The shop behind this multi axis guide — verified and quotable in one exchange
This guide's facility holds 100+ CNC machines across a 6,800 m² plant at No. 8, Shuibian Songyuan Road, Hengli Town, Dongguan, Guangdong, China 523470. Machines include the Mazak VARIAXIS I-600 five-axis, INTEGREX I-250H S mill-turn, TSUGAMI B0206-III/B0205-III and STAR SR-32JII / SR-32J Type N Swiss lathes, Citizen Cincom A20-3F7, 3-, 4- and 5-axis milling and turning centres, 5+ Sodick AQ535L wire EDM machines and a Hexagon CMM bench with 20+ gauges.
Tolerances held: ±0.003 mm milled, ±0.002 mm turned, and ±0.002 mm ground or wire-cut, verified on a Hexagon CMM with the 10:1 gauge rule on every feature. Capability indices: Ppk ≥ 1.67 initial, Cpk ≥ 1.33 in production, on key characteristics. Certifications: ISO 9001:2015 (116024/A/0001/UK/En), IATF 16949:2016 (131941/A/0001/SM/En, design clause 8.3 excluded, disclosed openly), ISO 14001:2015 (116024/B/0001/UK/En), issued to Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd (USCC 91441900MA4UWT6X39, established 2005). Service area: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom in Europe; Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States in the Americas; China, Israel, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka in Asia; Australia and New Zealand in Oceania; and South Africa in Africa — based in China, delivering worldwide. Email Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955 to open a quote, and request the certificate numbers, the machine list and a past CMM report in the same message.
Routing and setup count — the machine that fits the part, not the machine that is free
The routing decision sets the cost and the tolerance, and the part decides the routing. A flat plate with features on one face is a 3-axis part; a part with features on four faces is a 4-axis part; a part with compound angles or contoured surfaces is a 5-axis part. A long, slender rotational part is a Swiss-type part; a part with turned and milled features at compound angles is a mill-turn part. The setup count is the other lever — a part that runs complete in one setup has one first-article; a part that moves between three machines has three.
The economic crossover is the setup cost. On a prototype or low-volume run, the multi-tasking machine's higher hourly rate is offset by the single setup and single first-article; on a high-volume run, the separate operations on simpler, cheaper machines may win because the setup amortises. The facility behind this guide runs 3/4/5-axis milling at ±0.003 mm, Swiss-type turning at ±0.002 mm on TSUGAMI and STAR and CITIZEN, and mill-turn on a Mazak INTEGREX I-250H S with B-axis and sub-spindle, so the routing is matched to the geometry, not forced onto whatever machine is free.
The completeness is a tolerance saving. Every re-fixture between machines transfers the datum, and the datum transfer is where the positional tolerance across features opens up. A bore turned on one machine and a cross-hole milled on another has a positional tolerance that is the sum of the two setups' accuracy; the same features on one multi-tasking machine have a positional tolerance that is the accuracy of the one setup. Your move is to ask for the routing, the setup count, and the first-article count in the quote. Hexagon CMM verifies the positional result, with Ppk ≥ 1.67 initial and Cpk ≥ 1.33 in production, under ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016 (design clause 8.3 excluded), and ISO 14001:2015. Contact Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955.
Tolerance and the process chain — the band and the evidence
your tolerance question is a process question, not a number. The ±0.003 mm milling and ±0.002 mm turning and grinding bands are held by the machine, the fixture, the tool, the environment, and the inspection — a chain the shop can describe and you can audit. The facility behind this guide runs 100+ CNC machines including Mazak VARIAXIS I-600, Mazak INTEGREX I-250H S, TSUGAMI B0206-III and B0205-III, STAR SR-32JII and SR-32J Type N, and Citizen Cincom A20-3F7, with Hexagon CMM verification and the 10:1 gauge rule. Ppk ≥ 1.67 initial on key characteristics and Cpk ≥ 1.33 in production are reported with the band and the algorithm. Under ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016 (design clause 8.3 excluded), and ISO 14001:2015. Contact Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955 for the band and the evidence.
- Manufacturing to your print: the plant cuts to your design and reports against your drawing.
- 6,800 m² across two buildings in Hengli Town, Dongguan, production, inspection, and engineering under one roof.
- Multi-axis Machining: Parts whose critical surfaces are curved or whose features are distributed around more than one datum.
- Where it stops: More axes means more collision cases to verify offline.
- Prototype and production run on the same floor and the same process.
