Prototyping & R&D

Yes. One piece is a normal order here, with no minimum. One-off machining covers how a single part is quoted, and prototype-only work is on prototype CNC machining.

Quotes come back in 24-48 hours, for the first part and for each revision after it. A prototype is rarely the last revision: TeachEngineering notes that engineers often iterate many times before the final solution (source 1). Rush: 1-2 weeks. Standard: 4-6 weeks (typical). Extended: 6-8 weeks, for jobs that aren't time-sensitive. Rush 1-2 weeks applies to machined parts with no secondary operations. Heat treat, grinding, EDM and finishing add time, and the quote gives the real date. Lead time starts at order approval. Put your need date in the part description and the quote answers it. Rush CNC parts covers what makes a part rushable.

Any file type is accepted, and a STEP model plus a PDF drawing is ideal. With a STEP model and no drawing, note the fits that matter. A fully dimensioned 2D PDF is quoted without a CAD line. A sketch, photos or a new sample part can start a quote, and the CAD work is quoted as its own line. What to upload for a quote covers each file type.

Yes. Validate with one-offs, then move the same print to a larger run while production tooling comes online. The NASA handbook says a prototype is used to “wring out” the design solution, with what it teaches fed back into design changes that improve manufacture (source 2), so settle the revision before you order the run. Ask for more than one quantity, such as 1, 25 and 100, and the quote shows each. Small-batch CNC machining covers low-volume runs.

Aluminum is the usual starting point; Wikipedia calls 6061 one of the most common alloys of aluminium for general-purpose use (source 3). A prototype can be made from a different material than the final product (source 4), so say when you send the files whether the part is a fit check or a test of strength, heat or corrosion, because that decides whether the production material is worth ordering. Aluminum, steel, stainless, titanium, brass and engineering plastics are quoted. Other alloys and plastics quoted on request. Name the grade on the print. CNC material selection covers the choice.

Put a tolerance on the sizes that matter, such as fits, bearing seats and mating holes. A STEP file with no drawing is quoted to a ±0.005 in general tolerance, or the one the notes name. On a drawing, Wikipedia lists ±0.005 in as the standard tolerance the machining industry uses for a three-place dimension when no other tolerance is given (source 5). Tighter sizes are quoted from the print. Position, perpendicularity and runout callouts are quoted from the print.

A free design review comes with every quote. It is a review of your own design: what will drive cost and what may not work. Wikipedia defines design for manufacturability as designing a product to reduce the cost of its manufacture and make its manufacture easier (source 6), and the review reads your design in that light. CNC design mistakes lists the features worth checking before you send files.