- over a hundred machines including 20+ 5-axis centres; 100+ staff, 80%+ skilled technicians.
- Exports to 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, serving customers worldwide.
- 3 Axis Machining: Prismatic parts, plates, brackets, manifolds with faces on one or two planes, and any geometry where the longest tool can reach the deepest feature without colliding with a wall.
- Where it stops: Undercuts, angled bores, and deep cavities with narrow openings are where three axes stop — either the tool will not fit, or it has to be so long that it deflects.
- Prototype and production run on the same floor and the same process.
What 3 axis machining changes about the process
3 axis machining is three linear axes (X, Y, Z) with the tool held perpendicular to the work plane.
Every feature is reached from one tool direction. A part that needs work on five faces needs five setups, and every setup adds a datum transfer, the tolerance stack grows by the repeatability of each re-fixturing, not by the machine's own accuracy.
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.
How do you verify a supplier really has this capability?
Three-axis work is the easiest to buy and the easiest to get wrong on datum structure. Ask how the part is located for each setup and what the fixture repeatability is, because on a multi-setup part the tolerance stack grows by the fixture's repeatability, not by the machine's accuracy.
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 swiss CNC machining?
Three things cut cost on three-axis work without changing the part's function: open internal corner radii to a standard cutter diameter rather than a nominal 1 mm, keep cavity depth below roughly four times the cutter diameter so a short tool can reach the floor, and hold a general tolerance on everything that is not a mating feature. Each of these changes the tool that can be used, and the tool drives cycle time.
This is cheaper to settle at quote time than once parts already exist, because the changes are usually trivial on the drawing and significant on the machine.
What the certificates cover, line by line
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: the shop builds to the design you supply, 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, agreed per feature during quoting.
Where does 3 axis machining pay off on swiss CNC machining?
Prismatic parts, plates, brackets, manifolds with faces on one or two planes, and any geometry where the longest tool can reach the deepest feature without colliding with a wall.
Lowest hourly rate and shortest programming time. On a simple prismatic part there is no reason to pay for axes you will not use.
What 3 axis machining cannot do
Undercuts, angled bores, and deep cavities with narrow openings are where three axes stop — either the tool will not fit, or it has to be so long that it deflects.
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.
Who is on the other side of the purchase order?
Legally this is Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd, established 2005, Social Credit Code 91441900MA4UWT6X39, operating under the name Zhuohang Precision Machining Factory from No. 8, Shuibian Songyuan Road, Hengli Town, Dongguan, Guangdong, China 523470.
The 18-character code, checked against the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, confirms a real manufacturer. A trading company may hold a business licence as well, but its scope is trading, not manufacturing, and its address is an office rather than a plant.
How much capacity sits behind it?
over a hundred 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 the extra axes actually buy
The axis count is about setups, not precision. A 3-axis machine cuts from one direction, so a part with features on several faces needs to be re-fixtured between operations - and every re-fixture introduces a small error. A 4-axis machine adds rotation, and a 5-axis machine can reach five sides in one setup, so the features on several faces stay in the same coordinate frame and line up. For a part that is a prismatic block, 3-axis is enough and cheapest; for a part with angled or multi-face features, the extra axes buy accuracy and fewer operations. You choose the axis count for the geometry, not by habit.
How to read an axis-based quote
If a part genuinely needs 5-axis work, the quote reflects one setup and tighter feature relationships; if a shop puts a 3-axis part on a 5-axis machine and charges for it, you are paying for capability the geometry does not use. This floor runs 3-, 4- and 5-axis machines including the Mazak VARIAXIS I-600 five-axis and the INTEGREX I-250H S mill-turn, at ±0.003 mm milled. Contact Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955 with the drawing and ask which axis count the geometry actually justifies.
How to verify the claim in one email
The fastest way to separate a real floor from a brochure is to ask for the machine list and the certificate numbers - and this facility answers in one email. Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd operates 100+ CNC machines across 6,800 m² in Hengli Town, Dongguan: Mazak VARIAXIS I-600 five-axis, INTEGREX I-250H S mill-turn, Brother SPEEDIO, and TSUGAMI, STAR and CITIZEN Swiss lathes. Inspection is on a Hexagon CMM with the 10:1 gauge rule, certification is to ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 14001:2015, and critical characteristics run at Ppk 1.67 initial and Cpk 1.33 in production.
