From one piece upwards. That one counts too.
A prototype, a spare, or fifty pieces that other suppliers will not run. Small quantities are not a favour here, they are part of the mix, with the same process control as a series run.
Why a small quantity is hard to place.
A small run needs the same setup as a large one, spread over far fewer pieces. That is why small quantities are often priced out or turned down.
Batch-size range is where we are genuinely strong, and it is why the mix works: prototypes and small runs sit alongside series work rather than interrupting it.
If a first piece becomes a series later, the route is already documented and the second order does not start again from the beginning.
What changes when the quantity is small.
A first piece, made like a part
A prototype is measured and documented the same way a series part is, so what you test is what you will later buy.
Small and medium runs, as standard
Small and medium runs are standard work here, not an exception made for you.
The second order is faster
The route, the fixture and the measurement plan stay on file. A repeat run is priced against them, not against a blank sheet.
One piece is an inquiry.
If there is no drawing, a photograph of the old part and the two dimensions that matter are enough to start.
Answer within TODOThe interval belongs here, on every form on the site, and it is the last thing a buyer reads before deciding whether to attach the drawing. Nothing FME publishes states one, so the form asks for a drawing and promises nothing back. /contact#form
Drawings stay confidential · NDA on request
Common questions about one-offs and small batches
When the quantity is the reason other suppliers say no.
- Will FME make a single part?
- Yes. A one-off, a prototype and a spare are ordinary orders here, not a favour. From prototype to series, from a single component to a complete assembly.TODO: confirm the batch range, the floor as well as the ceiling. FME publishes neitherThe facts strip on the home page marks the same range. Here the floor matters more than the ceiling: this page exists to tell somebody with five pieces that they will not be turned away. /#facts
- Which process suits which quantity?
- For something to look at or a first fitting, 3D printing in plastic or resin is fast and cheap. For a working metal part it is turned, milled or eroded, from one piece. For a plastic series, injection moulding starts at a hundred pieces.
- Can a part be remade without a drawing?
- A sketch, a photograph of the old part and the two dimensions that matter are enough for a feasibility answer. The price waits for the drawing.
- Can a prototype become a series later?
- That is the usual route: from prototype through small series to automated production, on the same drawings and with the same contact.
We can also help with…
A part rarely fits one situation only. If two of them apply to yours, say so in the inquiry and we will price it that way.
Complex assembly
Several components, several processes, and no single supplier who can take all of it.
Inquire about an assemblyDeadline at risk
A load peak your own shop cannot absorb, or a date that cannot move.
Inquire with a deadlineRegulated part
Medtech or another regulated field: you need the file with the part, not after it.
Inquire with documentationSend the drawing. Get a price and a date. It can be that simple.
One component or a complete assembly. You get one price and one date.