Ordering
Prototype CNC Machining
Prototypes in the real material, quoted from your files with no minimum.
Building hardware and need machined prototypes? Send a STEP model or an SLDPRT file and a real person quotes it in 24-48 hours. One piece is a normal order with no minimum. Parts ship Rush 1-2 weeks, Standard 4-6 weeks, or Extended 6-8 weeks, a free design review comes with every quote, and every part is inspected against your print before it ships.
Updated September 2026
When the 3D printer stops answering questions
The question turns mechanical when it becomes: does the thread hold, does the bearing seat, does it survive the drop test. A wider range of materials can be machined than can be printed, and tight dimensional accuracy and fine finishes are routine for machining (source 1). So a machined prototype comes in the grade you name, such as 6061 aluminum, 304 stainless or Delrin, with real threads and real fits to test. Sharp internal corners, undercuts and deep pockets are features machining is challenged to produce (source 1), and the design review notes any on your print. A prototype may be made from a different material than the final product when the production material is costly or hard to work (source 2), so say in the part description what the test has to prove. Other alloys and plastics quoted on request. Name the grade on the print.
Milled parts and turned parts are quoted the same way, and a prototype that needs both is one quote: see CNC milling and CNC turning.
Startup-shaped on purpose
No minimum order: quantity one is the default unit of prototyping (a prototype is one of a series that will be revised; a part that is the only one that will ever exist is a one-off, and has its own page). No procurement portal, no account setup, no onboarding call: the quote form and an email thread with the person reading your files. STEP is the ideal model format and SLDPRT is accepted along with any other file type; a 2D PDF drawing beside the model is ideal.
Every quote comes with a free design review of your own design: a note on any callout that adds cost or may not work, so you can decide before you order. That is the design-for-manufacturing review. Tighter tolerances are more expensive to machine (source 3), and a design-for-manufacturing guide advises consulting manufacturing early in the design process (source 4). The call on changing the print stays yours.
Iterate without re-explaining yourself
The person who quoted rev A reads rev B. Context carries: what the device does, which fits matter most, what failed last time. Keep the revision letter on the print and send each revision for a new quote, answered within 24-48 hours. Rush turnaround in 1-2 weeks is there when a demo date won’t move. 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. If a revision needs design help rather than just new parts, prototyping support covers that.
When it’s time to scale
A validated print scales without changing hands: pilot units, then a small-batch bridge run while production sourcing comes together. Ask for more than one quantity, such as 1, 25 and 100, and the quote shows each. Once the design settles, a custom fixture plate to hold the part in your own process is quoted like any other part; fixtures locate and support the work so parts stay interchangeable (source 5).
Sources
All accessed 30 September 2026. Where a figure here differs from your print, the print governs.
1. Peter Zelinski, "Machining vs. 3D Printing for Functional Prototypes", Additive Manufacturing (Gardner Business Media), 22 September 2015: additivemanufacturing.media (machining covers a wider range of materials with accuracy and finish routine; internal corners, undercuts and deep pockets are hard to machine).
2. Wikipedia, "Prototype", last edited 14 September 2026: en.wikipedia.org (a prototype may be made from a different material than the final product).
3. Wikipedia, "Design for manufacturability", last edited 11 September 2026: en.wikipedia.org (tighter tolerance costs more to machine; aluminum, brass and softer metals machine most easily).
4. Engineers Edge, "Design For Manufacturing Considerations", copyright 2000-2026, no page date shown: engineersedge.com (consult manufacturing early in the design process; avoid unnecessarily tight tolerances).
5. Wikipedia, "Fixture (tool)", last edited 10 December 2025: en.wikipedia.org (fixtures locate and support the work so parts keep conformity and interchangeability).
Questions
Before you send a job.
01 Is there a minimum order for prototypes?
No, one part is the normal prototype order. There is no minimum quantity and no minimum charge, and no account to open first.
02 Can CNC milling make prototype parts?
Yes. Milled prototypes and turned prototypes are both quoted, and a part that needs both is one quote. Send the model and, ideally, a 2D PDF drawing; the quote lists anything on the print that needs an answer before the part can be made.
03 How fast can a prototype turn around?
Quotes come back in 24-48 hours. Parts ship Rush 1-2 weeks, Standard 4-6 weeks (typical), or Extended 6-8 weeks, for jobs that aren’t time-sensitive. Lead time starts at order approval. Put your need date in the part description and the quote answers it.
04 Can you work straight from SolidWorks files?
Yes. SLDPRT is accepted, and any file type can be sent; a STEP model plus a 2D PDF drawing is ideal. A STEP file sent without a drawing is quoted to a ±0.005 in general tolerance, or the one your notes name, and the quote states which it used.
05 How do I keep prototype costs down?
Hold tight tolerances to the features that need them, because tighter tolerances are more expensive to machine (source 3). Aluminum, brass and softer metals are the most easily machined, and harder materials such as stainless steel and titanium take much longer (source 3), so an early revision for a fit check can use an easier material when the final grade does not matter yet. A finish called out on the print is quoted with the part, so leave it off a revision that does not need one. The design review flags what else on your print adds cost.
06 Can a prototype turn into a small production run?
Yes. Bridge runs from the validated print are a normal next step, quoted by the same contact who quoted the prototype. Reorders at the same revision: send the last quote or PO number and it’s requoted.
07 Do prototype parts come with certifications or an inspection report?
No C of C or material certifications ship with parts by default. If your PO needs them, say so before the quote. Inspection reports on critical dimensions aren’t included by default. If you need one, ask when you place the order. If a part doesn’t match the print, it’s remade or credited.
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A quote in 24-48 hours, no minimums. Like the quote, and we’ll make your parts and ship them to you.
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