make setup negligible. Workholding, datum strategy, electrodes, inspection and tryout are the job. A quote should also state what happens when the customer changes the parting line or polish grade.
| Phase | Assumption | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tool steel | 38 kg × $18/kg | $684 |
| Saw/setup | 6 h × $105/h | $630 |
| Rough/finish mill | 18 h × $120 + 22 h × $125 | $4,910 |
| EDM | Two electrodes and machine time | $1,400 |
| Heat treat | Vacuum lot and freight | $480 |
| Polish/inspection | $900 + $350 | $1,250 |
| Engineering/tryout reserve | Stated allowance | $1,000 |
What a specialist proof should show
Ask a vendor to demonstrate a hardened insert with a deep pocket, a tight fit and a polish callout. The proof should identify roughing and finishing operations, tool access, EDM electrodes, heat-treat lot charges, polish area and inspection. It should preserve the original estimate when the customer sends a revision, so the estimator can see which assumptions changed. A generic instant quote that only sees bounding box and volume is not enough for mold work.
Also ask whether the product stores customer-controlled drawings and how it handles ITAR or CUI if the tool is for defense work.
Where QuotedPart fits
QuotedPart can be useful for a small toolroom that wants one quote format and explicit shop rates across milling, EDM, heat treat, polish and inspection. Its limitation is that it does not claim CAM simulation, electrode extraction or a mold-flow analysis. The estimator must supply or verify the process plan. That is acceptable when the shop's expertise is already in the room and the software's job is repeatable arithmetic and customer output.
Choose a specialist when geometry simulation and tool planning are the bottleneck. Choose a transparent quoting workflow when the bottleneck is capturing every toolroom charge before the quote leaves the shop.
Sources and limits
Claims are dated where they can change. Product calculations are examples from the stated inputs, not a promise about a customer's quote. Competitor wording is attributed to the source shown.
- The cavity-insert example is illustrative arithmetic from the stated steel, labor, machining, EDM, heat-treat, polish, inspection and reserve assumptions.
- QuotedPart can carry shop-entered setup, cycle, material, outside-process and margin assumptions; it does not claim CAM simulation or mold-flow analysis. — source (checked 2026-10-30)
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