01
Tolerance claimed, not measured
A shop quotes ±0.01 mm and then ships a first article at ±0.03 mm. You find out at assembly, when the bearing bore will not hold preload and every unit needs rework.
Precision Machining
Precision Machining
Send a CAD file and we quote it within 12 hours, with DFM notes on features that will not cut cleanly. Tight-tolerance metal and plastic parts, one piece to 10,000+.
±0.005 mm1 to 10,000+ parts12-hour quote100% inspectionISO 9001:2015No MOQ
127High-precision CNC machines
16Simultaneous 5-axis centers
±0.005 mmAchievable tolerance
15 yearsMachining since 2011
Where it goes wrong
Four failures that show up after the quote
Most bad machining orders look fine on paper. They fail at the bench.
02
Thin walls that move
A 0.8 mm aluminum wall looks fine in CAD. Three days after cutting, the part warps and the flatness callout is gone. No stress relief was scheduled.
03
Finish that hides the geometry
Bead blasting rounds a 0.2 mm edge. Anodizing adds 8 μm per surface and closes a press-fit bore. Nobody checked the plating build-up against the tolerance.
04
A quote that never explains itself
You get a lump-sum price and no DFM feedback. Deep pockets, a 20:1 bore and a sharp internal corner all stay in the file, so the first run is scrapped and the second one is late.
How we run the job
Machining to a number you can verify
Every step has a measurement attached to it, from raw stock to the shipping box.
Process control
The tolerance is a measurement, not a promise
We quote ±0.005 mm only where the geometry and material support it. That call is made before cutting, not after. A 200 mm aluminum bracket with a thin web will not hold that number without stress relief, so the DFM note says so and we schedule the relief operation.
In-process checking runs on the machine. Operators measure critical features against the drawing at set intervals, and the readings are logged with the part number and the operation. When a dimension starts to drift inside the control band, the offset is corrected before the feature is out of tolerance. Nothing waits until final inspection to be discovered.
Final inspection covers 100% of parts before shipment. Raw material certificates are checked on receipt, in-process readings are recorded during cutting, and the final report is generated on request. For regulated programs we can supply first article inspection reports against the drawing balloon numbers.
- 1Pre-cut DFM notesFeatures that cannot hold tolerance get flagged in the quote.
- 2In-process measurementCritical dimensions logged per operation, not per batch.
- 3100% final inspectionEvery part checked before it is packed.
Machine selection
Pick the machine from the part, not the other way around
A part with features on five faces and a positional callout between them belongs on a simultaneous 5-axis center. One setup, one datum, no re-fixturing error. We run 16 of them, and they take the work where stacked tolerances would otherwise eat the budget.
Parts that are mostly turned with a few cross features go to the 16 mill-turn centers. Turning and milling finish in one cycle, so the concentricity between the bore and the bolt pattern is set by the machine, not by a second chucking.
Large work goes on machines with 4,000 mm of travel. Compact housings and manifolds run on the 500 × 500 × 450 mm and 600 × 600 × 600 mm platforms. Matching the part to the right platform keeps setup count down, and every setup you remove is a tolerance stack you no longer have to defend.
A Ø400 mm rotary table covers parts that need angular features indexed around a bore. If a feature can be reached in one orientation, we keep it in one orientation.
- 15-axis for multi-face work16 simultaneous centers, one datum for five faces.
- 2Mill-turn for round parts16 centers, turning and milling in a single cycle.
- 34,000 mm travelLong parts cut without re-fixturing.
Selection guide
Which process fits the part
Use the geometry and the tolerance callout to choose.
| Part condition | Recommended route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Features on 5 faces, tight position | Simultaneous 5-axis | One setup, one datum |
| Round part with cross holes | Mill-turn center | Concentricity held in one cycle |
| Length over 1,000 mm | Large-travel mill | 4,000 mm travel, no re-fixture |
| Wall under 1.0 mm | 3-axis plus stress relief | Controlled distortion, stable finish |
| Prototype, 1 to 5 parts | 3-axis or 4-axis | Lower setup cost per piece |
| 10,000+ parts per year | Mill-turn plus dedicated fixture | Cycle time and repeatability |
What we machine
Services on the shop floor
Six routes, one quote desk. Mix them in a single order if the assembly needs it.
01
5 Axis CNC Machining
Simultaneous 5-axis work for impellers, housings and parts with features on five faces and a positional callout between them.
02
4 Axis CNC Machining
Indexed rotary work for shafts, flanges and manifolds that need features around a bore without a second setup.
03
3 Axis CNC Machining
Prismatic parts, plates and brackets where the geometry fits two or three orientations and setup cost matters.
04
CNC Milling & Turning
Milling and turning under one roof, so round and prismatic features on the same part stay in one tolerance chain.
05
Rapid Prototyping
One to five parts for fit checks and design review, quoted from the same file as the production run.
