The short answer
The minimum order quantity for CNC turned parts is set mostly by setup: the hours a skilled setter spends on tooling, fixtures and first parts, which cost the same for 200 parts as for 2,000. There is no industry standard: MOQs on marketplace listings run from one piece to several thousand, because shops are built for different batch sizes. The same holds for any CNC machining MOQ: ask each supplier what its minimum is counted on, what happens below it and what a repeat order costs.
A note on who wrote this: we are a CNC turning factory in Dongguan. Our trial runs start at 200 pcs per drawing and regular production at 2,000 pcs. Each section gives the general picture first, then our own terms. Jump to our MOQ at a glance
Where the MOQ for CNC turned parts comes from
Before the first good part, someone writes the program, sets the tools, makes or fits the fixtures, cuts test parts and checks the first article. That work is the same whether the batch is 200 parts or 2,000. Outside finishing adds a second minimum: anodizers, platers and heat treaters charge per batch, so a small batch pays more per part. How batch size changes the unit price
How we answer: our real limit is setters and machine time. Setting up a simple part takes us about half an hour; a part with several operations can take two days. On Swiss-type and mill-turn work the setup cost is in the tooling and fixtures, and we do not have spare setters and machines to run very small batches on their own. Anodizing, plating and heat treatment all carry a minimum charge per batch from our finishing suppliers.
It counts per drawing, not per order
Each drawing needs its own program, tools and first-article check, so turning shops usually count the minimum per part number. Combining several small parts on one purchase order does not usually help; ordering more of the parts you use most does.
How we answer: our minimum is 200 pcs per drawing. Repeat orders are also from 200 pcs. Materials such as 316 stainless steel and PEEK have the same minimum.
If you need fewer than 200 parts
For low-volume CNC turning there are three common routes: a shop set up for prototypes and one-offs, paying the setup cost on its own line, or accepting a higher unit price. Whichever you take, ask who actually makes the parts and who inspects them, because a low MOQ often means the order is placed with another shop.
How we answer: below 200 pcs, a partner workshop that specialises in small batches machines the parts. You still order from us: we quote, the parts come to our factory and are inspected against your drawing before we ship them, and our guarantee applies. We take 200-piece trial runs in our own factory when the part is likely to move to production volume.
Meet the MOQ without holding the stock
If the minimum is more than you can use at once, ask whether the supplier will make the batch in one run and ship it in releases. You get the unit price of the larger run, and the parts wait in the supplier’s store instead of yours. Agree how long the stock is held and when it is invoiced. How to plan batch quantities
How we answer: this is how we usually work. We make the parts in one run, keep them at our factory and ship them as you call them off, for up to 12 months, depending on how long we have worked together.
What a repeat order should cost
One-time charges such as fixtures and programming should be paid once, not on every order. Ask each supplier whether setup is in the unit price or a separate line, and whether fixtures are kept for the next order. Spread any one-time charge over the quantity you expect to buy over the part’s life. How to compare quotes on the same basis
How we answer: setup is normally included in our unit price, not charged separately, and a repeat order is made at the unit price. Where a part needs its own fixture, it is a separate line on the first quotation; it is kept for the next order and not charged again.
Choose the first quantity
Start with the smallest batch that tells you what you need: whether the parts fit and pass your inspection, and whether the supplier delivers on time. Then move to the batch size the supplier is built for, where setup is shared across more parts.
How we answer: every order starts with a first-article check of every dimension on the drawing. Parts that do not meet the drawing are replaced or refunded free of charge, with freight both ways paid by us, if reported within 30 days of receiving the goods. Send a drawing with your quantities
Our MOQ at a glance
| Below 200 pcs | A partner workshop that specialises in small batches machines the parts. We quote, inspect them at our factory against the drawing and ship them, under our guarantee. |
|---|---|
| 200 pcs | Our trial run, taken when the part is likely to move to production volume. |
| 2,000 pcs and up | Regular production: the batch size our setters and machines are planned around. |
| Counted per | Drawing. Three parts of 100 pcs each are three orders below the minimum, not one order of 300. |
| Repeat orders | Also from 200 pcs, at the unit price, with no new setup charge; fixtures are kept and not charged again. |
| Harder-to-buy materials | The same 200 pcs minimum. |
| Scheduled deliveries | Usually made in one run and shipped in releases; we can hold the stock for up to 12 months, depending on how long we have worked together. |
| Outside finishing | Anodizing, plating and heat treatment carry a minimum charge per batch, so small batches pay more per part. |
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