Straight answers
Questions, answered plainly.
Two doors into Lantrova: buyers who need parts quoted, and shops that want matched work. Here's how each side works, what it costs, and how to start. Lantrova is new, and we don't dress up numbers we don't have.
For buyers
If you need parts made or repaired
How does Lantrova work?
Send whatever defines the part: a drawing, a photo, an OEM part number, or the broken part itself. A person screens the request, puts it in front of screened shops with the right capability, and returns 2–3 comparable quotes you can line up side by side. Approve one and we manage the order through a conformance check to delivery.
How fast do I get quotes?
Normally 2–3 comparable quotes within 2–3 business days of a request we can screen properly. That target is for returning quotes, not for making parts: manufacturing lead time depends on the job and is stated in each quote.
How do you screen the shops?
Every shop is screened for capability before it can quote, we look at the kind of work it runs, its equipment, and its track record, and we match each RFQ to shops that do that specific work rather than blasting it to a list. A new shop starts probationary: its first jobs are hand-reviewed by a person at Lantrova before and after production. We do not require business registration or insurance to join, so “screened” means capability-screened, not a guarantee of a shop's financial or legal standing, the conformance check and held funds are what protect your order.
What does it cost me as a buyer?
Quoting is free: there's no charge to request or compare quotes. You pay only when you approve and place an order. Our margin is built into the quoted price you see, so no separate fee appears later, and your first order carries no Lantrova markup at all.
Can I use the same shop again?
Yes. Once a shop has made parts for you, you can re-request them by name on your next job, one click, and the request still runs through Lantrova. Their identity stays masked, and the same escrow and conformance check apply, so you keep a shop you trust without giving up the protections.
Is my design and IP confidential?
Yes. Your files go only to shops invited to quote the job, and only for quoting and production. Shop identity is masked until a job is won, and we never send your files to third-party scanners.
Why is the shop's identity hidden from me at first?
Masking keeps things fair on both sides while quotes are being compared, no one gets poached or cut out, so shops compete on price and merit rather than protecting a relationship. What's guaranteed to you is the shop's confirmed capability and the conformance check on your parts, not a name. The moment you place an order you're working with a real, identified shop, and you can re-request one you liked by name any time.
What if the part isn't right when it arrives?
Your money is held, not paid out, until you confirm the parts conform to the spec you supplied. We check the finished part against that spec before release, you have an acceptance window to sign off, and there's a fair dispute path if something's off. You're never stuck having paid for a part that doesn't meet what was quoted.
What regions do you serve?
Lantrova has roots in the Calgary–Lethbridge–Medicine Hat corridor in Alberta and is actively expanding its capability-screened network across North America. Local pickup or delivery is offered where a matched shop is close enough for it to make sense.
What will Lantrova not quote?
Weapons, counterfeit parts, and safety-critical certified parts without an appropriate certification path. We also pause or decline jobs we can't screen responsibly.
How do I start as a buyer?
Use the quote form, or email quotes@lantrova.com. A human reads every submission and asks a follow-up if anything important is missing.
For machine shops
If you want matched work
What does it cost a shop to join?
Nothing to join right now, you come on as a founding member. We may add a membership as the network grows, and founding members get grandfathered. Full detail is on the For shops page.
Do you work with 3D-print shops and independent makers?
Yes, and they're a priority. Independent makers, home and garage 3D-print shops (FDM, SLA, SLS, from prototyping to short-run), and small fabricators are all welcome, alongside CNC, fabrication, and weld shops. Whether you run a 20-person CNC shop or a 3-printer setup in your garage, if you make good parts we want you. No business registration or insurance required to join.
How does it work, and why join now?
Join free, tell us what you run, and we bring you screened jobs matched to your capability. You quote your own price, your identity stays masked, even after you win, and you quote only the jobs you want. Joining early makes you a founding member as the network grows.
How do shops get paid?
The buyer funds the order up front. You're paid out on delivery, once the buyer signs off that the parts conform, within a fixed acceptance window, with a fair dispute path, so you're never left chasing payment.
Is there any exclusivity?
No. Keep every customer and channel you already have. You decide job by job whether to quote, and declining one doesn't remove you from consideration for the next.
How do I start as a shop?
Join free as a founding member, leave your email and shop name and you're on the list. Already in? Log in to the app.
Two doors in
Still deciding? Start here.
Buyers: send whatever defines the part; quoting is free and the first order carries no markup. Shops and makers: join free as a founding member and we'll bring you capability-matched jobs.
Prefer email? quotes@lantrova.com (buyers) or shops@lantrova.com (shops).