Questions
The five that arrive before the first print does.
- Which CAD formats do you accept?
- STEP, IGES, Parasolid, and native SolidWorks. We will also work from a fully dimensioned 2D PDF, though a solid model reduces the questions we have to come back with. If all you have is a worn part and no drawing, send the part — reverse engineering from a sample is routine work here.
- What is the minimum order?
- One piece. Prototypes and single replacement parts are normal work, not a favour, and they are quoted the same way everything else is. Setup dominates the price at low quantities, which is why the second piece is always much cheaper than the first.
- Can you make prototypes?
- Yes, and a good share of our work starts that way. A prototype run on the same machines that will run production means the transition to a repeat order does not surprise anyone — no re-tooling, no new fixture, no new first article.
- What tolerances can you hold?
- ±0.0005 in on milled features and ±0.0004 in on turned diameters, in production rather than as a one-off best case. Tighter than that is a conversation about the specific feature, and we will tell you honestly if it is outside what our current equipment can hold rather than taking the job and hoping.
- Are material certifications available?
- Yes, on request. Say so on the RFQ and we will buy to certificate and keep the mill test report on file against your job number. If you do not ask, we buy to specification but cannot retroactively produce a certificate — so it is worth stating up front.