01
The drawing goes quiet for a week
You send a STEP file and hear nothing. No quote, no questions, no DFM notes. Two weeks later a price arrives with no explanation of what changed or which features drive the cost.
OEM Services
How to Enjoy Services from an OEM Machine Shop
Send a drawing and get a quote plus DFM notes within 12 hours. We machine prototypes and production runs, handle finishing, and inspect every part before it ships.
No MOQ±0.005 mm12-hour quote100% inspectionNDA on request3–5 day shipping
127High-precision CNC machines
±0.005 mmAchievable tolerance
15 yearsIn business since 2011
99.99%Qualification rate
Common Problems
Where OEM Projects Lose Time and Money
Four failures we see on incoming RFQs every week.
02
Tolerances that cannot be held
A callout of ±0.01 mm on a 300 mm thin-wall plate will scrap parts at any shop. Nobody flags it before cutting metal, so the first article fails and the schedule slips.
03
Finishing handled by strangers
The machine shop ships bare parts. Anodizing, plating and heat treating go to separate vendors with their own queues, and no one owns the final surface result or the rework.
04
No one can tell you where the parts are
You ask for a status update and get a vague answer. Meanwhile your assembly line has a start date and no confirmed ship date, so you build buffer stock you did not budget for.
How It Works
What Working With Us Actually Looks Like
Three steps from file to finished part, with a named engineer on the account.
Step 1
Quote and DFM notes in the same reply
Every upload goes to a process engineer, not a sales queue. Within 12 hours you get a price and a short list of DFM notes: features that will chatter, walls that are too thin for the material, tolerances that cost more than they are worth.
You decide what to change. If a corner radius can open up from R0.5 to R2, we say so and show what it saves. If a datum needs to move, we explain why before the first cut, not after the first reject.
- 1Free DFM analysisIncluded with every quotation, no charge and no obligation.
- 2No minimum order quantityOne prototype or a 10,000+ part run, same process.
- 3NDA availableSigned before files move if your program requires it.
Step 2
Machining, finishing and inspection under one roof
Production can start within 24 hours of a released order. We run 16 simultaneous 5-axis centers, 12 four-axis mills, 27 three-axis machines and 16 mill-turn centers across three plants. Maximum processing size is 4,000 mm, so long frames and housings do not need to be split into bolted sections.
Finishing is scheduled with the machining, not after it. Anodizing, plating, powder coating, bead blasting and laser marking all come back through our own final inspection. Parts ship in 3–5 days on typical jobs.
- 1One quality recordRaw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection on the same traveler.
- 2100% inspection before shipmentNot a sample. Reports available on request.
- 3Certified systemsISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 13485:2016, ISO 27001:2022.
Selection Guide
Which Process Fits Your Part
Match the geometry and quantity to the right route before you commit.
| Part situation | Recommended route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One-off bracket, simple 3-axis geometry | 3-axis milling | Fastest setup, lowest cost at quantity one |
| Impeller or contoured housing | 5-axis simultaneous | One setup, no repositioning error |
| Shaft with milled flats | Mill-turn center | Turning and milling in a single cycle |
| Thin-wall enclosure, 500+ parts | 4-axis with fixture | Repeatable clamping, shorter cycle time |
| Long frame up to 4,000 mm | Large-travel 5-axis | No splitting or bolted joints |
| Prototype before tooling | Rapid prototyping | Validate fit before committing to a run |
Capabilities
Services You Can Bundle Into One Order
Machining is only part of it. These are the routes we quote most often.
01
5 Axis CNC Machining
Simultaneous 5-axis work for contoured surfaces, deep pockets and parts that would need three setups on a 3-axis machine.
02
CNC Milling & Turning
Milling, turning and mill-turn centers cover prismatic parts, shafts, bushings and threaded components in one order.
03
Rapid Prototyping
Machined prototypes in the final material, so fit and function testing reflects the production part, not a stand-in.
04
Sheet Metal Fabrication
Brackets, panels and enclosures when the geometry is better formed than cut, including light-gauge aluminum.
05
Part Surface Finishing
Anodizing, electroless nickel, zinc, silver and gold plating, powder coating, black oxide, blasting and laser marking.
06
Metal Die Casting
For higher volumes where a casting plus finish machining beats cutting the whole part from solid.
