You have the design rules, the material data and the cost levers. This last part covers where engineers go next, which documents to ask for, and how to compare shops on measurable terms.
Most of these are not machining problems. They are specification and handoff problems.
Blanket finish callouts force the shop to guess which face matters. Bearing seats get polished, mounting faces get polished, cost climbs, and nobody can tell you which surface was actually critical. Call out finish per face.
±0.01 mm on an edge that no one measures adds inspection time and scrapped parts. Walk the drawing and ask which dimensions control fit. If the answer is "all of them," the tolerance stack was never calculated.
"Stainless" or "tool steel" is not a specification. 303, 316L, 17-4PH and 440C machine at different feeds, hold different tolerances, and behave differently after heat treat. Name the grade and the condition.
A box of parts and a packing slip is not a first article. Without dimensional reports you cannot tell whether the process is capable or the parts were sorted. Ask what is measured and how often before you release production.
Three habits that separate a smooth program from a rework loop.
A 3D model tells us geometry. It does not tell us which surface is a datum, which hole is a press fit, or whether the part gets anodized before or after assembly. When the package includes a 2D drawing with GD&T, material grade, finish per face and quantity, the quote comes back with fewer assumptions and the price is closer to the invoice.
For early-stage parts with no drawing yet, send the model and your functional intent. Our team returns a quotation and a free DFM analysis within 12 hours, flagging thin walls, deep pockets, sharp internal corners and features that need a second setup.
A part with features on five faces belongs on a 5-axis center, where one setup replaces three and the datum never moves. A long, thin shaft belongs on a mill-turn center. A simple bracket with two holes does not need either, and paying 5-axis rates for it is a waste of budget.
We run 16 simultaneous 5-axis centers, 12 four-axis mills, 27 three-axis machines and 16 mill-turn centers. That mix means the routing is chosen on part geometry, not on what happens to be free. Maximum processing size is 4,000 mm, with travels from 500 × 310 × 200 mm up to 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm.
Use geometry and quantity first. Price follows from that, not the other way around.
| Part situation | Process that fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Flat bracket, 2.5D features, 200 pcs | 3-axis milling | Shortest cycle, lowest setup count |
| Housing with features on 4–5 faces | 5-axis machining | One setup, datums stay fixed |
| Shaft with cross-holes and flats | Mill-turn center | Concentricity held in one chucking |
| One prototype, molded shape later | Rapid prototyping | Design validation before tooling spend |
| Thin-wall enclosure, 1,000+ pcs | Die casting plus machining | Lower piece cost at volume |
| Sheet panels with bends and holes | Sheet metal fabrication | Faster and cheaper than cutting from solid |
One shop for the machining, the finish and the documentation.
Simultaneous 5-axis work for housings and impellers with features on multiple faces. One setup, tighter positional control to Ø400 mm rotary table capacity.
3-axis and 4-axis milling plus mill-turn centers for shafts, bushings and fittings. Tolerance held to ±0.005 mm on critical features.
Single parts and small batches so you can test fit and function before committing to tooling or a 10,000-part run.
Cut, bend and punch work for brackets, panels and chassis. A better route than machining from solid when the part is mostly flat.
For geometry that cannot be cut, or for a quick form check. We will tell you when printing is the wrong choice for a load-bearing part.
Anodizing, plating, powder coating, bead blasting, brushing, polishing and laser marking with a minimum character height of 1.5 mm.
| Item | What we hold | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) | On critical, callout dimensions |
| Fine finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm | Bearings, seals, sliding faces |
| High finish | Ra 0.8–1.6 μm | General mating surfaces |
| As-machined | Ra 1.6–3.2 μm | Non-critical faces |
| Maximum size | 4,000 mm | Travels up to 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment | In-process plus final; reports on request |
| Certifications | ISO 9001, IATF 16949, ISO 13485, ISO 27001 | Current scope on file |
| Lead time | Parts ship in 3–5 days | Production can start within 24 hours |
Fifteen years of production parts across aerospace, automotive, medical and robotics programs. The process library is built from shipped work, not from a brochure.
Held with in-process monitoring and final inspection. If a dimension needs tighter than that, we will say so before quoting rather than after.
16 simultaneous 5-axis centers, 12 four-axis mills, 27 three-axis machines and 16 mill-turn centers. Routing follows geometry.
Backed by raw material checks, in-process monitoring and a full inspection before anything leaves the floor. Reports available on request.
One prototype and a production run go through the same process plan and the same inspection gate. No minimum order quantity.
Send a model or drawing and get pricing plus manufacturability feedback within 12 hours, before you commit to anything.
Lightweight aluminium and titanium parts with traceable material and documented inspection. Every setup is planned to protect datum relationships across multiple faces.
Steel and aluminium components held to drawing across repeat runs. In-process checks catch drift before a batch is finished rather than after.
Small, high-value parts in stainless and engineering plastics where surface finish and cleanliness matter as much as the dimension.
Mixed routing: machined joints, mill-turn shafts and sheet metal panels, quoted as one package with one delivery date.
Start from the fit. If the part mates with a bearing, a shaft or a seal, the tolerance comes from that interface and its clearance range. Everything else can usually sit at a general tolerance block.
A drawing where every dimension is tight is a sign the stack was never calculated. Send it over and we will flag which callouts drive cost without adding function.
When the part is flat and prismatic. A 3-axis machine reaches every feature in two setups, and you pay less per hour. 5-axis earns its cost when features sit on four or five faces, or when a tight positional relationship has to survive multiple setups.
During DFM review we say this directly. If 3-axis holds the drawing, we quote 3-axis.
Ra 0.2–0.8 μm is achievable on specific functional faces such as bearing bores and seal seats. Ra 0.8–1.6 μm suits general mating surfaces, and Ra 1.6–3.2 μm is standard as-machined.
Finish is a per-face decision. Polishing every face of a part that touches nothing adds cost with no benefit.
Inspection happens in three places: raw material check on receipt, in-process monitoring during the run, and a final gate before shipment. Nothing ships without passing the final gate.
Dimensional reports are available on request. For first articles, ask for them before you release the production quantity.
Compact travels start at 500 × 310 × 200 mm, with medium machines at 600 × 600 × 600 mm and 750 × 1,150 × 550 mm. Maximum processing size is 4,000 mm on the large machines, with travels of 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm.
Very small parts are fine too. The limit there is usually feature size and tool reach, not the machine.
Uploads are handled as secure and confidential. If your program requires it, an NDA can be put in place before any files move.
For early concepts, sending a simplified model that shows the critical interfaces is often enough to get an accurate quote.
Yes. There is no minimum order quantity, so a single part and a large run go through the same process planning and inspection gates.
If volume reaches the point where die casting or another process beats machining on piece cost, we will say so rather than keep quoting machining.
The quote covers machining, the finish you specified, and inspection. A change in material grade, a tight tolerance added to a new face, or a finish applied to more surfaces than originally stated will move the price.
That is why the data package matters. Quote from the drawing you intend to build to.
Quotation plus free DFM analysis within 12 hours. No minimum order quantity, and every part inspected before it ships.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo MOQNDA on request
Trusted by engineers and manufacturers worldwide
Upload your 3D model or 2D drawing and get a quotation with a free DFM analysis. Maximum processing size 4,000 mm.
CNC Metals 13 grades
CNC Plastics 10 grades
Machines & processes 12 options
Surface & post-processing 10 options
Material: not selected Machine: not selected Post-process: not selected
Fill in this short form and we'll open WhatsApp with your message ready to send. We only use these details to reply to you.
Nothing is sent until you press send inside WhatsApp.
