- 6,800 m² across two buildings in Hengli Town, Dongguan — production, inspection, and engineering under one roof.
- ISO 9001:2015 / IATF 16949:2016 / ISO 14001:2015 — certificate numbers published and verifiable.
- A machined part's price is fixed cost + variable cost per part, and the fixed cost is what volume moves.
- A per-part price with no quantity is not a price. The number changes by an order of magnitude between a prototype and a run.
- The biggest cost driver is geometry, decided in the CAD file — not the machine.
What the cost is made of
The price of a machined part is the sum of a fixed cost and a variable cost per part. The fixed cost — programming, fixturing, first-article inspection — is incurred once per order. The variable cost — material, machine time, tooling wear, finishing, inspection labour — is paid on every part. Everything about a machining quote reduces to how those two pools are sized and how the fixed pool is shared across the quantity.
The cost breakdown, component by component
| Component | What it is | How it scales |
|---|---|---|
| Setup: programming, fixturing, FAIR | The one-off front-end to make the first good part | Fixed per order; divided across quantity |
| Material | Stock bar or block plus the offcut (buy-to-fly ratio) | Per part; driven by geometry and yield |
| Machine time | Cycle time on the relevant machine family | Per part; the dominant variable cost |
| Tooling wear | Cutters consumed in roughing and finishing | Small, per part |
| Finishing and secondary ops | Deburr, anodise, heat treatment, thread lock, etc. | Per part or per batch |
| Inspection | First-article and in-process checks | Weakly per part; FAIR is mostly fixed |
| Packaging and freight | Protection and transport to your door | Per shipment; set by Incoterm |
| Overhead and margin | Facility, calibration, administration | Applied across the order |
The point for you: machine time scales with cycle time, and cycle time scales with how the part is drawn — internal corner radii, cavity depth, and tolerance. The machine is rarely the real story; the geometry is.
Volume economics — why quantity changes everything
Because the fixed cost is one-off, the per-part price falls as quantity rises: at one part you pay the entire setup; at a thousand you pay a thousandth of it each. This is why a prototype quote and a production quote for the same part can differ by an order of magnitude, and why a per-part price stated without a quantity is not a price at all.
The flip side is the crossover with other processes. Machining's variable cost per part is higher than injection moulding's, but machining has almost no fixed cost. Below the crossover quantity — commonly a few thousand identical parts — machining is cheaper because there is no mould to amortise. Above it, moulding wins. The useful question is never "which is cheaper" but "at what quantity does this part cross over".
The cost drivers, in order
Three design decisions drive most of the cost on a machined part: internal corner radii matched to a real cutter diameter, cavity depth kept within about four times the tool diameter, and a general tolerance on every feature that does not mate. Each one changes the tool that can be used, and the tool determines how much material can be removed per minute.
After geometry, the next drivers are material (an exotic grade costs more and machines slower), tolerance (a tight callout adds inspection and process control), and inspection scope (a full FAIR on a 40-dimension part costs more than a sample plan). Raising these at quote stage rather than after the first article is where most savings are found.
What fails on this process, and when
The failures that cost money are not crashes — they are a tolerance held on the machine but lost in a later operation, a revision built from a superseded drawing, and a surface finish callout that meant something different in another standard. Each has a cheap control: datum structure reviewed at quote stage, revision confirmed in writing, drawing standard confirmed on receipt.
How to verify a supplier's cost claims
These four checks cost nothing and reveal whether a quote is built on real capacity or a guess.
- Can they name the registration number? Ours is 91441900MA4UWT6X39 — check it in the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System.
- Do they name machine families and counts? A manufacturer lists models; a reseller recycles stock photos.
- Are the certificate numbers verifiable? Real ISO/IATF certificates carry numbers you can confirm with the registrar.
- Can you walk the floor? On-site and video audits are welcome at the Dongguan address.
Decision checklist — when is machining cheap or expensive?
- Machining is cheap when the part is prismatic, uses standard corner radii and shallow cavities, carries tight tolerances only where functional, and runs in a standard fixture at low-to-mid volume.
