Q: Why does China Machine Shop have its own free CAD Software?
A: Most CAD software allows users to design geometric shapes, but usually doesn’t account for manufacturability and pricing. China Machine Shop CAD was developed to include design, manufacturability analysis, and part costing in an easy-to-use, powerful software.
Whether or not you’re familiar with using another CAD program, you’ll find China Machine Shop easy to learn. A user-friendly interface, suite of drawing tools, and built-in pricing and ordering functions make China Machine Shop CAD an excellent choice for designing custom machined parts. Many users are able to design, price and order their parts in under 10 minutes!
Check out our CAD features list to learn why China Machine Shop has become the trusted, free CAD software for both engineers and businesses.
Q: What if I’m a complete beginner to CAD software and have no knowledge about machining?
A: No problem! Our software was developed to be powerful enough for professionals but accessible for novices. Our built-in machinist will help keep you on track by providing error messages if you design a feature that cannot be machined.
Q: What type of documentation is provided to help me learn and understand the functions and commands in China Machine Shop’s software?
A: We maintain an online help index and video guide for our CAD software.
Q: Can I use China Machine Shop offline?
A: Yes. You only need to connect to the internet to place your orders and retrieve the latest pricing file.
Q: How do I price and order the parts I’ve designed?
A: You can price and order parts directly from the software. After designing your parts, select Job | Price/Analyze to get a total cost, and then place your order in just a few clicks!
Manufacturing FAQ
Q: How can I reduce my manufacturing costs?
A: To learn more about reducing manufacturing costs please reference our cost-reduction page.
Q: What is China Machine Shop and how are you different from a traditional machine shop?
A: When using a normal machine shop, many steps and sometimes many different vendors are needed to turn your idea into finished parts. China Machine Shop replaces the traditional machine shop with an online manufacturing service where we quote your design, manufacture the parts, and ship directly to your home or business.
Use our FREE CAD to design and order your parts in minutes or get a manual quote via a file from a popular paid CAD application like Solidworks or AutoCAD.
Q: What CNC machines and manufacturing processes does China Machine Shop use?
A: To create your parts, we use CNC mills, laser cutting machines, 3D printers, waterjets, wire EDM machines, plastic injection molding, CNC turning, and more. See our CNC Machining Services page to view the full list.
Q: Do you offer secondary finishing on an order of custom parts? What if I need finishing on parts I already have?
A: China Machine Shop offers a wide range of secondary finishing options for your order, including powder coating, anodizing, electroless plating, abrasive blasting, metal brushing and grinding.
Take a look at our secondary finishing capabilities for the full list.
If you need finishing for something that China Machine Shop did not manufacture, submit pictures and the details of your request through our quote form and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Q: Where is China Machine Shop located?
A: Our main manufacturing facility is located at Building 60, Area B, Yuanshan Industrial Zone,
Shangcun, Gongming, Guangming, Shenzhen, China. Ave, Building 60, Area B, Yuanshan Industrial Zone,
Shangcun, Gongming, Guangming, Shenzhen, China. New Jersey, USA.
Q: What shipping company do you use?
A: We ship from our facility in Building 60, Area B, Yuanshan Industrial Zone,
Shangcun, Gongming, Guangming, Shenzhen, China. NJ and our primary courier is FedEx.
Q: Where can you ship to?
A: We ship globally.
Q: Is there a minimum or maximum order quantity?
A: You can order anything from 1 part to 100,000+. Please contact us regarding any special or large orders for preferential pricing.
Q: What are your business hours?
A: Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm EST. You can place orders on machine-shop.cn or through China Machine Shop FREE CAD 24/7.
Q: What is your free shipping policy?
A: Free Ground shipping is automatically offered to orders shipped in the contiguous United States.
Q: What payment methods can you accept?
A: We accept MasterCard, Discover, Visa, American Express, checks, and money orders.