- Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd (Registration No. 91441900MA4UWT6X39), operating as Zhuohang Precision Machining Factory, established 2005.
- a floor of 100-plus machines including 20+ 5-axis centres; 100+ staff, 80%+ skilled technicians.
- A quote is only as good as the drawing behind it.
- The four omissions that turn an accurate quote into a revised one.
- Confirm revision, FAIR scope, and delivery terms in writing before release.
What to include with a CNC lathe machining drawing
A quote is only as good as the drawing behind it. The gap between a fast quote and an accurate one is almost always a missing tolerance scheme, an unspecified surface finish, or a material callout that names a family rather than a grade.
The five things that change the answer: the 3D model, the 2D drawing with tolerances, the material grade, the quantity (and the anticipated repeat quantity), and any inspection or certification requirement.
Pre-release verification
Before releasing, these are the items worth confirming in writing.
- Which drawing revision is being built — in writing, on the order acknowledgement.
- What the first-article report will contain, and whether it is full inspection or a sample plan.
- How capability is reported. the index, the stage, and the sigma estimator, named.
- Who owns an engineering change and how it is documented mid-run.
- Packaging, duty, and freight responsibility — whether the quote is EXW, FOB, or delivered.
What design decisions move the cost on CNC lathe machining?
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. Which is why these matter more than any process selection.
This should come up when quoting, before any metal is cut, because the changes are usually trivial on the drawing and significant on the machine.
What tolerance applies?
±0.003 mm on CNC milling, ±0.002 mm on CNC turning; ±0.002 mm where precision grinding or wire EDM is used, fixed for each feature at the quote.
Which legal entity is actually responsible for the work?
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.
What to confirm on your side
These are the items whose absence most often produces a quote that changes after review.
- 3D model in STEP or IGES, plus a 2D drawing. The drawing carries the tolerances the model does not.
- Material as a grade, not a family, "stainless" is not a specification; 316L is.
- Tolerance per feature, not a blanket note. A single tight dimension drives cost more than ten loose ones.
- Surface finish callouts where they matter, with the standard named (Ra in ISO or ASME).
- Quantity and expected repeat quantity — these are different numbers and they change the process.
What 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 more than 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.
What is the certification position?
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 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). Intended for 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). Intended for 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). Intended for 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). Intended for shafts, bushings, flanges up to ±0.002 mm.
- Wire EDM (5+) - Sodick AQ535L (550/350/300 mm travel, ±20° taper, 800 kg workpiece). Intended for 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
Is inspection documentation included in the quote?
It should be stated explicitly. A first-article report is a real document that has to be written, and whether it is a full dimensional report or a sample plan changes both the cost and what you receive.
How are parts packed for export?
Packing is chosen per part — finished faces bagged and boxed, steel corrosion-protected. Include it in the quote, since it changes the cost and how the parts arrive.
Do you need both a model and a drawing?
Yes, in practice. The model defines geometry; the drawing defines what has to be true about that geometry. A quote from a model alone leaves the tolerance scheme to assumption, which is where disputes start.
Can I audit the factory before placing an order?
Yes — on-site and video audits are both welcome at No. 8, Shuibian Songyuan Road, Hengli Town, Dongguan, Guangdong, China 523470.
What is a first-article inspection report?
A documented dimensional report on the first part off the process — typically per AIAG PPAP or a customer-defined format. It is the evidence that the process makes the drawing, and it is worth specifying before the order rather than after.
What happens if the first article does not conform?
In short, The nonconformance is documented and the corrective action is agreed before any further parts are made. Whether the replacement cost sits with the plant or the customer depends on where the deviation came from, which is why the revision and the drawing standard are confirmed in writing at the start.
What is the difference between a prototype build and a production build here?
Usually only quantity and scheduling. Both run on the same machines and the same process, which is what makes a later ramp a scheduling change rather than a re-qualification.
Continue reading: CNC Lathe Machining Dfm Checklist · 3 Axis CNC Lathe Machining · 4 Axis CNC Lathe Machining
Standards referenced on this page
- ASTM A582/A582M-12 — Standard Specification for Free-Machining Stainless Steel Bars
- ASTM A484/A484M-24 — Standard Specification for General Requirements for Stainless Steel Bars, Billets, and Forgings
- ISO 9001 — Quality management systems — Requirements
