Frequently asked questions.

We routinely run lots from 1 piece (prototypes, gauges, replacement parts) up through 5,000+ pieces. Single-part runs cost more per piece than larger lots — most of the cost is setup, programming, and first-article inspection. Repeat orders re-use that setup and drop unit cost dramatically.

General

Preferred: STEP (.step / .stp) for the model + 2D drawing PDF for tolerances and inspection requirements. We can also accept IGES, Parasolid, SolidWorks native, AutoCAD DWG/DXF, and Inventor IPT. STEP is preferred because it's neutral and universally readable.

General

Yes — mutual NDAs as a standard part of any RFQ involving proprietary geometry or process information. Send your NDA template; we'll usually have it back within a day. We can also sign yours unmodified for routine engagements.

General

Yes — we're registered with the U.S. Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) for handling defense articles and related technical data. Drawings flagged ITAR/EAR controlled are handled through compliant channels — never through our public website forms.

General

175 Industrial Way, Buellton, California 93427. About an hour north of Santa Barbara, central California. We're a U.S.-only operation — all manufacturing happens in our Buellton facility.

General

We ship domestically by default. International shipments are case-by-case depending on export classification — non-ITAR commercial parts to allied countries are routine; ITAR-controlled items require export licensing and additional documentation.

General

In-house we run 3- and 5-axis CNC milling, CNC and Swiss-type turning, mill-turn (multitasking), wire EDM, and surface grinding. Post-machining finishing — heat treat, passivation, anodize, plating, coatings — is coordinated through vetted partners, and formative processes like casting, forging, and molding are by referral. The process landscape page breaks down all three tiers.

See the full process landscape →

Processes & capabilities

Not in-house — we're a CNC machining shop. For thin-wall sheet enclosures or high-volume stampings we can point you to a fab partner; for thick, 3D, or tight-tolerance parts, machining is usually the better call. We can also machine features into formed parts.

Machining vs forming — when each wins →

Processes & capabilities

We don't cast or forge in-house, but we routinely machine castings and forgings to final tolerance — we list 'castings, machined' and 'extrusions, machined' among our capabilities. For low-to-mid volume or tight tolerances, machining from wrought stock is often faster and cheaper than tooling up a casting or forging.

Casting & forging in the process landscape →

Processes & capabilities

Not in-house. We do routinely finish-machine datums and critical features on metal additive (DMLS/LPBF) parts to tolerance. Machining wins on finish, tolerance, and certified wrought alloys; additive wins on organic geometry, internal lattices, and low-volume part consolidation.

Additive in the process landscape →

Processes & capabilities

Yes — as coordinated operations. We don't run furnaces or finishing lines in-house, but we plan heat treat, passivation, anodize, plating, and conversion coatings into your routing (with stock and distortion allowances) and run them at vetted, including Nadcap, partners so the part comes back ready to ship.

Coatings & finishes we coordinate →

Processes & capabilities

No. For plastic parts we machine engineering polymers — PEEK, Ultem, Delrin and similar — directly, which is ideal for prototypes, low volume, and demanding grades. Injection molding only amortizes its tooling cost at high volume, so we'll point you to a molder when that's the right call.

Molding vs machining plastics →

Processes & capabilities

We stock common sizes of frequently-used alloys (6061, 7075, 4140, 316L, A2 tool steel, brass, plastics) for short-run and prototype work. Aerospace and specialty alloys (Ti-6Al-4V, Inconel 718, 17-4PH, Hastelloy) are typically purchased per job from approved mill suppliers with full traceability.

Materials

Yes — DFM and material selection consultation is free with any RFQ. Send your application and key requirements (loads, environment, temp, weight target). We'll suggest 2-3 options and explain trade-offs. The Material Selector tool on this site can also point you in a direction.

Materials

Yes — Certified Material Test Reports (CMTR) traceable to mill heat lot are standard for aerospace, medical, and defense work. We can supply EN 10204 type 3.1 certs (mill cert) or 3.2 (witnessed) depending on requirement. We don't co-mingle stock between heats.

Materials

Yes — we routinely machine pre-hardened 4140 (28-32 HRC), pre-hardened 17-4PH, and similar. For hardened tool steels at 60+ HRC, we generally rough-machine soft, harden, then finish-grind or use Wire EDM. For one-off post-heat-treat features in hardened material, EDM is the fastest path.

Materials

Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V) is the standard structural titanium. Grade 23 (Ti-6Al-4V ELI — Extra Low Interstitial) caps oxygen and nitrogen at lower limits — required for medical implants per ASTM F136 and for fracture-critical aerospace where minimum interstitial content matters for fatigue. Mechanical strength is similar; toughness is slightly better in Grade 23.