- Machining gets expensive when deep narrow pockets, sharp internal corners, and blanket tight tolerances force long tools, many passes, and full inspection.
- Compare to moulding only once volume is high and the design is frozen — below the crossover, machining wins on cost and flexibility.
- Always quote with a quantity — the same part at one unit and at ten thousand quotes as two different jobs.
What the certification position is
ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016 (excluding clause 8.3 product design), and ISO 14001:2015 — each with a certificate number verifiable with the registrar.
What tolerance applies?
±0.003 mm on CNC milling and ±0.002 mm on CNC turning; ±0.002 mm where precision grinding or wire EDM is used, set feature by feature when we quote.
Which legal entity is behind the machines?
Legally this is Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd, established 2005, Social Credit Code 91441900MA4UWT6X39, operating under the name Zhuohang Precision Machining Factory from No. 8, Shuibian Songyuan Road, Hengli Town, Dongguan, Guangdong, China 523470.
The 18-character code, checked against the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, confirms a real manufacturer. A trading company may hold a business licence as well, but its scope is trading, not manufacturing, and its address is an office rather than a plant.
How much capacity sits behind this?
Total machine count is not the question — the question is how many machines sit in the family that makes your part, because that is the queue your part waits in. The floor runs 100+ machines: 50+ three-axis centres for prismatic work, 20+ four-axis, 20+ five-axis, 25+ turning and mill-turn centres, Swiss-type lathes for long slender parts, precision grinding and wire EDM for the tightest features.
The spare capacity in that family is what lets a part move to another lane rather than sit in a queue when a machine is pulled for service. That, not the headline machine, is what protects a delivery date.
Where the money actually goes
A 3-axis CNC machining quote is built from four lines: material, setup, cycle time and inspection. Material is the raw stock - the grade and the size decide it. Setup is the one-time cost of fixturing and programming, which spreads thin over volume. Cycle time is the machine hours, set by how fast the material can be cut and how many operations the part needs. Inspection is the CMM time and the report, which grows with the number of tight tolerances. If you understand those four lines, you can read a quote and see where the cost sits, instead of treating the total as a mystery.
The three things that change the price without changing the part
First, the material - titanium and Inconel run many times slower than aluminium and brass. Second, the tolerance - a ±0.003 mm band costs more than ±0.01 mm because it needs a finishing pass and CMM verification. Third, the quantity - one piece pays the full setup, a thousand pieces spread it to nearly nothing. If a quote looks high, the fastest way to lower it is usually to loosen a tolerance that does not matter, or to order a batch rather than one-offs. Send the drawing to Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955 and ask where the cost sits - a straight answer is the fastest way to a cheaper part.
What this shop actually runs
Capability evidence should come as specifics, not slogans. Behind this guide is a 6,800 m2 plant in Dongguan, China running 100+ CNC machines with 100+ staff. The machine list by category:
- 5-axis machining centres (10+) - Mazak VARIAXIS I-600 (510/910/510 mm travel, 12,000 rpm, 22 kW, 71.6 N·m, 30-tool BT40) and Mazak INTEGREX I-250H S (B-axis 0.0001°, 24 kW, 124 N·m, 38-tool HSK-A63). Cut on compound-angle parts, single-setup multi-face prismatic work, and aerospace fittings where datum transfer loss is unacceptable.
- 3-axis / 4-axis machining centres (50+) - Brother SPEEDIO S500Z2N / S700Z2N (10,000 rpm, 14/21-tool ATC, 0.7 s tool-to-tool, Z-axis 2.2 G) and Mazak VCE-430A L / VCE-570C L (10,000 rpm, 118 N·m, 24-tool ATC). Cut on prismatic parts, plates, brackets, housings.
- Swiss-type turning centres (10+) - Citizen Cincom A20-3F7 (Φ20 mm, 10,000 rpm), TSUGAMI B0206-III / B0205-III (Φ20 mm, 0.1 µm), STAR SR-32JII / SR-32J Type N (Φ32 mm, 8,000 rpm). Cut on long, slender rotational parts at ±0.002 mm.
