AI-Powered Sheet Metal Quoting Drives Growth

Our client - a sheet metal company (opens in new tab) - was drowning in slow quotes. They offered world-class custom work like precision cutting, bending, and forming, but most customers never saw it. Every quote meant endless emails, lost files, and missed opportunities. Leads dropped off. The backlog grew fast.

We built a custom automated sheet metal quoting system that transformed their process. Customers now upload designs, pick materials, get instant pricing, and see 3D previews before they order. No more back-and-forth. No more hidden services.

Why does this matter? The manual quoting process that used to take days now completes in minutes. That's not just speed, it's survival. Modern buyers expect instant answers and one-click ease.

Our client saw custom orders increase 5× shortly after launch. Administrative work dropped by 50%. Their hidden capabilities quickly became a new engine for growth. This is what AI-assisted and automated sheet metal quoting delivers: speed, clarity, and a new revenue stream open 24/7.

The Challenge: Manual Quoting Held Back Growth

Hidden Service, Lost Revenue

Our client offered world-class custom metal fabrication, including precision cutting, folding, bending, and forming of sheet metal parts to exact specifications. But their main website showcased boilers and sauna heaters. High-margin custom metalwork sat quietly in the background. There was no online quoting tool. No clear way to order parts or upload CAD files quickly.

The result: most customers didn't even know these services existed.

It wasn't just a website problem. It was a revenue roadblock. Even existing clients who needed quick turnaround on custom jobs got stuck in email chains and phone calls.

When we looked closer, the opportunity became obvious. If we could bring those custom capabilities to the forefront with instant quoting and file uploads, the business could turn its "hidden" service into a sales engine.

The Breaking Point: When Manual Process Became Unbearable

Every quote started as an email. Sometimes with three attachments. Sometimes none at all. Staff juggled PDFs, STEP files, hand-written measurements, and material requests. Endless back-and-forth about pricing followed.

This manual process created pain on both sides. Customers wanted answers now. The team wanted less chaos and fewer errors from constant re-entry of specifications.

At the same time, customer expectations were shifting clearly toward faster and more transparent ordering experiences.

We realized then: without automation, lost quotes meant lost customers. The choice was clear: automate or fall behind.

Our Solution: AI-Assisted and Automated Sheet Metal Quoting System

Designing Self-Service Ordering

We knew the old way wasn't just slow, it was invisible. Custom metal orders hid in inboxes, locked behind endless email threads and PDFs. Customers wanted what every modern buyer expects: upload a CAD file, get instant pricing, and order right away.

We built an AI-assisted and automated sheet metal quoting system that put those services front and center. A customer uploads their design at midnight on a Sunday. They pick steel or aluminum, add dimensions, choose drilling and polishing. Everything is configurable in one clear workflow. The quote appears instantly. No waiting hours, or days, for manual calculations.

During user testing, customers were able to submit multiple part designs and receive real-time pricing almost instantly. That process used to take two emails and half a workday to complete.

The impact? Orders shifted from "maybe next week" to "done in minutes."

Automating File Handling and Pricing

The real transformation happens behind the scenes. Engineers used to waste hours converting customer files into machine-ready DXF format. That bottleneck vanished overnight. Our software automated file conversion for every upload. No more late nights prepping files for production.

Here's how it works: A customer uploads a file. Shortly after upload, they see an interactive 3D preview rendered with Three.js. It's ready for review before anyone clicks "Order." If there's an error or missing tolerance, the system highlights potential issues early in the process.

But file conversion alone wasn't enough. Some customers sent incomplete or messy files that would crash generic converters. We added automated file handling to process and prepare uploaded files for production.

Pricing is equally smart. Never guesswork. Our integration with third-party quoting software pulls material type, thickness, operations, like tapping or powder-coating, and quantity straight from user selections. The result? Production-grade quotes calculated by AI on demand. Highly accurate, production-grade pricing.

On the admin side, everything is tracked from one dashboard. Orders flow through production stages automatically. Markups update across product lines. Invoices generate with one click. Files arrive production-ready.

The Tech Stack: Built for Scale

We didn't settle for off-the-shelf tools or stitched-together plugins. We engineered this quoting software end-to-end:

• Next.js delivers blazing-fast storefronts
• Nest.js runs robust backend logic
• Radan powers seamless machine integration
• Sendgrid keeps communications reliable
• PostgreSQL stores every detail securely
• Tailwind ensures crisp UI at any scale
• Three.js brings parts to life in interactive 3D previews

Our AI-assisted and automated solution handles complex requirements without breaking stride. A platform designed not just for today's volume but tomorrow's growth curve as well.

The Process: From Manual to Automated in Real Life

Key Decisions and Milestones

We started by mapping every manual step in their quoting process. Emails, phone calls, file attachments - all needed to be converted to digital workflows. We watched the sales team sort through CAD files and price out complex assemblies one by one. It was clear: no existing software fit their exact needs.

Our first key decision? Build a custom flow for uploading their CAD files directly. No more juggling Dropbox links or email chains. We debated whether to use ready-made tools, but realized they couldn't handle the real-time pricing complexity our client needed.

