Service · 03 / 05
Prototyping Support
One-offs, revisions, and a team that keeps the loop short.
Prototyping is a loop: design, get the part, learn, revise. This service keeps the loop short: one-off parts with no minimum order, a fresh quote within 24-48 hours of every revision, and a free design review with every quote. Rush 1-2 weeks, Standard 4-6 weeks, or Extended 6-8 weeks, and every part is inspected against your print before it ships.
Updated October 2026
Built around the iteration loop
A prototype exists for testing, and engineers often iterate many times before the final solution (source 1), so the faster the part shows up, the faster you get the answer. Each revision gets quoted against its own print within 24-48 hours, one piece is a normal order, and rush is the 1-2 week tier for when a test date is fixed.
Revision B doesn’t start from zero, either. The same person who quoted rev A reads rev B, so the context (what you’re building, which fits matter, what went wrong last round) carries forward instead of being re-explained.
A second set of eyes between rounds
Every revision’s quote comes with a design review of your model: where a tolerance can relax, and which feature is driving the cost of every round. CNC cost is driven by time, including setup, and the tighter the tolerance, the more expensive the part is to machine; the loosest tolerance that serves the function is the one to specify (source 2). That’s the same DFM review that rides along with every quote, applied to each revision. If the model itself has to change, CAD work is quoted as its own line.
You stay the designer. The review is a second look at your print, not a committee. Suggestions come as markups and notes, and nothing changes without your sign-off.
From one-off to bridge run
When the design settles, the same print scales: a handful of pilot units, then a small-batch bridge run while production tooling or volume sourcing comes together. Volume is what spreads setup and programming time across more parts (source 2). The next quantity goes on the same quote request, with no starting over at a new supplier who has never seen the part.
Sources
All accessed 4 October 2026. Where a figure here differs from your print, the print governs.
1. TeachEngineering, University of Colorado Boulder, “Design Steps 5 and 6: Create and Test a Prototype,” copyright 2009: teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_creative_activity5 (a prototype is a working model used for testing; engineers often iterate many times before determining the final solution).
2. Wikipedia, “Design for manufacturability,” section on computer numerical control machining, last edited 11 September 2026: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_for_manufacturability (cost is driven by time; the volume plays a critical role in amortizing set-up and programming time; the tighter the tolerance, the more expensive the component is to machine; specify the loosest tolerance that will serve the function).
3. Mike Lynch, “The Effect of Lot Size on Productivity,” Modern Machine Shop, 21 December 2017, mmsonline.com/articles/the-effect-of-lot-size-on-productivity (setup runs from the last part of one production run to the first good part of the next; on very small lots it can far exceed the run time).
Questions
Before you send a job.
01 Is there a minimum order for prototype parts?
No. One part is a normal order, and so is the fifth revision of that one part. There is no minimum quantity and no minimum-charge line on the quote.
02 How fast can one iteration turn around?
Quotes come back in 24-48 hours. Lead time is then Rush 1-2 weeks, Standard 4-6 weeks (typical), or 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. Rush is quoted at a premium. Lead time starts at order approval. Put your need date in the part description and the quote answers it.
03 Can you update the CAD between revisions?
Yes, as its own quote line. Send markups, a sketch over a screenshot, or a list of changes, and the quote names the CAD work for the revised model and print. If you send the revised model or a fully dimensioned 2D PDF, there is no CAD line. STEP and PDF as standard. If your workflow needs a native SolidWorks file, a DXF of a flat part or the revision history, say so and the quote confirms it. The files are yours.
04 Why do prototypes cost more per piece than production parts?
A quantity of one carries all of its own setup, and on very small lots setup can far exceed the run time (source 3). That’s arithmetic, not a penalty. Ask for more than one quantity, such as 1, 25 and 100, and the quote shows each.
05 When should I switch to production pricing?
When the print stops changing. Add the production quantity to the next quote request, next to the prototype quantity. Bridge runs from the same print are a normal next step. Reorders at the same revision: send the last quote or PO number and it’s requoted.
06 Can I send just a STEP file for a prototype?
Yes. With no drawing, one general tolerance covers every dimension: ±0.005 in, or the one your notes name, and the quote says which it used. Every part is inspected against your model before it ships. Put the fits that matter in the part description. A drawing is asked for when the model cannot say what the part needs, and what file to send for a CNC quote covers each case.
07 What if a prototype comes back different from the print?
If a part doesn’t match the print, it’s remade or credited. That holds for one piece the same as for a run.
Get Started
Send us your files.
We’ll take it from there.
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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