What multi-axis machining changes about the process
Multi-axis machining is a machine that can move the tool and the workpiece through more than three axes in a controlled, simultaneous way.
The distinction that matters is between indexing — where the rotary axes lock while cutting happens. And simultaneous motion, where all axes interpolate together. Simultaneous motion is what produces a continuous surface on an impeller blade; indexing is what keeps a clocked hole pattern cheap.
What to ask before believing a multi-axis machining claim
Ask whether the programmes are verified by simulation before release, and ask to see the collision report. On multi-axis work the number of collision cases grows with each rotary axis, and a supplier that cannot show you how it checks them is guessing.
None of these questions are hostile and all of them are cheap. A plant with the capability answers them easily; a brochure cannot.
What design decisions move the cost on machining services?
On multi-axis work the hidden cost is verification time. Every additional rotary axis multiplies the collision cases that have to be simulated before the programme is released, so geometry that forces the head into an awkward attitude is expensive even when it cuts quickly. Where a feature can be reached with the head upright, leaving it upright is worth real money.
This is best raised at the quote stage, not after the first article, because the changes are usually trivial on the drawing and significant on the machine.
What do the certificates actually cover?
Three certificates, each with a number you can check with the registrar:
| Standard | Certificate number | Scope note |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 | 116024/A/0001/UK/En | Quality management system |
| IATF 16949:2016 | 131941/A/0001/SM/En | Automotive QMS, excludes clause 8.3 product design |
| ISO 14001:2015 | 116024/B/0001/UK/En | Environmental management system |
The IATF 16949 certificate excludes clause 8.3 (product design). That is normal for a build-to-print manufacturer and it is stated here rather than left for an auditor to discover: we manufacture against your design, it does not originate the design.
What tolerance applies?
±0.003 mm on CNC milling, ±0.002 mm on CNC turning; ±0.002 mm where precision grinding or wire EDM is used, set feature by feature when we quote.
Which geometries justify multi-axis machining?
Parts whose critical surfaces are curved or whose features are distributed around more than one datum.
Rates rise with axis count, but the saving appears in fixture count and in the number of times a part is handled.
Where does multi-axis machining stop paying?
More axes means more collision cases to verify offline. Simulation is not optional, and that verification time belongs in the quote.
This boundary is stated deliberately. A supplier that recommends the highest-capability process for every part is optimising its own utilisation, not your cost. And the tell is a quote that never suggests simplifying the design.
What does the setup cost, and when is it worth it?
Programming, fixture design, and first-article inspection are fixed costs: they are incurred once and amortised over the quantity. That is why the unit price falls steeply between one part and twenty, and slowly thereafter.
The practical consequence is that a fixture worth building for fifty parts is not worth building for two, and a supplier that quotes the same unit price at both quantities has not thought about how it will hold the part.
Who is on the other side of the purchase order?
The legal entity behind this site is Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd, founded 2005 and registered in China under Social Credit Code 91441900MA4UWT6X39, marketing under the name Zhuohang Precision Machining Factory. Its registered and production address is No. 8, Shuibian Songyuan Road, Hengli Town, Dongguan, Guangdong, China 523470.
Use the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System and the 18-character code to verify a Chinese manufacturer. Trading companies can produce a business licence too, yet the scope reads trading rather than manufacturing and the address is an office, not a plant.
How much capacity sits behind it?
a hundred-odd machines with depth in every relevant family. 50+ three-axis, 20+ four-axis, 20+ five-axis, 25+ turning centres, plus Swiss-type, grinding, and wire EDM.
What this shop actually runs
If you ask for capability evidence, you deserve a specific answer. This facility operates 100+ CNC machines across 6,800 m2 in Dongguan, China, staffed by 100+ people. The machines, listed by category:
- 5-axis machining centres (10+) - Mazak VARIAXIS I-600 (510/910/510 mm travel, 12,000 rpm, 22 kW, 71.6 N·m, 30-tool BT40) and Mazak INTEGREX I-250H S (B-axis 0.0001°, 24 kW, 124 N·m, 38-tool HSK-A63). Used on compound-angle parts, single-setup multi-face prismatic work, and aerospace fittings where datum transfer loss is unacceptable.
- 3-axis / 4-axis machining centres (50+) - Brother SPEEDIO S500Z2N / S700Z2N (10,000 rpm, 14/21-tool ATC, 0.7 s tool-to-tool, Z-axis 2.2 G) and Mazak VCE-430A L / VCE-570C L (10,000 rpm, 118 N·m, 24-tool ATC). Used on prismatic parts, plates, brackets, housings.
