OEM & ODM — from drawing to production part
What we can make to your drawing, what we cannot, who pays for the tooling, and how the first article gets approved. Written so a technical buyer can judge capability without a call.
Process and timing
Drawing review — 1–2 working days
We check standard applicability, tolerances, material and coating, and flag anything that cannot be produced economically as drawn. You receive a comment sheet, not a price.
Quotation — within 48 hours of a complete drawing
Unit price at several quantities, tooling cost, MOQ, lead time and the document package.
Tooling and first article — 15–25 days
Tooling manufactured, samples produced, first article inspection (FAI) report issued against every dimension on the drawing, sent to you for signed approval.
Approval and pilot run
On your approval, a pilot batch confirms repeatability. Any dimensional change after this point restarts tooling — so this is the moment to be strict.
Mass production — 25–35 days
Serial production with in-process checks, then the standard document package and pre-shipment inspection.
Capability — what we make
| Process / item | Range we can support |
|---|---|
| Cold heading (bolts, screws, studs, rivets, nuts) | M3 – M24 typically; larger by hot forging |
| Hot forging (large bolts, anchors, custom parts) | Up to M48 and beyond on dedicated tooling; anchors to M24 common |
| Threading | Metric coarse and fine pitch; BSW / UNC / UNF; rolled thread standard, cut thread for very large or short runs |
| Materials | Carbon steel (Q235, 35K, 45#, 40Cr, 35CrMo, 34CrMo4), alloy steel, stainless 304 / 316 / 316L / 410, aluminium 6005-T5 / 6061-T6, brass on request |
| Surface treatment | Zinc plating (Cr3 clear / yellow), hot-dip galvanizing, zinc flake (Dacromet / Geomet), black oxide, nickel, anodizing, passivation, mechanical zinc |
| Heat treatment | Quench and temper to classes 8.8 / 10.9 / 12.9 with hardness and tensile verification |
| Bending and forming | U-bolts, J-bolts, eye bolts, hooks, welded anchors, tie rods with rolled threads |
| Secondary operations | Drilling, milling, tapping, head marking, punched holes, welding, assembly of kits |
What we will tell you we cannot do
Stated honestly, because it saves both sides time
We do not produce: aerospace-qualified parts requiring NADCAP process approvals; parts requiring a specific OEM approval (for example a named automotive platform release) unless the mill already holds it; sub-micron tolerance work outside cold-forming and machining norms; and titanium or superalloy fasteners at economic prices. Where a requirement exceeds our process window, we say so at drawing review.
Tooling: cost and ownership
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who pays for tooling? | The customer, quoted as a separate line item and invoiced with the deposit. It is a one-off capital cost, not a hidden mark-up in the unit price. |
| Is tooling credited back? | Commonly amortised or credited against a defined production volume — agreed in writing before the order. |
| Who owns the tooling? | The customer, where the tooling was paid for. We hold it against your orders and will not use it for other buyers. Ownership and, if you wish, a transfer at end of life are stated in the PI. |
| Can we see the tooling? | Yes — photos and video of the tooling and the first article run are part of the FAI pack, and a live video review can be arranged. |
| What if we change the drawing? | Dimensional changes after tooling may require tool modification or replacement. We quote that before doing it, in writing. |
Frequently asked questions
Can you sign an NDA before we send drawings?
Yes. Send your NDA or use ours, and we will sign before any drawing is transferred. We do not produce a customer's design for anyone else, with or without an NDA, when the tooling is customer-owned.
Can you produce from a sample instead of a drawing?
Yes, but we will reverse-engineer it into a drawing and send that drawing for your approval first. Producing from an unmeasured sample is how dimensions drift.
Do you provide PPAP documentation?
We provide a full FAI report, capability data where the feature is measurable, material certificates and control-plan style process documentation. A formal PPAP submission in the AIAG format can be prepared if your organisation requires it — confirm the level needed at RFQ stage.
Send a drawing and get an engineering review first
You receive a comment sheet and a quotation within 48 hours — including the items we flag as not producible as drawn.