Prototype parts for commercial EV platforms, from a single bracket to a pilot build of eight variants. We machine, cast and print them, and DFM feedback plus a quote come back within 12 hours.
Die cast and forging tools take months. The pilot vehicle is scheduled before the first production-intent part exists, so the build waits on steel that has not been cut yet. One late bracket holds an entire chassis.
Sending an RFQ to five shops and waiting four days for pricing burns the float you built into the schedule. By the time the PO is issued, the assembly line already has people standing around it.
Shops running production work push prototype jobs to the back of the queue. A 20-piece order sits behind a 5,000-piece order, and the parts you need this week arrive next month.
A prototype machined to a loose drawing tolerance can miss the datum stack. Hole positions drift, brackets need hand rework, and the build team spends a weekend with a die grinder instead of assembling.
Machine, print or cast the pilot parts first. Move to production tooling once the design stops changing.
For structural brackets, motor mounts, suspension links, battery tray supports and chassis nodes, we machine from solid. That removes the die-cast tool from the critical path. You get real geometry, real material and real strength for the pilot vehicle, and the tool can be ordered in parallel.
Five-axis work handles the pockets, ribs and draft that a casting would have, without splitting the part into three setups. Dimensions land at ±0.005 mm on critical features, and a 4,000 mm maximum processing size covers long frame members.
Between a machined prototype and a hard die there is a gap. Vacuum casting and rapid tooling fill it. A silicone or soft tool pulls 20 to 50 urethane parts with the colour, texture and wall thickness of the production piece, which is enough for a pilot fleet and for fit checks on the line.
For metal parts in that same window we use gravity and low-pressure die casting in aluminium. Tool lead time is measured in weeks, not months, and the tool can be modified or re-cut if the design moves. That keeps pilot builds moving without committing to a production die that may be obsolete by the time it is finished.
The choice is not permanent. Parts made this way become the reference for the hard tool, so the casting house works from a proven design.
| Route | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| CNC from billet | 1–100 parts, tight tolerance | Higher unit cost than casting |
| Vacuum casting | 20–50 cosmetic or fit parts | Not for structural loads |
| Bridge die casting | Pilot volumes in aluminium | Tool still needs weeks |
| 3D printing | Form and fit in days | Anisotropic, weak in tension |
| Hard die casting | 10,000+ parts per year | Long tool lead, high commitment |
Machined, printed or cast prototype parts with DFM notes on the first review. One piece or a pilot batch.
Complex geometry in one setup. 16 simultaneous 5-axis centers for brackets, housings and structural nodes.
Shafts, bushings, fittings and turned parts with milled features. 16 mill-turn centers for parts that need both.
Urethane parts from a silicone tool for cosmetic, fit and pilot-fleet builds in 20–50 piece runs.
Form and fit checks in ABS, PC, PA and PEEK where the deadline is days away and load is not critical.
Gravity and low-pressure aluminium castings for pilot volumes, plus hard dies for production programs.
| Item | Capability |
|---|---|
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm fine, Ra 0.8–1.6 μm high |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm |
| Large travel | 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm |
| Medium travel | 750 × 1,150 × 550 mm |
| Compact travel | 500 × 500 × 450 mm |
| Aluminium | 6061-T6, 7075, 2024, 5083, 6082, ADC12 |
| Steel | 1018, 1045, 4130, 4140, 4340, A36 |
| Stainless | 303, 304, 316L, 17-4PH (SUS630) |
| Titanium and special | TC4 (Ti-6Al-4V), Inconel, AZ31B, AZ91D |
| Plastics | ABS, PC, POM, PA, PEEK, carbon fibre |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment, reports on request |
Drawings go in, a price and a manufacturability note come back within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours of approval.
Held on datum-controlled features, not on every surface. We tell you which ones can run looser and why.
Raw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection. Anything out of spec is caught before it ships.
One prototype or 10,000+ parts. No tooling amortization forced onto a single bracket.
Dongguan plus a Singapore facility, all under ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949:2016.
Parts ship in 3–5 days on standard work. We flag schedule risk at quoting, not after the fact.
Machined from 6061-T6 and 7075 while the production die is still being cut. IATF 16949:2016 process control applies to prototype runs too, so the pilot part and the production part share a traceable route.
Electronics enclosures and motor housings where the sealing face and hole pattern decide fit. Five-axis work keeps the mating surfaces in one setup instead of three.
Shafts, bushings and hydraulic fittings held on diameter and concentricity. Mill-turn centers complete both operations without re-chucking the part.
Printed ducts, covers and clips for the first assembly. Fast enough to test a change between design reviews, and honest about where the material is not load-bearing.
Quotation and a free DFM analysis come back within 12 hours of receiving a 3D file and drawing. If the geometry is clean, production can start within 24 hours of approval.
Parts ship in 3–5 days on standard work. If your geometry needs a fixture or a custom tool, we tell you at quoting and give you a revised date rather than a surprise later.
Yes. We machine ADC12 and A356-equivalent aluminium as billet stock, plus 6061-T6, 7075 and 6082 for structural parts. The alloy choice matters more than the process for stiffness and weight.
For a cast part, the real difference is wall thickness and draft. We can reproduce the drafted walls and ribs by machining, so the pilot part fits the same space as the eventual casting.
Use machining when the quantity is under about 100 parts, when the design is still moving, or when the die lead time blocks the build. Machining removes tooling from the critical path entirely.
Move to die casting when the geometry is frozen and annual volume is in the thousands. At that point the tool cost amortizes and the per-part price drops. We run both, so we can tell you where the crossover sits for your part.
±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) on critical, datum-controlled features. We do not claim that on every surface of every part, because it is not needed and it costs money.
Send the drawing with your functional dimensions marked. We will tell you which features need the tight tolerance and which can run at Ra 1.6–3.2 μm as-machined.
Uploads are secure and confidential. We sign an NDA on request, and the agreement covers files, tooling and part geometry.
Access to production files is limited to the people quoting and running the job. We do not use customer parts or drawings in marketing material without written permission.
Yes. Anodizing in clear, colour, hardcoat or conductive, electroless nickel, zinc, silver and gold plating, powder coating, black oxide, bead blasting, brushing and polishing.
Laser marking is available with a minimum character height of 1.5 mm. If your pilot vehicle needs a marked part number, that can be on the first article.
Bridge tooling is built so inserts can be re-cut or replaced. That is the main reason to use soft or bridge tooling at pilot stage instead of committing to a hard die.
For machined prototypes, a revision usually means a new program and a new set of parts. We keep the setup data, so re-cutting a revised part is faster than the first run.
A STEP file alone is enough to quote. A 2D drawing helps when tolerances, datums or surface finish matter, because those are not always in the model.
If you only have a model, we flag the features where tolerance is ambiguous and ask before cutting metal. That avoids a rework cycle later.
Upload a STEP file and a drawing. You get a price and a DFM review within 12 hours, and one prototype is enough to start.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo minimum orderNDA on request
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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
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