The encyclopedia · Software & IT · Operational decision · 2021–2023
MTP Maier priced CNC quotes from CAD geometry instead of years of experience
A young German job shop automated quotations so prices are reproducible and fast without accumulated experience data.
MTP Maier Technologie · Spanflug Technologies
The solution
MTP Maier Technologie, a seven-employee CNC job shop founded in Sternenfels in 2021 by brothers Martin and Maximilian Maier, faced a classic new-firm problem: quoting prices required estimating setup and machining times, but those estimates depended on experience data the company had not yet accumulated.
Their answer was algorithmic. With Spanflug Make, the shop uploads a CAD model and optional drawing; the software automatically analyzes surface, material and tolerances, and in about a minute returns a detailed cost breakdown covering material, setup, programming, machining and finishing. Parameters can be tuned to the shop's own machines, and every change re-prices instantly.
Because the quote is reproducible and fast, MTP can decide in minutes whether an order is attractive—useful when quote-win rates sit below 40%—and deliver same-day offers to customers. The commercial manager can produce quotes without deep technical know-how, freeing the production manager for the shop floor.
Why it worked
- Setup and machining time estimates previously depended on experience the young company lacked
- The algorithm derives costs from CAD geometry, making quotes reproducible rather than intuitive
- A one-minute cost breakdown lets the shop reject unattractive orders before investing hours
- Quoting no longer requires the technical specialist, freeing capacity and speeding responses
- Market-aligned prices from the algorithm improved the shop's quote-win rate
What can be applied
When your organization is too young to have pricing instincts, encode the physics of the job—geometry, material, tolerance—into the estimate instead of waiting for experience.
Aftermath
MTP scaled its in-house production depth—grinding, heat treatment and coating—and kept its diversified customer base across general machinery, automotive, medical technology and aerospace. Spanflug's network of more than 200 German partner shops and its CAD-based quoting software grew alongside, with the EVO ERP integration turning a quote into a production order in a few clicks.
Sources
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