How we work: quote, first article, batch, dispatch
The same engineering team that quotes your part owns it through inspection and shipping. Here is the sequence, the evidence at each step, and the terms we ship on.
Five steps, no handoffs
Send STEP or IGES plus a 2D drawing, with quantity, material and finish. Without a drawing, the engineering team works from a sample, a sketch or photographs and builds the model first, confirming it with you before any metal is cut.
Standard parts are quoted within four working hours; complex assemblies within 48. The reply includes the manufacturability review: walls that will distort, threads that will pull out, tolerances that cannot be held in the quoted process, and where a design change would save money.
Parts, a dimensional report against the drawing's callouts, material certificate and photographs. Approval is explicit: the sample is either accepted or the process changes and it runs again.
Small batches 7–15 days, volume 15–25 days depending on quantity and finishing. First article, in-process patrol inspection and final inspection to AQL or 100% on critical parts.
Finishing and light assembly under the same order, then packing to protect finished surfaces. DHL, FedEx, UPS, TNT, air or sea, on EXW, FOB, CIF, DDU or DDP terms.
How quality is evidenced
Quality here is a closed loop rather than a certificate on a wall: incoming material inspection, first article approval before the batch is released, patrol inspection during production, and final inspection before packing. A nonconforming part stops the line rather than being sorted out later.
For programmes that need a documented submission, the dimensional report is built around the dimensions that affect function, and customer templates are accepted. A forty-page layout of every dimension on a bracket helps nobody; the bearing bore position is what the assembly feels.
| Equipment | Used for |
|---|---|
| Coordinate measuring machine | Position, profile, GD&T |
| 2D vision measurement | Contours, hole patterns, small features |
| Micrometers and height gauges | Shop-floor dimensional checks |
| Surface roughness tester | Ra on sealing and sliding faces |
| Salt spray chamber | Corrosion verification after finishing |
| Hardness tester | Post heat-treatment verification |
Documents and terms
| Document | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensional report | Every batch on request | Customer template accepted |
| Mill test certificate | On request | Chemistry and mechanical properties, per heat lot |
| First article report | Prototype and new part numbers | Bubbled to drawing callouts |
| Salt spray report | Finishing orders | Hours to the specification you name |
| 8D report | On a quality escape | Root cause plus corrective action |
| Packing list | Every shipment | Part number, revision, quantity |
| Topic | Standard |
|---|---|
| Incoterms | EXW, FOB, CIF, DDU, DDP |
| Payment | 50% deposit, balance before dispatch; negotiable for repeat customers |
| Freight | DHL, FedEx, UPS, TNT, air or sea |
| Inspection | SGS, BV, TÜV or your nominated third party |
| Confidentiality | NDA signed before files are shared, on request |
Process questions
No. Quoting and the manufacturability review are free. Engineering work to build a model from a sample or a sketch is charged, and part of that charge is normally credited against the production order.
Prototypes run 3–7 working days after drawing approval; small batches 7–15 days; volume 15–25 days. Finishing adds time and is quoted with the parts rather than after.
Yes, EXW, FOB, CIF, DDU and DDP are all quoted. DDP is usually easiest for a first order because duty and delivery are handled end to end; FOB becomes cheaper once you have your own forwarder.
Send the revised model with the change highlighted. We quote the delta: program change, whether the existing fixture can be modified, and whether fresh tooling is needed if the datums moved.
Send a drawing for a quote and DFM review.
STEP, IGES, X_T, PDF or DWG up to 50 MB. Tell us quantity and finish, and the quote comes back with tolerance and process notes, not just a price.
From the shop notes
Longer answers to the questions these pages raise.