GlossaryKind of term: Cost and economicsEstimate line
What is an estimate line?
An estimate line is one item in an estimate, with its own inputs such as time, rate or weight, and a basis: per part, per batch or once per design.
An estimate line is one item in an estimate: stock material, machining in one setup, setup, programming or a subcontracted operation. Inputs differ per line. For machining that is a time and an hourly rate, for material a weight and a price per kilo or a length and a price per metre, for subcontracted work the supplier's price, possibly with a minimum per lot. Every line also carries its basis: per part, per batch, or once per part design.
How does an estimate line work in practice?
A cost built from lines can be checked and corrected where it is wrong. If you doubt the time for one setup, you change that line without redoing the rest. The basis of each line decides how the quantity break behaves: a per-batch line gets lighter per part as quantity rises, a per-part line does not. A wrong basis, such as programming charged per part, distorts every quantity. How finely you split lines is a trade-off: per operation gives more insight but also means more input.
What is an estimate line often confused with?
An estimate line is not an operation: the operation is a step in the route, the line is the item in the cost, and one line can cover several operations. It is not a quote line either: the quote shows the selling price per part and quantity, usually without the build-up.
How do you see an estimate line in Blake?
In Blake every estimate is made of lines for material, machining, finishing, setup and programming, each with time, rate and quantity. Correct a line and you give a reason; the previous value is kept, with who changed it, when and why. More on estimating.
Frequently asked questions
When does a line count per part and when per batch?
Per part: whatever every piece needs again, such as material, machining time and often the finish. Per batch: setup and the first-article check. Programming and a dedicated fixture usually fall once per part design or revision.
What do you do when a line is wrong?
Change that line's inputs, the time or the rate for instance, and record why. The rest of the estimate stays as it is, and every quantity in the break follows.