Most hardware engineering teams hit the same wall at the same point in a project. The CAD model is ready. The BOM is locked. Firmware is running on a dev board. Then comes the mechanical work: a test fixture, an aluminium housing, a custom bracket — and suddenly the question of how to actually get that part made becomes the blocker.Designing for manufacture is covered in textbooks. Finding a reliable shop to make your part on schedule, at the right tolerance, and without requiring a procurement department behind you is not. That gap is where a lot of prototype-to-production timelines fall apart.This article covers what hardware and mechanical engineers need to understand about the practical realities of sourcing CNC milled components — particularly from China, where the majority of high-vo ...
