01
One supplier, one country
Your only approved source sits behind a single port or a single border. A strike, a flood or a customs hold puts the whole build on hold, and purchasing has no second drawing package ready to release.
Sourcing Resilience
Preparing for Supply Chain Disruptions
A second qualified source is cheaper than a stopped line. We machine precision parts across three plants in Dongguan and a Singapore site, quote in 12 hours, and hold ±0.005 mm on production runs.
Dongguan + Singapore127 CNC machines±0.005 mm3–5 day shippingNo MOQNDA on request
3Wholly-owned plants
127High-precision CNC machines
12 hQuote and free DFM analysis
<2%Historical late-delivery probability
Where It Hurts
Four failures that stop a build
Most disruption pain is not the disaster itself. It is the week you spend finding out nobody else can make the part.
02
No drawing package for the backup shop
You know a second source is needed, but the 3D model, material callout and finish spec live in a folder nobody updated. Sending incomplete data adds two weeks of questions before a chip is cut.
03
Tolerance drift at the new shop
A backup supplier quotes fast, then ships bores that need reaming or flatness that will not seal. Rework and reinspection eat the lead time you were trying to protect.
04
Tooling and material tied to one site
Castings, forgings and fixtures are locked in one plant. When that plant slows down, the parts you cannot machine in-house are the ones holding the assembly line.
The Working Answer
Build a second source before you need it
Dual-site machining, real capacity numbers and a quoting process fast enough to react inside a disruption window.
Capacity
Two countries, one quality system
GreatLight runs three wholly-owned plants in Dongguan covering 7,600 m², plus a factory at No.3 Joo Koon Circle, Singapore. Same inspection routine, same documentation, same tolerances at both locations. That matters when a customer needs parts to keep moving while one region is congested.
150 technicians run 127 high-precision CNC machines: 16 simultaneous 5-axis centers, 12 four-axis mills, 27 three-axis machines and 16 mill-turn centers. Maximum processing size is 4,000 mm, with travels from 500 × 310 × 200 mm up to 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm and a Ø400 mm rotary table for round work.
- 1Geographic splitProduction can be routed to Dongguan or Singapore depending on freight and border conditions.
- 2Equipment matchLarge gantry work, mill-turn parts and small prismatic parts run on separate machine groups.
- 3Single inspection standardThe same final inspection checklist applies at every plant, so a transferred job does not change acceptance criteria.
Speed
Quote in 12 hours, cut in 24
A backup source is useless if it takes three weeks to answer. We return a quotation and a free DFM analysis within 12 hours of receiving your files. Production can start within 24 hours after approval, and finished parts normally ship in 3–5 days.
Uploads are secure and confidential, and an NDA is available on request. There is no minimum order quantity, so a single prototype for form-and-fit validation is a normal order, not an exception. That is how a second source gets qualified before a crisis, not during one.
- 1DFM feedbackWe flag thin walls, deep pockets and tight corner radii before quoting, so the redesign happens once.
- 21 to 10,000+Prototype and low-volume runs use the same fixtures and inspection reports as production quantities.
- 3DocumentationInspection reports are available on request for incoming quality at your end.
Selection Guide
Which parts belong on a second source
Not every part is worth dual-sourcing. Use this split before you spend engineering hours.
| Part type | Dual-source first | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Long-lead castings | Yes | Tooling lives at one foundry; a machined alternative keeps assemblies moving. |
| Brackets and housings | Yes | 3-axis and 4-axis work, quick to requalify at a second plant. |
| Sealing faces and bores | Yes | Tolerance and finish decide fit; both are measurable in an inspection report. |
| Cosmetic anodized panels | Later | Color matching adds a separate approval loop. |
| Single-use prototype | No | One-off geometry rarely justifies a second supplier. |
| Parts under NDA | Yes | Secure uploads and a signed NDA cover the transfer. |
Capabilities
What we can take off your critical path
Six processes that cover most metal and plastic parts on a disrupted bill of materials.
01
5 Axis CNC Machining
16 simultaneous 5-axis centers cut complex geometry in one setup. Fewer setups means fewer fixtures to duplicate at a second site.
02
CNC Milling & Turning
27 three-axis machines, 12 four-axis mills and 16 mill-turn centers handle prismatic and round parts, including Ø400 mm rotary table work.
03
Rapid Prototyping
Functional prototypes in aluminium, stainless, titanium and engineering plastics validate fit before production tooling is committed.
04
Sheet Metal Fabrication
Enclosures, brackets and chassis parts in 1018, 1045, A36 and 304 stainless, with bending and welding in-house.
05
Custom 3D Printing
Quick geometry checks and low-stress fixtures when a machined version would take longer than the schedule allows.
