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

Contact us to arrange an NDA review before sharing proprietary information. Acceptance of a particular agreement and turnaround require confirmation.

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. Machining is performed at our Buellton facility; specified outside processing is coordinated with qualified partners.

General

International shipments require case-specific export classification and authorization review. Contact the shop to confirm whether the destination, end use and product can be supported.

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

Material availability depends on alloy, form, condition, dimensions and certification requirements. Confirm stock and procurement lead time during quoting; the website is not a live inventory.

Materials

We can discuss material candidates against application requirements. Final selection requires verified grade and condition data, loads, environment and applicable specifications. Public forms must not contain controlled technical data.

Materials

Specify required material certification, heat-lot traceability, standard and witness requirements in the RFQ. Availability and documentation scope must be confirmed for the purchased material.

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

Capability is feature-specific. Size, material, geometry, fixturing, temperature and measurement uncertainty must be reviewed before a tolerance is accepted. General process examples on this site are not a guarantee for a particular part.

Tolerances & GD&T

There is no universal tolerance-to-cost multiplier. Geometry, material, quantity, datum strategy, inspection and demonstrated process capability determine the added effort. Tighter requirements can require another operation or measurement method; request a feature-specific quote.

Tolerances & GD&T

Use the drawing's specified standard and revision. ISO 2768-1 addresses general linear and angular tolerances. ISO 2768-2:1989 (including class K) is withdrawn and replaced by ISO 22081:2021, which is not a drop-in K-class table. Legacy mK drawings still require contractual interpretation; new drawings need an explicit, reviewed general-tolerance scheme.

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

We support first-article inspection. Specify the governing AS9102 revision, forms and customer clauses in the RFQ so scope and delivery can be confirmed.

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

Inspection and sampling are established by the drawing, purchase order, quality clauses and reviewed inspection plan. AS9100 or ISO 9001 certification alone does not prescribe a universal sample size.

Quality & inspection

Schedule depends on material availability, routing, capacity, outside processing and inspection requirements. Request a current schedule with your quote. The lead-time tool uses illustrative working-day assumptions, not the shop queue.

Lead times

Ask about expedited availability when requesting a quote. Feasibility, price and delivery require confirmation for the current material, routing and capacity.

Lead times

Scheduling depends on accepted delivery commitments, contractual requirements and any applicable rated-order obligations. Contact the shop for the status of a particular order.

Lead times

Inventory, release schedules and any consignment or stocking arrangement require a written agreement. Confirm availability and terms with the shop.

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

Contact us to confirm review scope, any charges and timing. Arrange secure transfer before providing models or drawings; do not submit controlled technical data through public website forms.

Pricing

Payment terms, accepted methods and any fees are confirmed in the commercial quote or agreement; no generic website example establishes those terms.

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