Run six checks before committing: a live video walk of the shop floor, the machine list matched against real photos, a sample first-article and CMM report, an NDA signed before your drawings move, anonymized case studies with real tolerances and lead times, and an on-site audit for regulated work. A supplier that dodges these checks is answering the question for you.
Every check below is one we pass — and one we tell buyers to run on any supplier, including us.
Ask for a real-time walk, not a highlight reel. You are looking for occupied machines, in-process parts and inspection equipment in use — a trading company will delay, script the route or borrow a friend's floor.
Request the equipment list with brand, model and count, then ask for a photo of a specific machine's nameplate during the video call. Ours: 37 machining and 14 inspection machines, including 12 five-axis centers, under one roof.
A real precision shop produces a first-article inspection on every run and ships CMM reports with every order. Ask for a redacted sample before quoting — we run 100% first-article inspection with Zeiss CONTURA CMM reports on every shipment.
Send nothing critical until the NDA is signed — a serious supplier signs without friction because it protects both sides. We sign the NDA before your files arrive, and project access stays restricted inside the plant.
Real case studies name the industry, the part, the tolerance and the lead time — without the customer's name. Vague "many industries" claims with no numbers are a red flag; so are case pages that only show catalog renders.
Medical and aerospace buyers audit their suppliers. A shop with a certified quality management system welcomes it and shares certificate details on request — we do, and customer audits are arranged directly with the plant.
Machine list with brands and counts, a sample FAI report, a CMM inspection report, material traceability (heat-lot records), and — for regulated industries — quality-system documentation. All five are standard with our quotes.
Yes, always — and treat reluctance to sign as information. We countersign NDAs before files arrive and keep project access restricted inside the plant.
For regulated programs, yes. We operate a certified quality management system, welcome customer audits and arrange audit access on request — video-first if you want a look before traveling.
A lot. Standard RFQs deserve a priced answer within 4 working hours — ours land in that window, and complex multi-process projects within 3 days. Quoting discipline predicts production discipline.
Test us on all six — send your drawings →
Deeper reading: the 100-point supplier evaluation checklist · anonymized case: surgical robotics at ±0.003 mm