- Swiss-type turning centres (10+) - Citizen Cincom A20-3F7 (Φ20 mm, 10,000 rpm), TSUGAMI B0206-III / B0205-III (Φ20 mm, 0.1 µm), STAR SR-32JII / SR-32J Type N (Φ32 mm, 8,000 rpm). Used on long, slender rotational parts at ±0.002 mm.
- CNC turning centres (20+) - HEADMAN T70M/1250 (720 mm swing, 117 mm bore, 3,000 rpm, BMT75 12-station turret). Used on shafts, bushings, flanges up to ±0.002 mm.
- Wire EDM (5+) - Sodick AQ535L (550/350/300 mm travel, ±20° taper, 800 kg workpiece). Used on hardened tool steel, internal splines, sharp internal corners that milling cannot reach.
- Inspection: Hexagon CMM + 20+ gauges - Hexagon CMM for coordinate measurement, plus vision system, profilometer, hardness tester, coating thickness gauge, XRF for material verification. The 10:1 rule (gauge 10x more accurate than the band) is applied to every feature.
- Machine highlights - VARIAXIS I-600: one-setup multi-face 5-axis + MAZA-CHECK auto-calibration; INTEGREX I-250H S: DONE-IN-ONE mill-turn, B-axis 0.0001° + Ai thermal shield; SPEEDIO S500Z2N / S700Z2N: Z-axis 2.2 G + 0.7 s ATC; Swiss-type: guide-bush switchable + 0.1 µm resolution.
Tolerance bands: ±0.003 mm milled, ±0.002 mm turned, ±0.002 mm ground or wire-cut. Capability indices: Ppk >= 1.67 at the initial study; Cpk >= 1.33 ongoing in production.
Certifications: ISO 9001:2015 (116024/A/0001/UK/En) · IATF 16949:2016 (131941/A/0001/SM/En, design clause 8.3 excluded) · ISO 14001:2015 (116024/B/0001/UK/En), held by Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd (USCC 91441900MA4UWT6X39, since 2005).
Service area: we supply Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom in Europe; Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States in the Americas; China, Israel, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka in Asia; Australia and New Zealand in Oceania; and South Africa in Africa, with worldwide delivery from China.
Contact: Felipe Iglesias, [email protected], +86 13126536955.
Get a quote with the cost drivers named
Send your drawing to [email protected] or call +86 13126536955. We will tell you which tolerance or setup is driving the number, not just the number.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is material traceability maintained?
Incoming stock is checked against the mill certificate — composition by XRF, hardness where specified — and traceability is held per heat or per batch as the certificate defines it.
Are you a manufacturer or a trading company?
A manufacturer. The legal entity is Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd (Registration No. 91441900MA4UWT6X39), operating a 6,800 m² facility with over a hundred machines and 100+ staff in Dongguan. Factory visits are welcome.
What parts suit multi-axis work best?
Parts whose critical surfaces are curved or whose features are distributed around more than one datum. On the wrong geometry the extra axes cost programming time and buy nothing.
What tolerances can you hold?
In short, ±0.003 mm on CNC milling, ±0.002 mm on CNC turning, and ±0.002 mm where precision grinding or wire EDM is used. The achievable tolerance depends on geometry, material, and datum structure, so it is agreed per feature during quoting rather than guessed from a single quoted figure.
Which markets do you export to?
In short, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom in Europe; Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States in the Americas; China, Israel, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka in Asia; Australia and New Zealand in Oceania; and South Africa in Africa. Our service area also spans Europe, the Americas, Asia, Oceania and Africa — based in China, we serve customers worldwide.
What happens if the first article does not conform?
In short, The nonconformance is documented and the corrective action is agreed before any further parts are made. Whether the replacement cost sits with the plant or the customer depends on where the deviation came from, which is why the revision and the drawing standard are confirmed in writing at the start.
What is the difference between a prototype build and a production build here?
Usually only quantity and scheduling. Both run on the same machines and the same process, which is what makes a later ramp a scheduling change rather than a re-qualification.
Continue reading: 3 Axis Machining Services · 4 Axis Machining Services · Multi
Standards referenced on this page
- ASTM A582/A582M-12 — Standard Specification for Free-Machining Stainless Steel Bars
- ISO 14001 — Environmental management systems — Requirements with guidance for use
- IATF 16949:2016 — Automotive quality management system standard