- CNC turning centres (20+) - HEADMAN T70M/1250 (720 mm swing, 117 mm bore, 3,000 rpm, BMT75 12-station turret). Cut on shafts, bushings, flanges up to ±0.002 mm.
- Wire EDM (5+) - Sodick AQ535L (550/350/300 mm travel, ±20° taper, 800 kg workpiece). Cut on hardened tool steel, internal splines, sharp internal corners that milling cannot reach.
- Inspection: Hexagon CMM + 20+ gauges - Hexagon CMM for coordinate measurement, plus vision system, profilometer, hardness tester, coating thickness gauge, XRF for material verification. The 10:1 rule (gauge 10x more accurate than the band) is applied to every feature.
- Machine highlights - VARIAXIS I-600: one-setup multi-face 5-axis + MAZA-CHECK auto-calibration; INTEGREX I-250H S: DONE-IN-ONE mill-turn, B-axis 0.0001° + Ai thermal shield; SPEEDIO S500Z2N / S700Z2N: Z-axis 2.2 G + 0.7 s ATC; Swiss-type: guide-bush switchable + 0.1 µm resolution.
Tolerance: ±0.003 mm CNC milling / ±0.002 mm CNC turning / ±0.002 mm grinding and wire EDM. Capability: Ppk >= 1.67 initial on key characteristics, Cpk >= 1.33 ongoing.
Certificates: ISO 9001:2015 (116024/A/0001/UK/En), IATF 16949:2016 (131941/A/0001/SM/En, with design clause 8.3 excluded, stated openly) and ISO 14001:2015 (116024/B/0001/UK/En), issued to Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd, registration 91441900MA4UWT6X39, founded 2005.
Where we ship: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom in Europe; Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States in the Americas; China, Israel, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka in Asia; Australia and New Zealand in Oceania; and South Africa in Africa — plus other countries and regions worldwide, shipped from our base in Dongguan, China.
Contact: Felipe Iglesias, [email protected], +86 13126536955.
Get a quote with the cost drivers named
Send your drawing to [email protected] or call +86 13126536955. We will tell you which tolerance or setup is driving the number, not just the number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you work to ASME Y14.5 as well as ISO?
Yes. Both geometric dimensioning conventions are used. The important thing is that the drawing states which one applies, because the same symbol can mean different things under the two standards.
Do you hold stock or consignment for repeat orders?
Repeat orders can run against a forecast so stock and, where the part warrants it, dedicated fixturing are held ready. This is a commercial arrangement, not a standard term, so raise it at the second order rather than the first.
How long does 3 axis cnc machining take?
Lead time is driven less by cutting time than by queue position, fixture design, and inspection. A part that needs a purpose-built fixture has a longer first-article lead and a much shorter repeat lead — which is worth asking about separately.
Is your IATF 16949 certificate valid for design work?
No. The certificate excludes clause 8.3 (product design). The plant is certified to manufacture to your design and to run the associated process controls, not to originate product design.
What files do you need for a quote?
In short, A 3D model (STEP or IGES) plus a 2D drawing that carries the tolerances, surface finish callouts, material specification, and any inspection or certification requirements. The drawing is what defines the contract — the model alone usually leaves the tolerance scheme unspecified.
What is the difference between 3 axis cnc machining and a similar process?
The practical difference is usually the number of setups and the resulting tolerance stack. Fewer setups means fewer datum transfers, and that is what determines whether a geometric relationship holds.
How is material traceability maintained?
Incoming stock is checked against the mill certificate — composition by XRF, hardness where specified — and traceability is held per heat or per batch as the certificate defines it.
What is the difference between 3-axis CNC machining and injection moulding?
In short, The practical difference is the cost shape. Machining carries a small fixed cost and a steady per-part cost, so it wins at low-to-mid volume and when the part must be metal or certifiable.
Standards referenced on this page
- ASTM A582/A582M-12 — Standard Specification for Free-Machining Stainless Steel Bars
- ASTM B348/B348M-21 — Standard Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Bars and Billets
- ISO 9001 — Quality management systems — Requirements