Production Runs from 10,000 to 500,000+ Pieces
Spex produces precision machined parts in volumes from 10,000 to over 500,000 pieces per order. We run four production platforms: multi-spindle screw machines, Swiss CNC lathes, CNC turning centers, and CNC milling centers. Each is suited to different part sizes, geometries, and volume requirements. Materials include carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, bronze, nickel alloys, and titanium.
High-volume production machining at this scale requires more than fast machines. The production model — how jobs are planned, tooled, monitored, and shipped — determines whether 100,000 parts arrive on spec and on time, or whether quality drifts at part 40,000 and delivery slips by three weeks. This page covers how we handle production-volume work and which process fits your part.
Print review and process selection
Before quoting, we evaluate the part geometry, material, tolerances, and volume to determine which platform produces it most efficiently. A simple turned fitting in C360 brass at 100,000 pieces routes to multi-spindle. A 0.5" diameter connector pin with cross-holes and a thread in 303 stainless at 50,000 pieces routes to Swiss. A housing with milled pockets and tapped holes at 5,000 pieces routes to CNC milling. Matching the process to the part keeps cycle times short and per-piece costs down.
Tooling and first article
Dedicated tooling is built or configured for each job. On multi-spindle, that means five stations of tooling optimized for the specific part. On Swiss and CNC, it means programmed tool paths, fixturing, and qualified setups. The first article run produces a small batch — typically 5 to 25 pieces — that gets full dimensional inspection and documented approval before production begins. No production parts ship without an approved first article.
Production run
Once approved, the job runs at production speed. Operators perform dimensional checks at defined intervals throughout the run — not just at the start and end. On longer runs (50,000+ pieces), Statistical Process Control (SPC) tracks critical dimensions in real time, catching trends before they become out-of-tolerance conditions. This is where high-volume production differs from running the same job 50,000 times: the monitoring systems are built to detect drift across tens of thousands of cycles.
Shipping and inventory
Standard production lead times run 3–5 weeks for new jobs and 2–3 weeks on repeat orders where tooling is already built. For ongoing production programs, we offer blanket orders with scheduled releases — you commit to an annual volume, we produce and ship in agreed quantities on a set schedule. Just-in-time (JIT) programs are available for commonly ordered components, with 24–48 hour shipping from finished inventory.
Four machining platforms serve different part profiles. The right choice depends on part size, geometry, complexity, and order quantity.
Multi-Spindle (Davenport)
Highest production rate. Five spindles perform simultaneous operations — turning, threading, drilling, and forming — completing a part every 9–12 seconds on typical jobs. Handles bar stock from 1/4" to 2-5/8" diameter, parts up to 4" long. Optimized for turned parts with simple to moderate complexity produced in quantities above 25,000 pieces. Multi-spindle delivers the lowest per-part cost at volume because setup cost (which is higher than CNC) amortizes over a large run. A 100,000-piece order that takes 250 hours on multi-spindle might take 1,500+ hours on a single-spindle CNC lathe.
Learn more about our multi-spindle machining capabilities →
Swiss CNC Turning
Built for small, precise, complex parts. Processes bar stock up to 7/8" diameter, parts up to 4" long. The guide bushing supports the workpiece directly at the cutting zone, eliminating deflection on small-diameter and high-L/D-ratio parts. Live tooling handles cross-drilling, flats, and off-axis features in a single setup. Swiss is the right platform when the part is too small or too complex for multi-spindle, and the volume justifies the setup. Typical Swiss production runs range from 5,000 to 200,000 pieces.
Learn more about our Swiss screw machining capabilities →
Bar-Fed CNC Turning
Our bar-fed CNC lathes use automatic bar loaders that feed stock continuously into the turning center. This allows semi-unattended operation across extended production runs. Bar-fed CNC turning fills the gap between multi-spindle and one-off job work. It handles parts too large for Swiss (above 7/8" diameter), too complex for multi-spindle (features that require more tool positions or axis combinations than five spindle stations can deliver), or in volumes below the 25,000-piece threshold where multi-spindle setup cost makes sense. Bar stock up to 4" diameter, chucking up to 20". Typical production runs from 1,000 to 50,000+ pieces.
Broaching
Broaching adds features to production parts that turning alone can't produce: keyways, splines, D-shapes, flats, and internal profiles. Our broaching machine handles both internal and external features, which means parts that need a keyway or a machined flat don't leave the shop for a second vendor. On high-volume work, keeping broaching in-house eliminates the lead time, handling, and logistics of shipping parts to an outside broaching shop and getting them back. A turned bushing that needs an internal keyway goes from the lathe to the broach to inspection without leaving the building.
Not every material is equally suited to high-volume production. Free-machining alloys that are specifically engineered with chip-breaking additives run faster, wear tooling less, and hold tolerances more consistently across long runs.
12L14 Steel
12L14 steel is a free-machining carbon steel. The lead addition breaks chips cleanly and allows higher cutting speeds than standard 1018 or 1045. Pins, spacers, bushings, and general-purpose hardware produced at volume run most efficiently in this grade.
303 Stainless Steel
303SS adds sulfur for chip control, giving it dramatically better machinability than 304 or 316. When a part needs stainless corrosion resistance and the volume exceeds 10,000 pieces, 303 reduces cycle time and machining cost substantially compared to non-free-machining grades.
2011 Aluminum
2011 Aluminum is the fastest-cutting aluminum alloy. Bismuth and lead additions produce the short chips that screw machines and Swiss lathes require for unattended production. Instrument components, electronic hardware, and precision fittings at high volume are common 2011 applications.
