- Quantities: from 1 piece; best fit from 20 pieces per part number; one order can carry a few part numbers or several hundred.
- Lead time: simple parts about 3 days without finishing or heat treatment; complex parts 7 days and up, typically about 15.
- Quality: machinist self-check, then formal QA; every precision size checked on every part in a batch.
- Repeat orders: programs and fixtures kept at least 3 years.
What low volume means here
Most of our orders are custom parts in small quantities. Some purchase orders carry a handful of drawings; others carry several hundred part numbers, with the lead time and requirements agreed up front. Most of them are for automation equipment.
Our best fit is 20 pieces and up per part number. That is where the one-time work of programming and fixturing is shared across the batch and the unit price drops sharply; we explain why, with real numbers, here. We also make a lot of single pieces. When a customer orders steadily, and especially when one-off parts come alongside batch work, we are glad to make the one-off parts well too.
A good fit
- Milled and turned parts from 1 piece; best from 20 pieces per part number
- Whole part lists for a machine or station on one order
- Aluminum, steels, stainless steels, brass, copper, titanium, engineering plastics
- Critical features to ±0.01 mm milled and ±0.005 mm on turned diameters, confirmed at drawing review
- Repeat orders and production batches
Not a fit
- Tolerances tighter than 0.005 mm
- Special materials we cannot buy in China
- Special industries with requirements beyond our scope
Lead times
| Part | Typical lead time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Simple parts | About 3 days | No surface finishing or heat treatment |
| Complex parts | From 7 days, typically about 15 | Several operations, tight tolerances, or many part numbers |
| Finishing or heat treatment | Added per part number | Stated in the quote |
| Shipping | Added on top | Courier of your choice, for example DHL to Europe, UPS to the US |
Import duties and taxes are paid by the buyer. For simple 6061 aluminum parts in a few pieces, we also offer rush machining.
How we quote a low-volume order
Send the drawings and we reply within 24 hours. If you ask, we quote each part at 5, 20, and 50 pieces, so you can see where your price drops. For each quantity the quote lists:
- production time and delivery time,
- material, surface finish, and heat treatment,
- quantity, unit price, and total price,
- manufacturability notes where a feature adds cost or risk.
How much a batch saves depends on the part. On a recent TC4 titanium part with 3 to 4 hours of machining per piece, the unit price at 20 pieces was half the unit price of the 2-piece sample. On short-cycle aluminum parts the drop is usually larger.
Compare 5, 20 and 50 pieces on your part
Write “5 / 20 / 50” in the quantity field. STEP plus PDF is ideal; a whole part list can go in one .zip file.
Send your drawingsHow we inspect small batches
- Machinist self-check. The machinist who ran the part measures the first piece before anything else.
- Formal QA inspection. When it passes, our quality team inspects it formally.
- The right instrument for each size. We use the fastest instrument that is accurate enough. General sizes under ISO 2768-m are measured with calipers; precision features are verified on our CMM. This keeps inspection fast without giving up accuracy.
- Every precision size, every part. In a batch, precision dimensions are checked on every piece. Above 100 pieces, sampling is agreed with the customer. We do not measure every dimension of every part, and we say so up front.
If a part does arrive off-drawing, we remake it free and pay the freight, or rework it, whichever fits the problem. Report it within 30 days of delivery.
Repeat orders
We keep programs and fixtures for at least 3 years. A repeat order starts from the proven program and fixture, and its price is adjusted to the quantity you order.
Working with us
- Direct contact. We are the manufacturer. Questions about your part go to the people making it, not through a sales layer. Raymond Liang, our co-founder, reviews drawings himself.
- Email first, WhatsApp too. Email reply within 24 hours, WhatsApp within 12 hours. We send photos or short videos from machining when it helps.
- Payment. First orders: full payment or a 50% deposit. Repeat customers: a 30% deposit, or no deposit and payment in full before shipment.
FAQ
What counts as low-volume CNC machining?
For us it means custom parts from a single piece to small production batches per part number, often with many part numbers on one order. Our best fit is 20 pieces and up per part number, where setup cost is shared and the unit price drops sharply.
Is there a minimum order quantity?
No. We machine single pieces too, and we are glad to make one-off parts well, especially alongside batch orders from the same customer. From 20 pieces per part number the unit price drops sharply.
What is the lead time for low-volume CNC parts?
Simple parts without finishing or heat treatment usually take about 3 days. Complex parts start at 7 days, and about 15 days is a normal lead time. Finishing and heat treatment add time, which we state per part number in the quote. Shipping time is added on top.
How do you inspect small batches?
The machinist checks the first part, then our QA inspects it formally. We use the fastest instrument that is accurate enough: calipers for general ISO 2768-m sizes, and our CMM for precision features. In a batch, every precision size is checked on every part. Above 100 pieces, sampling is agreed with the customer.
Do you keep programs and fixtures for repeat orders?
Yes, for at least 3 years. A repeat order reuses them, and its price is adjusted to the quantity.
What are the payment terms?
First orders are usually paid in full or with a 50% deposit. Repeat customers can pay a 30% deposit, or pay in full before shipment with no deposit. Payment is by bank transfer.
How are parts shipped, and who pays import duties?
By the courier you choose; we regularly ship with DHL to Europe and UPS to the United States. Import duties and taxes are paid by the buyer.
Raymond Liang
Co-founder and Technical Sales Manager at Meili Machining. Raymond spent ten years on CNC turning and milling before co-founding Meili in 2017, and he still reviews drawings and plans setups for difficult parts himself.
Lead times, inspection practice, and terms on this page come from Raymond Liang and our shop records, October 2026. Updated October 10, 2026.
