The key reason that foreign customers pick China as their prime source for CNC machining parts is cost saving.
Lots of companies that are located close to industrial centers are able to directly order machining parts from local factories in the area.
Consequently, they don’t need to wait for freights from China or to handle shipping costs and paperwork.
Nevertheless, the cost reduction may be a big deal, especially if the yearly purchasing volume is huge.
So, that’s the reason why plenty of companies have their interests in finding new vendors and ordering CNC machining parts from China.
Below are the main things you should consider before deciding to start buying CNC machining parts from China.
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Raw Materials Types
The most commonly used material for CNC machining is aluminum because of its properties. It doesn’t necessitate changing cutting tools frequently, and the machining procedure is quick.
Apart from aluminum there are many other types of materials used for producing CNC parts like titanium, steel, copper, brass, and plastic.
So, a significant thing to check is whether the raw materials of the rapid prototyping China-based manufacturer are appropriate for your project.
Also, check if there are regulations to use materials that meet US or EU regulations for example. That impacts the costs of the CNC parts since imported metals are at a high price in China.
Other key factors to consider when you select a material for the machining parts are compatibility, machinability, weight, corrosion resistance, strength, finish, and cost of course.
Quality Assurance And Inspection Measures
The engineers who design machining parts generally require high accuracy tolerances. It depends on the assembly, application, and some other factors as well.
For that reason, CNC manufacturers must inspect the parts with highly advanced measuring apparatus.
So, check what kind of testing tools the factory has and how exactly they execute quality control measures during production.
Factory Site
China is gigantic, and you can find plenty of CNC machining vendors. It’s crucial to check the exact factory location, and how distant it is to the seaport or airport.
The cost of transport in China depends on the factory’s distance to ports. Also, if you want to buy other items from China as well, and plan to combine shipments, then it would be better to pick factories located in the same area.
Payment Conditions
The payment conditions for local suppliers are generally net 30% or 60%. Though, for foreign trade, the payment condition is usually a 30% down payment and a 70% final payment.
Additionally, most vendors in China demand a 30% deposit for buying the raw material. After shipping, the factory will send a copy of the invoice to the customer for final payment.
Production Time
The time of production depends on the size of the batch, part’s complexity, materials’ availability, and how busy the producer is at the moment.
Therefore, ensure to verify the production time in advance and if that doesn’t work for you, then look for another supplier who can offer shorter production time.
Generally, the manufacturing time for CNC parts is around 15 to 25 days. Since CNC parts don’t need special molds, the manufacturer is able to start production as soon as the raw material is ready.
One more factor to take into consideration is the production time of first order against continual orders. As CNC parts are customized, the production time is always longer when the factory manufactures it for first-time.
Delivery Time
You are able to ship parts from China with a delivery company, sea freight or air freight. The delivery companies like FedEx, DHL, or TNT dispatch parcels within 3 to 10 days.
Air freight takes around 4 to 7 days and it depends on availability of space and rates of the flights.
Sea freight takes around 15 to 35 days and depends on the port of destination and sea freight type (LCL or FCL). Generally, FCL is quicker because of lower overall handling.
Despite that, the above-given delivery times are only estimated and not guaranteed, particularly for the sea freights.
Occasionally, there are also unexpected delays of customs check, strikes in port, availability, and etc.
Customer Reviews
It’s always better to pick a Chinese machining vendor that has customer testimonials and agrees to contact them for confirmation. Remember, those should be genuine testimonials with full customer details.
A Chinese supplier with recommendations is always better than choosing the cheapest one that can’t offer a list of happy customers.
Final Words
Finding a cheap and reliable CNC machining vendor in China is a process that may take some time and requires basic knowledge.
However, the above-given criteria will help you choose the right CNC parts supplier from China.