C14500 Tellurium Copper
C145 copper retains 93% of pure copper's electrical conductivity while machining far more cleanly. Electrical terminals, connector bodies, and ground conductors produced at volume specify C14500 over pure C11000 for exactly this reason.
C360 Brass
C360 brass is the benchmark material for high-volume screw machine production. It produces short, well-formed chips, runs at high speeds, and holds tight tolerances with minimal tool wear. Fittings, connectors, valve components, and threaded hardware in volumes of 50,000+ are typically quoted in C360.
C932 Bronze (SAE 660)
is the standard bearing bronze for high-volume bushing and wear component production. Its lead content provides self-lubricating properties and clean chip formation on screw machines.
Terminal connectors, bus bar components, switch contacts, and ground conductors produced in brass, copper, and aluminum. Volumes from 10,000 to 200,000+ pieces per order. Electrical components often require plating (tin, nickel, silver) as a secondary operation.
Valve bodies, fittings, pressure regulator components, and manifold ports in brass, stainless steel, and bronze. Tight sealing surface tolerances and consistent thread quality across production runs are standard requirements. Volumes from 5,000 to 100,000+ pieces.
Sensor housings, probe fittings, gauge components, and miniature adapters in stainless steel, brass, and aluminum. Small-diameter Swiss-turned parts dominate this category, with tolerances of ±0.001" to ±0.002" held across runs of 10,000 to 50,000 pieces.
Pins, bushings, hydraulic fittings, and coupling components in carbon steel, alloy steel, and stainless steel. These parts see heavy mechanical loads and abrasive environments, so material certifications and hardness verification are typical documentation requirements. Volumes from 5,000 to 100,000 pieces.
Valve components, flow control fittings, and sampling system parts in 316 stainless steel, nickel alloys (Monel, Hastelloy, Inconel), and bronze. Corrosion resistance drives material selection; production volumes are moderate (2,000 to 25,000 pieces) but documentation and traceability requirements are extensive.
Custom fasteners, threaded inserts, spacers, pins, and dowels in steel, stainless steel, and brass. This category covers the widest range of volumes — from 5,000-piece specialty hardware orders to 500,000-piece production runs of standard components. Multi-spindle handles the highest volumes; CNC turning and Swiss cover the more complex and tighter-tolerance work.
Holding tolerances on part number one is straightforward. Holding the same tolerances on part number 87,000 requires a system designed for it. Our ISO 9001:2015 quality management system defines the inspection frequency, measurement methods, and documentation for every production job. On high-volume runs, that includes in-process dimensional checks at intervals based on the material, process, and tolerance requirements. When a run exceeds 50,000 pieces, SPC charting on critical features tracks dimensional trends across the entire run. If a measurement approaches a control limit, the operator adjusts before the tolerance is violated.
Every job ships with the documentation the application requires: material certifications with heat and lot traceability, dimensional inspection reports on critical features, and First Article Inspection Reports (FAIRs) when specified. The paperwork is the same whether the order is 5,000 pieces or 500,000.
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Scalable production
Short lead times
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ISO-9001 certified
Secondary processes
Range of materials
On-time delivery
75+ years in business
Advanced CNC machining
Rapid prototyping
Production pricing typically starts at 5,000 pieces for CNC work and 10,000–25,000 pieces for multi-spindle. The threshold depends on the part — a simple turned pin amortizes setup cost faster than a complex multi-feature housing. Below these quantities, parts are still quoted and produced, but per-piece pricing reflects the higher ratio of setup time to production time.
New jobs with dedicated tooling typically ship in 5–7 weeks depending on volume and complexity. Repeat orders where tooling and programs already exist ship in 2–3 weeks. Blanket order releases against existing inventory ship in 24–48 hours for JIT program components.
Yes. Blanket orders commit to an annual quantity with pricing locked at order placement. We produce and ship in agreed release quantities — monthly, quarterly, or on a schedule matched to your production demand. Tooling is maintained between releases so repeat runs start without re-qualification. JIT inventory programs are available for high-frequency components.
In-process dimensional inspection at defined intervals throughout the run, SPC charting on critical dimensions, and documented tool change schedules based on material and wear rates. Every production run — regardless of volume — starts with first article approval and ends with final inspection verification against the same specification.
Multi-spindle delivers the lowest per-part cost on turned parts at volumes above 25,000 pieces because five spindles perform simultaneous operations, completing a part every 9–12 seconds. Swiss machining is most cost-effective for small-diameter parts (under 7/8") with complex features. CNC turning and milling cost more per part but handle larger sizes, more complex geometries, and lower volumes efficiently.
Yes. Prototypes and short runs (10–500 pieces) typically run on CNC turning or milling. Once the design is finalized and volume increases, we transition to multi-spindle or Swiss for production efficiency. Tolerances, dimensions, and quality documentation carry over — the production parts match the approved prototypes.
Free-machining grades produce the best results at volume: C360 brass, 12L14 steel, 303 stainless, 2011 aluminum, C14500 tellurium copper, and C932 bronze. These alloys contain chip-breaking additives that allow higher cutting speeds, longer tool life, and more consistent dimensions across long runs. Non-free-machining grades (304 stainless, 316 stainless, 6061 aluminum, pure copper) are also produced at volume — cycle times are longer but the parts are fully achievable.
Part drawings or CAD models with material grade specified, required tolerances, order quantity, and estimated annual usage (EAU). Include secondary operations if needed — heat treating, plating, anodizing, grinding. If you're open to material substitution (e.g., 303 stainless instead of 304 for better machinability at volume), note that on the RFQ — we can quote both options so you can compare.
