Prototype Sheet Metal Parts
Rapid prototype sheet metal parts for product development, design validation, and pre-production testing with short lead times. No minimum order quantity and fast turnaround support iterative design cycles from concept to production-ready specifications. Made by WERIX Metal from per spec to a tolerance of ±0.10 to ±0.1mm, finished with basic powder coat or as-machined. Typical order volume is from 1 to 100. Free DFM quote within 24 hours.
Engineering drawing available on request
Send your target specifications — we reply with a drawing and a DFM quote within 24 hours.
Prototype Sheet Metal Parts
Rapid prototype sheet metal parts for product development, design validation, and pre-production testing with short lead times. No minimum order quantity and fast turnaround support iterative design cycles from concept to production-ready specifications.
| Part number | P-122 |
|---|---|
| Product type | Prototype Parts |
| Industry | Custom Sheet Metal |
| Material | per spec |
| Tolerance | ±0.10 to ±0.1mm |
| Surface Finish | basic powder coat or as-machined |
| Manufacturing processes | laser cutting · CNC bending · manual welding |
| MOQ / Volume | from 1 to 100 |
Prototype Sheet Metal Parts: manufacturing notes
This part — prototype sheet metal parts — is manufactured in our Dongguan plant. The notes below explain the manufacturing decisions behind the specification: why this material, why this forming sequence, and what the tolerance actually requires in production.
How the part is formed
The production route for this part is laser cutting, CNC bending, manual welding. Fiber laser cutting separates the blank without hard tooling, which is what makes a first article economical: the profile can change between the prototype and the production run without a die sunk. The trade-off is a small heat-affected edge, so on parts that will be painted we deburr and, where the edge is a sealing face, dress it flat before coating. Bending is where most tolerance stack enters a sheet metal part. We set the bend allowance from the part’s own material and radius using the K-factor the press is running, then verify the first article on the machine rather than from the drawing, because springback moves with material batch and grain direction.
What ±0.10 to ±0.1mm actually requires on the shop floor
The drawing calls for ±0.10 to ±0.1mm. On a part like this that is a process decision, not an inspection decision: it fixes which machine holds the critical features, how the part is fixtured for each operation, and whether a formed feature can be checked after coating or has to be measured before it. We confirm the first article against the drawing and record the values, so the tolerance is demonstrated rather than assumed. If a dimension in your drawing is tighter than this part needs, it is usually worth relaxing it — over-toleranced features are one of the quietest cost drivers in a sheet metal quote.
Finishing: powder coating
basic powder coat or as-machined. Powder coating builds a film of roughly 60–120 µm per face and cures at 180–200 °C. Two consequences get designed for: the film adds to every mating dimension, and the cure temperature is high enough to move an unsupported panel, so stiffening or return flanges go in before the part reaches the oven. Colour is matched to the RAL range given on the drawing.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the minimum order quantity for prototype sheet metal parts?
- The order range for this part is from 1 to 100. Below the low end of that range the tooling and setup are spread over too few pieces to be economic, so if you are prototyping we would normally build the first units from the same process route and quote the production quantity separately.
- Can the material be changed to reduce cost or weight?
- Yes — material substitution is one of the first things we raise in a DFM review, because it affects bend radii, welding process and coating system at the same time. Send the drawing and the service environment and we will set out the options.
- What finishing options are available for this part?
- The current finish specification is basic powder coat or as-machined. Powder coating, anodising, zinc or nickel plating, brushing and blasting are all available in-house, so the finish can be changed without changing supplier — and where the part will be seen, we match colour to the RAL or Pantone reference on your drawing.
- How long does production take, and what do you need from us to quote?
- Prototypes are typically 3–7 business days and production runs 7–15 days once the drawing is released and the finish is confirmed. To quote we need the drawing or CAD file (STEP, DXF, DWG, IGES or PDF), the material and finish, the quantity and the destination — and any tolerance or inspection requirement that is not already on the drawing. You get a DFM review with the quotation, not after it.
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