Prototype & Small Batch Service

Rapid CNC Prototyping & Small Batch Machining

1 piece to 500 pieces. 3/4/5-axis CNC milling and turning. Prototypes ship in 3–7 days. Free DFM review and CMM inspection on every order. Quote in 24 hours.

Send Drawing for Quote How It Works
3–7Day Prototype Turnaround
1–500Pieces Per Order
±0.01mmPrecision Tolerance
24hQuote Turnaround
Why Prototype With Us

From Drawing to
Part in Under a Week

43% of the RFQs we receive are for 1–5 pieces. Prototyping isn't a sideline for us — it's half our business. We've built our entire workflow around turning drawings into parts fast, without cutting corners on inspection or communication.

What makes this work: we stock raw materials in-house. 6061 aluminum, 304 stainless, PEEK, brass — the most common prototyping materials are on our shelf. When your drawing arrives, we don't spend three days waiting for material. We cut metal the next day.

Every prototype order gets a CMM dimensional report on critical features. You're not just getting parts — you're getting verification that the parts match your drawing. If something's off, we catch it before it ships.

CNC machined prototype parts — aluminum precision components
Process

How CNC Prototyping
Works With Us

Four steps from your drawing to parts at your door. Most prototypes ship within a week.

1

Send Your Drawing

Upload your STEP file and 2D PDF with material, quantity, and tolerance requirements. If you only have a sketch or sample, we can help with reverse engineering.

2

DFM Review & Quote

We review every feature for manufacturability — wall thickness, internal radii, thread depth, undercuts. You get a detailed quote within 24 hours, usually faster. No charge for the DFM review.

3

Machine & Inspect

Your parts go through our 3/4/5-axis CNC mills or lathes. Every part gets CMM inspection on critical dimensions. Material certs and inspection reports included.

4

Finish & Ship

Surface finishing if needed (anodize, passivation, bead blast). Parts are individually wrapped, packed for international shipping, and sent via air freight (5-7 days) or express (3-5 days).

What's Included

Every Prototype Order
Includes

DFM Review

We flag thin walls, deep pockets, tight internal corners, unnecessary tolerances, and features that drive cost. You get a marked-up drawing with suggestions before we cut metal.

Material Certification

Mill test reports for metal orders. Material certs traceable to the heat or lot number. For plastics, supplier certs of conformance.

Dimensional Inspection

CMM report on all critical dimensions. If your drawing calls out ±0.02mm on a bearing bore, you get the actual measured value — not just a check mark.

Surface Finish Options

As-machined, bead blast, anodize (Type II or III), passivation, alodine, powder coat. We manage the finishing process end to end — one supplier, one point of contact.

English Communication

You talk to our engineering team directly — not a sales agent. Technical questions about your part get answered within hours, not days. We work in your time zone.

Express Shipping

DHL, FedEx, UPS — 3–5 day delivery to North America and Europe. Air freight for larger batches. All packaging rated for international transit.

Materials

What We Prototype
In Most Often

These six material families cover 95% of the prototype orders we machine. All stocked in-house for fast turnaround.

Aluminum

6061-T6, 7075-T6, 5052, 5083

General prototyping, fits and tolerances, quickest turnaround

Stainless Steel

304, 316L, 303, 17-4 PH

Functional prototypes, corrosion testing, medical devices

Carbon Steel

1018, 1045, 4140

Weldments, structural testing, cost-sensitive functional parts

Brass / Copper

C360, C110

Electrical contacts, fluid fittings, low-friction prototypes

Engineering Plastics

PEEK, PEI, PPS, PTFE, PAI

Pre-production material validation, chemical compatibility testing

Titanium

Grade 2, Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V)

Aerospace brackets, medical implants, high strength-to-weight prototypes

Pricing

Real Prototype
Pricing Examples

Actual price ranges from recent prototype orders. These aren't estimates — they're what similar parts cost. Your part will vary based on geometry, tolerances, and finishing.

Part Description Size (mm) Features Qty 1 Qty 10 Qty 50
Aluminum bracket (6061-T6) 100×60×25mm 4x M4 threads, 2x pockets, ±0.05mm $85–120 $28–38 $18–25
Stainless shaft (304) Ø30×120mm Turning + 2x keyway slots, ±0.02mm $95–140 $35–48 $22–32
PEEK insulator (unfilled) 60×40×15mm Thin walls, 0.5mm flatness, ±0.05mm $110–160 $42–58 $28–38
Brass connector (C360) 25×25×40mm Internal thread M8, hex external, ±0.03mm $65–90 $20–28 $12–18

Prices include material, machining, and inspection. Surface finishing and shipping are additional. These are real ranges from actual orders; your specific part may fall outside these ranges. The per-part cost drops roughly 60–70% when moving from qty 1 to qty 50 — setup and programming amortize across more parts.

