A buyer searching for Machined Prototype is usually trying to stop a bad substitute. A CNC machine is specified by travels, spindle or process, accuracy, control, and the parts you will actually cut. The notes below are selection criteria for a Machined Prototype. They are not a catalog promise. Confirm every rating on the current datasheet, drawing, or test report for the revision you will receive.
What has to be true of Machined Prototype
A CNC machine is specified by travels, spindle or process, accuracy, control, and the parts you will actually cut. For a Machined Prototype, start from the duty, then the interface to the rest of the machine or the room, then the document that proves the claim. A lower price that leaves one of those blank is a different product.
Machined Prototype is easy to confuse with CNC Wire Cut. If the quote could be read as either, add the line that separates them: the rating, the fitment, or the standard named below. Link the drawing number to that line so receiving inspection can reject the wrong one.
Numbers that change the quote
| Line | What to write for Machined Prototype |
|---|---|
| Process | Mill, turn, laser, plasma, or EDM, with power. |
| Accuracy | Positioning accuracy and repeatability, and the method. |
| Control | The control name and who can edit the program. |
| Tooling and table | Taper, table size, or the chuck. |
| Utilities | Power, air, and foundation. |
| Travels | X, Y, Z, and any rotary, in the work envelope you need. |
How to compare two offers
Lay both quotes for Machined Prototype on one sheet and line up process, accuracy, and control. If a cell is empty, the offer is not finished. Ask for the missing line in writing. When those match, the honest difference is lead time, the test evidence, and who carries the warranty. Do not average a fully specified Machined Prototype with a cheaper line that omitted process.
Documents worth having before the deposit
Ask for an accuracy statement and a layout with service space. The file should name Machined Prototype and the revision, not only the supplier’s homepage. A factory quality certificate such as ISO 9001 can sit beside that file. It does not replace it.
Failures that show up after delivery
- Buying travels that the fixture then consumes.
- Ignoring the control your programmers know.
- Understating spindle power for the material.
On a Machined Prototype, the expensive version of the first mistake is discovering it after the goods are in the crate. Put the rejection condition in the purchase order while the supplier can still restate the offer.
A worked RFQ line
Use this shape, then replace the brackets with your duty: “Machined Prototype — State travels, process and power, accuracy, control, and utilities.” That sentence is a template, not a rating of any brand. If a supplier’s datasheet uses different units, convert them onto this sheet so the next offer can be compared.
Where words like OEM / custom belong
Searches often add a constraint to Machined Prototype: OEM / custom, or automotive grade. Keep those on this page. OEM or custom means a drawing, a revision, and a statement of who owns the tool. Without those, you are buying the catalog part. Automotive grade is a temperature, vibration, and documentation claim. Ask which AEC or customer spec is actually met, and for which part number. If you need a third constraint, add it as another line on the same drawing. A second URL that only swaps the adjective does not give a buyer a second fact.
Related in this section: how to specify CNC Wire Cut.
Questions buyers actually ask
What should an RFQ for Machined Prototype include?
State travels, process and power, accuracy, control, and utilities.
Is a cheaper Machined Prototype the same part?
Only if process, accuracy, and the documents match. A missing line is a different offer.
Do waterproof, OEM, or IP words need their own page?
No. For Machined Prototype they are extra lines on this specification. Ask for the test or the drawing that gives the word a value.