Most of the uncertainty in ordering machined parts is not about the machining itself. It is about what happens between sending a drawing and receiving a quotation, and what is expected of you at each stage. Here is the whole sequence, with the parts that involve you made explicit.
From Enquiry to Delivery
- Send the drawingA STEP, DWG, DXF or PDF file, or a sample. No drawing yet? Describe the part or send a photo — we quote from samples and sketches regularly.
- Engineering review (DFM)An engineer reads the drawing before anyone prices it: which machine, which features will be difficult, which tolerance is achievable, and whether a design change would make the part cheaper. This is where a factory differs from a trading company.
- QuotationYou get a price, the process we would use and the lead time. Straightforward turned parts are usually quoted the same day; parts needing several operations take one to two working days.
- Sample / first articleTypically about 7 working days. You approve the first article before production is released — so a mistake costs you days, not a batch.
- ProductionAbout 30 working days for most parts, confirmed per project when you order. Scheduled on our own machines, which is why the date we give is one we control.
- Inspection, then shippingOQC before packing; dimension or FAI reports where you asked for them. Express, air or sea — EXW, FOB Shenzhen Yantian or CIF, whichever suits you.
Material and grade · quantity (prototype, or pieces per order or per year) · key dimensions and tolerances · surface finish or plating · required date. Every item on that list moves the price, and the last two are the ones most often left out of a first enquiry.
Commercial terms in one place
Ordering & Terms
| Minimum order | 100 pcs per part number as standard; prototypes and first articles from 5–20 pcs |
|---|---|
| Sample lead time | About 7 working days |
| Production lead time | About 30 working days — confirmed per project |
| Payment | T/T 30% deposit, 70% before shipment; PayPal accepted |
| Trade terms | EXW · FOB Shenzhen Yantian · CIF |
| Documents | Commercial invoice, packing list and the inspection report you asked for; NDA signed on request |
| Packing | Inner: poly bag, blister or EPE foam. Cartons to your specification, palletised on request |
| Shipping | Express, air or sea, worldwide |
Three things buyers ask about most
Can you start without a drawing? Yes. A sample, a photo with a ruler in frame, or a sketch marked with the critical dimensions is enough for a first quotation. We will tell you which dimensions need confirming before production — usually the ones that have to fit something else.
Can you sign an NDA? Yes, and before you send anything if you prefer. Send us yours or ask for ours. Drawings and files are used for quotation and manufacture only.
What if the part is outside your capability? You hear it at the quotation stage rather than after the order. If a feature is beyond what our equipment can hold reliably — an unusually deep bore, a diameter past our bar capacity, a tolerance our measuring equipment cannot certify — we say so before you commit, not after.