Materials

On 3-axis CNC mill: 0.001″ standard, 0.0002″ best. On Swiss-type lathe: 0.0001″ best. On Wire EDM: ±0.00008″ best. On surface grinding: 0.0001″ best (with environment control). For tighter than that, we coordinate honing/lapping with a specialty partner shop.

Tolerances & GD&T

Tolerance cost rises exponentially. Going from ±0.005″ to ±0.001″ is roughly 2× cost; ±0.001″ to 0.0001″ is another 4× cost. Each tightening step requires either tighter setup, more inspection, or a different process step. The Tolerances reference page has a chart that visualizes this.

Tolerances & GD&T

ISO 2768-mK (m = medium linear/angular per ISO 2768-1; K = middle geometric class per ISO 2768-2 — H is the finest) is a great default — invokes a comprehensive set of general tolerances that covers most features. Then explicitly tighten only the few features that require it. Mixing ± callouts on every dimension is harder to read and harder to inspect.

Tolerances & GD&T

Yes — we work with ASME Y14.5 GD&T routinely on aerospace and medical drawings. Our CMM (Hexagon Global S 7-10-7) and Keyence systems handle position, profile, flatness, runout, and other geometric callouts. ISO 1101 is supported but less common in U.S. work.

Tolerances & GD&T

Yes — we hold both AS9100 (aerospace QMS) and ISO 9001 (general QMS) certifications. A current certificate PDF is available on the Quality page. Audits happen annually. We're also ITAR-registered.

Quality & inspection

Yes — AS9102-compliant FAI is standard for aerospace and medical work. We supply Forms 1 (part identification), 2 (raw material/process), and 3 (characteristic accountability) with first-article shipments. FAI for in-house tooling and gauges is also routine.

Quality & inspection

Hexagon Global S 7-10-7 Scan A+/T+ CMM (2025) for tactile and scanning. Keyence IM-7000 (optical) and VR-6200 (3D surface profile) for non-contact. Standard hand tools, gage blocks, surface plates, micrometers. Calibrated to NIST-traceable standards on a 1-year cycle.

Quality & inspection

ITAR/EAR controlled drawings are handled through compliant secure-transfer channels — never through public website forms. Our internal systems segregate controlled tech data from commercial work. We do not transfer controlled data to or store it on systems accessible to foreign persons without proper authorization.

Quality & inspection

Default is AS9100/ISO 9001 risk-based inspection: 100% inspection for first-article, critical-characteristic features marked on the drawing, and any features called out by the customer's quality clause. AQL/c=0 or other statistical sampling on a per-PO basis. We can support customer-defined inspection plans.

Quality & inspection

Prototypes (1-5 pieces) in stock-on-hand materials: 1-2 weeks typical. Production runs depend on complexity and material lead time. Aerospace work with FAI: typically 4-6 weeks first article + production. Special materials (Inconel, Ti, Hastelloy) add 4-12 weeks to mill-side lead time. We discuss schedule in the quote.

Lead times

Yes, where machining capacity allows. Expediting typically adds 25-50% to base price for next-week or next-day turnaround. For repeat customers running long-term agreements (LTAs), we keep priority slots open. Hot prototype work fits into open machine time often within 3-5 days.

Lead times

DPAS-rated (DX, then DO) DoD orders take priority by regulation. Among non-rated work: long-term agreements first, then customer-by-customer prioritization based on lead time commitment, AS9100 program criticality, and order date. We're transparent about scheduling — if you need a status update, we'll give you a real one.

Lead times

Yes — Kanban and just-in-time arrangements are common with our LTAs. We hold safety stock on agreed parts and ship on call-out. Aerospace customers often run consigned inventory programs against our finished goods.

Lead times

Pricing is built up from material cost, machining cycle time, setup, inspection, and overhead. Volume drives unit price down significantly — most of the cost is fixed (setup, programming, FAI). After a quote, we're happy to discuss specific cost drivers if there's room to reduce them with design changes.

Pricing

Yes — DFM review is free with any RFQ. Send a STEP file (or drawing PDF) and we'll mark up manufacturability concerns and suggest cost-reduction options before formal quote. Typical turnaround: 1-2 business days.

Pricing

Net 30 standard for established customers. Net 15 or COD for new customers' first few orders. Wire transfer, ACH, and check accepted. Credit card (with 3% fee) available for smaller orders. We work with most major aerospace primes' payment portals (Coupa, SAP Ariba, etc.).

Pricing

Yes — multi-year LTAs are a meaningful portion of our business. They give you consistent pricing and lead times, and we get predictable demand. Most LTAs include safety stock provisions and price-adjustment clauses for material cost swings. Talk to us if recurring volume is on your roadmap.

Pricing

We can provide budgetary estimates from sketches or 2D drawings — useful early in design. For a binding quote we need either a STEP file or a fully-toleranced 2D drawing. STEP is faster to quote because we can mesh and analyze setup/feature counts directly.

Pricing