Stop Losing Hours on Manual Quote Prep Automate It with AI Precision
Imagine slashing 15-20 hours per week on quote generation, turning those wasted moments into real ROI for your shop floor operations.
Join 150+ businesses with streamlined fabrication workflows
The "Quote Crunch" Problem
Endless back-and-forth with clients over custom specs for weldments and assemblies
Manual calculations for bend radii, K-factors, and sheet metal tolerances eating into press brake setup time
Pulling data from scattered CAD files, ERP systems, and supplier catalogs for every structural steel bid
Overlooking variable costs like powder coating thicknesses or laser cutting kerf in rushed estimates for enclosures
Team bogged down by repetitive quoting for plasma-cut parts, delaying actual fabrication runs on the shop floor
Inaccurate quotes leading to underbidding on structural steel jobs like I-beams and lost profit margins
Our Custom AI Quote Engine Built for Your Shop
We've engineered solutions for fabrication firms just like yours, integrating directly with your CAD software and ERP systems for field-tested reliability.
Why Choose Us
Let's be honest, quoting in metal fab isn't just paperwork—it's a high-stakes puzzle of specs, costs, and deadlines. At AIQ Labs, we build a tailored AI system that ingests your drawings, supplier data, and historical jobs to generate precise quotes on demand. No more spreadsheets or guesswork. This isn't some off-the-shelf tool; it's custom-coded to match your workflow, from plasma cutting estimates to assembly pricing. You're probably thinking, 'Will it handle our unique alloys?' Absolutely—we train it on your data for spot-on accuracy. Here's the thing: this automation becomes your owned asset, scaling as your fab shop grows without subscription headaches.
What Makes Us Different:
Unlock Time and Cost Wins That Hit Your Bottom Line
Save 15-20 Hours Weekly on Quoting
Save 15-20 Hours Weekly on Quoting: Your estimators spend less time crunching numbers for tube bending layouts and more on the shop floor. Picture this: instead of a full day piecing together a quote for a custom bracket run with varying material gauges, the AI handles it in minutes—freeing up bandwidth for overseeing CNC plasma tables and hitting tight project deadlines.
Boost ROI with 30% Faster Turnarounds
Boost ROI with 30% Faster Turnarounds: Clients get quotes back quicker for jobs like custom guardrails, meaning you win more bids in competitive markets like structural components. We've seen shops close 25% more deals by responding to RFQs before competitors even start their material takeoffs—direct path to higher throughput on weld lines and increased revenue from repeat contracts.
Cut Errors and Overheads by 40%
Cut Errors and Overheads by 40%: No more misquoting tolerances on machined flanges or forgetting freight on heavy plate orders for bridge components. The AI cross-checks against your shop standards for ASTM specs, reducing costly revisions and keeping your margins intact. It's like having an extra engineer who never sleeps, ensuring every quote aligns with your fab shop's milling and turning capabilities.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ's system, our team was buried in Excel for quotes on HVAC ductwork transitions—taking 4-6 hours each with manual flange calculations. Now, it's under 30 minutes, and we've landed three big commercial contracts this quarter alone because we're responding faster than anyone else on galvanized sheet metal jobs."
Mike Harlan
Operations Manager, SteelForge Fabrications Inc., specializing in industrial ducting systems
"We fabricate precision parts for heavy machinery, and manual quoting always missed small details like hot-dip galvanizing costs or thread tolerances. After implementation, errors dropped by 35%, saving us about $12K in revisions last year on pump housings alone. It's integrated seamlessly with our SolidWorks and ERP setup—no disruptions to our CNC routing workflows."
Sara Lopez
Senior Estimator, Apex Metal Works LLC, focused on OEM machinery components
"Honest talk: our shop was losing bids due to slow quotes on custom electrical enclosures with varying NEMA ratings. AIQ built this for us six months ago, and we're saving 18 hours a week on powder-coated panel estimates. The ROI hit in the first two months—more time on robotic welding cells, less time typing up BOMs."
Tom Reilly
Owner and Lead Fabricator, Precision Fab Co., experts in custom industrial enclosures
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Mapping
We dive into your current quoting process—reviewing CAD files, supplier lists, and pain points like handling variable sheet metal sizes—to blueprint a system that fits your exact fab workflow.
