What We Look for in Every Print (That Most Shops Miss)

If you’ve ever received parts that didn’t fit, took longer than expected, or blew past the budget, you already know:

Not all shops quote the same way.

At Mills Machine Works, we do more than check your dimensions and send a number. We treat every print like the blueprint to a successful partnership because that’s exactly what it is.

Here’s what we look for in every RFQ… and why it makes all the difference.

1. “What’s Critical Here?”

Before we quote, we ask:
What’s functional, and what’s cosmetic?
We know how to read between the lines and identify where tolerances are tight for a reason or just tight because someone copied an old template.

If we can save you cost, simplify a setup, or recommend a more appropriate tolerance, we will.

2. “Is There a Better Material for This?”

Sometimes the specified material is overkill or worse, impossible to source quickly due to current market shortages. If we’ve machined similar parts before, we might suggest an alternative that’s faster to get, easier to machine, and still meets your performance goals.

(And in a tariff-heavy world, that can save you real money.)

3. “Will This Tolerance Hold?”

We run a check on every tolerance, finish, and corner radius to make sure it’s achievable with our machines and your timeline. If you’ve got an inside corner that calls for a 1/16" endmill but you’re ordering 5 parts by next week? We’re going to flag that.

4. “What’s Missing?”

You’d be surprised how many prints come through missing a surface finish callout, thread depth, or material note. We don’t just make assumptions, we call you. Because no one wants to approve a job only to find out the finish was wrong, or the part can’t be anodized the way you thought.

5. “Is This the Smartest Way to Make This?”

Machining is part science, part strategy. We’re always thinking through fixturing, tool paths, setup time, and inspection before we quote. That means you get a quote that reflects the real work behind the part not a placeholder number that turns into a problem down the road.

Final Thought

We don’t believe in quoting blindly. We believe in quoting intelligently.
Because a part that hits print but not purpose? That’s not precision, that’s waste.

When you send us a drawing, you’re not just getting a price. You’re getting insight, experience, and a second set of eyes focused on your success.

👉 Send us your next RFQ. We’ll quote it the way your future self will thank you for.