- 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.
- Dongguan Zhuohang Ltd (Registration No. 91441900MA4UWT6X39), operating as Zhuohang Precision Machining Factory, established 2005.
- Aluminum: Aluminium is the forgiving end of the spectrum: it cuts fast, conducts heat away from the edge, and is easy on tools.
- Grades in regular use: 6061-T6 for general work and anodising, 7075-T6 for strength, 6082 for structural use in Europe, 2024 where fatigue matters.
- Incoming stock is verified against the mill certificate before it is cut.
Why aluminum needs its own process
Aluminium is the forgiving end of the spectrum: it cuts fast, conducts heat away from the edge, and is easy on tools. The problems are different. Built-up edge at low speed, chip evacuation in deep pockets, and the fact that a fast cycle time makes the setup time a larger fraction of the cost, so batch size dominates price.
Cast plate and wrought bar behave differently under stress relief and can move differently after machining, worth stating on the drawing.
Finishing options for aluminum
Anodising (Type II and Type III hardcoat), chem film, and powder coat are all routine. Type II adds roughly 5–15 µm per surface, which must be allowed for on threaded and press-fit features.
You specify finishing on the drawing, not assume it at the end. Where a coating adds thickness, threaded and press-fit features need the allowance stated, because a coating applied after inspection changes the fit.
Why aluminum costs what it costs to cut
The problems are different, built-up edge at low speed, chip evacuation in deep pockets, and the fact that a fast cycle time makes the setup time a larger fraction of the cost, so batch size dominates price.
The lever that matters most for you is usually design rather than process: pocket depth, corner radius, and wall thickness change cycle time more than any tooling choice, because they determine the tool that can be used and therefore how much material can be removed per minute.
Three things that change the price without changing the part
Aluminium cuts fast, so setup time becomes a larger share of the cost and batch size dominates the unit price. The design levers are chip evacuation in deep pockets and wall stability — a 1 mm wall on a large pocket will move under cutting pressure even in aluminium, and holding it flat costs a slower finishing pass.
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 is certified, and what is deliberately not?
Three certificates, each with a number you can check with the registrar: ISO 9001:2015 (116024/A/0001/UK/En), IATF 16949:2016 (131941/A/0001/SM/En), and ISO 14001:2015 (116024/B/0001/UK/En).
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: we manufacture against your design, 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, set feature by feature when we quote.
Grade selection for aluminum
6061-t6, 7075-t6, 6082, 2024, and cast plate grades are the grades that come up in practice. 6061-T6 for general work and anodising, 7075-T6 for strength, 6082 for structural use in Europe, 2024 where fatigue matters.
Your grade selection is usually settled by the service environment. Corrosion, strength, or temperature. And only then by machinability. If you choose on machinability first, your part meets the drawing and fails in service.
Dimensional behaviour of aluminum
High thermal expansion means a part measured warm will measure differently when cool. On a tight-tolerance part the finishing pass is taken after the part has returned to ambient, and the measurement is taken at 20 °C.
The general rule for your part is that a tolerance is held by the process, not by the machine. Where a feature is tight, the finishing pass is separated from roughing, the part is allowed to stabilise, and the measurement is taken at a controlled temperature.
What identifies the legal entity behind the machines?
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?
more than 100 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 a Swiss machine does differently
A Swiss-style lathe feeds the bar through a guide bushing, so the cutting happens right at the support instead of along a long overhang. That is what lets it hold a tight tolerance on a long, thin part that would deflect and chatter on a conventional lathe. It is the process for small-diameter, high-aspect-ratio parts - pins, shafts, connectors, medical screws - where the ratio of length to diameter is what defeats an ordinary setup.
When to choose Swiss turning
Choose Swiss turning when the part is small in diameter and long in proportion, and the tolerance matters. It is not the cheapest way to make a short, fat part, and it is not the process for a part with a large head that does not fit through the guide bushing. If you know the length-to-diameter ratio, you choose correctly. This floor runs TSUGAMI B0206-III and B0205-III, STAR SR-32JII and SR-32J Type N, and Citizen Cincom A20-3F7 Swiss lathes at ±0.002 mm. Contact Felipe Iglesias at [email protected] or +86 13126536955 with the drawing.
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.
Send the model and the volume, and the quote returns with the routing, the tolerance and the certificate attached.
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). Aimed at 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). Aimed at 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). Aimed at 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). Aimed at shafts, bushings, flanges up to ±0.002 mm.
- Wire EDM (5+) - Sodick AQ535L (550/350/300 mm travel, ±20° taper, 800 kg workpiece). Aimed at 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 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.
Can you work to ASME Y14.5 as well as ISO?
Yes. Both geometric dimensioning conventions are used. The important thing is that the drawing states which one applies, because the same symbol can mean different things under the two standards.
Do you certify aluminum material?
Yes. Material certificates are supplied with the parts and incoming stock is checked against the mill certificate — composition by XRF, hardness where specified. Traceability is per heat or per batch as the certificate defines it.
Do you hold stock or consignment for repeat orders?
Repeat orders can run against a forecast so stock and, where the part warrants it, dedicated fixturing are held ready. This is a commercial arrangement, not a standard term, so raise it at the second order rather than the first.
Is your IATF 16949 certificate valid for design work?
No. The certificate excludes clause 8.3 (product design). The plant is certified to manufacture to your design and to run the associated process controls, not to originate product design.
What files do you need for a quote?
In short, A 3D model (STEP or IGES) with a 2D drawing carrying the tolerances, surface finish callouts, material spec and any inspection or certification requirements. The drawing defines the contract — the model alone usually leaves the tolerance scheme unspecified.
Does aluminum cost more to machine than aluminium?
Usually yes, and the reason differs by material: for titanium it is cutting speed and tool consumption, for stainless it is cycle time and work-hardening management. The lever that matters most is usually design depth rather than process choice.
Continue reading: 3 Axis CNC Swiss Turning · 4 Axis CNC Swiss Turning · 5 Axis CNC Swiss Turning
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