06
Part Surface Finishing
Anodizing, electroless nickel, zinc, silver and gold plating, powder coating, black oxide, bead blasting and laser marking.
Scope
Materials, finishes and inspection
What a second-source package typically includes.
| Category | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium | 6061, 6061-T6, 2024, 5052, 5083, 6063, 6082, 7075, ADC12 | Most common housing and bracket material. |
| Stainless | 303, 304, 316, 316L, 420, 430, 431, 440C, 17-4PH | 17-4PH for higher strength and corrosion resistance. |
| Steel | 1018, 1045, 4130, 4140, 4340, A36, tool steel | 4130 and 4140 for shafts and stressed parts. |
| Titanium & special | TA1, TA2, TC4 (Ti-6Al-4V), Inconel, magnesium AZ31B / AZ91D | Aerospace and lightweight structural work. |
| Plastics | ABS, PC, PMMA, POM, PA, PEEK, PP, HDPE, carbon fibre | PEEK and POM for wear and chemical exposure. |
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) | Stated on the drawing and verified at final inspection. |
| Finish range | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm, Ra 0.8–1.6 μm, Ra 1.6–3.2 μm | Selected per sealing, sliding or cosmetic requirement. |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment | Raw material check, in-process monitoring, final inspection, reports on request. |
Why GreatLight
Numbers you can put in a sourcing review
Six facts that decide whether a second source actually helps when a primary supplier slips.
2011
Operating since 2011
15 years of production machining. The process documentation for a transferred part already exists, which shortens requalification.
4
Four certifications
ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 13485:2016 and ISO 27001:2022 cover industrial, automotive, medical and data handling.
±0.005 mm
Repeatable tolerance
Held across production runs at both sites, so moving a job between plants does not change the acceptance band.
99.99%
Qualification rate
Measured across shipped production lots. Rework rarely enters the schedule and does not consume your buffer.
0 MOQ
No minimum order
From one prototype to 10,000+ part runs. A second source can be qualified on a small order first.
12 h
Quote turnaround
Quotation and free DFM analysis within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours after approval.
7,600 m²Manufacturing space
150Technicians
127CNC machines
3–5 daysTypical shipping time
Industry Fit
What each sector requires, and what we deliver
Aerospace & defence
Traceable material and tight geometry on structural brackets and housings.
- ±0.005 mm
- 5-axis
- Reports on request
Automotive & EV
IATF 16949 process control on motor housings, busbars and fixture plates.
- IATF 16949
- 99.99%
- 3–5 days
Medical devices
ISO 13485 workflow, clean handling and documented inspection for instrument parts.
- ISO 13485
- 100% inspection
- Ra 0.2–0.8 μm
Robotics & automation
Repeatable bores and mounting faces on arm links, gearbox plates and end effectors.
- Mill-turn
- Ø400 mm table
- 4,000 mm max
FAQs
Questions engineers ask before adding a second source
How fast can you quote a part I have never sent before?
Send the 3D model, 2D drawing and material callout. We return a quotation and a free DFM analysis within 12 hours.
If the drawing is incomplete, we list what is missing instead of guessing, so the quote does not change later.
Can you hold the same tolerance as my current supplier?
We hold ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) on production runs, with finish from Ra 0.2–0.8 μm up to Ra 1.6–3.2 μm depending on the drawing.
If your part needs something tighter, say so in the RFQ. It is better to decline than to ship parts that fail at incoming inspection.
Which parts should I move first in a supply chain disruption?
Start with parts that stop assembly: long-lead castings, sealing faces, bores and any item with only one approved source.
Cosmetic parts and single-use prototypes can wait. They rarely justify the engineering time a transfer takes.
Do you have capacity for large parts?
Maximum processing size is 4,000 mm, with travels of 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm on the large machines.
Medium and compact travels cover 750 × 1,150 × 550 mm, 600 × 600 × 600 mm, 500 × 500 × 450 mm and 500 × 310 × 200 mm.
What are the order quantity limits?
There is no minimum order quantity. One prototype and a 10,000+ part run go through the same process.
Low-volume orders use the same fixtures and inspection routine as production, so validation results carry over.
How do you protect drawings and models?
Uploads are secure and confidential. An NDA is available on request before files are shared.
ISO 27001:2022 covers information security management, which matters when a second source receives your full design package.
What inspection data comes with the shipment?
Every order is inspected 100% before shipment: raw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection.
Reports are available on request. First-article and dimensional reports can be specified in the RFQ.
Can production move between Dongguan and Singapore?
Yes. Both sites run the same inspection standard and the same tolerance targets.
Routing depends on freight conditions, part size and material availability. Tell us your constraint and we will say which site fits.
Qualify a second source this week
Send a drawing. You get a quotation and DFM analysis within 12 hours, and production can start within 24 hours after approval.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo MOQNDA on request
