Heavy Machine Shop Estimating

[zeus1]

Has anyone got or do you know were to go for a simple Estimating programme i.e. Excel with out going to a very expensive Estimating package paying a lot of dollars for ( as they always won’t to sell you the back up so no and so no) for Estimating Machine shop jobs medium to heavy swaying more to the heavy machine shop i.e. Vertical and horizontal milling, boring, inline boring, facing, Drilling etc for vary large casting jobs

I have a good simple Conveyor Pulley Costing Spread Sheet in Excel for Pulleys in API pipe and also to be Fabricated in Plate for the shells all you do is plug in the material costs and the supply costs. We could may be swap.

 

Ask your machinists! They can estimate your time "offhand" if they are good. Then double their estimate and throw in some extra for tooling, special setup constructions, etc. You may think I'm a wacko, but I know of no other way to cover yourself properly for BIG jobs! Computers do not estimate in shop logistics such as handling and hoisting,and very large jobs usually require special setup constructions (IE: fabricated supports, pillars, angle plates, etc.) I've done a fair bit of large/heavy work, and these jobs ALWAYS take longer than estimators think. Hope this helps you out.