Comparison

Prototype vs Production
CNC Machining

The same equipment, different priorities. Here's what changes when you move from prototype to production.

Prototype (1–50 pcs) Production (100–10,000+ pcs)
Lead Time3–7 days machining + shipping7–15 days machining + shipping
Setup StrategySoft jaws, modular fixturingCustom dedicated fixtures (amortized)
ProgrammingStandard toolpaths, safe parametersOptimized toolpaths for cycle time
Inspection100% CMM on critical dimsFirst article + statistical sampling
MaterialStock from shelf (standard sizes)Custom stock sizes to reduce waste
Per-Part CostHigher (setup dominates)60–80% lower (setup amortized)
Design ChangesEasy — no fixture investmentCostly — fixtures and process are set
Best ForValidation, functional testing, pilot runsMarket-ready parts, recurring orders

Need 5 prototype parts in under a week? Send your drawing.

Free DFM review with every quote. We'll flag cost drivers, suggest material alternatives, and give you a firm delivery date — not an estimate.

Upload Drawing for Quote
Resources

Prototyping & Small Batch
Knowledge Base

Small Batch CNC Machining: What Low Volume Really Costs and How to Get It Right How to Prepare an RFQ That Gets Accurate Quotes the First Time How to Source CNC Machining from China: A Buyer's Guide How to Reduce CNC Machining Costs: 8 Design and Production Decisions CNC Machining DFM Checklist: 25 Design Rules That Cut Part Cost in Half CNC Machining vs 3D Printing: When to Choose Which Process View All Resources →
FAQ

CNC Prototyping
Common Questions

How fast can you turn around a CNC prototype?

Standard prototype turnaround is 3–7 days for machining, plus shipping. Simple aluminum parts (no anodizing, straightforward geometry) often ship in 3–4 days. Complex 5-axis parts or parts needing anodizing take closer to 7 days. Express shipping adds 3–5 days to North America or Europe. Rush service — 48–72 hours — is available for simple parts, just ask when you send the RFQ.

What's the minimum order quantity for CNC prototypes?

One piece. We machine single prototypes regularly — it's roughly 50% of our orders. There's no minimum. That said, ordering 3–5 pieces instead of 1 usually only adds 20–30% to the total because setup and programming are the main cost drivers, not material or additional cycle time. Many engineers order 3 pieces: one for fit check, one for functional testing, one spare.

How much does CNC prototyping cost compared to production machining?

A single prototype part typically costs 4–8x the per-part price at qty 100. The same aluminum bracket that costs $95 at qty 1 might cost $18 at qty 50 and $9 at qty 500. The cost difference is almost entirely in setup and programming — the machine time and material per part are the same. If you know you'll need production quantities, tell us upfront. We can design the prototype process to transition smoothly to production, avoiding duplicate setup costs.

Can you match the finish and tolerances of our production supplier?

Yes. If you have an existing production part and need prototypes that match, send us the production part as a reference along with your drawing. We'll match the surface finish, anodize color, and tolerance band. This is common for bridge production — when you're qualifying an alternate supplier and need the prototypes to be indistinguishable from production parts.

What if I only have a rough sketch or idea — no CAD model?

Send what you have. A dimensioned sketch, a photo of a similar part, a hand drawing with key dimensions noted — all of these are workable starting points. We can create a CAD model from your concept, send it for your approval, and only then start machining. Design work is billed at $45/hour, and simple parts typically need 1–3 hours of design time.

Do you sign NDAs for prototype work?

Yes. We sign NDAs routinely — prototype work often involves pre-release products. Send your NDA with the RFQ and we'll sign and return it before reviewing your files. We can also work under a framework agreement if your company has a standard supplier NDA process.

Ready to Turn Your Drawing Into Parts?

Send your STEP file or 2D drawing. You'll get a detailed quote within 24 hours — part cost, lead time, DFM feedback, and shipping options. Free, no obligation.

✓ ISO 9001 Certified ✓ Free DFM Review ✓ CMM Inspection Report ✓ 3–7 Day Prototype Turnaround
Send Drawing for Quote
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