CNC Prototyping, Manufacturing and Testing

CNC Prototyping Services in the UK

A machined prototype lets you check form, fit and function in the real material before you commit to a larger order. Our CNC machining and turning work covers one-off prototypes through to low- and high-volume production, so the part you approve can go on to production. We work to tight tolerances on complex parts, for industries including engineering, defence, medical technology, aerospace, automotive and robotics.

• Processes: CNC machining and turning, fabrication and welding, SLA and carbon fibre 3D printing
• Materials: we can machine any material, from aluminium to titanium and Inconel
• Lead times: smaller CNC machined parts and fabrication work typically within 2–3 days; 3D printed structural parts and tooling within a day or so, sometimes within hours. Larger or more complex work depends on size and complexity.
• Quantities: from one-off prototypes to low- and high-volume production
• What to send us: drawings in any 2D or 3D format, including PDFs, STEP, IGES, DWG/DXF and native CAD files, or a physical sample

Not sure if CNC is the right route? We’ll advise. CNC machining gives you the properties of the production material. SLA and carbon fibre 3D printing can be faster for early prototypes, tooling and complex, lightweight geometries.

From Prototype to Production: How We Work

1. Design and engineering review
We start with your drawing, CAD model or sample. If you need design input, our engineering design team models parts in SolidWorks, Creo and Siemens NX, and produces drawings to BS 8888. Where needed, we run tolerance stack analysis and advise on material selection. If you only have a physical part, we can 3D scan it (accurate to 0.1 mm) to create a digital model for reverse engineering.

2. Rapid prototyping
For early design checks, tooling and structural parts, our SLA and carbon fibre 3D printers can produce parts within a day or so, and sometimes within hours.

3. CNC machining and turning
Parts are machined to drawing in materials from aluminium to titanium and Inconel. This works for both low- and high-volume production, so a prototype can move to batch manufacture without starting again.

4. Fabrication, welding and finishing
Where a project needs structural components, frames or assemblies, our fabricators and welders build them alongside the machined parts. Parts can then be spray painted and finished to your specification.

5. Testing and verification
We check designs and parts against the design intent using analysis, 3D scanning and, for rotating assemblies, dyno testing. See Prototyping and Testing below.

6. Delivery, installation and commissioning
Most assemblies are built in our own facility, then delivered and commissioned on site. For larger projects, we can also manufacture and commission on site.

Prototyping and Testing

A prototype is only useful if it tells you something. We combine analysis with physical testing, so that design problems show up before production and performance can be tracked once parts are in service:

• Simulation before manufacture: FEA (Finite Element Analysis) and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) in ANSYS. These predict performance under real-world conditions, so designs can be refined before metal is cut.
• Hand calculations: independent hand calculations to verify key aspects of the design and to cross-check FEA and CFD results.
• Dimensional inspection: high-resolution 3D scanning, accurate to 0.1 mm, to compare finished parts against the design model.
• Dyno testing: dynamometer testing of rotating assemblies to confirm performance before they go into service.
• Condition monitoring: for parts and equipment already in service, our condition monitoring service tracks how they perform over time.

Results go back into the design, so each version moves closer to a part that is ready for production and reliable in service.