{"id":372,"date":"2026-10-12T15:35:39","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T07:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/sheet-metal-prototyping-china\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T15:35:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T07:35:39","slug":"sheet-metal-prototyping-china","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/en\/sheet-metal-prototyping-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Sheet Metal Prototyping in China"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Most sheet metal problems are cheaper to find on a prototype than in a container.<\/strong> We build single-piece sheet metal prototypes and small pilot batches from your drawings in Huizhou, China \u2014 typically in 5\u201310 days \u2014 and then run the same design as a production order when you are ready.<\/p>\n<h2>What prototyping looks like here<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>No tooling barrier.<\/strong> Fiber laser cutting and CNC press-brake bending are tool-free processes. One piece costs one piece \u2014 there is no die to pay for, which is why quantity one is realistic.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Engineering review first.<\/strong> Before anything is cut, our engineers review the drawing for manufacturability: bend radii that are too tight for the thickness, holes too close to a bend, features the tooling cannot reach, and finishes that will not survive forming.<\/li>\n<li><strong>First article.<\/strong> We build and inspect the first piece, then send it to you for fit check before running the rest of the batch.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Same route to production.<\/strong> Because the prototype and the production run use the same drawings and the same process, scaling up does not re-open the design. The routing, fixtures and finish specification carry over.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Typical prototype parts: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/en\/product\/equipment-enclosure-en\/\">equipment enclosure<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/en\/product\/equipment-bracket-en\/\">bracket<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/en\/product\/equipment-panel-en\/\">panel<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/en\/product\/instrument-housing-en\/\">instrument housing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>From concept to a manufacturable part<\/h2>\n<p>You do not always need a finished drawing. If you have a sketch, a competitor sample, or a 3D concept that has never been sheet metal, we can work with you to turn it into something that bends, welds and coats predictably. That usually means proposing a bend sequence, choosing a material and thickness, and simplifying features that would need unnecessary tooling. Explore this via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/en\/laitu-dingzhi-en\/\">custom fabrication from drawings and samples<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Prototype specifications<\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Quantity<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>1 piece upwards; typical pilot batches 5\u2013200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Materials<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>SPCC, SGCC, SUS 304\/316, aluminium 5052\/6061, copper, brass<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Thickness<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>0.5&nbsp;mm \u2013 12&nbsp;mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Processes<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Laser cutting, CNC bending, punching, tapping, clinching, welding, riveting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Finishing<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Powder coating, painting, anodizing, brushing, plating, silkscreen on request<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Tolerance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Typically \u00b10.1&nbsp;mm on hole positions; \u00b10.05&nbsp;mm on cutting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Lead time<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>5\u201310 days for a small prototype batch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Files<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, PDF, or a physical sample<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>What to send with your enquiry<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Drawing or sample (any of the formats above)<\/li>\n<li>Material and thickness, if you have a preference<\/li>\n<li>Quantity for the prototype and your expected production volume<\/li>\n<li>Surface finish, including colour standard if relevant<\/li>\n<li>Any critical dimensions or fit requirements<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If you have a target cost, tell us \u2014 it often changes which process or material we recommend.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Can I really order just one piece?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. Prototypes from one piece are normal for us, and the per-piece price is quoted on that basis rather than hidden behind a minimum order.<\/p>\n<h3>How fast can you ship a prototype?<\/h3>\n<p>For simple parts, 5\u20137 days is realistic. Complex welded or coated assemblies typically take 7\u201310 days.<\/p>\n<h3>Will the production parts match the prototype exactly?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes \u2014 the same drawings, same routing and same finishing specification are used, and the approved first article is the reference for the batch.<\/p>\n<h2>Start with a prototype<\/h2>\n<p>Send your drawing or sample and tell us the quantity and finish. We will review manufacturability and quote, usually within 24 hours. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/en\/contact-en\/\">Contact us here<\/a> or see our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/en\/products-en\/\">sheet metal product range<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sheet metal prototyping in China \u2014 single-piece prototypes and small batches from DXF\/STEP drawings, 5-10 day lead times, then volume production.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-372","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/372\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eoil.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}