The breakthrough came when we integrated automated file conversion, handling even tricky formats, with our AI-assisted and automated sheet metal quoting engine. Customers could upload designs, select materials, and see instant prices. The system produced production-ready DXF files for CNC machines automatically.

Obstacles We Overcame

We hit plenty of walls along the way.

CAD file conversion proved challenging. Some customers sent incomplete or messy files that would crash generic converters. Our developers added automated preprocessing to handle a wide range of imperfect uploads.

Pricing complexity was another beast. Every extra operation - like drilling or polishing - changed costs. We iterated on multiple pricing models before settling on one that delivered accurate quotes instantly, even for complex assemblies.

User experience required careful thought: how do you show a customer what their part will look like before it's made? Our answer - a real-time 3D preview using Three.js reduced order errors dramatically and gave customers confidence before clicking "Order."

Collaboration with the Client

We didn't work in isolation. Our client was hands-on at every stage. Weekly design reviews turned into rapid-fire iterations.

During user testing, a production manager flagged that some dimensions weren't matching their CNC requirements exactly. Together we tweaked the output logic. Every file coming from our app now loads perfectly onto their Radan-equipped machines.

This tight feedback loop paid off. Not just smoother launches, but measurable ROI. The client saw new orders roll in almost immediately after launch.

The Results: Measurable Impact and Business Transformation

Speed and Accuracy That Changed Everything

The first order placed through our new AI-assisted and automated sheet metal quoting system felt different. Instead of waiting days for a manual quote, the customer uploaded their design, selected materials, and saw an exact price - instantly. No more guessing or follow-ups. Just instant quoting, confirmed within minutes.

That speed didn't just impress one customer. It changed the entire rhythm of business. Order volume increased significantly shortly after launch. By digitizing every step - from CAD upload to production-ready files - we eliminated bottlenecks and doubled throughput without sacrificing quality.

Was accuracy sacrificed for automation? Not at all. Quoting errors were significantly reduced. The specifications came directly from the software system - no more retyping or misreading emails. Because integrated software, not spreadsheets, power real-time pricing, customers trust what they see.

Business Impact: From Hidden Service to Growth Engine

Custom orders jumped 5x within weeks of launch. What was previously a background service became the company's fastest-growing revenue stream.

The administrative team used to spend entire mornings buried in email chains and file conversions. Now they're done before coffee's even cold. Administrative work dropped by 50% as order processing went digital. That freed up time for sales outreach and process improvement, rather than chasing paperwork.

But the biggest shift wasn't just about saving time or money. It was about unlocking a hidden revenue stream. What started as an afterthought service became front and center - a clear channel for growth that's fueling new hires and bigger ambitions.

Key Takeaways and Lessons Learned

What Made This Project Successful

• We made the invisible visible. Custom capabilities that customers didn't know existed became the centerpiece of the business.
• Automation solved real pain. We didn't automate for the sake of automation. We targeted the specific bottlenecks causing lost customers: slow quotes, file format chaos, manual pricing calculations.
• Self-service empowered customers. Instead of waiting for business hours and email responses, customers could configure, price, and order on their own schedule.
• Integration was key. The system connects seamlessly with existing CNC machinery (Radan) and produces production-ready files. No manual handoffs.
• Speed created a competitive advantage. Moving from multi-day quoting to near-instant pricing didn’t just improve efficiency - it reshaped how customers interacted with the business.”

Challenges Every Custom Development Project Faces

File format chaos is real. Customers don't send perfect files. Building an auto-cleanup layer that handles messy uploads was critical.

Pricing is complex. Simple formulas don't work when every operation affects cost. We invested time testing multiple algorithms to get it right.

User experience matters. The 3D preview wasn't just a nice feature - it became essential for building customer trust and reducing order errors.

Tight collaboration delivers results. Weekly reviews and rapid iterations with the client's production team ensured the system worked in the real world, not just in theory.

Ready for Your Own Transformation?

This project transformed a manual, hidden quoting process into a digital revenue engine. Our client broke free from email ping-pong and slow approvals. Their custom services now run smoothly, are visible, accessible, and generating real business growth.

Is This Right for Your Business?

If you're running a manufacturing business that faces similar bottlenecks, we can help you build this transformation. Picture your customers uploading files, getting live prices, and placing orders while your team focuses on production, not paperwork.

You might need custom AI development if:

• Off-the-shelf quoting tools don't handle your specific operations or pricing complexity
• Your custom services are hidden and underperforming
• Manual quoting creates bottlenecks and lost opportunities
• You need seamless integration with existing machinery
• File format conversion is eating your team's time
• Customers are demanding faster turnaround times

Next Steps

Ready to see how AI-powered ordering could work for your manufacturing business?

Book a free consultation (opens in new tab) to discuss your specific quoting challenges. We'll assess whether custom development makes sense for your situation and sketch out what a solution might look like.

Let's turn your hidden capabilities into your next growth engine.