Custom Build and Integration
Our engineers code the AI from the ground up, linking it to your ERP and design tools for seamless data flow. We test rigorously, like stress-testing a weld, to ensure it handles real-world jobs without a hitch.
Deployment and Optimization
Roll it out with training for your team, then monitor and tweak based on live quotes. You'll see immediate time savings, with ongoing support to scale as you add new services like tube bending.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does this automation handle custom one-off fabrication jobs?
Great question—custom jobs are the heart of metal fab, and our AI is built for that variability. We train it on your past projects, so it learns patterns like unique bend allowances or material thicknesses. For a one-off structural beam quote, it pulls from your database, cross-references supplier costs, and flags any non-standard reqs for human review. No black box; it's transparent and editable. Shops using this report 35% faster prep on customs, freeing estimators for complex tweaks. We start with a workflow audit to ensure it captures your nuances, like specialty alloys. Bottom line: it accelerates without sacrificing accuracy, turning those tricky bids into wins.
What if our shop uses specific software like Mastercam or specific ERPs?
We get it—fab shops run on tools like Mastercam for CAM or Epicor for ERP, and integration is key. Our custom build includes deep, two-way API connections to pull toolpaths, inventory levels, and job histories directly. No clunky exports. For instance, if you're quoting a milled part, the AI accesses Mastercam data for precise machining times. We've integrated with over 20 manufacturing systems, so yours is no issue. Setup takes 2-4 weeks, with testing to match your data flows. You're probably thinking about downtime—minimal, as we phase it in. This ownership means no reliance on third-party plugins that break updates.
How quickly can we see ROI from this quote automation?
ROI hits fast in metal fab, where time is money on the floor. Most clients see payback in 1-3 months through 15+ hours saved weekly— that's like adding a full-time estimator without the payroll. Take quoting a run of 500 brackets: manual might cost 8 hours at $50/hour ($400), AI does it in 20 minutes ($17). Scale to 20 quotes a month, and you're saving $7K quarterly, plus winning more bids with speed. We track this via a built-in dashboard, showing efficiency gains tied to your margins. Let's be honest, if quotes were your bottleneck, this directly boosts throughput. Our field-tested approach ensures quantifiable wins from launch.
Is the system secure for handling sensitive client designs?
Security is non-negotiable in fabrication, where designs for proprietary parts can't leak. We build with enterprise-grade encryption, role-based access, and compliance to standards like ISO 9001. Data stays on your servers or our secure cloud—your call. For example, when quoting aerospace components, the AI processes files in a sandboxed environment, logging access without storing sensitive CAD long-term. We've audited this for manufacturing clients, ensuring no vulnerabilities. You're probably thinking about IP risks—we mitigate with audit trails and auto-purge options. It's designed as your owned system, so you control everything, avoiding the risks of shared SaaS platforms.
Can we customize it further for things like sustainability reporting in quotes?
Absolutely—sustainability is big in manufacturing now, with clients asking for carbon footprints on steel jobs. We tailor the AI to include metrics like recycled content ratios or energy use in fabrication processes, pulling from your supplier data. For a quote on eco-friendly enclosures, it auto-calculates and adds a green summary section. This isn't add-on; it's baked into the core during build, based on your priorities. We've done this for shops targeting LEED projects, helping them differentiate bids. Expansion is easy post-launch, with minimal cost. Here's the thing: it positions you as forward-thinking, potentially unlocking premium contracts while saving time on manual eco-calcs.
What support do you provide after the system is live?
Post-launch support is where we shine, treating it like maintaining shop equipment. You get 3 months of included hands-on training and tweaks, then affordable ongoing optimization—think quarterly reviews to refine based on new materials or processes. If steel prices spike, we update the model overnight. Our team, with manufacturing backgrounds, jumps on issues via Slack or calls, aiming for 24-hour resolution. Clients love the proactive alerts, like flagging quote trends. No endless tickets; we're partners in your efficiency. This ensures the system evolves with your fab operations, delivering sustained ROI without you lifting a finger.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.