FAQ
1. Quoting
Q: How do I get a quote from SkillsProto? A: Email your CAD file (STEP / IGES / SolidWorks), 2D drawing (PDF) and quantity to lisa@ (or use the Quote Request page). We return a fixed quote with DFM notes within 24 hours on working days.
Q: Is the quote free? A: Yes. Every quote is free, with no obligation to order. We include DFM feedback and lead-time estimate as part of the quote.
Q: How long is a quote valid? A: 30 days from issue. After 30 days we may re-quote if material prices or capacity have changed.
2. Lead Times
Q: What is your fastest prototype lead time? A: 2 working days for SLA 3D printing and 3 working days for CNC machining of standard materials. Express options are also available for other processes on request.
Q: What is a typical prototype lead time? A: 3–7 days for CNC, 5–10 days for sheet metal, 5–10 days for vacuum casting, 7–15 days for FRP, 10–15 days for prototype injection moulding (aluminium).
Q: What is a typical production lead time? A: 15–30 days for low-volume production; 45–60 days for die casting tooling + first articles.
Q: Do you offer expedited lead times? A: Yes. Express surcharges apply for time-critical projects; contact us with your deadline.
3. Payment Terms
Q: What payment methods do you accept? A: T/T (wire transfer) in USD, EUR or GBP; PayPal for samples and small orders; L/C (letter of credit) for large production orders.
Q: What are your standard payment terms? A: 30% deposit on order confirmation, 70% balance before shipment for prototypes and small batches. For production orders we can offer Net 30 against approved credit.
Q: Can I pay by credit card? A: Yes, via PayPal (we absorb the fee for orders over USD 500).
4. Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)
Q: Is there a minimum order quantity? A: No MOQ for CNC, sheet metal and 3D printing — single prototypes are welcome. Injection moulding has a typical minimum of 100+ parts to amortise tooling. Die casting typically starts at 500+ parts.
Q: Can I order one prototype? A: Yes. Single CNC parts, single 3D prints and single vacuum cast parts are routinely ordered for design validation.
5. NDA and IP Protection
Q: Will you sign an NDA? A: Yes. We are happy to sign your NDA before receiving CAD. We also offer our standard mutual NDA on request.
Q: How do you protect my intellectual property? A: All customer files are stored on access-controlled servers. We do not disclose customer projects to third parties. Tooling and parts are marked with your part number, not ours.
Q: Who owns the tooling? A: You do. All tooling (moulds, jigs, fixtures) is owned by the customer and stored for repeat orders at no charge for the first 12 months.
6. File Formats
Q: What file formats do you accept? A: STEP (.stp / .step), IGES (.igs), SolidWorks (.sldprt / .sldasm), Parasolid (.x_t), STL is accepted for 3D printing reference only. For 2D drawings we accept PDF, DWG and DXF.
Q: Do I need a 2D drawing? A: A 2D drawing is recommended for any part with tight tolerances, GD&T or critical-to-function features. For prototypes with general tolerance (ISO 2768-m), a 3D CAD file is usually sufficient.
Q: Can you work from a sketch or photo? A: We can quote rough orders from sketches for budgetary purposes, but a formal quote requires CAD.
7. Currencies
Q: What currency do you quote in? A: GBP, USD, EUR or CNY — whichever is easiest for you. UK clients typically quote in GBP; EU in EUR; US in USD.
Q: Are your prices inclusive of UK VAT? A: No — all quotes are exclusive of VAT for UK B2B clients (reverse charge applies with your VAT registration).
8. Samples
Q: Can I get a sample before production? A: Yes. For production orders we offer pre-production samples (typically 1–5 parts) at the production unit cost + sample setup fee. Sample fee is refunded against the production order.
Q: How long does it take to get a sample? A: Sample lead time matches the prototype lead time of the chosen process (typically 3–15 working days).
9. Shipping & Logistics
Q: What shipping methods do you offer? A: DHL / FedEx / UPS for samples and small urgent shipments (2–4 days). Air freight for prototypes and small batches (3–5 days). Sea freight for production volumes (30–35 days to UK / EU).
Q: Do you ship DDP (delivered duty paid)? A: Yes — DDP, DDU and FOB are all available. DDP includes UK / EU customs clearance and duties.
Q: Can you hold stock for us? A: Yes — buffer stock is available in our Shenzhen warehouse and EU warehouse. Call-off schedules are supported.