06
Surface Finishing
Anodizing, plating, powder coating, blasting and laser marking, with build-up checked against the tolerance.
Capability
Scope and limits
Numbers you can design against.
| Item | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Achievable tolerance | ±0.005 mm | Where geometry and material allow |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.2–3.2 μm | Specify per surface |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm | Long-travel platforms |
| Materials | Aluminum, stainless, steel, copper, titanium, plastics | Grades listed at quote |
| Order quantity | 1 to 10,000+ parts | No minimum order quantity |
| Quote turnaround | 12 hours | With free DFM analysis |
Why GreatLight
What you get on the order
Facts about the shop, not adjectives about the shop.
15Y
Machining since 2011
Fifteen years of production work, three wholly-owned plants and 150 technicians in Dongguan and Singapore.
±0.005
Tolerance held and logged
In-process readings recorded per operation, with final reports on request.
12H
Quote and DFM in 12 hours
Send the CAD file and the drawing. You get a price and notes on the features that will fight you.
99.99%
Qualification rate
Parts that pass inspection on the first pass, across 127 machines.
1 pc
No minimum order quantity
One prototype or a 10,000-part run, same quote desk, same inspection standard.
100%
Inspection before shipment
No sampling on the final gate. Every part is checked and packed with the report.
7,600 m²Manufacturing space
127CNC machines
150Technicians
3Wholly-owned plants
Industry requirements
What each sector demands, and what we deliver
Aerospace brackets
Thin webs and tight position calls need stress control and one-datum setups.
- ±0.005 mm
- 5-axis
- FAI on request
Automotive and EV housings
Volume programs need repeatability across runs and traceable inspection records.
- IATF 16949:2016
- 10,000+ parts
- 100% inspection
Medical instrument parts
Stainless components need clean finishes and documented process control.
- ISO 13485:2016
- 316L
- Ra 0.8 μm
Robotics and automation
Joint housings and end-effector plates need bores and bolt patterns in one setup.
- Mill-turn
- Ø400 mm table
- 3–5 day ship
FAQs
Questions engineers ask before the first order
What file formats do you need for a quote?
STEP and IGES cover most parts. Send native SolidWorks or Parasolid if you have them. For sheet metal and profiles, DXF plus a PDF drawing with the tolerance block is enough.
The 3D model sets the geometry and the drawing sets the tolerance, finish and material callouts. If the two disagree, we flag it in the DFM notes rather than picking one silently.
How tight a tolerance can you actually hold?
±0.005 mm is the floor on features where the geometry supports it. That means a rigid part, a stable material and a feature we can reach with a rigid tool.
Long slender bores, thin walls under 1.0 mm and deep pockets at a high depth-to-diameter ratio will open up. We tell you the realistic number per feature in the quote instead of quoting one blanket tolerance for the whole part.
Which materials do you machine most?
Aluminum 6061-T6, 7075 and 6082 for housings and brackets. Stainless 303, 304, 316L and 17-4PH for shafts, valves and medical parts. Steel 1045, 4140 and 4340 for load-bearing components.
On the plastic side we run POM, PEEK, PC, ABS and PA. PEEK and carbon fibre parts need sharp tooling and slower feeds, which shows up in the cycle time rather than in the finish.
When should I not use CNC machining?
If the part is a thin-walled shell with no critical features and the annual volume is above 5,000 pieces, casting or molding will beat machining on cost per part.
Machining also loses when the geometry is a hollow shape with internal channels that no tool can reach. Additive or casting handles that better. We will say so in the DFM notes if the file points that way.
How do you handle prototypes versus production?
One to five parts run on 3-axis or 4-axis machines where setup cost is lower. The same file goes to the production route once the design is frozen, so the prototype and the production part share a datum scheme.
There is no minimum order quantity. A single prototype and a 10,000-part run go through the same quote desk and the same final inspection gate.
What inspection documentation comes with the parts?
Raw material certificates are checked on receipt. In-process readings are logged during cutting. Final inspection covers 100% of parts before shipment.
On request we supply dimensional reports, first article inspection reports against ballooned drawings, and material certificates with the shipment. Tell us the report format your quality team needs.
How do you protect the design files we send?
Uploads are kept secure and confidential. We can sign your NDA or provide ours before the files move.
Access to customer files is limited to the people quoting and programming the job. We do not use customer parts in marketing material without written permission.
Can you combine machining with finishing in one order?
Yes. Anodizing, plating, powder coating, blasting and laser marking run as part of the same order.
Plating and anodizing add material to the surface. We check the build-up against the tolerance before the finish is applied, so a press-fit bore does not close up after coating. Laser marking needs a minimum character height of 1.5 mm.
Send the file, get a number back
Upload your CAD file and drawing. A quote and DFM notes come back within 12 hours, with no minimum order quantity.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo MOQNDA on request
