Adding Parts to a Quote

Each quote contains one or more parts — the individual components you're quoting to manufacture. Every part can include a material, a sequence of manufacturing operations (the routing), and any off-the-shelf purchased items.

Adding a Part

Open a quote and scroll to the Parts section.
Click Add Part.
Forge creates a new part and navigates you to the part detail page.

The Parts section header shows the total number of parts and the combined cost across all parts.

Part Information

The Part Info section captures the basics:

Part Number — your internal or customer-provided part number (required). As you type, Forge searches your quote history for matching parts. Select a match to copy its details.
Part Name — a descriptive name for the part (required).
Description — optional longer description.
Quantity — how many units of this part the customer needs. This drives cost calculations (setup costs are spread across the quantity, cycle time is multiplied by it).
Notes — click "Add Notes" for internal notes about this part.

File Uploads and AI Analysis

The right side of the Part Info section is a file manager where you can upload drawings, 3D models, and reference documents. Supported formats include PDF, images, STEP, and STL files.

For PDF drawings, click Analyze to have Forge's AI extract part information automatically — part number, name, quantity, material type, and material shape. Fields populated by AI are marked with a sparkle icon. You can override any extracted value.

Material

The Material section defines the raw material for the part. Click the section header to expand it.

Sourcing Modes

Forge supports four ways to source material, selectable via tabs:

Inventory — pull material from your existing inventory. Select an inventory item and Forge uses its recorded cost.
Saw-Cut — specify a bar stock material to be saw-cut to length. Enter the stock dimensions and cut length, and Forge calculates how many bars you need and the cost per piece including scrap.
Standard Stock — buy material in standard stock lengths (e.g., 12-foot bars). Define the stock cost per unit and Forge calculates the total based on the number of pieces you can get from each length.
Custom — for any material that doesn't fit the other modes. Enter a description and unit cost directly.

Material Type and Shape

For Saw-Cut and Standard Stock modes:

Material Type — select from your configured material types (e.g., Aluminum 6061, Stainless Steel 304, Mild Steel 1018). Material types are managed in Settings.
Material Shape — select the cross-section shape (e.g., Round Bar, Flat Bar, Plate, Sheet, Square Tubing, Hex Bar). The shape determines which dimension fields appear.

Dimensions

Dimension fields change based on the selected shape:

Round Bar — outer diameter (OD) and length
Flat Bar — thickness, width, and length
Plate/Sheet — thickness, width, and length
Tubing — OD, wall thickness, and length
Hex Bar — across-flats dimension and length

Toggle between Imperial and Metric units as needed.

Cost Fields

Unit Cost — the cost per unit of material (per bar, per piece, per pound, depending on mode).
Markup % — percentage markup applied to the material cost.
Scrap Rate % — expected material waste (e.g., 5% for saw kerfs and offcuts). This increases the quantity needed.
Customer Supplied — check this if the customer is providing the material. The material cost becomes zero.

Operations (Routing)

The Operations section defines the sequence of manufacturing steps. Each operation is a card that you can drag to reorder.

Internal Operations

An internal operation is work done in your shop. Each one has:

Process — the type of work (e.g., CNC Milling, Turning, Welding). Select from your configured processes.
Equipment — which machine this operation runs on (e.g., Haas VF-2). Equipment is optional but helps with production planning later.
Time and Rate — three time categories, each with a time (hours:minutes) and an hourly rate:
- Programming — CAM programming time. This is a batch cost (not multiplied by quantity).
- Setup — machine setup time. Also a batch cost.
- Cycle — per-part run time. This is multiplied by the part quantity.

The rate defaults to the process's hourly rate but can be overridden per operation.

Outside Operations

An outside operation is work sent to a subcontractor (e.g., heat treating, anodizing, plating). Each one has:

Name — a label for the operation (e.g., "Anodize Type III").
Estimated Cost — the subcontractor's price. Choose whether it's a Lot cost (fixed total) or Per Unit cost (multiplied by quantity).
Shipping Cost — freight to and from the subcontractor.
Markup % — your markup on the outsourced cost.
Lead Time — expected turnaround in days.
Notes — any special instructions for the subcontractor.

Adding and Reordering Operations

Click Add Internal Operation or Add Outside Operation to append a new operation to the routing.
Drag the handle on the left of any operation card to reorder the sequence.
Click the trash icon to remove an operation.

Purchased Items

The Purchased Items section covers off-the-shelf components that you buy and include with the part (e.g., fasteners, bearings, seals, electronics).

Each purchased item has:

Item Number — supplier part number or catalog number.
Description — what the item is.
Quantity — how many are needed. Choose between:
- Per Unit — the quantity is per part (multiplied by the part quantity).
- Lot — the quantity is a fixed total for the entire order.
Unit Price — the cost per item.
Markup % — your markup on the purchased item cost.
Lead Time — expected days to receive the item.
Customer Supplied — check this if the customer is providing the item. Cost becomes zero.
Notes — click to add notes about the item.

You can also source purchased items from your inventory by switching the sourcing mode to From Inventory and selecting an existing inventory record.

Part Summary

At the bottom of each part card (on the quote overview page), you'll see:

Op Time — total hours across all operations
Outside Lead Time — total lead time for outside operations (shown only if there are outside ops)
Per Unit — the cost to produce one unit of this part
Total — the total cost for this part (unit cost multiplied by quantity, plus batch costs)

Duplicating and Deleting Parts

From the quote overview page, hover over a part card to see action buttons:

Edit — open the part detail page to make changes.
Duplicate — create a copy of the part with all its materials, operations, and purchased items.
Delete — remove the part from the quote (requires confirmation).

You can also change the quantity directly from the quote overview page by clicking the quantity value on any part card.