10. Quality & Inspection
Q: Are you ISO 9001 certified? A: Yes. Our factory network operates under ISO 9001 quality management.
Q: Do you provide First Article Inspection (FAI)? A: Yes — every new tool or first production run includes an FAI report with dimensional layout and CMM measurements on request.
Q: What inspection equipment do you use? A: Calibrated CMM, optical comparator, micrometers, pin gauges, height gauges, surface roughness testers, hardness testers and CMM layouts on request.
Q: Can I visit the factory for inspection? A: Yes — factory visits are welcome. We can arrange local hotel pickup and a guided tour of the relevant workshop.
11. Tolerances
Q: What is your standard tolerance? A: ISO 2768-m (medium) is the default. Tighter tolerances are available on critical features (down to ±0.02 mm on geometry that supports it).
Q: Can you hold ±0.05 mm? A: Yes, on machined features where the geometry allows. We will flag any feature that cannot reliably hold the requested tolerance during the DFM review.
12. Materials
Q: What materials do you work with? A: Metals (aluminium, steel, stainless, brass, copper, titanium), engineering plastics (ABS, PC, POM, PA, PEEK, PMMA), composites (carbon fibre, glass fibre, aramid) — across all our processes.
Q: Can you source specialty materials? A: Yes — we source specialty alloys, filled resins and certified materials on request. Lead time and MOQ may vary.
Q: Do you provide material certificates? A: Yes — mill certificates are available on request for an administrative fee.
13. Surface Finishing
Q: What finishes do you offer? A: Anodising (Type II / III), powder coating, wet painting (RAL / Pantone), bead blasting, polishing, plating (Ni / Zn / Cr), passivation, electropolishing, lacquering — managed in-house or through audited partners.
Q: Can you match a RAL or Pantone colour? A: Yes. Send the colour reference and we will include colour match in the quote.
Q: Are finishes included in the lead time? A: Yes — finishes are included in the quoted lead time. No separate scheduling needed.
14. Warranty
Q: What warranty do you offer? A: 12 months from delivery against manufacturing defects. We will remake or refund any defective part within the warranty period.
Q: How do I make a warranty claim? A: Email us with photos, the part number and a description. We respond within 1 working day with a root-cause analysis and remediation plan.
15. Engineering Changes
Q: Can I change the design after ordering? A: Yes for prototypes before production starts. Once production has started, changes may incur a re-setup charge and lead-time adjustment.
Q: Do you provide DFM feedback? A: Yes — DFM feedback is included on every quote. We flag undercuts, thin walls, draft, tolerance conflicts, finishing risks and cost-reduction opportunities.
16. Confidentiality
Q: Is my design confidential? A: Yes. We sign NDAs as standard. We never share customer projects or designs with third parties.
Q: Can you white-label my brand on parts? A: Yes — your logo, part numbers and packaging marks are applied per your spec. No SkillsProto branding on customer-deliverables unless you want it.
17. Communication
Q: Who will manage my project? A: A dedicated project manager is assigned to every order. They own the quote, the production schedule, the QA and the shipping.
Q: What languages do you speak? A: English and Mandarin as standard. German and French on request for selected projects.
Q: How often will I get updates? A: Weekly status updates for production orders; daily updates for time-critical prototypes. Photos and dimensional reports shared at key milestones.
18. Long-Term Agreements
Q: Do you offer framework agreements? A: Yes — for ongoing volume orders we offer framework agreements with agreed pricing, lead times and quality KPIs.
Q: Do you offer volume discounts? A: Yes — tiered pricing for repeat orders and framework volumes.
Q: Can you support call-off orders? A: Yes — we hold buffer stock and ship to your call-off schedule, with agreed response times.
19. Compliance & Sustainability
Q: Are your parts RoHS / REACH compliant? A: Yes — we source RoHS-compliant materials and finishes. REACH declarations are available on request.
Q: Do you have conflict-mineral policies? A: Yes — we do not source conflict minerals (3TG) from conflict-affected or high-risk areas. CMRT is available on request.
Q: Do you recycle production scrap? A: Yes — metal and plastic scrap is segregated and recycled through certified local recyclers.
20. Getting Started
Q: What is the first step to start a project? A: Send your CAD and 2D drawing to [email protected] with a brief description of the project, target quantity and lead time. We return a fixed quote with DFM notes within 24 hours.