Reading a preliminary online quote: min, mid, max and needs_manual

The short answer

A 3DWK preliminary online quote usually shows a **price range** (think min / mid / max style band) built from the quote engine’s rate card and geometry parse—not a final invoice. **needs_manual** means an engineer must finish the price; it is not a rejection. Learn what each field implies before you treat the mid value as a PO number.

This buyer guide explains the UI concepts against **rates.v1.1** estimate logic (public range display, margins, auto-manual rules). Upload real files on [quote-new.php](https://3dwk.com/quote-new.php).

What “preliminary” means

Instant / preliminary ranges exist to:

• Give procurement a planning band quickly
• Surface DFM risks early
• Route hard cases to humans without silent underpricing

They are **estimates** labeled from the engine version (currently **v1.1** planning rates authorized for display). Factory calibration will refine numbers later. Locked checkout or live Stripe pay may be unavailable until sales confirms—follow on-screen next steps.

Anatomy of a typical range

**Min:** lean interpretation inside the engine’s uncertainty band (public display uses a percentage spread around a computed mid—**rates.v1.1** public_range_pct concept ~12%).

**Mid:** central estimate after material, machine time, finishes, quantity breaks and margin building blocks.

**Max:** upper band for the same automatic interpretation—still not a worst-case including every possible engineering change.

If shipping is shown separately (DAP-style estimates in the rate card), do not confuse goods mid with landed cost.

Illustration 1 labels min/mid/max and the needs_manual badge on a schematic quote card (**Example part** UI—not a live customer screenshot of personal data).

When you see needs_manual

Common triggers in engine policy (illustrative of **rates.v1.1** / auto_manual rules):

• Line price above configured USD thresholds (high-temp alloys / CoCr often stricter)
• Bounding box beyond CNC or SLM automatic limits
• Geometry unparseable from the upload
• Processes flagged always-manual (e.g. injection molding, die casting, sheet metal in current rules)
• Missing material/process compatibility

**needs_manual** preserves a sales/engineering path. Keep the upload; add notes; expect a human range or clarifying questions. It is better than a falsely precise low number.

How rates.v1.1 feeds the band (buyer-level)

Without dumping the whole private card:

• CNC: hourly rates by machine class, setup fees, material $/kg, tolerance/roughness factors, qty breaks
• SLM: powder $/kg, time, support/heat-treat building blocks
• Materials newly priced in v1.1 estimates include PA66 bar, 17-4PH bar, IN718/IN625 bar, and SLM powders for 17-4PH / IN718 / IN625 / CoCr, plus machine-time multipliers for hard alloys
• Finishes add per-part or batch-min style costs when selected
• Margin and min-order floors can lift very small lines

Treat published blog numbers as education; your file’s parse drives the live band.

How to read DFM notes beside the price

DFM bullets are often worth more than the mid number: thin walls, deep pockets, nonstandard threads, ambiguous tolerances ([pockets/thin walls](https://3dwk.com/resources/cnc-pockets-thin-walls-undercuts), [GD&T basics](https://3dwk.com/resources/gdt-basics-for-buyers), [cost drivers](https://3dwk.com/resources/cnc-machining-cost-drivers-buyer-guide)). Fixing a callout can move you from needs_manual to a stable range—or shrink the band.

Example part walkthrough

**Example part:** aluminum bracket, clear STEP, ISO 2768-m, qty 5. You might see an automatic min/mid/max. Same envelope in IN718 with incomplete heat-treat notes might show **needs_manual**. Neither outcome invents a customer PO.

Illustration 2 contrasts complete RFQ → range vs incomplete RFQ → needs_manual / clarify loop ([lead time](https://3dwk.com/resources/cnc-machining-lead-time-buyer-guide) also suffers when files are thin).

What buyers should do with each outcome

**Range shown:** check material, qty, finish assumptions; download or save the quote id if offered; request engineer confirm before issuing PO if the part is critical.

**needs_manual:** respond to questions; attach PDF drawing; state alloy condition and need date.

**Incompatible:** process/material pair not offered—change pairing (engine rule), do not force a fake price.

Trust boundaries

• Mid ≠ invoice
• Range ≠ certified cost for regulated programs
• Screenshots in marketing articles are schematic; your live UI may differ slightly as features ship
• Sales payment links may still be the commercial close while live card keys are pending

What to do next

Upload STEP + drawing on [quote-new.php](https://3dwk.com/quote-new.php). Read the band or the manual flag, then answer DFM notes. Related: [CNC service](https://3dwk.com/cnc-machining-service.php), [materials](https://3dwk.com/materials.php), [CNC vs 3D printing](https://3dwk.com/resources/cnc-vs-3d-printing-when-to-choose), process guides above.

Quantity, revisions and stale quotes

Changing qty re-runs breaks; changing the STEP is a new parse. Do not paste last week’s mid onto a revised model. If sales already issued a confirmed number, ask whether the revision invalidates it.

Multi-line carts and mixed processes

A cart with CNC aluminum plus SLM CoCr may auto-price one line and mark the other needs_manual. Read per-line status. Paying or approving only the automatic line while ignoring manual flags creates partial orders that shops cannot schedule cleanly.

Privacy and Example part discipline

When sharing quote screenshots internally, redact emails and file names if required by your IT policy. For public articles and training decks, use **Example part** labels and schematic UI diagrams—never real customer uploads.

Common questions