Worldwide buyers across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Oceania and Africa are supplied from Dongguan. MOQ is 1 piece, lead times run roughly 3 / 7 / 30 days, and the quote from Felipe Iglesias ([email protected], +86 13126536955) comes back with the routing and the capability evidence together.
Take the next step
One drawing and one quantity is the whole hand-off. Send a STEP or IGES model and a 2D drawing with the tolerances, datums, material grade and finish, state the quantity and lead time, and the reply is an itemised quote - material, setup, cycle time, inspection - rather than a round number. If the drawing is incomplete, send what you have and the open questions; the point is to open the conversation, not to wait for a perfect package.
Contact Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955. MOQ is 1 piece, lead times run about 3 / 7 / 30 days, and the service area covers 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, shipped worldwide from Dongguan.
De-risking a first order
Start with a handful of parts to confirm the routing and the tolerance, then scale. The same machines, the same inspection bench and the same certificate numbers apply to a single piece and a production run alike, so a small first batch is the proof that a large one will hold the same numbers.
Aluminium 6061-T6 is the fastest, most economical metal to machine on this floor, so an aluminium part in a standard finish is usually the quickest to quote and ship; stainless, titanium and Inconel each add time and cost for their properties.
What this shop actually runs
Capability evidence should come as specifics, not slogans. Behind this guide is a 6,800 m2 plant in Dongguan, China running 100+ CNC machines with 100+ staff. The machine list 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). Practical for 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). Practical for 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). Practical for 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). Practical for shafts, bushings, flanges up to ±0.002 mm.
- Wire EDM (5+) - Sodick AQ535L (550/350/300 mm travel, ±20° taper, 800 kg workpiece). Practical for 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: ±0.003 mm CNC milling / ±0.002 mm CNC turning / ±0.002 mm grinding and wire EDM. Capability: Ppk >= 1.67 initial on key characteristics, Cpk >= 1.33 ongoing.
Certificates: ISO 9001:2015 (116024/A/0001/UK/En), IATF 16949:2016 (131941/A/0001/SM/En, with design clause 8.3 excluded, stated openly) and ISO 14001:2015 (116024/B/0001/UK/En), issued to Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd, registration 91441900MA4UWT6X39, founded 2005.
Where we ship: 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 — plus other countries and regions worldwide, shipped from our base in Dongguan, China.
Contact: Felipe Iglesias, [email protected], +86 13126536955.
Not sure this is the right process?
Send the model and the drawing and get a straight answer on whether this route is the right one, including where a design change would cut cost. Reach Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are parts packed for export?
Packing is chosen per part — finished faces bagged and boxed, steel corrosion-protected. Include it in the quote, since it changes the cost and how the parts arrive.
Can 3 axis machining work scale from prototype to production?
Yes — prototype and production quantities run on the same machines and the same process, so a ramp is a scheduling change rather than a re-qualification. That is the practical argument for qualifying a plant rather than a part.
Is 3 axis always better than fewer axes?
In short, No. Undercuts, angled bores, and deep cavities with narrow openings are where three axes stop — either the tool will not fit, or it has to be so long that it deflects.
What materials do you machine?
Aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, brass, copper, and Inconel for metals; PEEK and Delrin (POM) for plastics. Material certificates are verified on incoming stock.
How is an engineering change handled mid-production?
The change is documented against a revision, the affected parts in process are identified, and the revised drawing is confirmed in writing before work restarts. The important part is that the revision in force at any moment is a single, written one.
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 registered entity is Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd (No. 91441900MA4UWT6X39), a 6,800 m² facility with 100+ machines and 100+ staff in Dongguan, open to factory visits.
Continue reading: 4 Axis Swiss CNC Machining · 5 Axis Swiss CNC Machining · Multi Axis Swiss CNC Machining
Standards referenced on this page
- ASTM B211/B211M-19 — Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Rolled or Cold Finished Bar, Rod, and Wire
- ASTM A582/A582M-12 — Standard Specification for Free-Machining Stainless Steel Bars
- ISO 9001 — Quality management systems — Requirements