Scope
Materials and Tolerances We Quote Against
If your material is not listed, ask. Most engineering alloys and plastics are workable.
| Category | Typical grades | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | 6061-T6, 2024, 5052, 6063, 6082, 7075, ADC12 | Anodizing and hardcoat available |
| Stainless steel | 303, 304, 316L, 420, 440C, 17-4PH | Passivation on request |
| Steel | 1018, 1045, 4130, 4140, 4340, A36 | Heat treating coordinated in house |
| Titanium & special | TA1, TA2, TC4 (Ti-6Al-4V), Inconel | Slow feeds, tooling planned per part |
| Copper & brass | C101, C110, C36000, beryllium copper | Conductive and RF housings |
| Plastics | POM, PEEK, PA, PC, ABS, PMMA, carbon fibre | Carbon fibre needs per-part feed testing |
Why GreatLight
The Numbers Behind the Service
Fifteen years, three plants, and a process built around first-article approval.
15Y
Machining since 2011
Fifteen years of production work, 150 technicians across three wholly-owned plants in Dongguan and Singapore.
±0.005
Tolerance in millimeters
That is ±0.0002 in. Achievable on the right geometry and material, and we tell you when it is not.
12H
Quote turnaround
Quotation plus free DFM analysis within 12 hours of a complete upload.
24H
Production start
Released orders can enter the schedule within one working day.
99.99%
Qualification rate
Measured across shipped production. Every part inspected, not sampled.
<2%
Historical late-delivery risk
Below two percent on past orders. We quote dates we can hold.
3Wholly-owned plants
7,600 m²Manufacturing space
150Technicians on staff
4,000 mmMaximum part size
Delivered Work
What These Industries Require, and What We Ship
Medical device housings
ISO 13485:2016 process control, full traceability and Ra 0.8–1.6 μm internal surfaces.
- ±0.005 mm
- 100% inspection
- ISO 13485
Robotics structural links
Simultaneous 5-axis work on thin ribs and contoured joints that must hold alignment after assembly.
- 5-axis
- Ra 0.8–1.6 μm
- 16 centers
Automotive and EV fittings
IATF 16949:2016 control on turned and milled parts, with first-article approval before the run.
- IATF 16949
- Mill-turn
- ±0.005 mm
FAQs
Questions Engineers Ask Before Releasing an Order
How do I get the most out of your OEM services on a first order?
Send the 3D model and the 2D drawing together, and say which dimensions are functional. The quote comes back with DFM notes in 12 hours.
Mark the critical tolerances rather than applying one tight tolerance across the whole print. That single change usually cuts cost more than any negotiation.
Do you charge for a single sample?
A single sample is charged as a one-off. Batch production is different: we provide a free sample for you to check before mass production starts.
So if you are validating a design, expect to pay for the first piece. If you are releasing a run, the check piece does not add cost.
What is the typical lead time?
Quotation and DFM analysis within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours of a released order.
Parts ship in 3–5 days on typical jobs. Historical late-delivery probability is below 2 percent.
Can you machine plastics and composites?
Yes. We regularly machine POM, PEEK, PA, PC, ABS, PMMA and PP, along with PVC and PTFE.
Carbon-fibre composites are workable but need special tooling, and each new part needs a feed and speed trial before the run.
Who handles anodizing, plating and heat treating?
We coordinate them as part of the order. Anodizing in clear, colour, hardcoat and conductive, plus electroless nickel, zinc, silver and gold plating, powder coating and black oxide.
Finished parts come back through our own final inspection, so one team owns the surface result.
What is the minimum order quantity?
There is no minimum. We run one prototype or a 10,000+ part run on the same process.
For one-offs, expect a higher unit price because programming and setup do not scale down.
How do you protect our design files?
Uploads are secure and confidential. An NDA is available on request and we can sign it before any file moves.
We hold ISO 27001:2022 for information security management.
Can you hold ±0.005 mm on any part?
No, and be careful with any shop that says yes without asking about geometry. That tolerance is achievable on rigid parts with good datums.
On thin walls, long unsupported sections or soft plastics, we will tell you the realistic tolerance and what fixturing it would take to get closer.
Ready to Enjoy Services Without the Back-and-Forth?
Upload your files and get a quotation, DFM notes and a realistic tolerance review within 12 hours.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo MOQNDA on request
