Design for Manufacture

Confidently transition from concept to component with expert design input that ensures efficiency, quality, and ease of manufacture.

Need help turning your product design into something that can be manufactured efficiently? Our experienced engineers work closely with designers and product developers to refine manufacturing designs, helping improve both cost and performance.

We can also support with reverse engineering and create clear machining drawings so your parts are easy to manufacture, repeatable, and priced right.

What is Design for Manufacture (DfM)?

Design for manufacture, often called DfM, is a process that optimises part design for cost-effective and reliable production. It focuses on simplifying part features, material choices, and tolerances to achieve the best machining results. DfM ensures your parts are easier to make, saving time and cost without sacrificing performance.

Our Design for Manufacture Service

Our design for manufacture service is here to make your components easier and more cost-effective to produce. We work with your initial drawings, sketches, or 3D CAD files to review every detail of your design. You’ll receive markups, updated CAD models, and clear documentation to help you move forward with confidence.

We work with common 2D file formats like PDF and DXF, as well as 3D models like STEP files. Our engineers also accept physical samples or basic sketches to reverse engineer into precise machining drawings. You get a complete, production-ready package that ensures your parts meet your needs and your budget.

Our machining services

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Materials we machine

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How the DfM Process Works

Our design for manufacture process ensures that your parts are ready for efficient, cost-effective machining. 

Here’s how it works:

Tell us about your project

Start by sharing a brief overview of your component or assembly.

You can get in touch via our quote form, email, or a quick phone call.

We’ll ask for drawings or concept sketches, functional requirements, materials, volumes, and any challenges you’re facing so we can quickly assess how we can help.

Initial consultation

We’ll set up a no-obligation call with one of our experienced engineers to better understand your design goals, constraints, and commercial objectives.

Whether you're working on a new product or need help refining an existing one, this is your opportunity to get engineering-led input before production.

Quotation

Based on your requirements, we’ll provide a clear and detailed quote outlining the scope of work.

This will include deliverables (such as drawings or optimised models), timescales, and pricing.

We’ll also confirm if the design is suitable for CNC machining or if improvements could make it more efficient to produce.

Design work begins

Once approved, our engineering team will begin refining your design for manufacture.

We focus on improving tolerance stack-ups, reducing complexity, ensuring machinability, and selecting appropriate geometries for cost-effective machining.

We keep you involved throughout by sharing updates, discussing options, and making sure the design aligns with your goals.

Review and final tweaks

When your design is finalised, we’ll present it to you for review.

You’ll receive fully detailed manufacturing drawings and, if required, CAD files for integration into your wider assemblies.

We’ll make any final adjustments based on your feedback, ensuring everything is production-ready and meets your expectations.

What You'll Receive from our DfM Service

Our Design for Manufacture service gives you more than just advice—it gives you complete, production-ready documentation to move your project forward with clarity and control.

Whether you’re refining a concept or preparing for full production, you’ll receive the assets you need to machine with confidence.

Engineering Drawings

You’ll receive detailed 2D drawings that are optimised for machining. These include critical dimensions, material callouts, and clear annotations to ensure your parts can be made efficiently and to specification.

Assembly Drawings

If your part is part of a larger assembly, we’ll produce exploded or sectional views that show how components fit together. This ensures proper orientation, fastener placement, and mechanical function across the final build.

Assembly Documentation

Alongside the drawings, we provide step-by-step build documentation where needed. This includes fastener types, torque values, insert specs, and any additional assembly instructions required for production or QA.

CAD File Packages

We deliver your final design in common formats to suit a wide range of manufacturing workflows. This ensures compatibility across different CAD/CAM environments and speeds up project handover.

Examples of our high-quality CNC machined components

Electronic enclosure

Aluminium machining
Aluminium 6082 T6 with soft sulphuric blue anodising

Machined nylon prototype

Aluminium machining
Nylon
± 0.025mm

Machined OEM tooling piece

Aluminium machining
Black Nylon
±0.005"

Aluminium Machined Part

Aluminium machining
Material: Aluminium
Finish: Anodized
Weight: 150g

Industries we help

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What our clients say

Leanne
Senior buyer at bicycle firm
We’ve worked with Penta on several complex projects, and their consistency and attention to detail have been second to none. The team is quick to respond and flexible.
Andrea
Buyer
Penta is highly recommended for their quality, responsiveness and customer service. We have experienced a lot of change with our parts and Penta has always accommodated the adjustments needed in a timely manner. The quality is 100%.
Mark
Senior buyer at coffee brand
The quality of the plastic mouldings you machined were exceptional.

More about CNC machining

Common questions